Hebrews chapter 7. We're looking
tonight at verses 11 through 19. Hebrews chapter 7. Verse 11 through 19. If therefore perfection were
by the Levitical priesthood, For under it the people received
the law. What further need was there that
another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek and
not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood
being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of
the law. For he of whom these things are
spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance
at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord
sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning
priesthood. And it is yet far more evident,
for that after the similitude of Melchizedek, there riseth
another priest, who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment,
but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth thou
art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. For there
is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for
the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. The old covenant with its Levitical
priesthood And everything that went with it could not make men
perfect. Not perfect in the sight of God. For sinful men, there is no perfection,
no salvation, no justification by the deeds of the law, by that
old covenant, by doing and observing it. All the priests, all the
sacrifices, and everything that went with it. could not make
the comers thereunto perfect. The new covenant with Jesus Christ
as our high priest and surety bring perfection. We know the
scripture tells us that he will present you faultless before
the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. We saw last time
in the first 10 verses of this chapter how that this man by
the name of Melchizedek, who was the priest of the Most High
God, serves as a type of our Lord Jesus Christ, our great
high priest. He did so in several ways. I mentioned four, I believe it
was, last time, but we see that he served as a type of Christ
by his names. You notice in verse one of this
chapter, we read, for this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the
Most High God. We see this man was both a king
and a priest. And so the Lord Jesus Christ,
we know, our great high priest, that he is also a king. But more importantly, he served
as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ because he had no genealogy,
or at least there's no genealogy revealed to us. And that pictures
to us the Lord Jesus Christ, our great high priest, his endless
life and his everlasting priesthood. Now, I think we should remember
that this letter This letter of Hebrews, it was written to
believing Jews, believing Jews who profess faith in Christ. But it seems they were having
a hard time, a difficult time turning away from the old covenant
with all of its ceremonies and rituals and everything that went
with it. The temple, the priests, the
altar, the sacrifices. And they were having a difficult
time saying that all of that had come to an end. and that
it was no longer relevant. I think about the Lord Jesus
Christ speaking in the Gospels of the futility of sewing a new
piece of material onto an old garment, or taking new wine and
putting it into old wine skins. It just doesn't work. It's just
not going to work. And to try to take those symbols, those shadows that were
basically the old law, the old covenant, and continue with them
when Christ has come and we see the reality of all of those things
and to try to continue with those things. A good example of this
is the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church, if
you look at what they do, what they practice, what they teach,
they have taken the Old Testament, the priest and the garments and
all of that that goes with it, the altar, the incense, all of
it, and they have continued to do those things and practice
those things that were all pictures and types somehow of Christ and
His work. But they've tried to continue
and they have a beautiful ceremony, I suppose, if you're into that.
But the gospel of Jesus Christ is very simple, very simple message. And our worship of Him is not
through these things, but we must worship Him in spirit and
in truth. The writer is showing here in
the letter of Hebrews, like Paul does in the letter of Galatians,
that the old covenant with its priesthood, its sacrifices and
tabernacle was always, it was always intended to be temporary. That's all it was. It was to
be temporary. In fact, the apostle says in
Galatians 3, verses 24 and 25, he said, wherefore the law, That is, that Old Covenant law
was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might
be justified by faith. But after faith, that is, after
the object of faith comes, Christ, after He came, we are no longer
under a schoolmaster. We're not children. The Church
of the Lord Jesus Christ is no longer considered like babies
and like school children. I've tried to illustrate this
before like this. You know, when you go to an elementary
school and you go into one of the classrooms and you see up
on the chalkboard, at least this is the way it was when I went
to school so many years ago, the alphabet is all on top of
the chalkboard, all around the wall. Now that's good, that's
fine in an elementary school, but if you attended class at
Rice University and you went into a classroom and saw that,
you'd think, that's out of place. That's out of place. You know,
there's things that do serve and the law, the old law, the
old covenant with its law and everything that went with it,
it did serve. until the church came of age,
until faith came, until Christ came, and then those things have
passed away. They're no longer relevant. Now
there are three truths that I want to point out to us in this passage
of scripture that we've looked at, that we've read rather here
this evening, Hebrews 7, 11 through 19. Three truths. First, there
is a new priesthood. there is a new priesthood. If you notice in verse 11, the
writer says, if therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood,
for under it the people received the law, what further need was
there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek
and not be called after the order of Aaron. There is a new priesthood. There needed to be a new priesthood. The Levitical priesthood that
he mentions here, it was established with the giving of the law, that
old covenant at Mount Sinai. And when you look at the dates
when Moses lived and when David lived, You see that at least
400 years, at least 400 years from Moses to David, they were
practicing that Levitical covenant as they should, or that Levitical
priesthood, rather, as they should, as the law commanded. And then
all of a sudden, David comes on the scene, and he's inspired
400 years later after the law was given, and he's inspired
of God to write Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek,
telling us there's going to be a new priesthood. There's going
to be a new priesthood, and it's going to be a priesthood that
is made by an oath that God swore. God took an oath. Thou art a
priest forever. after the order of Melchizedek. And notice in verse 12, for the
priesthood being changed. There is a new priesthood, the
priesthood being changed. It was never intended that the
Levitical priesthood with the animal sacrifices and everything
else, it was never intended that that would go on forever because
those sacrifices could not take away sin. And not only could
they not take away sins, but they could never give peace to
a man's conscience. If you look over a few pages
in Hebrews chapter 10, the scripture says for the law, having a shadow
of good things to come and not the very image of the things,
can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they
not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshipers once
purged should have had no more conscience of sins. The fact
that every year on the day of atonement that high priest went
in there with blood another goat every year, that couldn't give
peace to the conscience. They realized their sins were
not really removed. They were not taken away. That
was just a picture. And so the priesthood is changed. The priesthood is changed to
a priest. who will have no replacement
because his priesthood is an everlasting priesthood. He is
everlasting, the eternal Son of God. And that's what Melchizedek
pictured, having neither beginning of days nor end of life. The priesthood is changed. From
the tribe of Levi, and this is what we see here, from the tribe
of Levi, Aaron was of the family of Levi, Moses' brother. He was a first high priest and
all the priests descended from Aaron, from Levi. From the tribe
of Levi to the tribe of Judah. Notice what he says in verses
13 and 14. For he of whom these things are
spoken pertaineth to another tribe. The Lord Jesus Christ
was not of the tribe of Levi. Those priests, the Levitical
priests, they were all from the tribe of Levi, of which no man gave attendance
at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord
sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning
priesthood. Moses spake nothing concerning
priesthood with the tribe of Judah. But I tell you what Moses
did speak. He recorded Jacob's prophecy
concerning his son, Judah. And this is what he said, Judah,
thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise. Thy hand shall
be in the neck of thine enemies. Now listen, thy father's children
shall bow down before thee. So years and years before the
law was even given, the prophecy was given that Judah would be
the lawgiver, that All the other tribes of Israel, all the other
children of Israel, they would bow down to Judah. In other words,
their king would come from Judah, the royal tribe, Judah. And that's
what you see. If you look in Luke chapter one
with me, Luke chapter one, when the angel announced to Mary concerning
her bringing forth a son, in Luke chapter one in verse 30. And the angel said unto her,
fear not Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. Mary was
of the tribe of Judah. Fear not, Mary, thou hast found
favor with God, and behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and
bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall
be great, and shall be called the son of the highest, and the
Lord God shall give unto him the throne." Now notice, of his
father, David. What tribe was David from? He
was from the tribe of Judah. Lord Jesus Christ is upon the
throne. He's a priest upon the throne.
But as the writer here tells us, he was from a different tribe
than the tribe of Levi. He's from the tribe of Judah. And remember when those wise
men came, this is recorded in the gospel of Matthew, when they
came seeking the Lord Jesus Christ, their question was this, where
is he that is born King of the Jews? Where is he that is born
King of the Jews? He was born King. He was born
King. And isn't it amazing that on
his cross, that Pilate had written the King of the Jews. And the
Jews didn't like that, did they? And they went to Pilate and asked
him to take that down, or at least say he says he's the king
of the Jews. And all of a sudden, Pilate got
some backbone. Oh, no. What I have written,
I have written. That's the way it's gonna be.
The king of the Jews. He's the king priest. There's
a change of the priesthood. All right, notice the second
thing. There is a new law. our new covenant. If you notice in the last part
of verse 12, for the priesthood being changed, and it is changed
from Levi's tribe to a priest after the order of Melchizedek,
a priest who shall live forever and ever. For the priesthood
being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of
the law. And then down, if you will, in
verse 18. For there is verily a disannulling
of the commandment, the law, going before, for the weakness
and unprofitableness thereof. The Old Covenant. I understand
this as speaking of the Old Covenant when it speaks about the law.
Now, God's holy law is eternal, and it doesn't change. God doesn't
change, and His law doesn't change. This covenant, this old covenant
law, and it was administered by the Levitical priesthood. With the changing of the priesthood,
the writer says there is of necessity a change of the law. covenant. And I believe he's just now introducing
in this letter of Hebrews the truth of the new covenant. And we'll see more of that, the
Lord willing, in chapter eight. But there is of necessity a change
also of the law because there's a change of the priesthood. Now,
some of the writers, the commentators, they say, well, this only pertains
to the ceremonial part of the law. But I think it's better
if we understand it of the covenant. Of the covenant. How are we to
understand verse 18 that speaks of the disannulling of the commandment
because of its weakness and unprofitableness? That's what he says, right? For
there is verily a disannulling a disannulling of the commandment
going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. How are we to understand that?
Well, look back to Romans chapter seven with me, if you will. And
in this chapter, the apostle gives his own experience with
the law. Remember, he was a Pharisee. If you had met Saul of Tarsus,
that day on the road to Damascus and had asked him, Saul, do you
keep the law? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Perfectly. I keep the law. He was a proud,
religious, self-righteous Pharisee who was convinced that he was
able to keep the law. And most lost men are. Most lost
men think that because they do not realize that the law is spiritual. And they think, well, I don't
commit adultery, and I don't steal, and I've never killed
anyone, so I've kept the law. Well, have you ever had hatred
in your heart? Have you ever had lust in your
heart? The law is spiritual. But most people, when they say
that they keep the law, they think they keep the law, and
Paul was solved towards this. I'm sure he was the same way.
But notice here in chapter seven of Romans, in verse 12, He says,
wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just
and good. And we know this is true because
it's God's law. Could God give an unholy law?
Could God give an unrighteous commandment? Of course not. Yes,
the law is holy and it's good. It's just and it's good. Then
what about the weakness and unprofitableness? The weakness and the unprofitableness
was not with the law. It's with us. It's with us. Look in Romans chapter eight
and verse three. For what the law could not do.
Now, what could the law do? The law could condemn us. The law could curse us, and it
did. But what the law could not do,
in that it was weak through the flesh, through our flesh, the
law commanded perfection. We're not able to obey. The weakness, the unprofitableness
had to do with us, with men, lost men and women. The weakness
and unprofitableness of the law is on our part, because the law
requires perfection, absolute perfection. And thus, in our
sinful flesh, we cannot please God. The lost man cannot please
God. Let me read you a quote from
a man, but let me finish there, Romans 8 and verse 3 first. For
what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the
flesh. We could not render perfect obedience
to that law. But thank God, right? But thank God, God sent him his
own son in the likeness of sinful flesh. He had no sin, but he
was a man. He was made flesh and dwelt among
us. He was in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, that is, for the sins of His people, our
sins were condemned in the flesh, in Him taking our sins in His
own body and burying them on the tree. Our sins were imputed
to Him, charged to His account, and His righteousness is charged
or imputed unto us. That's what justification is.
Let me read you this quote. The law in every respect opened
up and imposed a number of problems without solving any of them.
It set up in the Decalogue, that is the Ten Commandments, it set
up in the Decalogue the ideal of a holy life, but it gave no
power to realize that ideal. By the law of sacrifice, it awakened
the consciousness of the necessity of an atonement, but it provided
no true, valid offering for sin. Animal sacrifice could not take
away sin. In the institution of the priesthood,
it held forth the necessity of a representation of the sinner
before God, but it gave no priest able to save men to the uttermost. In short, it left everything
unfinished. It left everything unfinished.
And yet the Lord Jesus Christ, when he ended his life on the cross,
what did he say? It is finished. The work is finished. And did God accept that work?
He sure did. How do you know? Third day came
out of that tomb. He was justified, even though
He bare our sins in His own body on the tree. And yet on that
third day, hallelujah, He came out. So that's the second thing. First, the priesthood is changed. The law is changed. Now notice
the third thing. There is a better hope. Notice
that in verse 19, back again in Hebrews 7 and verse 19. For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw nigh
unto God. The new covenant is called better
in verse 22. Notice down there it says, by
so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament or better
covenant. But here we are told that there
is a better hope. a better hope. And have you ever
noticed this verse where it says, but the bringing in of a better
hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God. We draw nigh unto
God by this better hope. Now, what is the better hope?
The better hope that we are given through the new covenant declares
righteousness and peace to all believers and the future glory
of peace and joy in the presence of Christ. That's the better
hope, the better hope that is brought in, that we have righteousness,
it's imputed righteousness, we have peace with God, and we have
a future, my friends, that we don't even have the words to
describe the glory that God has prepared for those of us when
we leave this world. The glory, the better hope, the
better hope. But I was impressed by this fact. He tells us that by this better
hope, we draw nigh unto God. You know, in James, the scripture
says, draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Draw nigh
to God and He will draw nigh to you. Now, of course, that
speaks of His presence, doesn't it? His realized presence. And
that's what we all enjoy. And sometimes we have it and
sometimes we don't. Sometimes we have the joy of
the Lord in our souls and sometimes we don't. But the writer here
is telling us that it is by this better hope that we draw nigh
unto God. this better hope. We should think more about heaven,
my friends. We should not be so worldly-minded
and so concerned with the things of this world as most of us are. If we thought more about heaven
and what that's going to be, to be with Christ and to enjoy
Him forever, we would Realize more of the presence of the Lord
with us. By this better hope we draw nigh
unto God. I pray that the Lord would bless
the words that we've seen here tonight. There's a change of
the priesthood, a change of the commandment, and we have a better
hope. And I pray the Lord will bless
this message to all of us here. Let's sing a hymn.