JESUS Christ’s High Priesthood after the order of Melchisedec Heb. 7:1-10, FAR MORE EXCELLENT THAN Aaron’S PRIESTHOOD, 23-24
“And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death” v. 23. Melchizedek as a type of Christ…” he abideth a priest continually” v. 3, for his priesthood did not terminate at the age of fifty as did that of the Levitical. They were all mortal men, who died in their successive generations. “They truly were many priests”. That is the high priest’s, Aaron and his successors. Jewish records inform us that there were no fewer than 83 high priests from Aaron, the first, to Phinehas, 13 lived under the tabernacle prior to Solomon, 18 under the first temple before its destruction by the Babylonians, the remainder under the second temple till A.D. 70. Thereby did God intimate unto Israel that imperfection attached to that office which was so frequently interrupted in its administration. “But this man, hath an unchangeable priesthood” v. 24. “The Surety of the better covenant has an unchanging priesthood. The reason for and the ground on which this rests is here stated: “because He continueth ever”. Hear the Jews belief about the Messiah and His office: “We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever” Jn. 12:34. which was a reply to Jesus’ declaration that He was to be lifted up in death. It was this perpetuity of office that was principally typed out in Melchizedek. The whole context here Heb. 7 shows plainly to all who are not blinded by prejudice that the apostle is treating of the whole of Christ’s sacerdotal office. The death of Christ was a vastly different thing from the death of the Levitical priests, for His death did not prevent Him abiding a priest, as theirs did. First, He died as a Priest; they died from being priests; He died in His office; they died out of office. Second, personal death was no part of their work, whereas to die was the chief priestly duty incumbent upon the Lord Jesus. Third, when they fell under the power of death, they could not extricate themselves from it and return to life and the service of the sanctuary, but the Son of God had power to lay down His life and take it again…Christ died as a priest, because He was also the Sacrifice for sins, yet through the indissolubleness of His person, His soul and body still subsisting in the person of the Son of God. He abodes active in His office without any break: “He continueth forever” … The Papists office… who call their ministers “priests”, is highly derogatory to the honor of Christ, and subversive of the whole teaching of Scripture. It is upon the perpetuity of Christ’s priesthood that the security of His Church rests. “Do we meet with troubles, trials, difficulties, temptations, and distresses?… But was any one true believer ever lost forever?… all their preservation and success, their deliverance and eternal Salvation, depended solely on the care and power of their merciful High Priest”. Heb. 13:8, what a Savior! what a Surety! what a Priest!” Pink A. W. The contents of Heb. 7 are Christ as Priest after the order of Melchizedek. First, the Levitical order of priesthood has been abrogated. v. 11. Second, with the change of priesthood, the whole Mosaic ritual has been repealed, v. 12. Third, Christ as Priest ushered in an entirely new and better economy, vv. 19–24. Finally, the providing of such a great High Priest infallibly secures the salvation of all God’s people vv. 25–28.
