7. We'll begin tonight with verse
20 and go through the remainder of the chapter. Hebrews chapter
7 and verse 20, and inasmuch as not without an oath, he was
made priest. Parentheses, for those priests
were made without an oath. But this with an oath by him
that said unto him, the Lord swear and will not repent, thou
art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. By so much
was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were
many priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason
of death. But this man, because he continueth
ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a high priest
became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens. who needeth not daily as those
high priests to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins and then
for the people's, for this he did once when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests
which have infirmity, but the word of the oath which was since
the law maketh the son who is consecrated forevermore. We ended the message last time
with these words in verse 19, for the law made nothing perfect. For the law made nothing perfect. Perfection is what God requires
for one to stand in his presence. Perfection is what a guilty sinner
needs. And perfection is what a quickened
sinner seeks. Perfection. For the law made
nothing perfect. And if you look back to verse
11, we were told if their perfection were by the Levitical priesthood. What does God require for you
to stand before Him? To stand before Him and be accepted. To stand before Him and His wrath
not be incensed against you. What does God require? He requires
perfection. Let me read you these two verses
from Psalm 24. Who? Who shall ascend into the hill
of the Lord? Who shall ascend into the Lord's
presence into heaven? Who shall ascend onto the hill
of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy
place? Who? He that hath clean hands. He that hath clean hands. That leaves every one of us out.
That just excludes us from ascending unto the Lord's holy hill, to
heaven. He that hath clean hands and
a pure heart. Anyone here believe that you
have a pure heart? You've never had an impure thought
in your life, never had the least whim of jealousy or envy or malice,
a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul
unto vanity. Vanity, of course, is emptiness. The thought of foolishness is
sin. Vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Perfection. That's what God requires. And the scripture here tells
us that the law made nothing perfect. The only way any of us are going
to stand before the Lord, ascend unto his holy hill, is that we
be accepted in his son. That's what the scriptures teach
us. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21. For he who knew no sin was made
sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1
that we are accepted in the beloved. Perfection. Perfection is what
God requires. Perfection is what we need. And
perfection is something we cannot obtain to in and of ourselves. And yet tonight we see in these
verses of scripture that we have a perfect priest, a perfect priest. There must be a priest who himself
is perfect by whom we draw nigh unto God. Look again at verse
19. For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw
nigh unto God. Now in the verses that we are
looking at this evening, verses 20 through 28, the writer of
this letter quotes for the fourth time This is the fourth time
that he has quoted Psalm 110 and verse 4. He quotes the text
in stating how that unlike the Levitical priest, that is, those
who were priests of the tribe of Levi and those who were priests
of the family of Aaron, that unlike the Levitical priest,
the Lord Jesus Christ was made a priest with an oath. with an oath, how did Jesus Christ
our Lord become a priest? God made him a priest and God
made him a priest with an oath. Notice that in verse 21, for
those priests were made without an oath. All of those priests,
not one of them. You might think, well, at least
the first one, Aaron, Moses' brother, maybe he was made a
priest with an oath. No, no, no. Not one of them was
ever made a priest with an oath. And think about this oath. This
is an oath that God took. This is God's oath that we're
talking about. For those priests were made without
an oath, but this, this priest, this with an oath, By him, that
is by God the Father, who said unto him, the Lord swear and
will not repent. Thou art a priest forever, after
the order of Melchizedek. We know that the Lord Jesus Christ
is the one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
There's only one mediator. Mary is not a mediatrix. The saints are not mediators.
There's one mediator between God and man. That means if we
are to approach unto God, or if we are to hear from God in
peace, it will be through Him, and only through Him. And as the mediator of the new
covenant, he has three offices. He's the prophet, He's the messenger
of the covenant, in other words. And he's a priest of the covenant,
and he is the king of the covenant. But only this one office, as
far as the scriptures tell us, and I believe that this is true,
this is so, of these three offices, prophet, priest, and king, only
one of those offices was he made with an oath. And that is the
office of priest, the priest. And I want us to say five truths
in these verses tonight about Christ, the perfect priest, the
perfect one who was made a priest with an oath. And that oath was
God's oath, the Lord swear and will not repent, it's never going
to change, and will not repent, thou art a priest forever, after
the order of Melchizedek. Here are five truths that we
see here about the perfect priest. First, Christ is the surety of
a better testament. Notice that in verse 22. By so
much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And you know the word testament,
it's the same word that sometimes is translated covenant, sometimes
testament. The Lord Jesus Christ said, this
is my blood of the new testament or the new covenant, same word. And this better testament here
in this verse, For so much was Jesus made a surety of a better
testament. This better testament is the
new testament, the new covenant, or the everlasting covenant. And we'll see more, the Lord
willing, in chapter 8 about it being a better covenant, a better
testament. This is the only time in all
the New Testament that this Greek word is used. This Greek word
that's here translated surety, it's never used anywhere else
in the New Testament. Now the term surety in the scriptures,
the term surety is used in reference to debts, to debts. The term surety is used in reference
to debts. For instance, Proverbs 22 and
verse 26. The wise man, of course, he mentions
to his son, as many of the Proverbs are written to his son, about
being a surety and warns his son about being a surety. But
this one verse in Proverbs 22 and verse 26, he said, be not
thou one of them that strike hands. That's the way a surety
was made. As we would say, a man's word
is his bond. We make a contract, we just shake
hands, strike hands. That's the way these bonds were
made. Be not thou one of them that
strike hands or of them that are sureties for debts, for debts. Now we think of a cosigner, but
that's really not what a surety was, but that's as close as we
probably are familiar with today, a cosigner. But anyway, a surety
had to do with debts, the word surety in the scripture. When
David, King David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, I know the
scripture said these be the last words of David. When he said
this, he said, all his salvation, all of his salvation was in that
covenant, that everlasting covenant, that new covenant, that covenant
of which Jesus Christ is the surety. He said, this is all
my salvation. And we're not going to go back
there and read that, but it's in 2 Samuel chapter 23. But he
also said this about that covenant. He said, it's ordered in all
things and S-U-R-E. It is sure. And the reason this
covenant is sure is because Jesus is the surety of this covenant,
this better covenant. It is sure because Christ is
the surety of His covenant people. In other words, He agreed, He
struck hands, if we could use that term, with the Father to
be the surety to pay the debts of His chosen people, those who
are named in this covenant. Now, as a surety, paying a debt,
let's think that there are two debts. His people, that is all
of God's elect, you tonight, if you are one of his children,
you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, you owe a debt of obedience to
God's holy law. You owe that debt to obey God's
law. When Adam, your father, fell
when he broke that law, that didn't release you from the debt
of that law, of perfect obedience to that law. He came as our surety to pay
that debt, and he perfectly paid it. Remember, look with me, if
you will, in Luke chapter 10, the lawyer's question. This lawyer
questioned our Lord one day in Luke chapter 10. We owed, I like
that little chorus, we owed a debt we could not pay. He paid a debt
he did not owe. We owed a debt to God's law to
obey it perfectly. We owed a debt we could not pay. He, the surety, he paid a debt
he did not owe, not personally. In Luke chapter 10 and verse
25, the scripture says, and behold,
a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him, tested him, saying,
Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? We might say, what
must I do to be saved? What must I do to inherit eternal
life? The Lord said unto him, what
is written in the law? How readest thou? And he answering
said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. That's
the first and great commandment. Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy
strength. And the second commandment is
like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. Now remember his question is
what must I do or what shall I do to inherit eternal life? What does the law say? The law
says, love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all
your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. You want to earn
eternal life? Thou hast answered right, this
do, and thou shalt live. Now you and I, and all of Adam's
fallen children, there's no way any of us can obey that law. We don't have the strength. in
ourselves. When we were yet without strength
in due time, the scripture says Christ died for the ungodly.
He paid this debt of obedience. This is what the law as a covenant
of works required as a condition of life. And don't you feel sad
for people? You probably talk with people
all the time and their hope is, well, I just believe I'll live
by the Ten Commandments. I just live by the law. Just
feel like that's good enough. The problem is, man cannot keep
that law perfectly. We needed a surety to keep it
for us. And Jesus Christ is the surety
of the better covenant, the new covenant. And he paid This debt
is our surety because he perfectly obeyed the law of God. Even when the Lord Jesus Christ
was upon the tree, suffering upon the cross, he still demonstrated
his love to the Father. Not my will, but thy will be
done. And not only did we owe a debt
of obedience to God's law, his holy law, but his people owed
a debt of punishment. This is a debt owed to divine
justice for each and every one of our sins. He paid this debt
by taking our sins and bearing the punishment, which they all
merit. And thank God, my friends, when
he came out of the tomb on the third day, God proclaimed to
all the world, the debt is paid. The debt is paid, God's justice
is satisfied. He is the surety of a better
covenant. That's the first thing we see
in these verses. Christ is the surety of a better
testament. Number two, Christ is the priest
who will never be replaced. Verses 23 and 24. And they, here
in Hebrews 7, verse 23 and 24. And they truly were many priests,
because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. But this, I know the word man
is there in italics, It's been added, but this man, this priest,
because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Who knows, only God does, how
many priests there must have been from Moses, from Aaron,
that first high priest. How many priests do you suppose
there were until The temple was completely destroyed and the
Jews taken away in captivity in AD 70 when the Romans just
completely destroyed the city of Jerusalem and took everybody,
sold them off into slavery. How many priests do you think
there must have been over those many years? We don't know, do
we? But we know this, every one of
them, every last one of them had to be replaced. Had to be
replaced. Man, you know, he might live
to be 80 years old, he might live to be 90 years old, yeah? He's gonna be replaced, just
a matter of time. I was thinking about this, a
manslayer, a manslayer, a man who had committed manslaughter
and was in a city of refuge, don't you know he looked forward
to the high priest dying? Look back with me, if you will,
in Numbers chapter 35. He looked forward, no doubt,
to the death of the high priest. Any manslayer who was in the
city of refuge, Numbers chapter 35, you're familiar
with the cities of refuge, how that a man accidentally killed someone else, and he would
run to a city of refuge, and there's an Avenger of Blood who
would be pursuing him. And once the man got into the
city of refuge, the Avenger of Blood could not destroy him.
But then the authorities, they would investigate. And did he
accidentally kill this man? Or did he do it on purpose? Was
it premeditated murder? If it was premeditated murder,
he's going to be taken out, and he's going to be stoned, and
the avenger is going to cast the first stone. That's what
the law prescribed. But if it was an accidental death,
then investigation is made, and sure enough, it wasn't premeditated. Okay, he can live inside the
city of refuge, but he cannot go out. He can't go back home. until the high priest dies. Now, if he goes out of that city
before the high priest dies, the avenger can take vengeance
upon him. But when the high priest dies,
he can go home and that avenger cannot touch him. What I'm saying
is all of these priests had to be replaced. And don't you know
a manslayer who was in a city of refuge. How old is that high
priest? Oh, he just took office. He's
30 years old. Oh, man. Oh, he's 70 years old. Okay, he's not going to live
that much longer. A manslayer would look forward
to the death of the high priest, no doubt. Look here in verse
24. Numbers 35. Then the congregation shall judge
between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments. And the congregation shall deliver
the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the
congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whether
he has fled. And he shall abide in it unto
the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy
oil. But if the slayer shall at any
time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whether
he has fled and the revenger of blood find him without the
borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill
the slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, because he should have
remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high
priest, the slayer shall return into the land of his possession. No matter how long a priest might
live, eventually he would die. He would die. And someone would
take his place. But not our high priest. Christ,
we read, continueth ever. Ever. In Romans chapter 6 and
verse 9, the apostle wrote, knowing that Christ being raised from
the dead dieth no more. He died once, didn't he? Thank
God. He died once as our surety paying
our sin debt. Yes. He died once, but he'll
never die again. Why? Because by that one death,
by that one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are
sanctified. Christ, look here in our text,
he is a priest who continueth ever. They, verse 23, and they,
that is those priests who were made priests without an oath,
They truly were many priests, because they were not suffered
to continue by reason of death. But this priest, this man, because
he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. And look down in
verse 28. For the law maketh men high priests,
which have infirmity. But the word of the oath, God's
oath, thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek,
but the word of the oath, which was set to law, maketh the Son,
the Son of God, who is consecrated forevermore. The third thing
about our high priest, Christ ever lives to make intercession
for his people. I want you to notice that in
the last part of verse 25. The last part of verse 25, we
read, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. When
we think about Christ, our high priest making intercession, we
must be careful not to misunderstand, not to read into this something
that is not so. It would be easy for us to think
that he is there in heaven vocally pleading with a reluctant father. But that's not the way we are
to think of his intercession. As John Gill said, we're not
to think of it as if he was supplicating an angry judge, nor as controverting
or litigating a point in the court of heaven. The Lord Jesus
Christ, he ever lives to make intercession. And how does he
make intercession? Just by being there. Just by being there. That's what
the scriptures teach. He needs to say nothing. He needs
to do nothing. The fact that he is there in
the midst of the throne as a lamb, Remember John, when he saw into
heaven, he saw in the midst of the throne a lamb as though it
had been slain. And that's sufficient. That's
sufficient intercession. The Lord Jesus Christ, from what
we know from the word of God, he still has the marks in his
hands, doesn't he? Remember he showed himself to
his disciples on the day of his resurrection, And he showed them
the marks. They didn't believe at first
it was him, did they? And he showed them the marks
in his hand, and the scripture there said, and then were the
disciples glad. Glad. And throughout eternity,
brothers and sisters in Christ, we'll be glad when we look and
see the lamb, and he still has the marks. the marks in His hands
that show to us His love for us and giving Himself to redeem
us, to save us from our sins. He ever lives to make intercession
for all who come unto God by Him. The fourth thing, Christ
is able to save unto the uttermost. Now that's the first part of
verse 25. Christ is able to save unto the uttermost. Wherefore,
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him. You've heard preachers, I probably
have done it myself and nothing wrong with it, but we might say
to the gutter most. He's able to save to the uttermost,
that's what the scripture says, but sometimes in showing how
powerful he is to save sinners, we might say, to the gutter most. The angel told Joseph that his
name should be called Jesus, Jehovah Savior. Why? For he shall save his people
from their sins. In Psalm 89, that psalm speaks
of the new covenant. In that psalm, God said this,
I have laid help upon one that is mighty. I've laid help upon
one that is mighty. He's mighty to save. He has the
power. His blood is sufficient, efficient
to save. I've laid help on one that is
mighty. And that is our Savior. That's
our Lord, Jesus Christ. We know that with God, nothing
is impossible. And our priest, our high priest
is God-man. He's the mighty God. He's mighty
to save, able to save to the uttermost. He's able to save
to the uttermost for he offered himself for our sins, verse 26
and 27. For such an high priest became
us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens, who needeth not daily as those high
priests to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins and then
for the people's, He had no sin of his own. He didn't have to
make a sacrifice for his sins, he had no sins. But he took the
sins of his people, the scripture says, in his own body. And he offered up himself. This
he did once when he offered up himself. He's able to save to
the uttermost. This is what the law could not
do. That's the way I began the message. What the law could not
do, it could not save. The old law, the old covenant,
the Levitical priesthood and everything it went with, it could
not make a person perfect. It could not save. Is there a case, can you imagine
there could ever be a case, a sinner so sinful that Christ could not
save him. Not going to find anyone like
that. Just not going to happen. And I thought about Manasseh.
Look back with me to 2 Chronicles, just a moment. He's about as
bad a fella as you'll ever read about. 2 Samuel chapter 33. One of the kings, and you know
he had a godly father, Hezekiah. Grace doesn't run in the bloodline,
does it? It just really doesn't. But here,
this man, he had a godly father. And he became, as we'll see here,
Manasseh, verse 1 of chapter 33. Manasseh was 12 years old
when he began to reign. Made king of Judah. He reigned
50 and five years in Jerusalem. Had a long reign, didn't he? 55 years. But did that which
was evil in the sight of the Lord. Like unto the abominations
of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children
of Israel. For he built again the high places
which Hezekiah his father had broken down. That's where they
worshiped idols. images and things of that nature
in the high places. He built them again. His father
had broken them down. He reared up altars for Balaam,
made groves, worshipped all the host of heaven and served them.
He worshipped the sun, the moon, and obviously the stars as well. Worshipped all the host of heaven. Also, he built altars in the
house of the Lord. Can you imagine that? In God's
house, he even built altars to false gods. He built altars for all the hosts
of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he
caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the
son of Hinnom. Also, he observed times, used
enchantments, used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit
and with wizards. He wrought much evil in the sight
of the Lord to provoke him to anger. And he set a carved image,
the idol which he had made in the house of God. of which God
had said to David and to Solomon, his son, in this house and in
Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel,
will I put my name forever. Neither will I anymore remove
the foot of Israel from out of the land, which I have appointed
for your father, so that they will take heed to do all that
I have commanded them according to the whole law and statutes,
ordinances of the hand of Moses. So Manasseh, He made Judah and
the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than
the heathen whom the Lord had destroyed before the children
of Israel." Do you think a fellow like that could be saved? Do
you think a sinful man like that could be saved? The blood of
Jesus Christ is powerful, isn't it? Notice what happened. And the Lord spake to Manasseh
and to his people, but they would not hearken. Wherefore the Lord
brought upon them the captivity, or the captains of the host of
the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns." Can
you imagine that? Here's this king, how he's being
chastised with thorns, among the thorns, and bound him with
fetters, carried him away to Babylon. And when he was in affliction,
you know that prodigal son, as long as he was home, he never
showed any repentance, did he? He had to go away. But in that
far country, in the hog pen, he came to himself. And here's
Manasseh, way off in Babylon, all the evil that he's done. When he was in affliction, he
besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before
the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him, and he was entreated
of him." Aren't you thankful that God is a merciful God? Merciful God. God heard his supplication, brought
him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that
the Lord was God. God revealed himself to him.
What did our Lord say? This is life eternal, that they
might know thee, the only true God, Jesus Christ, whom he has
sent. Well, one other thing, and I'll
close. And the fifth thing about our perfect priest, Christ is
exalted higher than the heavens. Verse 26, for such an high priest
became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens. Paul said, wherefore God also
hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every
name. that at the name of Jesus, every
knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and
things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He's Lord. Our high priest, he's Lord. What
a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord. Let's sing a verse