AN IMPERFECT PRIESTHOOD

If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood – and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood – why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood changed, the law must be changed also. He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe, Moses said nothing about priests (Heb. 7: 11-14).

God established the Aaronic priesthood, according to the Law of Moses but, just like the sacrificial system of the Mosaic covenant, it served its purpose only for as long as the Mosaic covenant was in place. Our writer to the Hebrews indicated that, just like every other part of this covenant, it was temporary and would be superseded by a superior priesthood in the order of Melchizedek.

The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’  (Psa. 110: 4).

The Aaronic priesthood was of the tribe of Levi. God took this tribe to serve Him in the temple in the place of the firstborn sons of Israel because it was this tribe that stood with Moses when the Israelites worshipped the golden calf at Mount Sinai.

The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then Moses said, ‘You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and He has blessed you this day (Ex. 32: 28-29).

The Levitical priesthood was inferior to the order of Melchizedek for two important reasons.

1. They were part of a system that could only tell the people what God required of them but it could not enable them to obey. They were sinful and were required to offer sacrifices for their own sin first before they could minister to the people. The high priest was appointed from among them – he shared their weakness.

2. There was no continuing priesthood because every priest and high priest’s office was terminated by death.

God has already decreed that the Levitical priesthood would be replaced by another order, the order of Melchizedek which was a permanent priesthood. Jesus succeeded Melchizedek, and continues forever as our high priest because His priesthood would not be interrupted by death. God took Him right out of the Levitical priestly line and into the kingly tribe of Judah from which David descended.

In this rather obscure argument, the writer set out to show that Jesus is a superior high priest to theLevitical priesthood in every way. The Hebrew people looked to Moses as their authority for everything. It was time to move beyond Moses. Jesus is the fulfilment of everything Moses wrote about. He is the embodiment of the Torah, God’s instructions on how to live. He is the face of the Father. To see the Father, we look at Him.

And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb. 7: 15-17).

Jesus is a perfect high priest and He is a perpetual high priest, not because He was descended from Aaron, but because He was appointed by God’s decree in the order of Melchizedek.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.