Principles of living a set apart, godly life [22] – Divine Law and Christian priesthood [3]

 The author of the Letter to the Hebrews has said that Hebrew or Jewish Christians (along with Gentile Christians), are brought into a new and different priesthood of the order of Melchizedek, such that a more confident expectation is brought alongside. This new priestly order exists in parallel to Sinai Covenant Law. But for Hebrew Christians, when it comes to the setting in place and qualification of priests and the high priest, the old injunctions have been set on one side. 

He then goes on to explain why Jesus, as high priest yet not a Levite as Covenant Law requires, brings in this more confident expectation. He explains by comparing the two orders of priests. A more excellent confident expectation, by means of which we Christians are coming near to God, is brought in alongside. ‘Namely down as absolutely not separated from an oath, because on one hand, those detached from swearing an oath are becoming priests, 21 but in company with an oath, by means of saying to him, [Jesus], ‘The Lord swears an oath and will not change afterwards. You are a priest penetrating into the age’, [Psalm 110 v 4] 22 down from so great and more excellent a set agreement Jesus has become the secure guarantee and bondsman’, (Hebrews 7 v 20 – 22).  

That is another slightly complex sentence, so what is he saying? He is saying that the one made a priest by the swearing of an oath, is a better and greater priest than any who are made a priest without swearing of an oath. Nothing is said in Scripture of God swearing an oath when He chose Aaron and his posterity to be priests. Levitical priests were set apart without their role being confirmed to them by God swearing an oath. Priests of Aaron’s order were selected, instituted and set apart without any oath being mentioned by Moses, who did everything exactly as YHVH commanded him, (Exodus 40 v 16). By contrast, Jesus became a priest by virtue of God swearing an oath that He will not regret or think about again afterwards so as to change His mind. ‘You are a priest penetrating into the age’, and down from such an excellent and superior agreement, Jesus has become the secure guarantee and bondsman. The Greek word is ‘egguos’ and it only occurs here in all of the New Testament. It means ‘one who acts as a surety or guarantee’, ‘a guarantor who takes responsibility for another ensuring that an obligation or promise is fulfilled’.

Jesus is the secure bondsman ensuring that those brought forth by God will be delivered. He becomes responsible, so to speak, to law and justice, such that no injury will be done to law and justice by our deliverance even though we are sinners. The principles of divine law will be honoured in order that Christians will be delivered even though they have earned self-forfeiture and condemnation, as the Law and their conscience testifies. Jesus has become responsible for the fulfilment of this promise of deliverance, he is the surety, the pledge, that all proper honour will be paid to the Law and justice within this deliverance. He died to honour Covenant Law and the underlying principles of divine Law, in order to open a way by which divine condemnation may be fully remitted in a way that is consistent with justice. ‘But now, apart and separate from Law, God’s judicial approval is made clear and apparent, testified and borne witness to by the Law and the Prophets’, (Romans 3 v 21).

The author of Hebrews then spends verses 23 – 27 making further comparisons between Jesus as high priest with the Levitical priests and high priests of the old, Sinai Covenant. He shows the superiority of Jesus, concluding once again that ‘the Law appoints men who have weakness as high priests; but on the other hand, the word of the oath, after and in company with the Law, completely accomplished a descendant penetrating towards the age’, (Hebrews 7 v 28). 

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [20] – Divine Law and the Christian priesthood [1]

 The author of the letter to the Hebrews makes a comparison between two priestly orders – the Levitical order of priests under the Sinai Covenant and its Laws, and the order of Melchizedek. He does this because Jesus is the high priest of those brought forth by God, a high priest corresponding to the order or arrangement of Melchizedek. 

He says,  ‘….if the people were completely fulfilled and made complete through the Levitical priesthood – on the basis that it was ordained and sanctioned by Covenant Law – why is there still need for another priest to be raised up according to the rank of Melchizedek, not being spoken of according to the rank of Aaron? [A Levite] 12 Because the priesthood is being transferred from out of necessity, from out of compelling need, and a transfer of law is coming into being. 13 Because these things [about Jesus as high priest] are being said on the basis of another tribe participating, away from which no one held towards the altar. 14 Because it is very clear that our Lord rises from out of Judah, penetrating into which tribe Moses says nothing around priests. 15 And it is even more abundantly clear if another priest is arising down from a resemblance to Melchizedek, 16 who is not caused to come into being down from a fleshly command of law, but down from power and ability of indissoluble life. 17 Because it is testified: ‘You are a priest penetrating into the age, down from the arranged order of Melchizedek’, [Psalm 110 v 4], (Hebrews 7 v 11 – 17). 

The first key thought for us here is that there is a transference of priesthood. Jews who become Christians are placed into a new and different priesthood with Jesus as the high priest. On becoming Christians they are no longer under the Levitical priesthood but have become members of a new priesthood that resembles that of Melchizedek at the time of Abraham. By comparison, Gentiles who are not Christians are not under the Levitical order of priests. But on being brought forth by God through the Messiah, they too are placed as members of this priesthood that corresponds to that of Melchizedek. 

Jesus comes from the Hebrew tribe of Judah, yet Moses, in mediating the Sinai Covenant and its Laws, says nothing about priests from Judah attending to the altar and its sacrificial duties. Jesus does not arise as high priest from out of a fleshly command of divine Law (verse 16) but from power and ability of an indissoluble life. The phrase ‘a fleshly command of Law’ may at first seem difficult to understand, but in this context it seems to mean the requirement or injunction of ‘the divine Law that states that in order to qualify be a priest a Jew had to be a physical descendant of Levi’ – a Levite.