Hebrews 7:11-19
Need for a New Priesthood (Psalm 110:4)
11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”
18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
The new priesthood is from heaven and not through the order of man. The Levitical priesthood was instituted by God as a temporary measure that was but a shadow of the heavenly one that is both eternal and divine for complete and effectual intercession for sin-stained mortals. How can a mere man intercede but imperfectly on our behalf, so much so that the priests of Aaron’s lineage had to repeatedly offer sacrifices to cover our sins? Only God’s Son as our eternal High Priest is able to constantly intercede on our behalf (Hebrews 7:24-25) before the Father because He is eternal and immortal. This position of the perfect Priest cannot be filled by any man and those who step into His place are powerless to forgive sin by covering it with a perfect offering of a perfect and spotless sacrifice. Jesus Himself alone is that perfect Lamb without blemish (1 Peter 1:19) as required to fully absolve sin and who sacrificed Himself as the eternal and divine High Priest who never needed to offer for Himself (Hebrews 7:27, 9:7, 14) as the Levitical priests had to do. This change of priesthood also changed the Law from a fleshly commandment obeyed by fallible men to that empowered by Christ’s endless life of a new covenant hidden under the form of the temporary Law put in place until He came and took over the temple sacrifice, having accomplished the sacrifice once and for all and never needing repeating ever again. He is our eternal High Priest and Lord of all! He annulled the former commandant of the weak and unprofitable Law of the imperfect temple sacrificial system because He fulfilled the Law and the requirement of a perfect sacrifice by a perfect priest for our eternal profit. This is our certain hope of an absolution given by God and not imitated ineffectively by any man of the old Levitical priesthood or any other priest since then. Christ alone can forgive sins and make us clean (Hebrews 6:19-20) and irreproachable (Colossians 1:22) in His sight by His sacrifice and its administration for us.
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