JESUS Christ’s High Priesthood after the order of Melchisedec Heb. 7:1-10, FAR MORE EXCELLENT THAN Aaron’S PRIESTHOOD, 11-28
“For He testified, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (v. 17). In v. 11 a deduction is drawn from the signification of the Melchizedek type. That type announced the rising of a Priest distinct from and superior to the order of Aaron. First, that the Levitical order must be inadequate, imperfect, and therefore must give way before that which was more excellent; and second, that the revocation of the Aaronic order necessarily involved the setting aside of the whole dispensation or economy connected therewith.
“For He testifieth, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Note “He testifieth”, not simply “He said”. Christ’s being “a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek”. The priesthood of Christ was, in the mind of God, the eternal idea and original exemplar. Accordingly, God called forth Melchizedek, and invested him with his office in such a manner that he might fitly foreshadow Christ. Hence, he and his priesthood became an external adumbration of the priesthood of Christ, and therefore is He said to remain a priest “after” his “order”, that is suitably unto the representation made thereof in him.
“For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before the weakness and unprofitableness thereof” v. 18, see v. 12. The reference here is to the entire system of the Mosaic institutions. “That system is here spoken of as “the commandment going before”. It was of Divine appointment and authority, yet was it only designed “until the time of reformation” Heb. 9:10. The “going before” signifies the introduction of the new Priest in fulfillment of the promise in Psalm 110. God gave to Israel of the disannulling of the law. Moses implicitly declared after the giving of the law that God would provoke Israel to jealousy by a foolish people Deut, 33:21, which was by calling of the Gentiles Rom. 10:19; whereupon the law of commandments contained in ordinances, was of necessity to be taken out of the way! Through Jeremiah 31, Jehovah made known that, following the revocation of the old, a “new covenant” should be established with the Church! In these and other ways was Israel forewarned that the time would come when the whole Mosaic law, as to its covenant efficacy, would be repealed, unto the unspeakable advantage of God’s people. How and when the commandment respecting Judaism was “disannulled”, the answer is, really by Christ Himself. He had fulfilled and accomplished it in His own person, and by so doing took away its obligatory power. Formerly, by the new ordinances which Christ instituted. The Lord’s supper Matt. 26:26–29 and Christian baptism Matt. 28:19 were altogether inconsistent with the ordinances of the law, for these declared that was passed and done, which they directed unto as future and yet to come. The veil of the temple was rent Matt. 27:51. Declaratively by the revealed will of God: in Acts 15 we learn how the Holy Spirit through the apostles (v. 28) expressly declared that the Gentile converts were not under obligation to heed the Mosaic law (v. 24). Providentially, in a.d. 70, when God caused Jerusalem and the temple to be destroyed.” Pink A. W
