Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
Something new was birthed through Jesus, but something old was upheld. Hebrews 7 establishes that Jesus, of the order of Melchizedek, is superior to the Levitical priests of the Old Testament.* His new priesthood is eternal, and it accomplishes something that the Levitical priesthood could not: perfection.*
The perfection that Jesus helps humanity to achieve here on earth is not a status of faultlessness.* Meaning, people do not cease sinning the moment that they receive Christ as their High Priest and sacrifice for sin.* The perfection that the author of Hebrews refers to involves obtaining a goal completely.* This is the new thing that Christ births: the ability to obtain the goal completely. So what is that goal?
The goal that Christ successfully helps humanity achieve is the old thing that he upholds: relationship with God.*
It’s easy to think of the Old Testament as all about the law. We read the laws and think of them as a list of things to achieve. While the law does show us how to please God (which is still a goal for those who love God), it was never intended to be the goal.* The old goal that Jesus upholds is that of relationship.
The purpose of the law in the Old Testament was to notify people that they needed to go to the priests to make sacrifice.* The law shows us that we aren’t good enough (none of us can successfully achieve every law all of the time).* This sacrifices of the Old Testament intended to re-establish good relationship with God.* Hebrews 7 tells us that these sacrifices were temporary and insufficient, requiring continual sacrifices to no end.*
Jesus does what the old priesthood could not: He permanently takes care of our inability to measure up to those things that please God (the law) by doing so Himself and making Himself the sacrifice.* He permanently establishes the goal of God: relationship.*
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to lay down your desire to perfectly perform those things that you think will please God. Perhaps today God wants you to breathe in afresh the goodness and permanence of the gift and work of Jesus Christ. Maybe today God would have you repent for making the goal of life what it was never meant to be: performance.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
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*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 7:4–19). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 350–358). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, pp. 94–96). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (pp. 264-266, 271-272, 276). Zondervan Publishing House.