HEBREWS 7:20-22

IN MY READING FOR THE WEEK I WAS STRUCK BY THE REALIZATION THAT I NEEDED TO SAY MORE ABOUT “OATH,” SO IMPORTANT DO I BELIEVE THE WORD IS TO THE WRITER’S ARGUMENT IN CHAPTER 7.

“THE POINT OF VV. 20-22 IS THAT GOD’S EFFECTIVE DECLARATION OF HIS SON’S PRIESTHOOD HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY AN OATH. IT IS THIS OATH WHICH CONFIRMS JESUS AS HIGH PRIEST. Christ’s high priesthood is superior because it is guaranteed by God’s oath, a word which is itself an event. Because Jesus’ appointment involved God’s oath, it was superior to the old dispensation.” – Ellingworth

“JESUS IS THE GUARANTOR OF A BETTER COVENANY BECAUSE THE COVENANT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY AN OATH, SHOWING THAT THE PRIESTHOOD WAS NOT OF THE SAME CALIBER.

“JESUS’ PRIESTHOOD, HIS MLCHIZEDEKIAN PRIESTHOOD, WAS DISTINCTIVE, FOR HIS PRIESTHOOD WAS BASED ON AN OATH. – Schreiner

OUR 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.

NOTE FIRST IN THIS FINAL SECTION OF CHAPTER 7 THE INCLUSIO, THE PURPOSEFUL REPETITION OF A WORD – IN THIS CASE “OATH” – IN THE FIRST VERSE (V. 20) AND THE LAST VERSE (V. 28) OF THE PASSAGE.

“INCLUSIO” IS THE JEWISH PRACTICE IN WHICH THIS HELPFUL LITERARY TECHNIQUE IS USED BY “THE AUTHOR AT THE END OF A DISCUSSION RETURNS TO THE POINT HE MADE AT THE BEGINNING. Thus he reiterates the basic point he has been developing and ties together the whole description.” – Osborne

THINK OF AN INCLUSIO AS A PAIR OF BOOKENDS ENCLOSING THE INFORMATION HIGHLIGHTING A PARTICULAR SUBJECT IN A DISCUSSION.

NOTE ALSO THAT THE WORD “OATH” IS FOUND FOUR TIMES. IT IS, THEREFORE, A KEY WORD IN OUR PASSAGE. ACCORDINGLY, THE WORD WAS DISCUSSED AT SOME LENGTH IN LAST WEEK’S STUDY. Briefly, here are some additional facts about the oath mentioned that I hope will be a helpful introduction to this week’s study.

“OATH” IS THE GREEK NOUN ὁρκωμοσία (hor-ko-mah-see-ah). IT CAN MEAN THE ACT OF TAKING AN OATH OR THE OATH ITSELF. A simple dictionary definition of the word is a commitment to tell the truth (especially in a court of law); to lie under oath is to become subject to prosecution for perjury; a solemn promise, usually invoking a divine witness, regarding your future acts or behavior.

OUTSIDE THE BOOK OF HEBREWS AND CHAPTER 7, THE WORD “OATH” IS NOT FOUND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

THE WRITER TO THE HEBREWS IS ALMOST UNIQUE IN APPEALING TO THE OATHS OF GOD. LUKE REFERS TO SUCH OATHS, ONCE IN HIS GOSPEL, AND ONCE IN ACTS, BUT OTHERWISE, APART FROM THESE INSTANCES IN HEBREWS, THERE IS NO OTHER MENTION OR ALLUSION.

“NEITHER DAVID NOR THE WRITER OF HEBREWS SUGGESTS THAT GOD’S OATH WAS ANY MORE RELABLE OR VALID THAN HIS BARE WORD. IT IS RATHER THAT, WHEN HE MAKES ETERNAL TRANSACTIONS, HE HAS CHOSEN TO DO SO WITH AN OATH. THE OATH DOES NOT REPRESENT GREATER TRUTHFULNESS BUT PUTS THE EMPHASIS ON PERMANENCE.

“AS ALREADY EMPHASIZED SEVERAL TIMES, THE LEVITICAL PRIESTS MINISTERED IN THE TEMPLE ON A TEMPORARY AND REPETITIVE  BASIS. They were mortal, so when they died their sons had to replace them. They were also sinful, so always gad to offer sacrifices for themselves before they were qualified to offer them for the people. The sacrifices themselves only had a certain temporary effectiveness, and so had to be repeated and repeated. God intended for that priesthood to operate in that way. HE DID NOT PLAN FOR IT TO BE PERFECT OR PERMANENT, AND SO DID NOT ESTABLISH IT WITH AN OATH.

“WHEN GOD MADE HIS COVENANTAL PROMISE TO ABRAHAM, HOWEVER, HE DID DO WITH AN OATH…

^NAS  Genesis 22:16-18 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. ¹⁸ “And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

^NAS  Hebrews 6:13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,

“THIS PROMISE WAS UNCONDITIOAL AND PERMANENT…

^NAS  Hebrews 6:17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath,

“JESUS’ PRIESTHOOD IS ALSO BASED ON AN OATH OF GOD, AND IS THEREBY SHOWN TO BE ETERNAL, UNCHANGEABLE. BECAUSE OF THAT FACT, JESUS IS MADE A GUARANTEE, A SURETY, OF A BETTER COVENANT.” – MacArthur

“JESUS BECAME OUR MELCHIZEDEKIAN PRIEST THROUGH DIVINE OATH.” – Hughes

“THE INITIAL STATEMENT THAT JESUS BECAME A PRIEST ‘NOT WITHOUT SWEARING OF AN OATH’ (V. 20a), ANTICIPATES THE EXEGETICAL DEDUCTION FROM PSALM 110:4 THAT IS DRAWN IN V. 21…

^NAS  Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

“IT ASSERTS CATEGORICALLY THAT THE NEW PRIESTHOOD IS A DIVINE INSTITUTION UNCONDITIONALLY VALIDATED BY GOD’S SOLEMN OATH. The divine oath verifies the absolute reliability of the priesthood of Christ, upon which the hopes of the Christian community are anchored 96:18-20). The achievement of its purpose is assured. The previous exposition of God’s word of promise to Abraham that was confirmed with an oath in 6:13-18 demonstrated that the divine oath is the impregnable guarantee that excludes all doubt and gives to faith assurance of the promise. THE FUNCTION OF THE OATH IS TO CHARACTERIZE THE PROMISE AS FINAL, ETERNAL, AND UNCHANGEABLE.

“THE WRITER NOW DEMONSTRATES THAT THE PROMISE NOW EXTENDED TO THE COMMUNITY IN 6:16-20 IS IDENTICAL WITH THE ESCHATOLOGICAL PRIESTHOOD INTRODUCED WITH AN OATH IN PSALM 110:4.

“THE DISTINCTIVE WAY IN WHICH THE CITATION OF PSALM 110:4 IS INTRODUCED IN V. 21 ACCENTUATES THE IMMEDIACY OF GOD’S WORD TO HIS SON.

“WHEN THE WRITER INTRODUCED PSALM 110:4 IN THE COURSE OF THE HOMILY, HE TREATED THE QUOTATION AS A WORD SPOKEN DIRECTLY BY GOD TO THE SON AND FULFILLED IN HIM (5:6a; cf. 1:6, 7, 10). The point is sustained in v. 21. Emphasizing that Jesus became a priest ‘with the swearing of an oath,’ the writer refers to God as the one who addressed Jesus in the words of Psalm 110:4. The formal decree of installation was prefaced with a solemn oath. The finality of the oath is strengthened by the provision that the Lord ‘will not change His mind,’ thus guaranteeing the utter reliability of the promise.” – Lane

THIS BRIEF ADDITIONAL BLOG TO MY COMMENTARY ON HEBREWS 7 HAS, IN MY OPINION, DEFINITELY BEEN WORTHWHILE. I HOPE YOU AGREE THE ADDITIONAL EMPHASIS ON OATH WAS HELPFUL NOT ONLY IN CLARIFYING THE WRITER TO THE HEBREW’S GENERAL ARGUMENT.

                                                                         – Professor Thomas A. Rohm