The wicked king slew eighty-five
priests. So there were just lots of them. One high priest and many other
priests all the time. And it's called the Levitical
priesthood all the way through the Old Testament because they
were sons of Aaron and from the tribe of Levi. Now it says here,
if therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood,
for under it, under that priesthood, The people received the law under
that Levitical priesthood. The children of Israel received
the ceremonial law, we're not talking about tomorrow's law,
we're talking about the ceremonial law, the law of sacrifices, which
they brought to the priest, and the priest ministered for them
to God. The priest was between them and
God. Let me show you that in Hebrews 5, verse 1. Every high priest taken from
among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God,
that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin. These
priests, the high priests, the many priests, were between the
people and God, to minister the things of God to the people and
from the people to God. That's the reason it says up
here in Hebrews 7 verse 5, Look back at the reading about the
tithes. You see there were twelve tribes
of Israel named for the twelve sons of Jacob, and all of them
had an inheritance. All of them had land distributed
to them and work to do and so forth, except the tribe of Levi.
That was the priestly tribe. They didn't own any land. They ministered about the temple
and the tabernacle, and they were supported by the tithes.
Like I say, there were so many priests, so much to be done,
and they were supported by these tithes from the people. It says
in verse 5, And they that are the sons of Levi, who received
the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes
of the people. They took it. It was a law. People
didn't give it, they took it. You see, that's the difference
in giving and paying tithes. They in tithes, they take it
from you. It's expected, it's required, it's demanded, have
to do it according to the law. That's the reason we sang that
song, want to go free from the law. Now, God's ministry don't
take tithes. Every man as he purposes in his
own heart, he gives. They don't take anything, they
give it, led by the Spirit of God. So, now, back to my verse
11. If perfection, now here's that,
tithes of Levi, Sons of Avon, High Priest, Atonement, Sacrifices,
Worship, Tabernacle, Temple, Ceremonies, Baptisms, Circumcision,
all these things, carried on by those priests. They did it
all. If therefore perfection, what are we talking about perfection?
We're talking about perfection before God. Christ by one offering
has perfected us. We are in his righteousness,
we are perfect before God. But if perfection before God,
and in the conscience, and justification, and the putting away of sin,
if that came under that old Levitical priesthood and sacrifices, he
says, what further need was there for another priest?
to arise after that of Melchizedek. What's the need of another priest? What's the need of Christ if
these Old Testament sacrifices and ceremonies and holy days
could put away sin? Now back to Psalm 110. Where
is the promise of another priest? Well, you've read it many times
and you could have turned to it without me telling you. Psalm
110, verse 4. The Lord has sworn and will not
repent. Thou art a priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. That's right in the middle of
all this Levitical priesthood. That's right during the days
of David, right in the middle of all these sacrifices and ceremonies
and atonements and priesthood. The Lord has sworn and will not
change. Christ, our Redeemer, is a priest
forever, not after the order of Abraham or Levi. of Melchizedek. Isaiah 53, here's another scripture
that talks about that priest and his sacrifice. Isaiah 53,
verse 2, "...he shall grow up before him as a tender plant."
Isaiah 53, 2, "...as a root out of a dry ground, no form, no
crumbliness. When we shall see him, there
is no beauty we should desire in him." Verse 4, he had borne
our griefs and carried our sorrows. We did esteem him stricken, smitten
with God, and afflicted. Verse 10, yet it pleased the
Lord to bruise him. He had put him to grief, when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. There is our offering,
there is our atonement. Make his soul, this great high
priest, after the order of Melchizedek. Then he said over there in the
psalm, In the volume of the book it's written of me, lo, I come
to do thy will, O God." That's Christ. Alright, back to the
text. Hebrews 7. So, imperfection,
justification, salvation, forgiveness of sin, could be realized in
any way under that Old Testament priesthood. What need do we have
for another priest after the order of Melchizedek? For the priesthood being changed,
there's made of necessity a change also of the law. If the priesthood
is changed, if we have another priest, a new priest, after all
the Melchizedek, that's all done away. None of it survives. You see, the priest, Abraham
was the first high priest, and then right on down the line,
there's always a high priest. Now if you stop, You stop that
order, and stop that arrangement, and stop that handing down the
priestly garments from father to son. You stop it. And another
priest comes, not of that tribe, not of that order, not of that
law, but from God, from heaven, a priest forever after that of
Melchizedek. This law is done. It's gone. And that's what he
says over in Hebrews 10. Verse 9, our Lord said, turn
over there a minute. Hebrews 10, 9. Then said he,
lo, I come to do thy will, O God, he taketh away the first. He
taketh away the first and establishes the second. The first is what? Levitical priesthood, Aaronic
priesthood, the law, ceremonies, sacrifices. When Christ, the
high priest of God, the priest of the Most High God, the King
of Righteousness, the King of Salem, the King of Peace, when
he had in his person, sent from God, perfected our salvation,
perfected the One Atonement, he roots out that old order of
the priesthood. It's done. It stops with him.
He destroys the Temple. That's the reason in 70 A.D. God permitted the emperor Titus
to come into Jerusalem and destroy that city. He destroyed the temple,
he destroyed the city, he destroyed everything in that temple. Everything. Everything. Rooted it up, plowed
it under, destroyed the worship, the temple, the sacrifices, and
it all ceased right there. And there's never been a place
to it since. Never been a temple since, nor a sacrifice. It's
finished. And that's what he's saying.
There must, of necessity, be a change in the law. That's the
way we can say it. Free from the law. Free from
the whole happy condition. You will be under the law. He
said, don't you hear that law? These priests were many, Christ
is one. These priests were men with infirmities
and sins. He's the perfect one. They brought
animal blood. He made his soul an offering
for sin, his own blood. They ministered on earth in a
temple, in a tabernacle, and God tore it down. He ministers
in heaven at the right hand of God. They offered many sacrifices
which could never take away sin. He offered one, and by one sacrifice
perfected his sheep forever. They could not put away sin,
but he did. I didn't say he could, I said
he did. They could not, he did. Alright,
verse 13. Now here's an interesting thing. For he of whom these things are
spoken, you know who that is, that's Christ, that's our Lord
Jesus, our great high priest. He pertained it to another tribe.
He didn't even come from the tribe of Levi. Of which no man
gave attendance at the altar. Our great high priest is not
of the tribe of Levi, he's of the tribe of Judah. And the priesthood
is so changed that Christ, if he had been in that order, he
wouldn't even be a priest. That's changed. The Levitical
priesthood is ended. Nobody ever gave attendance at
the altar from the tribe of Judah. I take that back. One fellow
did, and God killed him. Remember, Uzziah, King Uzziah,
tribe of Judah. He brought a sacrifice in 2 Chronicles
26. These priests said, it appertained
not to thee to offer a sacrifice, tribe of Judah. It appertained
not to thee. He did it anyway, and God made
him a leper. And Isaiah said, and when that
gentleman died, I saw the Lord. Look at this verse again, verse
14. It is evident that our Lord sprang
out of Judah. That's the Kingly tribe. Well,
what significance does that have? Well, he's not under that old
Levitical law, he's not in that order of priesthood, he's a new
and better covenant priesthood, but he's a king-priest. Judah's
the king. Now, let's see what Joseph said
about that in Genesis 49. See what Jacob said about that
in Genesis 49. He gathered these 12 sons of
his, and he came to Judah. Each one of them, you see, I
told you a tribe was named for each one. He came to Judah, verse
8, Genesis 49. Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren
shall praise. The king, king of the tribe.
David's tribe, Solomon's tribe. Thy hand shall be in the neck
of thine enemies, thy father's children shall bow down before
thee. Judah's a lion's wealth from the prey. My son, thou art
gone up, he's stooped down, he's cast as a lion, and as an old
lion, who shall rise him up? And the scepter shall not depart
from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, till Shiloh
come. And unto him shall the guiding
of the people be." He's coming. I love these Old Testament prophecies
of our Lord coming in his true character as a priest after the
order of Melchizedek, as a king from the tribe of Judah and the
seed of David, as a prophet like Moses. Let me show you another
scripture here. 1 Chronicles 5 about this tribe
of Judah. 1 Chronicles 5. We're not under that law. There's
not even a continuation of that law, not even a continuation
of that priesthood. It's ended. We have a great high
priest of the tribe of Judah, the king priest. First Chronicles
5, 2. Judah, for Judah prevailed above
his brethren. And of him came the chief ruler,
the prince. Of him came the chief ruler.
That's what Micah wrote about over here in Micah, chapter 5. Let me just read it to you, I'll
tell you. But thou, Bethlehem, Ephrathah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of
these shall come forth unto me, he that is to be ruler of Israel,
whose goings forth have been from old to everlasting. All right, back to my text. I
want to get all the way through this tonight. Verse 12 says,
The priesthood being changed is a necessity, a change of the
law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertains to a man,
a tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. It is
proof and evident our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe
Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood. Not a word. Not a word. It is yet far more evident that
after the similitude of Melchizedek arises another priest. Let's go back to Genesis. When
Melchizedek appeared to Abraham, first mention of Melchizedek
in Genesis 14. 18-20. Abraham had gone to rescue Lot
and battle against those wicked kings, and God gave him the victory. Verse 17, the king of Sodom went
out to meet Abraham after his return from the slaughter of
Chedorlaomer and of the kings that were with him at the valley
of Shaveth, which is the king's and Melchizedek, king of Salem,
brought forth bread and wine. He was the priest of the Most
High God, and that's the only thing he says about him. Paul
carried it further, the priest of the Most High God, king of
righteousness, king of Salem, king of peace, without father,
without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days
nor end of life, but like the Son of God. who abides a priest
continually, forever. That's who met Abraham with bread
and wine. Let's read some more. Verse 18,
Genesis 14, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread
and wine. He was the priest of the Most High God, and he blessed
him, and he said, Blessed be Abram, of the Most High God,
possessor of heaven and earth. Blessed be the Most High God,
which hath delivered down enemies into thy hands, and he gave him
tithes of all." That's what we were reading about a moment ago. All right, verse 16 now, in Hebrews
7. Verse 15 says it is yet far more
evident. In other words, we have the promise
of the high priest. It's evident. Secondly, we have
the promise of the high priest, not of Levi, but of Judah and
all the types. But this is not a promise of
the high priest, this is an appearance of that priest, actual appearance. Verse 15, it's yet more evident
for that act of the similitude of Melchizedek that actually
in person arises another priest. The actual Christ did come. He did come. And that's evidence
and proof. There is no other high priest.
There is no other priest. Can't be. Got to be done with
it now. All right, verse 16. Who is made? Now this priest,
Melchizedek, after the Holy Melchizedek, Christ Jesus, he's made a priest. Not after the law of call and
commandment. That's how Abram was made a priest.
Abram was made a priest by Moses. On commandment from God, but
by Moses. Abram was made a priest under the law of commandments.
According to the, God says you did according to how I laid it
out for you on the mountain. Do it just that way. Dress him
like I told you. Annoy him like I told you. Give
him the office like I told you. Fix him up. And that's how Abram
was made a priest. You can read it over there in
the Old Testament. He had the commandments, he had
the ceremonies, all of them bodily, all of them fleshly, all of them
external, all of them temporary, all of them typical, with oil,
with blood of the animal, dressed him up like you've never seen
a man dressed, earthly garments, and he ministered and unearthed
the tabernacle. Now, our Lord was not made a
priest like that. No sir, he was not made a priest
like that. Not after the law of a carnal,
fleshly commandment. But he was made a priest after
the power of an endless life. Oh my goodness. Power of an endless
life. Power of divine life. What does
this mean, the power of an endless life? Well it means four or five
things. He was consecrated and anointed and made a priest by
the Father who is life. The Father has life in himself.
Secondly, he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power by the
Spirit of God. Thirdly, he himself is life,
and his gospel is life divine and endless life. chosen in him, exalted in him. His is an endless life in and
of himself, as the Father hath life in himself, so hath the
Son life in himself, and he quickeneth him in weakness. And he gives to us endless life. Paul said, listen, in hope of
endless life, eternal which God, who cannot lie, promises, before
this thing ever starts, before this world ever begins. I have preached, I get so aggravated
with religious people, these priests running around, playing
God, going through all these Old Testament dresses and motions
and sprinklings and all this. That's over. That's over. They were all made priests by
carnal commandment. But he, our great high priest,
was made a priest after an endless life. The power of an endless
life. I don't have anything to do with
that stuff. Not anymore. I'm going to show you something
about it in a minute. But here, look at verse 17. For
he, the same one that made him, The high priest after Apollo
in this life, he testifies, thou art a priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek. And you know something? He said
that in this Bible five times. First in Psalm one thing, and
then four times here in the book of Hebrews. Christ is a priest
after the order of Melchizedek. Forever! Forever. five times. God said that. Verse 18. For there is barely
a disannulling of the commandment. The old law of priesthood, the
old ceremonies and sacrifices was fulfilled by Christ and put
away. Christ I pass over, but no more
pass overs. Christ I send offering, no more
send offering. Christ I praise, no more praise. Christ's atonement, no more atonement. Now, listen to this statement.
There is barely a disannoying of the commandment going before,
for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. Now, let me tell you
something here. This law, this priesthood, And
all that Moses commanded him to do and the people to submit
to, it was strong and it was profitable to the end for which
God made it and gave it. That business is not weak. That
mercy is not weak. God said, I'll meet you there
where the priest puts the blood. Nothing weak about that, nothing
unprofitable about it. Men like Moses, and Aaron, and
David, and Job said, I look to the mercy seat, the temple. Daniel
prayed in that direction, to the mercy seat, to the temple.
It wasn't weak and unprofitable. It was strong and profitable
to do what God gave it to do. And that is to show Christ, to
manifest Christ, and to lead men to Christ. But it became
weak and unprofitable to these darn Jews. who tried to justify
themselves without Christ by doing what that law says. That's
the one who is weak and unprofitable. If you try it, you're going to
be weak to be a man. And I'll show you that in Romans
chapter 9. And that's what Paul is saying here. It was weak and
unprofitable to them because they tried to use it to be saved. And you know, people today, in
our generation, they say, that's the way those people were saved,
by keeping the law. Tell me why. The law was never
given to save anybody. Never given to put sin away.
It couldn't do it. It was given the part to Christ.
And Moses and Aaron and those men saw Christ in those sacrifices. They saw Christ in the priesthood.
Moses had great reverence and fear and respect. for the priesthood, for the sacrifices. But listen to this in Romans
9, verse 31. But Israel, which followed after
the law of righteousness, that's this law, had not attained to
the law of righteousness. Why? Wherefore? Why? Because
they saw it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the
law. That's how they saw righteousness, and to them it was a They stumble
at the stumbling stone. This priesthood was no stumbling
stone to Moses. And David, it was God's design,
a beautiful, beautiful picture and type of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But to those who abuse it and misuse it, it's weak and unprofitable. That's right. All right. But
the law, verse 19, made nothing perfect. Nothing. But to bring
it in of a better hope, dear, what is this better hope? Well,
the book of Hebrews, you've heard me give this many times, it talks
about a better hope, a better covenant, better promises, better
sacrifice, he is blunt, a better country, not Jerusalem, heaven,
a better resurrection. And it's this better covenant
and better sacrifice and better hope by which we draw nigh to
God. That's how we come, that's how
we worship, that's how we pray, that's how we believe, that's
how we find comfort, joy and peace. And that's how we are
invited to come boldly into the presence of God before the throne
of grace through our great high praise. That's what I read to
open this service. All right, let me go on to verse
20. Now watch this, and inasmuch as not without an oath he was
made priest. When you go back and read how
Moses made Abraham the high priest, there was no oath involved. No
oath involved, never mentioned. No mention of an oath. But Christ
was made a high priest with an oath. Remember Psalm 110 verse
4? The Lord hath sworn. That's an
oath, you swear it. The Lord hath sworn and will
not repent. God is a priest forever. Who
did he swear by? The lesser swears by the greater.
We swear by the Bible when we incur it. I swear to tell the
truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth, except may God.
Who does God swear by? Himself. For there is no greater. And he swore by himself and did
not repent. God is a priest forever. That
settles it. That settles it. God swore. Now these priests, verse 21,
these priests were made without an oath. But this man, with an
oath by him that said it, the Lord sware and will not repent,
thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, no
brother, no father, no beginning of days, no end of days, the
king of righteousness, the king of Salem, the king of peace,
priest of the most high God. By so much, by so much, Jesus
was made a surety of a better covenant. You want a definition
for the word surety? Here it is. Write this in the
margin of your Bible. It's as good as you'll ever find.
A surety is a person who makes himself responsible for another. I don't care what's involved,
he makes himself responsible. When Adam stood up here and married
Carrie, he became assured. He said, I promise in the sight
of God, I'll be to her a true and devoted husband in sickness
or health, in poverty or wealth, in the good that may darken our
days and the bad that may darken our ways, and to provide for
her till death do us part. I'm assured. I'm responsible
for none. And that's what turned to Genesis,
just a moment. Genesis 43, 9. Listen to this, you know this
story how Benjamin was down there in Egypt and they were supposed
to go back to get him but Jacob wouldn't let him go because Joseph
was not and Simeon was not. He said you can't take Benjamin.
In Genesis 43 verse 8, and Judah said, what tribe is that? Kingly tribe. the priestly tribe
of Christ, Judah, out of which Shiloh will come, Judah sent
to Israel, Jacob his father. You send the lad with me, and
we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we
and thou and our little ones. I will be surety for him, and
of my hand shalt thou require him. If I bring him not unto
thee, and set him before thee, you can blame me forever." That's
a surety. That's what Christ Jesus is.
He's a surety of that better covenant. My father, you give
me your elect. I'll be surety for every one
of them. And I'll bring them home. And if I fail, you blame
me forever. That's not going to be. You're
going to exalt him forever. Give him a name above every name.
He'll bring them home. He'll bring them to God. Why is this called a better covenant? Verse 22 of Hebrews 7, Jesus'
assurance of a better covenant. Well, I'll give you four quick
reasons. It's better because it was founded and prepared by
God. It's better because it provides
life, eternal glory and peace. It's better because it's by grace
and not by works. You and I better be thankful
for that. It's better because it's based on his deeds and not
mine. And he cannot fail. That's better,
isn't it? All right, verse 23. And there
were many priests, there were literally thousands of them,
many high priests. And they were not suffered to
continue by reason of death, they all died. But this man,
because he continued forever. has an unchangeable priesthood.
He's unchanging. He's saying yesterday, today,
and forever. So his priesthood never changes. His promises never
change. His effectual redemption never
changes. He never changes. Wherefore,
because of that, he's able. That's what Abraham believed. He's able to do all that he promised. That's what Paul believed. He's
able to keep that which I've committed to him. That's what
Paul said when he talked about dying. He said he's able to raise
my vile body. Make it like it. Because he has
an unchanging priesthood. He's able to save them to the
uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to
make an accession for them. He ever lives continually. Continually. And such a high priest became
us. We had to have that kind of high
priest. It became the father, it became the son, it certainly
becomes us. Because he's holy and harmless
and undefiled, in a way he's separate from sinners. He's one
with us by grace, but he's separate from us in the fact that he had
no sin. He made higher than the heavens. And he doesn't leave
daily as those high priests offer up sacrifices, first for his
own sins, then for the people's. This he did once. Isn't this
clear on salvation? The Bible. It's just so clear. It's so clear. You wonder, well why don't preachers
preach this? For the law maketh me an high
priest which hath infirmities, but the word of the oath of God,
which was since the law. make it the son of a priest who's
consecrated forevermore. That's our priest. That's our
priest. Our high priest.