HEBREWS 7:23-25

WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF CONCLUDING THE FINAL VERSES OF THE VERY IMPORTANT CHAPTER 7.

“NOT ONLY IS THERE A BETTER COVENANT – THERE IS AN UNCHANGEABLE PRIESTHOOD. THE TWO ARE CONNECTED, OF COURSE, FOR THE SUPERIORITY OF THE COVENANT RESIDES LARGELY IN THE QUALITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD. – Andrews

THE OVERALL CONTEXT FOR THIS WEEK’S STUDY…

^NAS  Hebrews 7:20-28 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath  ²¹ (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, “The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind, ‘Thou art a priest forever’ “); ²² so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. ²³ And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from continuing, ²⁴ but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since always lives to make intercession for them. ²⁶ For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; ²⁷ who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.  ²⁸ For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.

“IN VV. 23-24 THE MAIN EMPHASIS APPEARS TO REST ON THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE ‘MANY’ AND THE ‘ONE’; ‘ON THE ONE HAND THESE MANY… BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THAT ONE.’ The fact that there were many priests under the Levitical arrangement is important to the writer’s argument. In Hebrews multiplicity signifies incompleteness, imperfection, and inconclusiveness (e.g., 1:1; 10:1-4). According to Josephus a total of eighty-three high priests was installed from the inception of the Aaronide (sic – TAR) priesthood to the cessation of temple worship in A.D. 70. In v, 23 the writer is not merely thinking of a succession of high priests. In v. 23b the reason there were many priests is that ever one of them was prevented from continuing in off by the simple fact of death. Consequently, the continuity of the Levitical priesthood was repeatedly disrupted. According to Exodus 40:15 LXX, Aaron and his sons had been appointed to the priesthood ‘forever,’ but this unlimited expression is immediately qualified by the phrase ‘in their respective generations’…

^LXA  Exodus 40:15 And thou shalt anoint them as thou didst anoint their father, and they shall minister to me as priests; and it shall be that they shall have an everlasting anointing of priesthood, throughout their generations.

^LXA  Numbers 25:13 and he and his seed after him shall have a perpetual covenant of priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.

“THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD WAS PERPETUATED ONLY BECAUSE PROVISION HAD BEEN MADE FOR A SUCCESSION OF PRIESTS TO EXERCISE THE MINISTRY.”

IF YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWING THESE HEBREWS BLOGS EVEN OCCASIONALLY, I’M SURE YOU’D AGREE THAT THE WRITER’S ARGUMENT COULD HARDLY BE CLEARER OR TIGHTER. The writer to the Hebrews is describing someone who is clearly unique and supernatural.

WE ARE STILL IN A CONTEXT DISCUSSING SUBJECTS THAT, IN ORDER TO FULLY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE, PSALM 110 PLAYS PARTAN INDESPENSIBLE PART, SPECIFICALLY VERSE 4…

^NAS  Psalm 110:1-7 A Psalm of David . The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.” ² The LORD will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Thy youth are to Thee as the dew. ⁴ The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” ⁵ The Lord is at Thy right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. ⁶ He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. ⁷ He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His head.

IT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION TO SAY HEBREWS 7 IS THE DIVINE COMMENTARY OF PSALM 110.

“’YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER.’ THIS CLAUSE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF PSALM 110:4.

“THE PASTOR HAS ALREADY DRAWN ON ITS IMPLICATIONS IN HIS EXPLANATION OF ‘ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK’ IN VV. 11-19 (PARTICULARLY IN VV. 15-19). He has reminded his hearers of its importance by citing it at the end of v. 21. There are two reasons, however, for his reserving formal comment on this statement until the conclusion of his exposition. First, the argument of vv. 11-19 was necessary before his hearers could properly understand his explanation. Second, this statement expresses the main he would leave with all who would listen. All those who would persevere in faith and obedience must avail themselves of this ‘inviolable’ priesthood exercised by Jesus the Son of God (v. 25).

^NAS  Hebrews 7:11-19 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. ¹³ For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. ¹⁵ And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is witnessed of Him, “Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” ¹⁸ For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

“THE PASTOR’S RETURN TO THIS CLAUSE ALSO SHOW HOW CLOSELY HE HAS FOLLOWED THE PLAN ANTICIPATED IN V. 3. In vv. 11-14 he showed how this Priest ‘according to the order of Melchizedek’ was ‘without [Aaronic] genealogy’ (v, 3a); in vv. 15-19 he showed how this Priest was ‘like’ Melchizedek because he had ‘neither beginning of days nor end of life’ (v. 3b)…

^NAS  Hebrews 7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually.

“NOW IN VV. 24-25 he explains the significance of ‘He remains a priest forever’ (v. 3d). His ‘eternal’ life (v. 3b; vv. 15-19) is the basis of His ‘inviolable’ priesthood Thus observation exposes once again the fallacy of all attempts to reduce the teaching of this chapter to the perpetual or unending priesthood of the Son. The pastor clearly intends to affirm that both the quality and duration of His absolute priesthood are founded on the eternity of His person.” – Cockerill

“CHRIST’S PERMANENT PRIESTHOOD PART 1.”

 

                                                                         – Professor Thomas A. Rohm