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 [21] – Divine Law and the Christian priesthood [2]

 The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews says that when a Jew becomes a Christian, transference of priesthood is taking place. But in addition, a second key concept is presented in Hebrews 7 v 12. ‘...the priesthood is being transferred, from out of necessity, from out of compelling need, and a transfer of law is coming into being’. There is also a transfer with regard to Covenant Law in that by entering into this new priesthood, the injunctions written in stone concerning the appointment of priests and the high priest are being rendered idle. He goes on to say, ‘Because indeed, there is a setting aside of the preceding command, [the injunction that to qualify for the priesthood, a Jew must be physically descended from Levi], because it is weak and has no utility or benefit 19 because the Law brings nothing to completion – bringing in alongside a more excellent confident expectation by means of which we are coming near to God’,  (Hebrews 7 v 18, 19). 

This is a moderately complex statement so lets break it down into manageable parts. 

There is a setting aside of the Covenant Law about Hebrew priests having to belong to the tribe of Levi 

This setting aside brings alongside a more superior confident expectation

By means of this more excellent expectation, Christians are coming near to God

The Covenant Law regarding the qualification that a Jew must be a Levite before he can be considered for entry into the delegated authority of being priest, is being set aside because it 

Is weak and

Has no useful, practical benefit, because

It brings nothing to completion  

This is in agreement with what Paul says in his letter to the Roman Christians. ‘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).

I want to note that the Covenant Law regarding the qualification of Hebrew priests is not abolished, dissolved or relaxed, (Matthew 5 v 18, 19). Rather, for Hebrew Christians it is set aside such that a more confident expectation is brought alongside – in parallel to Covenant Law.  

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.

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [19] – Christians and Divine Law

 Two of the major groups of people that Scripture looks at are Jews and Gentiles. Jews are God’s chosen ethnic group, and they were placed under the Sinai Covenant with its divine Laws. But because of their constant disobedience, God withdrew Himself and His honour away from them and left them to their own desires and reasoning. Even so, in the gospels they are urged to think again with the coming of their Messiah. Then we have the rest of humanity, referred to in Scripture as ‘Gentiles’ or ‘Greeks’, the various tribes, races and nations of the world. They were not placed under the Sinai Covenant and its Laws, but were left to go their own way in ignorance. Since the coming of the Messiah, they too are now urged to think again.

Given what I have said so far, what is the situation regarding Christians and the divine Law of the Sinai Covenant? Most Christians today are Gentiles. Many of them typically turn to Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, to see what he has to say on this matter. But I consider that we get a foundation and context for Paul’s teaching in another New Testament document, namely the Letter to the Hebrews. We don’t know the name of the author of this letter, but he is writing to Jews who have become Christians, and in part of his letter he writes about this very theme. So it is worth spending time to look at what he has to say. 

The author explains that Jesus has been made high priest, but that he is not like the high priests of old. ‘Although being a Son he learned obedience away from what he endured, 9 and being made complete he became the author of perpetual rescue to all hearing under him, 10 named under God high priest corresponding to the arrangement of Melchizedek’, (Hebrews 5 v 8 – 10). See also Hebrews 6 v 20. 

This means that there are two orders of priests – The Levitical order and the order of Melchizedek. He describes Melchizedek in this way – ‘This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever’, (Hebrews 7 v 1 – 3 NIV). 

Shortly afterwards, the author of the letter to the Hebrews begins to make a comparison between these two priestly orders and how they relate to each other, particularly for those Christians who were previously devout Jews under the Sinai Covenant with its divine Laws.   

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [18] – Jews, Christians and Divine Law

 I have pointed out that YHVH withdrew Himself from His chosen ethnic group, the Jews, such that with the Assyrian and Babylonian Conquests, Israel’s infrastructure, its monarchy, along with its delegated rulers, priestly arrangement, temple and so on were lost. Although exiled Jews returned to their land decades later and the temple was eventually rebuilt, their full infrastructure was never fully reinstated. In due course their promised Messiah was revealed, but despite their advantages in being prepared for their Messiah, Jews rejected Jesus as a charlatan or impostor. 

Speaking to Jews about the Law, Jesus declared, ‘Don’t consider that I come down to loosen or dissolve the law or the prophets, I am not coming to loosen or dissolve, but to fully complete. 18 Because I say to you, ‘So be it up until the heaven and land come alongside. No, not one iota or accent goes away from alongside the law up until all comes into being’, (Matthew 5 v 18, 19). Jesus confirmed what he meant by ‘law’ when he then went on to talk about judicial approval and the depth and scope of behaviours such as murder, adultery and taking oaths.  

Yet in his letter to Christians in Rome, Paul says, ‘But now we are being rendered entirely idle away from the Law, dying and withering away within that holding us down, in order that we serve within new, fresh breath [pneuma] and absolutely not within obsolete writing’, (Romans 7 v 6). He says something similar in his second letter to the Corinthians. ‘Now if the ministry of death, having been engraved in letters on stones and which is rendered idle and inactive….’ (II Corinthians 3 v 7, 8a). Paul always urges Christians who have been persuaded of the Messiah to the point of obedience to live a godly life day-by-day. Yet nowhere does he say to Christians, ‘Therefore walk around within the sphere of the Law and keep its injunctions’. If learning about and trying to obey the injunctions of divine Law was the effective means to live a godly life, then surely this is exactly what the Apostle would have said – but he never does. Instead, he urges Christians to exercise enlightened self-control and walk around within the sphere of the Breath. So how do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory perspectives about the Law? Does every small detail remain, or is it fading away?