“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 is 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. 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.’
The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.” -Hebrews 7:11-19
Last week, I wrote about who Melchizedek was and why he was so important as a great high priest, check out that post for some context to this. We also need to understand some historical context in order to understand the true significance of what this passage is saying.
First, the Jews considered God’s law to be the final authority on everything. It was God definitively speaking to mankind, and the buck stops there so to speak. Everyone must strive to do everything in accordance with God’s law. Second, the Jews considered the Aaronic priesthood (priests from the line of Levi) to be superior to the priesthood of Melchizedek. God’s law came after Melchizedek’s lifetime, so the Jews believed that the Aaronic priesthood superseded that of Melchizedek. They believed that the priesthood and the law were intimately connected.
The author’s point is summarized in verse 11: “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?” Jesus was not of the lineage of Levi, so He could not be a priest in the order of Aaron. But Jesus was considered to be in the order of Melchizedek – He was both a king and a priest. The author is emphasizing that all of the human priests were imperfect and could not keep the law perfectly. If they were perfect, then why would another priest of a different order need to come to save them? So clearly, even those priests in the order of Aaron needed someone to come to redeem them since they could not perfectly keep the law.
Verse 12 points out the intimate connection between the law and the priesthood. If a person is to change the law, they must also change the law. This is not just changing who the person is who fills the office of the priest, but a change in the whole type of priest that is required. Jesus did not come to replace Aaron; He was a totally different and better kind of priest. Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He changed everything!
Jesus clearly came from a “different” tribe than typical priests, as we see in verse 13. Jesus was a descendent from the tribe of Judah, not of Levi where all the priests were from. Even though David and Solomon (among others) had offered sacrifices, only priests from the tribe of Levi had ever done the true work of sacrificing for the people’s sins at the altar in the Holy of Holies. The author is talking about those regular priestly duties, that no one outside of the tribe of Levi had ever performed. The author further confirms this point in verse 14 by stating that Jesus descended from the tribe of Judah, not from the priestly tribe of Levi.
Starting with verse 15, the author begins by explaining 4 reasons why Christ’s priesthood is superior: His life (verses 15-19), the divine oath (verses 20-22), its permanence (verses 23-25), and His better sacrifice (verses 26-28). We’ll look at the first reason this week and the other three next week.
The author’s first point is that Jesus is not limited by death as the Levitical or Aaronic priests were. Verse 15 explains again that Jesus is a priest more like Melchizedek, outside of the order of Aaron. Verse 16 explains this further, that Jesus did not become a priest because of His ancestry but “on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.” “Indestructible” is not a word that is typically used in reference to Jesus, but it does fit well! His life was indestructible in that even death could not keep Him down. Nothing can destroy the life of Jesus!
Verse 17 is a direct quote both from Psalm 110:4 and also Hebrews 5:6. This establishes the special character of Jesus’ priesthood. No other priest was indestructible like Jesus was; He is a priest forever. The concept of the priesthood through Aaron did continue for generations (Exodus 40:15), but each individual priest died.
In verse 18, we see that the “former regulation,” meaning the priesthood of Aaron and through the tribe of Levi, was no longer needed. The coming of Jesus made the whole Levitical system worthless. The people no longer needed a person to offer sacrifices each year for their sins; Jesus accomplished that once and for all. That is why He is the great high priest, as the author of Hebrews discussed previously.
Verse 19 identifies where the law fell short. Nothing was made perfect by the law, and the law did not give people hope. The gospel message of Jesus’ death and resurrection is significantly better than the law, and it both gives people hope and draws them near to God.
No one is made perfect through the law, and no one can be saved through obeying the law alone because no one can obey it perfectly except Jesus. Jesus’ perfect and indestructible life is the only thing that can save us. He is not a typical priest like the Jews were used to, but one who is of a completely different order.
What does that mean for our lives today? Most Christians today are not familiar with the Jewish system of sacrifices in order for people to find forgiveness for their sins, so the distinction between the order of Aaron and the order of Melchizedek isn’t as meaningful to us. But what is meaningful is knowing that Jesus’ sacrificial death is the only sacrifice we’ll ever need!
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