While you're making ready to
read with me the text, let me editorialize just a moment. I
don't think there's much preaching or understanding today in Christendom
regarding the priesthood of Christ and the place that it holds.
And of course, not much preaching on the covenant either. Not generally
do people look at it from the standpoint of an everlasting
covenant made between the Holy Three before the foundation of
the world. Now with that in mind, this morning
we look at the priesthood, and then next week, God willing,
at the institution of the new covenant that God promised to
make with His people. So here we are, Hebrews chapter
8, and the whole chapter for our reading this morning. Now,
of the things which we have spoken, This is the sum. We have such an high priest who
is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the
heaven, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which
the Lord pitched and not man. For every high priest is ordained
to offer gifts and sacrifice it, wherefore it is of necessity
that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth,
He should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer
gifts according to the law, who serve under the example and shadow
of the heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he
was about to make the tabernacle for see, saith he, that thou
make all things according to the pattern showed unto thee
in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a
better covenant which was established upon better promises. For if that first had been faultless,
then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding
fault with them, he said, Behold the days come, saith the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Jacob. not according to the covenant
that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by
the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they
continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith
the Lord. For this is the covenant that
I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith
the Lord. I will put my laws into their
mind and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them
a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not
teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying,
Know the Lord, for all shall know me. from the least unto
the greatest. For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins, and their iniquities will I remember
no more. In that he saith a new covenant,
he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth
old is ready to vanish away. Again, verse one, of the things
which we have spoken This is the psalm. We have an high priest
who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty
in the heaven. Now the apostle has written at
great length upon a subject that he now wishes to stop and emphasize
and draw their attention unto. Perhaps they have not fully grasped
all that Paul has said and all that has been written and all
that is involved with this matter or with this subject? Are they
overwhelmed by the substance of it? Or is it that they are
offended by the things that have been said against the old Judaistic
order of worship. So how to relate or how to reconcile
the gospel that they are now preaching with the Judaism that
they are asked to lead. So he makes here in verse 1 what
Owen called a capitulum. He makes a capitulum here in
chapter 8 and verse 1. In other words, a summary, a
summing up, a summation of all the things that he has said in
regard under this subject. Now, some think that the word
here, sum, S-U-M, means the main point or the main issue that
is to be focused upon or to be emphasized. We find that the
word is twice in the New Testament. It is here in Hebrews 8 and 1.
Then we find it again in the book of Acts chapter 22 and verse
28, when the Roman captain of the army said unto the apostle
Paul, with a great sum obtained I this freedom, talking about
the purchasing of his Roman citizenship. For sometime, the word sum also
refers unto money. So the apostle uses the word
in a twofold sense here in this passage of the scripture. A,
it is the main point, the priesthood of Christ. We have a great high
priest and that is the main point. But then B, it is also a summary
of the substance of that main point. We have and high priest. We have a high priest. This high
priest is set on the right hand of the majesty of the throne
of the majesty of God on high. Now, look at the words, the things
which we have spoken, and they refer, I believe, to the high
priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And here in verse 1,
this is the sum of what we have said. We have a high priest. Now, it is interesting that he
opened the section on the high priesthood of Christ in much
the same way. Way back under in chapter 4 and
verse 14, he wrote this, seeing then that we have a great high
priest that is passed into the heaven, Jesus, the Son of God. Now, what he is saying is we
have a high priest And that high priest is perfectly suited unto
our need. He is one exactly like we have
need of. He's not one like Aaron. He's
one exactly like we have Neda. And in fact, he has a unique
relationship unto God that Aaron did not have. In fact, this one,
who is our high priest, is the very son of God. And in Hebrews 1 and verse 3,
he is described as being the brightness of his glory and the
express image of his person and is even seated at the right hand
of God. He has gone into heaven itself. Hebrews 9 and verse 24. Hebrews 4 and 15, who can be
touched with the feeling of our infirmity, being tempted in all
respects as we are after our likeness with the exception of
sin. In Hebrews 3 and verse 1, he
is the high priest of our profession and the apostle of our faith.
In Hebrews 7, and 26. We have such a high priest who
becomes us, who is suited to our condition and to our situation. We have one exactly like we need. God has provided us a high priest
to answer our need and our condition, such as, look at it if you would,
Number one, this high priest, such as we have and such as we
need, number one, have made a full and effectual atonement for our
sin, something Aaron never did with his animal blood and sacrifice. Secondly, we have a high priest
suited to our need because he can gain us the favor of God. He can make us accepted in the
beloved. He can bring us unto God, and
he has. He can provide eternal redemption. Aaron made offerings daily, monthly,
and yearly. Christ made one offering and
gained eternal redemption. Number four, he can purge the
conscience of the worshiper from dead works. This Aaron and his
offering could not do. And number five, he can make
intercession for the children of God For he is there in the
very presence of God. And number six, he has full access
unto God. He is in the very presence of
God. He's the son of God. He's the
anointed of God. And finally, number seven, he
can help us with or in our infirmity. When we are tempted, we have
one who can succor us and strengthen us in the face of that temptation. Now, scripture teaches us something,
and this is so important, I don't think many even in Christendom
have grasped it yet. And that is, we as sinners, we
as fallen children of Adam, must have a high priest, a mediator,
a go-between, in order to bring us unto God. We have to have
this one or we cannot come unto God. No man comes to God except
by me, the blessed Savior said, I believe in the 10th chapter
of the Gospel of John. There must needs be a mediator
between God and men or between God and sinners. Let me say it
another way. Sinners cannot contract directly
with God in their own person and upon their own term. They
cannot come to God except they come through the appointed mediator
and surety who is none other than the Lord's Christ. Only
he can bring us to God. Only he can remove all of those
obstacles that set us at a distance from God and bring us under God. And then something else. This
priest that we have must be called of God. He must be sin of God. He must be provided of God. You
have that in Hebrews chapter 5 and 1 through 5. He must have
a proper sacrifice, as we read here in chapter 8 and verse 3. Of necessity, this man must have
something to offer. And then, of course, he must
have, as a priest, a proper place or sanctuary in which to practice
his priesthood and that he does in the heaven itself in the eternal
tabernacle in the presence of God. Now a word leaps out at
us here and let's look at it. Let's have a short word study
where this word stands out and needs a hearing concerning the
priesthood of Christ for it has a bearing on it. And the word
is simply the little four-letter word such. S-U-C-H. We have such an high priest. Not just we have an high priest,
but we have such an high priest. Now the word such here meaning
this kind or this sort as denoting the character and the quality
of our high priest that Is in view in our text. It is the priesthood
of christ or more correctly It is christ the priest this word
is five times in the hebrew epistle that we're considering two of
them in connection with the lord as the high priest in chapter
7 and verse 26 for such an high priest became us Now that's a
powerful statement. It refers to Christ. Such a high
priest became us. That is, was suited to us, was
one according to our need. It fitted our situation. And then the word is again here,
chapter 8 and verse 1. We have such an high priest. Such an high priest became us. It has suited us, became us.
Our state and condition perfectly fit. No other priest, no other
sort of priest could become unto us in our circumstances as men
and as sinners the kind that we need. No other could perform
on or in our behalf what was necessary to expiate our sin
and bring us to God. For to do that, there are certain
qualifications that were indispensably necessary to innately resolve
in our Great high priest and yet Christ is our great high
priest and he possesses all of those qualities Necessary and
he possesses them to their fullness our perfection such and high
priest as became us exactly our the kind that we have need of. It is known that the Jews did
very highly esteem and very highly regard both Aaron the man, the
high priest, and the work that he did in their behalf. He made an appointed sacrifice
for them. He was God's high priest, chosen
by God, and he made a sacrifice. He made atonement. He slew the
blood and applied it to the mercy seat in their behalf, entering
into that holy place with the blood of a sacrifice. And I remember in Exodus, he
went in with the blood in the basin and he sprinkled it there
upon the mercy seat between the cherubims as they stood in the
holy of holy. In other words, Aaron appeared
in the typical presence of God sprinkling the blood of atonement
to cover the broken law, all typical of what Christ must do
when he came. Yet these things were typical,
they were things that were yet to come. Hebrews 9 and verse
11, Christ being come and high priest of good things that are
to come. Hebrews 10 in verse 1, we read
that the law having a shadow of the good things to come and
not the very image of the things to come. Now the whole mosaic
system was typical. It was types and shadows and
figures and picture and such like. Colossians 2 and 17 speaks
of that. The Aaronic priesthood. the annual
sacrifices, the altar where the beast was slain, the tabernacle
where the priest entered, the incense beaten small inside,
the mercy seat. All of them were typical of good
things that were to come by the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And being typical, they therefore
fell short of perfection, and it was therefore temporary as
well. And it was to give way to the
real substance when it appeared in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
nowhere is this more true than in the high priesthood. There
are two typical priesthoods in the Old Testament for us to consider,
and they are also in the Hebrew epistle. There are two typical
priesthoods. Not one, but two. and we want
to look at them. Number one, of course, that of
Aaron. Aaron, chosen by God, then his
successors were his sons, and the Levitical tribe was the priestly
tribe, and they served the tabernacle, and they made the sacrifices,
they did the services and they received the tithe from the other
tribes upon which they might live. So the Aaronic priesthood,
the Aaron priesthood, was typical of the priesthood. But then there
is a second one, more important, and that is the priesthood of
Melchizedek. It is briefly mentioned in In
Genesis chapter 14, verse 14 through 18, it is mentioned very
briefly again in Psalm 110 and verse 4. But the author of the
Hebrew epistle from which we are studying makes much of that
promise of God in Psalm 110 and verse 4, where it is said, Of
and to the Son, these words, quote, you are a priest forever. Secondly, you are a priest forever. after the order of Melchizedek. Not Aaron, but after the order
of Melchizedek. Christ does not pattern his priesthood
after the priesthood of Aaron, though there are some things
in which they have in common and they agree. That takes us
again back to chapter 5 and verse 1 through 5. For example, every
priest is a man. The priest must be a man. The
priest was a man, a real man, for men as it pertains unto God. The priest must be a man for
men as pertains unto God. Now his main business was the
offering of gifts and sacrifices, atonement for sin. He was to
have compassion on the forward and wayward and on the ignorant
And he was to have a divine call from God, Hebrews 5, 4 and 5. He must be called of God as was
Aaron. No man could say, you know, I
feel led to become the high priest. Or you couldn't run for it as
an office or politic for it as an office. It was by the sovereign
determination of God. But still, Aaron's priesthood
was deficient, and it was deficient first and foremost in that he
himself was a sinner and must also offer for his own sin before
he could offer for the people. Again, Aaron being a sinner,
he'd lost his priesthood. He saw it come unto an end by
death. Death put an end to the priesthood
under the old economy, to the high priesthood. For the priest,
the high priest even themselves died. And in Hebrews 7 and verse
23, there were many priests because they were not allowed, that is,
they were not permitted to continue by reason of death. death. They served until they died and
they could serve then no more. They were not allowed to continue
in the priesthood because or on account or by reason of death. In addition to that, it was deficient
because his sacrifices, which he offered, goats, calves, bulls,
red heifers, and such like, were ineffectual to remove the sin
of the people. They couldn't perfect the worshiper.
They couldn't purge the consciences of the worshiper. And this you
have in chapter 10 of Hebrews, verses 1 through 4. If so, there
would be no necessity of constant repetition if they could put
away sin, if they could reconcile men to God, if they could purge
the conscience, and so forth. Now, even though these sacrifices
that Aaron offered were ordained by God, being the blood of bulls
and of goats, it was not possible that such sacrifices or blood
should take away sin. You see it in Hebrews again.
Chapter 10, verse 4. It is not possible that they
should take away sin. So, the antithesis of the Aaronic
priesthood is that of the Son of God. In so many things that
they did have in common with the priesthood and with one another,
such as the call by God both taken from among men, both offered
sacrifices in a place of God's providing and choosing. But there
were also obvious dissimilarities between the priesthood of one
and the other, such as a Aaron was of the Levite tribe, Christ
was not. Christ was not of Levi, but of
Judah. And the Hebrew writer is careful
to note that of this tribe, Moses said not a word about the priesthood,
nor did any man from it ever give attendance at the altar
from the tribe of Judah. But then B, Aaron was a man of
infirmities, Hebrews 7 and 28, that is of weaknesses. John Brown
said this, men priests who have infirmities is what is described
there. They are more men. They are mere
men rather. They are human priests. They're
ordinary men. And if I might quote Brown again,
because the law constitute men as priests, the legal priesthood
is a mere human priesthood and consequently infirm, a weak and
inefficacious priesthood, unquote, is what John Brown called it.
While the law makes men high priests which have infirmities,
which have weaknesses and frailties, They're even sinners, and they
die. On the other hand, the word of
God's oath, which was since the law, makes the son a priest who
is consecrated, literally, perfected forevermore, and really, it says,
unto the ages. Makes the son a priest who is
consecrated are perfected unto the ages. Made perfect forever
is our great high priest. See the contrast? While the law
makes men a priest which have infirmity, the word of God's
oath has provided one that is perfected forever. That's Christ. See, again, neither Aaron nor
any of the Levitical high priests who succeeded him, and there
were many over the course of the century, not one of them
was ever put into the priesthood with an oath of swearing, as
was Christ. Never once from Aaron down Did
a priest enter into the office of the high priest with an oath
from God like that of Christ? You are a priest forever. But the Lord, Hebrews 7 verse
21, the Lord swear and will not repent. That is, he will not
change his mind. He will not rescind the word
or the oath extended unto his son. Thou art a priest forever. Why was it never said to a Levitical
priest? And it could not be said to any
Levitical priest, you are a priest forever. And why? There were many priests one after
another, Hebrews 7.23. Now he speaks there of the high
priest only. Many high priests there were
over the course of history. Many of them. Aaron, of course,
was the first. Many served in that office of
the high priest. One followed upon another. One
died and another would come. There was a constant succession
of high priests out of the tribe of Levi. Owen put their number
at fourscore and three. I don't know how he arrived at
that. Eighty-three. Eighty-three high priests, he
thought. He counted over the tabernacle. And then the first
and the second temples, all of these priests did serve. The
Jews reckoned their number to be about 100. from Aaron under
Phineas, who was the last one that we know about in the scripture.
The point being, not one priest, whosoever he might be, not one
was ever put into office with an oath, and not one of those
priests ever served the entire duration of that economy. Not one. Not one lasted from
then to the end of the Judaic economy. And in Hebrews chapter
7 and verse 23, there truly were many priests because they were
not suffered, they were not allowed or permitted, literally they
were prevented from continuing by reason of debt. Death cut
their priesthood off and they could be preached no more. And
upon this fact accounts for their number because they died one
after another. They went the way of all flesh.
Death reigned even over the high priest. Even that high position
did not spare them the indignity of becoming a corpse in the sight
of God. For this reason, by reason of
death, their priesthood was therefore not only cut off, but it also
was severely, severely restricted in their services. As for an
example, number one, they could not be made a priest with an
oath. Never was it said, you are a
priest forever. For not only would they die,
but corruption would hold them and they would not live again.
Secondly, this also prevented them from being mediator or surety
of the covenant because they were subject under debt. Number
three, Nor could they be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Order being a word meaning arrangement
or assignment or rank or disposition. They could not be a priest after
the order of Melchizedek. that for a reason that we shall
see in a moment. Then, in Hebrews 7, 24 through
28, we notice that the apostle contrasts the high priesthood
of Christ from that of Aaron and his successor. Verse 24,
he, this man, he of whom we speak, the great high priest which we
have, which is Jesus, the one to whom the ancient word is applicable. The one to whom it was said,
you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And let's not miss here the distinction
and the contrast between the Jewish high priest and the priesthood
of Christ found in verse 23 and 24 of Hebrews 7. In the 23rd verse, notice, they. And then also notice in verse
24, this man. They did so and so but this man
such was so with a but this man verse 23 They were not suffered
to continue by reason of death they the Levitical priest verse
24, but this because he Continued ever meaning of course our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ now look at the Continuous ever he continues
ever in verse 24 The same with he ever lives in verse 25. He is alive forevermore He is
alive unto the age and Looking at Hebrews 7 and 24 again Because
he ever lives because he continues because he abides forever he
has an unchangeable priesthood. And that's important. It goes
to the heart of our lesson today. He has a priesthood forever. In other words, let's say he
had his priesthood in perpetuity. He hath it forever. He got it
not from another, nor will it ever pass unto another. One version has it permanently. He is a priest permanently. The margin has it a priesthood
which passes not from one unto another. And I like the word
intransmissible. He has an intransmissible priesthood. And that means, like Melchizedek,
he's the first and the only in that office and of that kind.
He received it not from another, and neither will it pass unto
another. He is the only one to serve in
this capacity as to this priesthood. Now, should we deal with the
issue? Does someone raise the question then, if Aaron and his
successors cease being a priest at death, and if death put an
end to their priesthood, Why was it not the same with the
Lord Jesus Christ when he died? How can the Lord himself, when
Aaron could not, both die and yet have a continuing uninterrupted
priesthood? Had we no priest, during the
time that our Lord lay under the power of death? Or are the
Sassanians right when of old they said that Christ only began
to be a priest after his death, resurrection, and ascension,
that he did not act or become a priest Until then, so they
say. Does the apostle refer the priesthood
from Christ entering into heaven or before? I think the answer
is clear. It is true the Hebrew author
presents the Lord's anointed priest as being passed into the
heaven, chapter 414. 620, entered as a forerunner within
the veil. Chapter 8, verse 1, set on the
right hand of God. Chapter 9, 24, into heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of God for us. Chapter 10 verse
12 that he sat down on the right hand of God Chapter 12 and verse
2 is set down on the right hand of the throne of God true our
Lord entered after his resurrection into heaven itself and yet these
texts do not delay in His being a high priest until he was raised
and ascended into heaven at the right hand of God. For in his
death, we must remember, he acted both as priest and sacrifice. When our Lord died, he acted
both as priest and sacrifice. Hebrews 9 and verse 14. through
the eternal spirit offered himself without spot unto God. Now, he offered himself as a
priest. He offered himself without spot. He offered himself without spot
unto God. He offered himself a sweet-smelling
savor to God, Ephesians 5 and verse 2. Now, the priest's work
had two parts when you look at it and study it in the Old Testament. The priesthood, his work had
two parts on the Day of Atonement. Number one, of course, to make
the sacrifice. The sacrifice was brought, slain
at the altar, the blood was caught, and so forth. But then number
two, he entered within the veil, the making of the sacrifice,
at the altar did not end his work. With its blood, he parted
the first veil, and then he went into the second veil, entering
into the veil with the blood of his sacrifice, which Aaron
sprinkled upon the mercy seat. So Christ offered himself as
a priest. He took up his life again as
the eternal divine one, and by his own blood entered once. into the holy place, having,
listen, obtained eternal redemption for us. Now, let's spend the
rest of our time considering how it is that Christ's priesthood
is patterned after that of Melchizedek, rather than after Aaron, and
how this is a better priesthood, and we are advantaged by it.
The Hebrew author takes this as his proof text. Psalm 110
and verse one through seven is Messianic. Which the jews took
to be messianic that messiah christ Is the anointed one of
god that is mentioned that he's the object of that passage He
is spoken to in that passage and particularly the fourth verse
thou art a priest forever after the order of mel chasidic now
we learn that mel chasidic was both king priest united in the
one person again that's typical of Christ and especially in verse
18 of Genesis chapter 14 first we learn there was a priesthood
in existence get this there was a priesthood in existence before
the priesthood of Aaron, which typified the priesthood of the
Lord Jesus Christ when he appeared. Long before the priesthood of
Aaron or Levi was ever established among Israel, who first appeared
not in the time of Moses as the Levi, but in the day and the
time of Abraham, there was a high priest, a priest of the most
high God. And Melchizedek did meet Abraham
with bread and wine when he returned from the slaughter of the king
and the rescue of Lot. He met Abraham. You'll have it
in Genesis 14, 18, and 19. Hebrews 7 and verse 1. The blessing consisted in Melchizedek
pronouncing Abraham to be highly favored of God. Favorite of God
is Abraham's pronouncement from Melchizedek. Secondly, Abraham. What did Abraham do in regard
to Melchizedek when they met? Abraham brought out the communion
supper, as it were, commemorating the death and blood of our Lord's
body and blood. But Abraham, what did Abraham
do? He did not sloth off Melchizedek. Abraham gave tithes unto Melchizedek
of all of the spoils that he had gained in the battle. You
have it in Genesis 14, 20, Hebrews chapter 7, verse 2, and again
in verse 4. In Hebrews, there are six references
to this one verse from Psalm 110 and verse 4. Thou art a priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now, turn with me to Hebrews
7. Let's read one of the most fantastic passages in all of
this book and in regard to our Lord and his priesthood. Hebrews
7, 1 through 3. For this Melchizedek, Now, he's
been talking about it. He said, I got a lot of things
to tell you about him, but you're not able to bear it now on account
of your weakness and infirmity. But this Melchizedek, king of
Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning
from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him. He blessed Abraham. to whom also Abraham gave a tenth
part of all, first being by interpretation king of righteousness, and after
that also king of Salem, which is king of peace. And verse 3
is the amazing verse. Look at it. Without father, without
mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor
end of life, Made like unto the Son of God, and get this, abideth
a priest forever. Now Melchizedek was a man. I know early on I thought this
is Christ. A lot of people still do. It's
an appearance of Christ in the Old Testament. But it is a type
of Christ as to his priesthood. He was a man of dignity. He was
a priest of the Most High God. For a priest must be a man. He's taken from among men. Only
a man can be a priest. And it is the priesthood of Melchizedek
and not his manhood that forms the type. It is more his priesthood
that forms the type of Christ. As Gil noted, there's nothing
here said to contradict him from being a man and that there is
no record in the third verse, no record of his father or his
mother. And that's something unusual.
The Jewish high priest had that. They had a genealogy. They had
a record. There was no record of his descent,
who he descended from. There's no record of his birth
and there's no record of his death. In other words, what he
is saying is he hath no pedigree. He hath no pedigree, there is
no descent, no record of his birth or of his death, this man
Melchizedek. Here is the key, I believe, in
all of that, in the third verse, Hebrews 7, and the last part. Made like unto the Son of God,
abides a priest forever or continually. Here's the key. Here's the thing
that is the important point of the priesthood of Melchizedek
as typical of Christ. Made like unto the Son of God,
abides a priest forever. The likeness, therefore, of Christ's
priesthood to Melchizedek is in this. Neither Melchizedek
or Christ received their priesthood from another. Neither one of
them succeeded as a priest in the place of another. It did
not pass upon them from another, and neither will it pass from
them upon another at some later time. It will never pass to a
successor. He has it directly from God.
And as to the office itself, the arrangement, the duration
is forever. a priest forever after the order
of Melchizedek. And in Hebrews chapter 7 verse
4 and following, the acts of Abraham to the word Melchizedek
show the dignity of him as a high priest. What Abraham did when
he faced Melchizedek shows how great he was, Paul said, or the
dignity of his priesthood. What did he do? Abraham gave
Melchizedek tenth of all of the spoil without a command to do
so the writer notes here Levi's have a command to take time but
without a command Abraham gave a tenth unto him And let's get
this, not just Abraham the private citizen, but notice what he calls
him, Abraham the patriarch, Abraham the patriarch, a father of Israel. And yet upon principle, by such
an act, Abraham regarded Melchizedek as greater than himself. for
the lesser is blessed of the greater. And the author uses
it to establish the priesthood of Melchizedek as the more suitable
type of the priesthood of Christ than that of Aaron or any of
the Jewish high priests. Levi paid tithes, the writer
said, to Melchizedek being in the loins of Abraham when it
was done. And that's a point that he makes
here in this play. And Christ's priesthood is after
the order of Melchizedek because he is the one and only priest
And he has it forever, never ending. It is by an oath, and
he is sure of it. He is mediator of the covenant. Who, Hebrews 7, 16, is not made
after the law of a carnal, that is, a fleshly ordinance, but
after the power of an endless life. Christ is not made a priest
by a coronal commandment, by fleshly descent, but after the
power of an endless life, a life without end, an indissoluble
life, an indestructible life, a high priesthood that can never
be lost and be exercised by him. For this reason, he is able to
save forever. them that come unto God by him,
seeing he ever live to make intercession for them. We have a great high
priest, not one like Aaron, one after the order or arrangement
of Melchizedek. The only one to have the office,
the priest of the most high God, a king at the same time, and
our Lord is both. Thank God for the priest we have.
And we have a high priest who is ascended to heaven at the
right hand of God. And that is a great help unto
us in our Christian life and in our Christian walk in this
world. We have a great high priest who
serves in our behalf and for our benefit, not in a tent on
earth, but in the very presence of God in heaven itself, our
great high priest. what we are advantaged by having
a great high priest who is Christ. He's not a man in a smock, not
one we call father. Our high priest is the son of
God at the right hand of the throne of God in the heavens.
To him we confess our sin. He forgives our sin. He blesses
us. Thank God for that.