LESSON FOURTEEN HEBREWS 7:20-28

Transcription

1 Lesson Fourteen, Day One LESSON FOURTEEN HEBREWS 7:20-28 DAY ONE Read Hebrews 7: What is said to be with an oath in 7:20-21? 2. What is said to be without an oath? 3. According to Heb. 7:21, what is the content of the oath that God makes with Jesus? Read Hebrews 6: What is the purpose of God s oath? 5. How is Jesus priesthood characterized in verses 20-22? 6. How is this different from that of the Levitical priests? 7. Above and beyond His eternal priesthood Jesus is said to be the guarantee of a better covenant. What do you think this means? 174

2 Lesson Fourteen, Day Two/Day Three DAY TWO Read Jeremiah 31: What are the two covenants spoken of in this passage? 9. How is the new covenant different than the old covenant? Read Hebrews 7: How are the priests described in Heb. 7:23? 11. How were the priests greater than Jesus? 12. In Heb. 7:24, what two things describe Jesus priesthood? How are they related? Read Leviticus 16: This verse addresses the duties of the high priest on the Day of Atonement. The tent of meeting (or the tabernacle) abides, or continues, with the people in the midst of their impurities. What similarities do you see between this verse and the ministry of Jesus? DAY THREE Read Heb. 7: What two things does Jesus do in Heb. 7:25 in His role as High Priest? 175

3 Lesson Fourteen, Day Three/Day Four/Day Five 15. What is the quality of the salvation offered by Jesus? 16. What does it mean to make intercession? 17. What group of people receives the benefit of Jesus intercession? DAY FOUR Read Isaiah 53: Is this passage from Isaiah fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus? 19. How is Jesus described in Heb. 7:26? 20. How does the term exalted above the heavens fit with the rest of the description? 21. Why is it fitting that our Savior should be described in such terms? DAY FIVE Read Hebrews 7: On whose behalf did the priests of Israel offer up sacrifices? 176

4 Lesson Fourteen, Day Five 23. Why did the priests need a sacrifice for their own sins? 24. What is contrasted with the Law in Heb. 7:28? 25. Who is contrasted with the priests in Heb. 7:28? 26. What is the primary difference between the priests and the Son? 27. What is the crucial phrase describing Christ s offering up of Himself? 177

5 Lesson Fourteen Scripture LESSON FOURTEEN SCRIPTURE HEBREWS 7: 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, 'YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER '"); 22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 23 The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting for us to 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. 178

6 Lesson Fourteen Scripture, Day One-Day Four DAY ONE Hebrews 7: 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. Hebrews 6: 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, 18 in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. DAY TWO Jeremiah 31: "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. 33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Hebrews 7: And the former 1 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. Leviticus 16:16 16 "And he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel, and because of their transgressions, in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. DAY THREE Hebrews 7: Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He 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; DAY FOUR Isaiah 53:12 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered 1 The term former is not in the original Greek text of Hebrews, but is added by the translators to clarify the differences between the two priesthoods, which is why it appears in italics. 179

7 Lesson Fourteen Scripture, Day Four/Day Five with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors. DAY FIVE Hebrews 7: 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. 180

8 Lesson Fourteen Commentary LESSON FOURTEEN COMMENTARY HEBREWS 7:20-28 Hebrews 7:19 tells us that the Law is unable to make humanity perfect in the sight of God. The weakness of the Law is that it is unable to take a sinful human being and make that human being holy and blameless. The weakness of the Law is that it was addressed to people who were incapable of meeting its demands. The weakness of the Law is not that there was anything inherently wrong with the Law, but that there is something inherently wrong with the people who attempt to obey the Law. Fortunately for us, the author of Hebrews directs us to the promise of a better hope, one which the Law could not secure on our behalf, but could only be secured by Jesus sacrifice which now enables us to enter directly into God s presence. This final section of Chapter Seven concludes the argument regarding Jesus priesthood. In 7:1-10, the focus was upon the meeting between Abraham and Melchizedek and the prophetic symbolism of Melchizedek s eternal priesthood. Heb. 7:11-19 emphasizes the inability of the Levitical priesthood to bring about perfection and continues the discussion regarding Jesus priestly role and its eternally surpassing quality that is rooted in the sacrifice of Christ but also in His indestructible life. In Heb. 7:20-28, the point is driven home that not only is there a better priest and a better hope, but there is also a better covenant based on the Son s own perfection. The author continues to draw meaning from Psalm 110:4, The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. In Heb. 7:20-22, he concentrates on the phrase The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, whereas Heb. 7:23-25 gives attention to a portion of the latter half of the verse, You are a priest forever. By this point in the argument, the comparison is no longer being made to Melchizedek rather the focus is on the priesthood of Christ as it stands on its own. The eternal element of the priesthood is the main thought and Heb. 7:26-28 offers a final summary of the incomparable person and ministry of Christ as it relates to the sacrificial system. Hebrews 7:20-22 Hebrews 7:20 continues the thought of 7:19. The Law makes nothing perfect, but as we have already learned, there is one who does and what Jesus has to offer is a better hope, a hope that enters behind the veil. The point has been made clear that Jesus is of a different order than the Levitical priests. We are told in Heb. 7:20 that instead of receiving His office through lineage, Jesus priesthood is established by the direct, sworn promise of God. Why is it so important to our author that Jesus receive His priesthood through an oath when the Levitical priests did not? The faith of Israel was based on the covenant promises of God and although the author does not negate the covenant promises, he does make it clear to his readers that there was another promise made by God, a promise that predates the appearance of the Law, a promise of a High Priest who will not simply deal with day to day instances of sin, but who is able to deal with the eternal issue of sin as that which keeps humanity from God s presence. In light of this, a comparison is made in Heb. 7: The 181

9 Lesson Fourteen Commentary Levitical priests secure their office through their bloodline. The Son of God procures His office as High Priest through a direct appointment by God the Father. The high priests of Israel were also appointed to their office, but they could not claim God s voice spoken directly to them as it has been to Jesus. Nor could they lay any claim upon the better covenant that Jesus would usher in with His death. How certain was God s oath to Jesus? When the subject of the oath is broached again in 7:20, we are to recall that the change in the Law was God s immutable plan. It is rooted in His character and it is rooted in His desire to bring perfection to all those who would trust in Jesus sacrificial work. We are also to be reminded that because of Jesus superior priesthood, what He has to give to humanity is permanent and eternal. The distinction made in 7:20 is that Jesus priesthood is confirmed by an oath, which is attested in Ps. 110:4 and quoted in 7:21. The Lord has sworn on His character. He will not change His mind. So what is the nature of the oath? What is it that God swears He will do? He swears that He will establish a permanent priesthood that would be guaranteed by His Son. What was wrong with the Levitical priesthood? 1) It only temporarily addressed sin. 2) The office of high priest was a changing office as the priest was limited by his human frailties he succumbed to death. The temporary nature of the role of the priest symbolically represents the temporary effects of the ministry. The priests could not offer hope. They could not offer access to the Father. All they could do was make it clear that every Israelite needed a sacrifice, and not just one, but numerous sacrifices over the course of their lives. Let s say a person limited their sacrifices to a quarterly basis, in addition to the Day of Atonement. If the average person lived to 50 and didn t start making sacrifices until they were 10, there would be a minimum of 200 sacrifices in their lifetime. All the sacrificial system could do was reinforce the need for a sacrifice and the need for forgiveness. What is offered under the priesthood of Christ is a permanent sacrifice and permanent sense of security that we have enduring access to the Father through the Son. Only one who has conquered death can make this claim, the topic of the eternal or forever is very important in this passage. The idea is mentioned six times in Heb. 7:20-28 (forever 7:21, 24, 25, 28, permanently 7:24, and always 7:25). Why is the aspect of eternality so important to this argument? It is because what Christ does for humanity has eternal effects. The day-to-day issues of sin still exist because until we no longer have our earthly limitations, we will not fully live in the truth of who Christ has declared us to be. Who we are is forever determined though. We are declared perfect, we are considered saints the moment we trust in Christ, and then it takes a lifetime to work out these truths. The discussion regarding the oath made to Jesus contains a long parenthetical statement. The main point of Heb. 7:20-22 is it was not without an oath that Jesus assumed the role of High Priest... so much more He became the guarantee. The reference to the Levitical priests is almost incidental. The priesthood arose out of necessity for God to establish a nation of people whose central defining factor was their worship of Yahweh. The Law and the priesthood were both means through which the Israelites related to God and to one another. They were also the means through which the Israelites related to God and to one another. They were also the means through which the Israelites showed their loyalty and faithfulness to God. One of the primary themes of Deuteronomy is that obedience to the Law brings blessing and disobedience 182

10 Lesson Fourteen Commentary brings a curse. The Israelite history that is chronicled in Scripture paints a very mixed picture. At times the Israelites exhibited faithfulness and loyalty, as when they followed Moses out of Egypt and trusted that God had a better plan for them. More often than seems possible though, the Israelites went after other gods, followed other rulers, and disobeyed the prophets and the priests. Not shortly after God delivered the Ten Commandments to them through Moses, the people were worshiping a golden calf. God made promises to Israel, but the overall picture response on their behalf was mixed. Finally the Son appeared in the scene of history. He was the one on whom all of Israel s hope was hanging. He was the promised Messiah who would bring reconciliation, but He was rejected by many of His own. Those who did believe in Him however, they were the beneficiaries of His guarantee. He confirmed His promise with His life. His guarantee was His death on the cross, established by means of His indestructible life (7:16). What is of primary importance is that Jesus secured a better covenant and this He did with His own life, with His own guarantee. The idea of a guarantor was taken directly from the culture. The term refers to an individual who offers his own life as the guarantor of another person, one who stakes his person and his life on his word. 2 Jesus guaranteed with His own life that there was a better covenant. Until this point in Hebrews we have only read of a better hope and a better priesthood. Now the author introduces the idea of a better covenant. This is the first time the term covenant appears in the book of Hebrews, although the idea of covenant has been underlying the entire discussion of Abraham and his relationship with God. Israel s faith was rooted in God s covenant loyalty to them. God made a promise of land, of prosperity, and of His presence with them. Israel as a nation struggled to remain loyal to this covenant and historically they suffered the consequences of their disbelief. God does not abandon His own though, He remains faithful to them in that He makes a better provision in and through His Son. There are three elements to Jesus priesthood that we learn about in Heb. 7:20-22: it is with an oath, it is forever, and it is the guarantee of a better covenant. Hebrews 7:23-24 In Heb 7:23-24 we find yet another comparison. In this passage, the multiple priests of Israel are compared to the one Son of God. The priests were many in number, yet their priesthood was limited by their physical death. At the point of death, or usually prior to their death when it became apparent that the priest would no longer be able to continue in his role, his successor took his place. In Exodus 20:25-29, just prior to Aaron s death, Moses stripped him of his priestly garments and placed them upon Aaron s son Eleazar. Symbolically the authority of the priesthood was transferred from Aaron to his son, and shortly after Aaron died. This passage in Exodus tells us that the authority of the priesthood is temporarily invested in the man for the period of time in which he fulfills his role. Upon his death though, this authority is transferred to the next in line. Jesus is not subject to this transfer of authority because as we are told in Heb. 7:24 that Jesus abides forever. To abide means to live, to remain, or to dwell. The fact that He abides forever is directly contrasted with the physical death of 2 William L. Lane, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 47a, Hebrews: 1-8,

11 Lesson Fourteen Commentary the priests. This brings to light the undeniable difference between Jesus and the priests. The priests die and remain dead. Jesus dies a necessary death, which is the desired sacrifice for sin, but in His resurrection (His forever abiding ) the worth of the sacrifice is validated. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, He would be another of the high priests whose ministry terminated. Because of the resurrection, His priesthood is eternal, His life is eternal, and His ministry on behalf of those who draw near to Him is eternal. There will never be another to occupy His role. He is the final high priest of Israel. Hebrews 7:25-26 The author mentions the better covenant but does not pick the subject up again until Chapter Eight. As he now concludes this passage, he returns to the subject of the priesthood. In doing so he revisits the phrase forever from Ps. 110:4 as it relates to Jesus priestly ministry. The comparison made in this passage is between the quantity of high priests that served in the temple and the one single priest who serves from the right hand of God s throne. The priests in the temple were prevented in continuing their ministry because they died physically. Death is described as something that enslaves humanity in Heb. 2:14-15, but on the other hand, although Jesus tasted and physically experienced death, it did not hold a permanent sway over Him. Jesus rendered death powerless with His own indestructible life. This is what uniquely qualifies Him to fill the role of high priest. The point is made clear in that Jesus ministry is forever and permanent (7:24). The result of this forever kind of priesthood is twofold: 1) He is able to save forever those who draw near to God and 2) He always lives to intercede for those who draw near to God. Jesus saves forever those who approach God through Him. This seems like such a basic statement, but several implications stand out. First, the quality of the salvation is eternal. Although the author previously addressed the idea in Chapter Six that it is possible for a person to walk away from Christ s sacrifice on the cross, he is again confident that his readers are going to be eternally saved. The qualifying statement however is that salvation has to come through Christ. Again the atoning sacrifice of Christ is the primary issue of our salvation. The benefit of Christ s eternal priesthood and His eternal life is that He is always present to make intercession for those who do draw near to God. There is a beautiful prayer that Jesus utters in John 17 on behalf of His disciples. Jesus prays for God s will to be fulfilled in their lives, He prays for them to be kept from the evil one, He prays that they will know the joy of partnering with Him and living for Him. Jesus is their advocate and He appears in this same way in Heb. 7:25. Not only do we have direct access to God the Father, but we also have Jesus talking to God the Father on our behalf. The Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit Rom 8:26 tells us that the Spirit intercedes for us as well) are intensely interested in us. The loving way in which Jesus expresses His care for His disciples in John 17 leaves us no room to doubt that He will act in the same compassionate manner as He intercedes for us. Isaiah 53:12 tells us that the very act of Christ s death was an act of intercession on our behalf. 184

12 Lesson Fourteen Commentary Then in Heb. 7:26 our author bursts forth in a description that could belong to none other than Jesus. He is holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. All of these descriptors are relevant. Jesus is holy in that although He lived among and understood sinful humanity, He did not partake in their sinfulness. Humanity is beset with sin and weakness, so are the high priests, but Jesus is distinctly separate from them. He is separate in that there was no sinfulness in His nature, but at the same time He experienced His own temptations and His own sufferings that enabled Him to identify with us and to understand our weakness, sufferings, temptations, and pain. That He was undefiled was a reference to the ceremonial qualifications of the priest. The priest had to be ceremonially pure in order to officiate over the sacrifices. He had to go through His own process of being made clean by God. Jesus did not need to become clean or undefiled because by nature of His character He was already ceremonially clean. The fact of Christ s exaltation above the heavens speaks to God s supreme approval of His sacrifice. All of this was fitting, or as it should be. It was God s predetermined plan prior to the Law and prior to the covenant with Abraham. Hebrews 7:27-28 In Heb. 7:27 our author draws a close to his argument. As if Jesus spotless character was not enough, the comparison is now made between the ineffective sacrifices of the priests and the effective and once for all sacrifice of Christ. Jesus does not need to offer up sacrifices for His sins or for the sins of the people on a daily basis. The sacrifices of the priesthood are considered to be weak, without strength, or ineffective. The ministry of the high priests was prescribed by the Law, but it was unable to fulfill the demands of the law. The sacrifices were temporary; whereas Christ s sacrifice is once for all with everlasting effects. So, the final point is made and the subject now completed. The best that the Law could do was appoint high priests who were weak and who could not offer eternal salvation. The word of the oath, which is God s direct word, appoints a Son, one who directly descends from the Father. This Son not only is made perfect forever but He offers perfection to those who trust in Him. It should be obvious to the readers by this point that there really is no choice. Christ stands so far above the ceremonial law and the priesthood that it would be crazy to cling to a system of unending sacrifices that only serve to remind the worshiper of his or her sin. Practically speaking though, we do it all the time. We cling to so many things that at best do not help us, and at their worst harm us. We find it easier to trust the known, even when it is unhealthy or simply wrong, instead of wading out into the unknown and casting ourselves upon God. We are told in this passage that we have a once for all sacrifice, that we have a High Priest who enables us to draw near to God, and that He ever lives to intercede for us. These truths are given to us to pull us into the heart of God, to take us out of the safe and the comfortable areas of our lives, and to allow God to prove His character and His love for us. 185