Heb 7:23-24 | KingComments | STEP | . Still the writer is not finished with clarifying the difference between the priesthood of Melchizedek and that of Aaron. He makes use of all differences to make his readers aware of the excellence of the priesthood of Melchizedek beyond that of Aaron. The following difference is that God, with the introduction of the Levitical priesthood, didn’t swear an oath, while He on the contrary did with that of Melchizedek, i.e. of Christ. Again the writer uses the quotation of Psalm 110 ( ; ) to prove it. By swearing an oath God declares that His purpose concerning the priesthood of Christ is absolute. The oath is additional assurance that He will never ever reconsider this, otherwise He would dishonor the One to Whom He had sworn – that is He Himself. Also human weakness or sin has in no way an impact on this priesthood. This priesthood can never be set aside. The Levitical priesthood was totally different. There was no oath connected to this priesthood, which was not designated with the purpose to be everlasting, but was only meant to function for a certain time. . Because the priesthood of Melchizedek was established by the swearing of an oath, it is better than that of Aaron. This fact leads the writer then to speak about “a better covenant”, which means better than the covenant of Sinai. This covenant is as much better as the priesthood made by an oath is better than the priesthood without an oath. There are two parties obliged in making a covenant. At Sinai the people obliged themselves to keep the law and God obliged Himself to bless them if they kept the law. But it has become clear that man failed under the old covenant, under the law, just as the priesthood without oath failed. However, with the better covenant “Jesus has become the guarantee” and therefore the blessing is sure. He has kept the law and thus fulfilled all obligations. And not only that. He also took away all debts that rested on the people by taking them upon Himself and paying for them. As a guarantee He met the obligations for the party that has failed. He did not make Himself a guarantee in an impulsive action, without overseeing the consequences ( ). He knew what He was doing and He also knew that He was able to pay the costs. . The writer mentions another difference between the old and the new priesthood. The old priesthood had to be passed on to someone else over and over again, due to the death of the previous official priest. Therefore no Israelite could ever set his hope on a high priest forever. Therefore the succession of the high priest was also regulated in the law. When Aaron died he was followed by Eleazar ( ). A high priest under the old covenant did not live forever. In case a member of the people needed him and had told him everything, it could happen that this member had to tell his whole story again to another high priest, because the previous one had died. . This can never happen to you. The Lord Jesus has a totally different priesthood. That is not to be passed on to others, for it is permanently. That has to do with the glory of His Person. One of His glories is that He continues forevermore. He also knows what death is, for He died once. However, He became alive again. Because He has been in death and is now alive forevermore ( ), His priesthood can never ever be abolished by death anymore. His priesthood is wonderfully related to life, His life. In you have read that He lives on and in that He is Priest according to the power of an indestructible life. Therefore He exerts an unchangeable priesthood. His priesthood will never be handed over to someone else for the reason that He wouldn’t be able to exercise it anymore. What a surety you have in Him! . The results of such a priesthood are presented in in a way that is a tremendous encouragement to you. The Lord Jesus is a High Priest Who always lives for you. He is able to keep you entirely safe and up until the end of your journey through the wilderness. He can help you through anything. He is able to save you from all possible temptations and at last bring you to the ultimate eternal salvation, the eternal Sabbath rest. He has the necessary power to do this work. Christ’s salvation is a perfect salvation, whatever your need or any of His own is. He is not going to carry you through for only a part of the journey through the wilderness to drop you on a certain moment or to hand you over to the care of someone else. He will carry you through the whole journey. He will really save you forever. Through Him you are allowed to draw near to God. God sees each of His sons in relation to His Son, Who lives in heaven. This life is not a passive life He lives peacefully in rest after the defeat of sin and death. He is not in heaven to rest, but “to make intercession for” you. That is active, that’s what His life exists of, that’s what He continually is occupied with. As long as believers live on earth, He lives for them. He is always and uninterruptedly available to them. He intercedes between you as a weak believer on earth and the strong and holy God in heaven. He prays to God (cf. ) for you with a view to what you are going through on earth. He knows exactly what you’re going through because He knows it from experience. He makes sure that you will not give up. If Christ intercedes like that for you, would God reject Him? Of course not! Therefore it is so important for you to draw near to God with the consciousness that He sees you connected to Christ. You cannot come to God without that consciousness. He cannot receive you in His presence if you come to Him with the thought that He has to see you as so gorgeous or so miserable. On the contrary, it will give you the greatest assurance and boldness to come into God’s presence if you go there with the thought that you are together with Christ. God can accept you because He sees Christ, and He listens to you because He hears Christ. . Christ is exactly the High Priest that is fitting for us. What He is before God, we are too, which means that He represents us before God. He is “such a high priest” Who is exalted far beyond the high priest from the old covenant. He is High Priest according to the glory and purity of heaven, the dwelling place of God where we are allowed to enter. His exalted high priesthood is fitting for our high position as sons of God. For us a High Priest is fitting Who is “holy”, not because we are unholy, but because we are holy too. He is “innocent”, which means without evil, blameless, without deception and through Him we too are like that before God. Christ is completely separated from sin; He has no sin ( ), He knew no sin ( ), He committed no sin ( ). That is fitting for our perfect condition before God as we are seen in this letter. “Undefiled” means spotless, clean. We get defiled by touching sin. If we are conscious of our connection with Him, we will avoid every contact with sin. On earth He was always “separated from sinners”, although He welcomed them and ate with them ( ). His accessibility for sinners never caused Him to ever be united with them. Only in the hours of darkness on the cross He did that for those who acknowledged to be sinners. Now He is also literally separated from them. Our connection with Him means that we are morally separated from the sinners around us; that means that we do not participate with them. Finally it says that He has become “exalted above the heavens”. Therein you see that He is exalted above all that is created. That is your position in connection with Him. . The difference between the former high priests and Christ is big. They were imperfect and sinful and therefore they had to offer up sacrifices for themselves. Those sacrifices were imperfect as well. They couldn’t take away sins and they had to be repeated over and over again. But Christ is without sin. He is a Priest Who sacrificed Himself as a perfect sacrifice and did that “once for all”, so that it is not necessary to be repeated. The value of His sacrifice is everlasting and sufficient for all God’s people. . The last verse provides a summary. The law regulates a high priesthood that is exercised by failing people and therefore doesn’t satisfy. Opposite the law is a high priesthood that is based on the word of an oath. And who is that high priest? That is Someone Who is “Son”. That is a name that hasn’t been used before in connection with the new High Priest. Then you think of His relation to God as Father. He was eternally Son, but He has become Priest. The fact that He is priest as Son, adds a particular radiance to His priesthood. Rightly and naturally this priesthood is perfect forever, because the Son has been “made perfect forever”. Who would want to exchange such a priesthood for a human priestly system? Now read Hebrews 7:20-28 again. Reflection: What signs or characteristics demonstrate the excellence of the Lord Jesus as High Priest above the high priest under the law?

‏ Hebrews 7:23-24

Such a High Priest Was Fitting for Us

Heb 7:20-21. Still the writer is not finished with clarifying the difference between the priesthood of Melchizedek and that of Aaron. He makes use of all differences to make his readers aware of the excellence of the priesthood of Melchizedek beyond that of Aaron. The following difference is that God, with the introduction of the Levitical priesthood, didn’t swear an oath, while He on the contrary did with that of Melchizedek, i.e. of Christ. Again the writer uses the quotation of Psalm 110 (Psa 110:4; Heb 5:6 ; Heb 6:20 ; Heb 7:17) to prove it.

By swearing an oath God declares that His purpose concerning the priesthood of Christ is absolute. The oath is additional assurance that He will never ever reconsider this, otherwise He would dishonor the One to Whom He had sworn – that is He Himself. Also human weakness or sin has in no way an impact on this priesthood. This priesthood can never be set aside. The Levitical priesthood was totally different. There was no oath connected to this priesthood, which was not designated with the purpose to be everlasting, but was only meant to function for a certain time.

Heb 7:22. Because the priesthood of Melchizedek was established by the swearing of an oath, it is better than that of Aaron. This fact leads the writer then to speak about “a better covenant”, which means better than the covenant of Sinai. This covenant is as much better as the priesthood made by an oath is better than the priesthood without an oath. There are two parties obliged in making a covenant. At Sinai the people obliged themselves to keep the law and God obliged Himself to bless them if they kept the law. But it has become clear that man failed under the old covenant, under the law, just as the priesthood without oath failed.

However, with the better covenant “Jesus has become the guarantee” and therefore the blessing is sure. He has kept the law and thus fulfilled all obligations. And not only that. He also took away all debts that rested on the people by taking them upon Himself and paying for them. As a guarantee He met the obligations for the party that has failed. He did not make Himself a guarantee in an impulsive action, without overseeing the consequences (Pro 6:1-5). He knew what He was doing and He also knew that He was able to pay the costs.

Heb 7:23. The writer mentions another difference between the old and the new priesthood. The old priesthood had to be passed on to someone else over and over again, due to the death of the previous official priest. Therefore no Israelite could ever set his hope on a high priest forever. Therefore the succession of the high priest was also regulated in the law. When Aaron died he was followed by Eleazar (Num 20:25-28). A high priest under the old covenant did not live forever. In case a member of the people needed him and had told him everything, it could happen that this member had to tell his whole story again to another high priest, because the previous one had died.

Heb 7:24. This can never happen to you. The Lord Jesus has a totally different priesthood. That is not to be passed on to others, for it is permanently. That has to do with the glory of His Person. One of His glories is that He continues forevermore. He also knows what death is, for He died once. However, He became alive again. Because He has been in death and is now alive forevermore (Rev 1:18), His priesthood can never ever be abolished by death anymore.

His priesthood is wonderfully related to life, His life. In Heb 7:8 you have read that He lives on and in Heb 7:16 that He is Priest according to the power of an indestructible life. Therefore He exerts an unchangeable priesthood. His priesthood will never be handed over to someone else for the reason that He wouldn’t be able to exercise it anymore. What a surety you have in Him!

Heb 7:25. The results of such a priesthood are presented in Heb 7:25-26 in a way that is a tremendous encouragement to you. The Lord Jesus is a High Priest Who always lives for you. He is able to keep you entirely safe and up until the end of your journey through the wilderness. He can help you through anything. He is able to save you from all possible temptations and at last bring you to the ultimate eternal salvation, the eternal Sabbath rest.

He has the necessary power to do this work. Christ’s salvation is a perfect salvation, whatever your need or any of His own is. He is not going to carry you through for only a part of the journey through the wilderness to drop you on a certain moment or to hand you over to the care of someone else. He will carry you through the whole journey. He will really save you forever.

Through Him you are allowed to draw near to God. God sees each of His sons in relation to His Son, Who lives in heaven. This life is not a passive life He lives peacefully in rest after the defeat of sin and death. He is not in heaven to rest, but “to make intercession for” you. That is active, that’s what His life exists of, that’s what He continually is occupied with. As long as believers live on earth, He lives for them. He is always and uninterruptedly available to them.

He intercedes between you as a weak believer on earth and the strong and holy God in heaven. He prays to God (cf. Rom 8:26-27 ; 34) for you with a view to what you are going through on earth. He knows exactly what you’re going through because He knows it from experience. He makes sure that you will not give up.

If Christ intercedes like that for you, would God reject Him? Of course not! Therefore it is so important for you to draw near to God with the consciousness that He sees you connected to Christ. You cannot come to God without that consciousness. He cannot receive you in His presence if you come to Him with the thought that He has to see you as so gorgeous or so miserable. On the contrary, it will give you the greatest assurance and boldness to come into God’s presence if you go there with the thought that you are together with Christ. God can accept you because He sees Christ, and He listens to you because He hears Christ.

Heb 7:26. Christ is exactly the High Priest that is fitting for us. What He is before God, we are too, which means that He represents us before God. He is “such a high priest” Who is exalted far beyond the high priest from the old covenant. He is High Priest according to the glory and purity of heaven, the dwelling place of God where we are allowed to enter. His exalted high priesthood is fitting for our high position as sons of God.

For us a High Priest is fitting Who is “holy”, not because we are unholy, but because we are holy too. He is “innocent”, which means without evil, blameless, without deception and through Him we too are like that before God. Christ is completely separated from sin; He has no sin (1Jn 3:5), He knew no sin (2Cor 5:21), He committed no sin (1Pet 2:22). That is fitting for our perfect condition before God as we are seen in this letter.

“Undefiled” means spotless, clean. We get defiled by touching sin. If we are conscious of our connection with Him, we will avoid every contact with sin.

On earth He was always “separated from sinners”, although He welcomed them and ate with them (Lk 15:2). His accessibility for sinners never caused Him to ever be united with them. Only in the hours of darkness on the cross He did that for those who acknowledged to be sinners. Now He is also literally separated from them. Our connection with Him means that we are morally separated from the sinners around us; that means that we do not participate with them.

Finally it says that He has become “exalted above the heavens”. Therein you see that He is exalted above all that is created. That is your position in connection with Him.

Heb 7:27. The difference between the former high priests and Christ is big. They were imperfect and sinful and therefore they had to offer up sacrifices for themselves. Those sacrifices were imperfect as well. They couldn’t take away sins and they had to be repeated over and over again. But Christ is without sin. He is a Priest Who sacrificed Himself as a perfect sacrifice and did that “once for all”, so that it is not necessary to be repeated. The value of His sacrifice is everlasting and sufficient for all God’s people.

Heb 7:28. The last verse provides a summary. The law regulates a high priesthood that is exercised by failing people and therefore doesn’t satisfy. Opposite the law is a high priesthood that is based on the word of an oath. And who is that high priest? That is Someone Who is “Son”. That is a name that hasn’t been used before in connection with the new High Priest. Then you think of His relation to God as Father. He was eternally Son, but He has become Priest.

The fact that He is priest as Son, adds a particular radiance to His priesthood. Rightly and naturally this priesthood is perfect forever, because the Son has been “made perfect forever”. Who would want to exchange such a priesthood for a human priestly system?

Now read Hebrews 7:20-28 again.

Reflection: What signs or characteristics demonstrate the excellence of the Lord Jesus as High Priest above the high priest under the law?