Heb 7 continued

Before even opening blogger here, I finished reading the chapter. :)

Now for the blogging it out so my thoughts are a little less jumbled together.

Heb 7:11

"If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come -- one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?"

Obviously perfection could not be attained through the Levitical priesthood. There was something better to be had.

vs 12-14

"For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. 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."

If the priesthood changes, the law has to change. Because it was the law that put the priesthood there. So obviously the law can't stay the same.
Jesus wasn't from the tribe of Levi, who were the priests. He was from the tribe of Judah, which the law obviously didn't have priests coming from.

vs 15-17

"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.'"

All of that becomes more evident in Jesus. He wasn't made priest because he was born into the priesthood via him being of the tribe of Levi. No, he is priest because he has an indestructible life! He was blameless. He couldn't be conquered by death. So he is priest forever. As he cannot die. ('it is declared' is from Ps. 110:4)

vs 18-21

"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. And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: 'The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.''"

The previous law was set aside because it wasn't good enough. It couldn't make anything perfect. It wasn't the ultimate good plan. So God gave us something better. He introduced Jesus, so we could draw near to Him. We would no longer be separated by our sin. And God made an oath. Like back at the end of chapter 6 we were talking about. God cannot lie. So an oath + a promise is a double assurance for us. Jesus is a priest forever.

vs 22

"Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant."

Yippee!!!

vs 23-25

"Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

I feel like we touched on this already. There have been loads of priests, because they were just humans. They died. Someone replaced them. But Jesus... He will have no successor, as he won't die. He is our priest forever. Therefore - because of this - he can save us completely! If we go to God through him, not trying our own way, he can completely and utterly and totally save us. Forever. He's always there to intercede on our behalf.

vs 26-28

"Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever."

So beautiful. That God set this up so we could be saved. Jesus was holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He doesn't need to make his own sacrifices every day to atone for his sins so then he can atone for ours. He is perfect. And thus can totally and completely atone for our sins. As his sacrifice was of himself. A pure sacrifice that covers the multitude of our sins.

God is so good to us. I am so thankful that he worked all of this out so we can know him and be close. He orchestrated a beautiful plan to atone for us so we could draw near. Something that would work far better than the law was. We have a high priest in Jesus!! The perfect high priest!