THE CHANGING OF THE PRIESTHOOD AND THE LAW
(Suggested Reading: Heb. 7, Gen. 14)
The apostle now resumes the teaching interrupted by the parenthesis from 5:11 to 6:20. In Heb. 6:1010For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:10) Christ is addressed by God as High Priest after the order of Melchizedec and in 6:20 we are told that Jesus has been made an High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedec. "Forever" means uninterrupted by death like the Aaronic priesthood was and so in transmissible. But you cannot have two orders of priesthood running simultaneously. As to Aaron's priesthood Paul tells us that he was called by God (5:4). But so was Christ, only not after Aaron's order but the order of Melchizedec and this is proved from the Old Testament Scriptures too Psa. 110:44The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4). Since God is not the Author of confusion Paul now takes up this seeming duplication in the High Priest's office and resolves the question by showing how the priestly order of Melchizedec (Christ's order) has superseded the priestly order of Aaron. And since the priesthood and the law are interconnected the changing of the priesthood calls for a change in the law. This is the teaching of 7:12 The key verse in the seventh chapter.
The Greatness of Melchizedec
We are told that Melchizedec was King of Salem (i.e. Jerusalem) and Priest of the Most High God. He was, then, both a king and a priest, as Christ is. His history is given in Gen. 14 and his name divinely invoked in Psa. 110 as the order of Messiah's priesthood. These are the only two references to him in the Old Testament. The salient features of his personal history are summarized in Heb. 7, where initially we are told that he blessed Abraham after a battle, and Abraham gave him one tenth of the booty. This battle is a prophetic anticipation of Armageddon see Rev. 19 which establishes Christ's rule over the world.
It is amazing that in those far off days a man could occupy such an important political position as King of Jerusalem and yet be called "priest of the Most High God." The expression "most high" is a title of God's in reference to His future judgments on the haughty Gentile empires who began with Nebuchadnezzar and end at Armageddon. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that seven times should pass over him till he knew that the MOST HIGH rules in the kingdom of men see Dan. 4:2525That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. (Daniel 4:25). In their pride the Gentiles think they can rule the world without God and historically have oppressed God's ancient people Israel. They will eventually be made to do what Nebuchadnezzar their head did at the end of God's personal judgment on him. King Nebuchadnezzar lifted up his eyes to heaven, his understanding returned to him and he blessed the MOST HIGH see Dan. 4:3434And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: (Daniel 4:34). When Gentile power in the world is ended Christ will come out of heaven as Melchizedec Priest to bless Israel and through her all the world see Rom. 11:13-3313For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:13‑33).
Melchizedec's name means "King of Righteousness." His office is called "King of Salem" which means "King of Peace." It is remarkable to find a man's name synonymous with his office as with Melchizedec. Usually a man's name is given first followed by his title or office. Here is an exception however and the reason is that Melchizedec combined a dual kingship in his person "King of Righteousness" and "King of Peace." Little wonder then that Christ's Priesthood is after the order of Melchizedec. He will enforce peace on this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Just as Melchizedec blessed Abraham when he returned from the slaughter of the kings so will Jesus bless Abraham's seed when He establishes His kingdom the King of Salem the ruler of Jerusalem. Men will not willingly beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks. There can be no peace on earth until a King rules in righteousness. It is beautiful to see that of the seven mentions of righteousness in Hebrews three refer to Christ and Melchizedec (after whose order Christ is a Priest 1:8, 1:9, 7:2) the other four being general. Righteousness is giving God what is due to Him and the creature what is due to the creature see Luke 10:25-3725And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. 28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 30And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? 37And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. (Luke 10:25‑37). This world will be ruled perfectly one day by Christ, for a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of His kingdom.
Only when we come to the third verse do difficulties arise concerning Melchizedec. He is portrayed as without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but assimilated to the Son of God, 1* abiding a priest continually. People say this is impossible. Man, born of woman, must die the Scriptures teach this and we know it from what happens in life. These difficulties arise from thinking as Gentiles rather than Jews. As a Jew writing to Jews Paul is simply using Melchizedec to prefigure Jesus as a new order of priest. The order of priesthood headed up by Aaron and passed on to his sons by death, was exercised on earth. Christ however never was a priest on earth, but only in heaven. Therefore His priesthood must be after a new order. God had said in Psa. 110 that His priesthood would be after the order of Melchizedec, a man who appears on the sacred page in Gen. 14. Paul says Melchizedec is "assimilated to the Son of God and abides a priest continually." This means that AS A PRIEST ONLY he is similar to God's Son, because looked at as a priest only Christ had no genealogy. Of course looked at as a Man He had Mary was His mother but not as a priest. Furthermore Christ abides a priest continually just as there is no record of Melchizedec's death in Scripture. So in the book of Genesis Moses intentionally omits what must have taken place in the way of nature the birth and death of Melchizedec. He is introduced and disappears from the Scriptures with just enough given of him to constitute him as the pattern of a new order of priesthood which would find its full realization in Christ. This order would differ in another important way from Aaron's. Aaron was never a king but Melchizedec was. So David was inspired to speak of the Christ to come as being a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedec and followed this in Psa. 110 with a declaration that the Lord at His right hand would crush kings in the days of His wrath. This Aaron never did, not being a king. After the order of Melchizedec Christ is a King. But during the Church period His kingly rule of the earth is deferred. He carries on His priesthood partially after the pattern of Aaron. We say partially because Aaron as a priest performed sacrificial duties outside the tabernacle and ministerial duties inside. Christ of course came into the world to be a sacrifice, not a priest, and performs His priestly services inside the tabernacle i.e. in heaven. But He does so as a priest not after Aaron's order but the order of Melchizedec. Now Melchizedec was a blesser. As a heavenly priest then Christ's priestly services are conducted for our spiritual blessing. The time will come though when the Church period will end and He will come out of heaven as Melchizedec—Priest with blessings for the earth. The slaughter of the kings must take place before Christ can do this that is, Gentile powers opposing Christ's rule over the world must first be destroyed. Such is the clear teaching of Gen. 14 which tells us much of what we know about Melchizedec. In that chapter he comes out to bestow the bread and wine of strength and blessing to Abraham as in the future day Christ will bless the Jew and through Him the whole Adam race. When He does He will be Melchizedec—King wearing His priestly garments of glory and beauty. We see in these figures the foundation truth that all blessing for heaven and earth flows from the death of Christ. Today Christ, like Aaron on the Day of Atonement, has entered the most holy place wearing the holy linen garments the garments of His blood sacrifice. Tomorrow He will come out to the Jews in His garments of glory and beauty with bread and wine this has a distinctly Eucharistic teaching a reminder that the Jew is on the same ground for blessing the death of Christ as the Church which He will have taken to glory was during her sojourn on this earth.
Does the reader find it difficult to follow this simple explanation? If so it is because he does not look at the Book of Hebrews through Jewish eyes. He must for this epistle was written to professing Hebrew Christians. An argument, to be effective with them, must be based upon their own Old Testament Scriptures. Now it is abundantly clear that in New Testament times the Jews understood Psa. 110 to teach that Messiah would be after the order of Melchizedec. The Lord used their understanding of this truth to silence the scribes when He was on earth Luke 20:41-4441And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son? 42And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 43Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 44David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? (Luke 20:41‑44). Then when He returned to heaven Peter used it on the Day of Pentecost to urge them to repent and receive Christ which they did Acts 2:34, 3534For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until I make thy foes thy footstool. (Acts 2:34‑35). Clearly then the Jews, in the days of the Lord and the Apostles, had no difficulty in understanding that Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedec although they did not understand when this would be. They knew that Scripture had described Melchizedec in such a way that his human origin and descendants if any were veiled from their eyes by the procedure of deliberate omission from the written record in Gen. 14. They saw that by this technique he was made a figure of the order of their coming Messiah's priesthood. Because they had this key of knowledge they were free to meditate more on Melchizedec's power and greatness, hoping to derive from this study as much knowledge as possible concerning the coming Messiah. That is what we shall now do also.
Melchizedec Shown to Be Greater Than Their Father Abraham and Therefore a High Priest After Melchizedec's Order Greater Than a High Priest Descended From Abraham
Abraham! What that name meant to a Jew! The poor man was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom for the Lord knew that no figure could carry greater weight to them than that association. But He also said "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day and he saw it and was glad... Verily, verily I say unto you before Abraham was, I am.”
But Abraham recognized in Melchizedec—God's representative. That is why he paid tithes to him. Tithes are paid to God or to His representative. To his Jewish readers Paul pointed out that the sons of Levi, who received the office of the (Levitical) priesthood following after their father Aaron, received tithes of their brethren as God's representatives. But if their genealogy were traced backwards it would end in Abraham and Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedec. No wonder Paul says "now consider how great this man was." For the priestly family of Aaron v.9 paid tithes to Melchizedec. By this act of tribute they acknowledged the order of Melchizedec as being superior to their own. But when we pay tithes God assures us of a blessing from Him so great that there will not be enough room to store it Mal. 3:1010Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10). So on paying tithes to Melchizedec, Abraham (and therefore his descendants in the Aaronic priesthood) received a blessing from Melchizedec. But the blesser has to be greater than the person receiving the blessing. On these two grounds therefore giving and receiving the order of Melchizedec is proved superior to the order of Aaron. Furthermore, Paul argues, perfection could not be by the order of Aaron under which the Jews received the law, or another priest would not have risen after a new and different order the order of Melchizedec. God not being the Author of confusion the order of Aaron has passed away to make room for the better order the order of Melchizedec. Proof that this is so is the categorical statement in v.12 That the priesthood has been changed. The rest of that verse tells us that (because of this change of priesthood) the law must be changed too. God cannot change His priesthood and at the same time leave His law unchanged. Since the moral principles of the law cannot be changed what is meant is a change in the way God will present it to His ancient people in the form of grace in the heart of man instead of commandments in stone outside man. Of this more later. What is taught here is that since the priesthood has been changed the law must be also. For the priesthood and the law are interconnected. If one changes the other must too.
In verse 13 Paul points out that Christ, of whom these things were spoken i.e. the things about the new order of priesthood belonged to another tribe than Levi's. Nobody from that tribe had ever officiated at the altar, for Aaron and his descendants belonged to the tribe of Levi. Then in v.14 he tells us that our Lord was of the tribe of Judah and Moses never connected Judah with the priesthood. Judah was a regal tribe. On his deathbed Jacob prophesied of Judah "the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be" Gen. 49:1010The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. (Genesis 49:10). This agrees with what is written in Heb. 7 our Lord "sprang" out of Judah. A man does not spring but a lion does. He is the king of beasts. So in Rev. 5:55And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (Revelation 5:5) when Christ is about to seize His mighty power and rule over the earth as Melchizedec-Priest, He is called "the Lion of the tribe of Judah." This future exercise of Christ's kingly power in the world is implied in Melchizedec's name and center of rule Jerusalem. Melchizedec's name means "King of Righteousness." He ruled over Salem (Jerusalem) as "King of Peace" as Christ will when He establishes His world dominion for one thousand years with Jerusalem as its capital the center of glory and government in the world. While this is future it is blessed to know the power and strength of our Great High Priest today. Tomorrow the world will know it but we know it today.
A Better Covenant Between God and His People Than the Law of Moses Which Has As Its Guarantee Jesus Who Is After a New Order of Priesthood
Not only has our Lord sprung out of Judah lion like but according to the similitude of Melchizedec He arises a different priest. Arising is another allusion to a lion's movements arising and springing suggesting awesome regal power in life. This power of indissoluble life v.16 is in contrast to the law of fleshly commandment. It is also in contrast to "him who had the power of death" 2:14. Then once again, as so often in this epistle, Paul reverts back to the underlying authority behind Christ's Priesthood the divine oath "Thou art a priest forever after the Order of Melchizedec." Christ's Priesthood then is a priesthood of power, indissoluble life and established by divine authority under oath. Therefore the legal system is set aside v.18 being weak and unprofitable that is, not able to help man and a better hope is introduced to replace it. By this better hope we approach God. Then too the better hope required the swearing of a divine oath to introduce the new order of priesthood which was not so with the old order. "The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind Thou art a priest forever." This is the last time this frequently quoted expression from Psa. 110 is found in Hebrews and so Paul re-emphasizes it in the closing quotation by asserting that the Lord will not change His mind about it. Christ's is the last and closing order of priesthood it is forever. The authority of this divine oath undergirds Christ's priesthood and along with it the better covenant soon to be spoken of. When the priesthood changes, God's covenant with His people changes too. The old covenant connected with the old order of priesthood was powerless because man could not keep its commandments. Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant a covenant of grace, as we shall see, secured by the divine oath which established His priesthood.
Finally there were many priests under the old covenant but now one only. They were many because they had to die and pass the priesthood on to others. Now there is one, who never dies and never passes the priesthood on.
Complete Help for Man—the Three Ways Our High Priest Intercedes for His People
Scripture gives us several views of Christ's High Priesthood. First we have the generalized viewpoint. In this He intercedes with God for all His people covering the whole span of the Church period plus the coming one thousand year kingdom on earth at the end of which time is no more and the future eternity begins. This generalized view covering God's people in both the Church period and Israel is the subject of Rom. 8:2828And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) "but we do know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to purpose." This generalized view of our High Priest's function then, amounts to guidance—guidance both for our lives as such and for our service to God. It is seen most beautifully in the life of Paul, the author of the verse just quoted. In Acts 16 Paul got both negative and positive guidance. He wanted to preach in the Roman province of Asia but he was forbidden it wasn't God's time yet for that province. Then he tried to go into Bithynia but was barred there too. Then at night Paul has a vision and sees clearly where God wants him to preach Macedonia. That is how all things work together for good to those who love God. The forbidden territories received the gospel later but for the present the Lord had more urgent work for Paul in Macedonia. This part of Paul's experiences deserves study i.e. as it helps us understand guidance from God. Paul is often used as a figure of Christianity in Acts and in the latter part of the book we see how all things worked together for good for him in a time of great adversity. And all things work together for good for us too for we are the beneficiaries of his inspired letters written under circumstances which would have conquered a less trusting man.
When we pass from the general to the particular we are dealing with Christ's intercession with two distinct classes of people the Church, His heavenly people, and Israel in the future day His earthly people. The two classes of robes of the Jewish High Priest illustrate this. When Aaron entered the holy of holies with blood on the Day of Atonement he wore the holy linen garments of sacrifice. This is a figure of Christ's present priestly service performed in heaven the true holy of holies for us. But when he came out to Israel he took off his linen garments and put on his garments of glory and beauty. These are the garments in which Christ will appear on earth as Melchizedec-Priest ruler of an earthly people. The distinction between these garments is an important one. Men's garments indicate what they do a surgeon has a gown, a workman overalls, a soldier a uniform varying with his service army, navy, air force and rank. So as High Priest Christ wears linen garments for the Church and is a Priest in heaven, but He will wear garments of glory and beauty for Israel when He rules over them in the glory of His kingdom. No other garments would be suitable for an earthly rule when the kingdom has come.
The Lord's services for us as High Priest today . "Today" the Church period is largely the thought of 7:25. "He is able also to save completely those who come to God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them." The character of this intercession has been given to us before this is a consolidation. First we were told that "He is able to help those who are being tempted" 2:18. This is our High Priest's shoulder the place of strength. Secondly we are told that our High Priest is not one who is unsympathetic to our infirmities 4:14, 15. That is, He is tender hearted to weak people like us whose circumstances of life may be difficult, who suffer in feeble bodies and who are continually bereaved in a world of death. These two things come together in 7:25 able to save completely and affection. "He is able" is stressed not that He always will. He is doing the best He can daily for all believers according to our state of soul. Our part is to approach God by Him His part is to go to God for us this is High Priestly intercession... The Lord's services for Israel as High Priest tomorrow- In the eleventh chapter of Romans Paul tells us that God has not discarded Israel. Rather their fall has enriched the world and especially the Gentiles. But if the Gentiles do not continue in God's goodness they will be cut off as the Jews were. Then the Jews will be returned to blessing, after acknowledging Christ as their King. There is a beautiful picture of this in the Old Testament. Athalia, on the death of her son, ordered all the seed royal killed, and usurped the throne. But unknown to her, Jehoiada the priest hid Jehoash, one of the royal seed, in the House of the Lord so that at the proper time he could be king. And so it happened. The true king was revealed, crowned and acclaimed with the shout 'God save the King.' Athalia the usurper was slain. So with Jesus, thought to be slain by those who usurp authority in the world, but actually hidden in the House of the Lord as our High Priest. At the proper time He will be revealed to Israel as their King and be publicly acclaimed. His enemies will be destroyed and His people will be willing in the day of His power. He will be Melchizedec Priest in public display.
Such an High Priest
Next in v.26 Paul says "such an High Priest” became us. In Heb. 2:1010For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10) "it became Him"..."to make the leader of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Here it becomes us to have such an High Priest "holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." It became us because we are looked at as His companions 1:9 and if we are to be His companions we must be where He is in the heavens. When Christ was on earth He had companions, Peter, James, John, Mary Magdalene, for example. Now He has us as His companions and if we want to enjoy His company we must be, in spirit, where He now is in heaven. But you say can I come there, really, and if so how. Well I can come because He made one offering for sin v.27 when on earth, so my sins are gone and I can have confidence in approaching God. And I come to where the Priest is now heaven not earth. For us today the priesthood is heavenly in character not earthly. The earthly priesthood made high priests out of weak men. The heavenly priesthood was established by the swearing of God's oath "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedec." And who is this Priest? He is "the Son who is perfected forever" 7:28.