Hebrews 7

Hebrews 7:1-11

Christ A Priest After The Order of Melchizedek In the last verse of chapter six, the Holy Spirit declares that our Lord Jesus Christ has been “made an high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” Here he proceeds to show us the beauty and greatness of Christ as our Great High Priest, as he was typified in this man, Melchizedek. We first meet with this great man, Melchizedek, in Genesis 14:18-20. When Abraham returned from the slaughter of the kings of the plain, after delivering Lot from his captors, Melchizedek met him with bread and wine, received tithes from the patriarch, and blessed him. After he left Abraham, we have no mention of his name again, until we get to Psalms 110. There, David gave a prophetic psalm of praise to the Lord Jesus Christ as the exalted Mediator and King, Savior and Great High Priest of God’s elect. In Hebrews 7:4, he tells us that our Lord Jesus, in his exaltation glory, is “a priest after the order of Melchizedek.” No other mention is made of this great man until we get to the Book of Hebrews. He is mentioned frequently in this Book. In fact, Psalms 110:4 is quoted twice in chapter 5 (Hebrews 7:6; Hebrews 7:10), and again in chapter 6 (Hebrews 7:20). Then, this entire seventh chapter is taken up with this eminent type of Christ. Here, the Holy Spirit calls for us to pause and “consider how great this man was.” The Spirit’s point in calling our attention to the greatness of Melchizedek is that we might be made to see the infinitely superior greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ, as he was “made an high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 7:1 “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him.” We are not told who Melchizedek was. Some think he was one of Shem’s sons. Others suppose that he was a descendent of Ham, a Canaanite Priest and King. There are some who think that he was an angel who appeared in the form of a man. Many teach that he was Christ himself, appearing to Abraham in a preincarnate human body. In Hebrews 7:15, we are told that our Savior is a Priest after the similitude of Melchizedek. It is evident, therefore, that he was a man, a priest, and a king; but one whose place, ancestry, life, and death have been purposefully hidden from us, so that he might be a great type and picture of Christ. Hebrews 7:2 “To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace.” Unlike any other man, this man pictured our Savior in that he was both a king and a priest, a priest upon a throne (Zechariah 6:13). Hebrews 7:3 “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” Like Melchizedek, he was without father as a man, without mother as God, without beginning of days, without end of life, and a continual, abiding Priest. Hebrews 7:4-5 “Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.” And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham. If Abraham honored Melchizedek with tithes, how much more we ought to honor God our Savior with our substance, consecrating all to him who loved us and gave himself for us. Hebrews 7:6 “But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.” As Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek, God’s elect are blessed in and by Christ (Romans 4:13; Galatians 3:16; Ephesians 1:3). Hebrews 7:7 “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.” As Melchizedek was greater than Abraham, greater than Levi, greater than all the great ones who came from the loins of Abraham, so the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely greater than all. In his deity, in his humanity, in his offices, in his work, in his accomplishments, and in his intercession, Christ excels all. Hebrews 7:8 “And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.” All other priests died. Their priesthood ceased. Christ lives forever. His priesthood will never cease (Hebrews 5:6; Hebrews 6:20).” Hebrews 7:9-11 “And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchizedek met him. 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?” The reason why the priests, sacrifices, ceremonies, and ordinances of the law have all ceased is simple. They could not save. Christ can! Christ does! Christ has! Therefore, he continues forever (Galatians 2:21; Hebrews 7:18-19; Hebrews 8:7).

Hebrews 7:15-28

“An Unchangeable Priesthood” Hebrews 7:12-14 “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 Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” We cannot come to God without an altar, a priest, and a sacrifice. But those Old Testament priests, altars, and sacrifices could never bring anyone to God. Therefore, a change had to come. The picture had to be replaced with the Person. The shadow had to give way to the Substance. The law had to give way to grace. The Levitical priesthood had to die to make room for a Priest after the order of Melchizedek from the tribe of Judah (Isaiah 11:1; Matthew 1:3; Luke 3:33; Romans 1:3; Revelation 5:5) Hebrews 7:15-16 “And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.” The Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest entered into and exercises his everlasting and efficacious priesthood by virtue of his resurrection glory. Hebrews 7:17-18 “For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” (See Psalms 110:4; Hebrews 5:6; Hebrews 5:10; Hebrews 6:20.) “For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.” The law made nothing perfect. It was never intended to do so, but only to point sinners to Christ who would make everything perfect (Romans 8:3-4; Hebrews 10:1-4; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 3:20-21; Romans 3:28; Romans 8:1-4; Galatians 2:16; Hebrews 9:9). By his perfect obedience to God in the room and stead of his people, the Lord Jesus has brought in a better hope (Hebrews 6:18; Hebrews 8:6). In him believing sinners have a good hope through grace, hope founded upon righteousness established, justice satisfied, and grace bestowed. Christ has given us such absolute perfection before God that we can now draw near to God himself with confidence, peace, and assurance (Romans 5:1-2; Ephesians 2:18; Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 10:19). Hebrews 7:20-22 “And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.” Our Great High Priest is our covenant Surety, the Surety God himself has accepted as our Representative (Psalms 110:4; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 9:11-15; Hebrews 12:24; Hebrews 13:20-21). Hebrews 7:23-24 “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.” Our Savior is an unchangeable, immutable, irrevocable, eternal, effectual Priest! The virtue of his sacrifice is everlasting and unalterable! Read Hebrews 7:25-28 and rejoice! Hebrews 7:25-28 “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 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: 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 for evermore” (Romans 8:33-34; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:24-26; Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 2:1-2).

Hebrews 7:19-25

“The Bringing In of a Better Hope” There is no hope in the law, because the law provides no perfection. There is no peace in the law, because the law can only condemn. But the gospel gives us a better hope than could ever be found in the law. That hope is “a good hope,” – “a blessed hope,” – a hope that “maketh not ashamed,” because that hope is Christ! Blessed is that person who has learned to look to Christ alone for the whole of God’s salvation, the whole of his acceptance with the holy Lord God. Acceptance The whole of our acceptance with God is in Christ. It is the Person and work of Christ alone, which makes us acceptable and accepted with the thrice holy Lord God. The whole of our assurance before God is in Christ. Be sure you understand this. Our relationship with God does, in great measure, determine what we do; but what we do does not in any way, or to any degree, affect our relationship with our God. The whole of our security in grace is in Christ. We are in Christ. We are accepted, because Christ is accepted. We are secure, because Christ is secure. We are holy, because he is holy. We have no sin, because he has no sin. He put away our sins. Therefore, God will not charge his elect with sin, at any time, or for any reason (Romans 8:33). “Near, so very near to God, Nearer I cannot be, For in the person of His Son I am as near as He. Dear, so very dear to God, Dearer I cannot be, For in the person of His Son I am as dear as He!” Good Shepherd Christ is our Good Shepherd. As such, he gave his life for his sheep. He seeks his sheep, each one of them and every one of them, until he finds it. When he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders and carries it all the way home. The Good Shepherd knows his sheep. He calls them by name. He leads them, feeds them, protects them, and preserves them. He gives them eternal life and declares, “They shall never perish!” My heart rejoices in the knowledge that Christ is my Shepherd and I am his sheep (John 10:1-30). Substitution The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our Substitute. He lived in righteousness and died in shame as the Representative of his people. Substitution is the basis of hope for fallen man, – the foundation and essence of the gospel, – the message God’s servants are sent to declare, – and good news for guilty sinners. “In due time, Christ died for the ungodly…Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree” (Romans 5:6; 1 Peter 2:24). For my own heart there is nothing so deep and mysterious, so profound and awesome, so wonderful and inspiring, so full and joyful, so comforting and assuring as the glorious, God honoring, gospel doctrine of substitution. Indeed, substitution is the very fabric from which all biblical truth is made. How I rejoice to know and to declare, “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” High Priest Christ is our great High Priest. He has our names engraved upon his heart. “By his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” The Lord Jesus Christ deals with God on our behalf. He makes intercession with the Father for us. He who entered into heaven as our Forerunner and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High is Christ, our great High Priest. This great High Priest is God; but he is also a man, a man touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows our trials, temptations, and troubles. He knows our weaknesses and our woes. And he sympathizes with us. He intercedes for us, pleading our cause with the Father. Christ is a Priest we can safely trust. His sacrifice has been accepted in heaven (Hebrews 10:1-14). Advocate The Son of God is our Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1-2). What could be more blessedly consoling to sinful men and women? The Son of God is our Advocate with the Father. “We have an Advocate with the Father!” He is a gracious, loving Advocate, – a righteous Advocate, – a full time Advocate, and an effectual Advocate Do you see how anxious the Holy Spirit is for believing sinners to enjoy the comfort and assurance of our souls’ salvation? He not only tells us what Christ has done, is doing, and shall yet do for us, he uses metaphor after metaphor to assure God’s believing people that all is well between us and our God. Surety Among the many descriptions used in Holy Scripture to describe our Savior’s glorious person and redemptive work, none can be more instructive, consoling, and assuring than that which is spoken of in Hebrews 7:22. Here the Holy Spirit tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Surety, the Surety of the everlasting covenant. As Judah became surety for Benjamin (Genesis 43:8-9), the Lord Jesus Christ became Surety for God’s elect in the covenant of grace. That is to say, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, willingly, voluntarily assumed the total responsibility of our souls before his Father, making himself honor bound to save us!

Hebrews 7:22

“Made A Surety” How did the Lord Jesus Christ become our Surety? The Holy Spirit tells us, “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.” He was made our Surety by the oath of God himself (Hebrews 7:21), by the eternal decree of the Almighty, who accepted him for us and accepted us in him. An Absolute Surety With men a Surety is a mere guarantor, a co-signer who is jointly responsible with the principle debtor for the payment of a debt. Not so with Christ! Our Lord Jesus Christ did not merely agree to meet our obligations to God’s law if we, by some circumstance or condition, became incapable of meeting our own obligations. Our blessed Savior, as our Surety, took the whole of our obligation before the law of God upon himself. A Voluntary Surety With men a surety may be legally forced into suretyship. A man is legally responsible for the debts of his wife. A father is legally responsible for the debts and legal liabilities of his minor children. But Christ voluntarily, cheerfully placed himself in servitude to God’s law and will as the Surety of his own elect. From the instant he became Surety for his people, he became servant to his Father (Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 49:3; John 10:17-18). The Lord Jesus Christ is an absolute Surety by voluntary consent. Transferred Responsibility When he became our Surety, Christ took the whole of our debt upon himself. He became responsible for our obligations. As soon as he was accepted as our Surety, we were released from all of our debts and obligations to God’s holy law. As soon as God accepted his Son as our Surety, he set us free. He ceased looking to us for satisfaction. He freed us from all bondage, all curse, all penalty, and all obligation; and looked to his Son for satisfaction of our debts (Job 33:24; Philemon 1:18).

When Christ became Surety for us, our sins were imputed to him. By divine imputation, our sins were placed to his account. He became responsible for them. Christ was made to be sin for us when he hung upon the cursed tree. But he became responsible and accountable for sin when he became our Surety (2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:6; Psalms 40:12; Psalms 69:5). The Result When Christ became our Surety, we were then and there redeemed, justified, pardoned, and made righteous in the sight of God (Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Timothy 1:9-10). God’s forbearance, patience, and long-suffering with this world are due to the suretyship engagements of Christ. God’s eye has always been on the blood. It is the blood of Christ our Surety that held back the hand of God’s judgment when Adam sinned. The Old Testament saints were pardoned, justified, and forgiven upon the basis of Christ’s obedience as our Surety, though he had not yet actually rendered that obedience (Isaiah 43:25; Isaiah 45:24-25; Hebrews 11:13-16). Those saints of old, like believers today, had knowledge of and faith in Christ as their Surety (Job 19:25-27; Psalms 32:1-4; Psalms 119:122; Isaiah 38:14).

Hebrews 7:25

Come To God The Bible alone, the Book of Holy Scripture, tells us what salvation is and how it may be obtained. The Scriptures alone are able to make us wise unto salvation. Only in the Bible do we read of God’s mercy, love, and grace toward fallen man. The Word of God alone shows us how that a holy God can both be just and the Justifier of the ungodly. Salvation is revealed only in the Scriptures; and salvation is the primary, essential doctrine of Holy Scripture. The Bible was not written to teach us history, but to teach us grace. The Bible was not written to instruct us in philosophy, but to instruct us in divine truth. The Bible was not written to teach us morality, but to teach us the way of salvation and life in Christ. Salvation by Christ is the message of Holy Scripture. One Way In order to be saved we must come to God by Christ Jesus. “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him.” Saving faith is described by many metaphors in the Word of God. Faith is looking to Christ. Faith is leaning on Christ. Faith is embracing Christ. Faith is receiving Christ. Faith is laying hold of Christ. Here, faith is coming to Christ and coming to God by Christ. Coming What is this coming to God? Please understand that coming to God is not a physical act. In this day of high-pressure evangelism, altar-call salvation, and decisional regeneration, I cannot stress this enough. Coming to God is not a physical act. It is a spiritual act. No one has ever been saved by a physical act. You do not get saved by coming to church, but by coming to God. You do not get saved by coming to the front, or coming to an “altar”, or coming to a confessional booth, but by coming to God. You do not get saved by saying “the sinner’s prayer,” but by coming to God. You do not get saved by coming to baptism, but by coming to God. You do not get saved by coming to the Lord’s Supper, but by coming to God. Coming to God is a spiritual act of the heart. It is not coming to him now and then, but coming to him continually, sincerely, whole-heartedly. This deliberate, willful, whole-hearted coming to God is faith (Hebrews 11:6; 1 Peter 2:4-5). Coming to God implies that you must leave something else. If a person comes to God, he must leave his sins and he must leave his righteousness. He must leave his bad works and his good works. The gate is too straight to carry anything in with you; and the way is too narrow to allow you to pick up anything along the way. Coming to God implies a sense of need. Coming to God implies a reconciliation of the heart to him, as he is pleased to reveal himself in Holy Scripture. Above all, coming to God is to believe him. It is exercising faith in him. Mediator How do we come to God? There is but one way for sinful men to come to God. All who come to God have to come the same way. We come to God “by Him.” Christ is the only Way to God (John 14:6; Hebrews 10:20). Christ is the only Door of Entrance into life (John 10:9). Christ is the only Mediator between God and men. God will never accept any who come to him without a suitable Sacrifice, and that Sacrifice is Christ. God will never accept any who come to him without a spotless garment of righteousness. That garment is Christ.

Hebrews 7:26-28

Five Superiorities of Christ’s Priesthood In the last three verses of Hebrews 7 we are given a marvelous display of Christ’s superiority over all the priests of the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit would have us marvel at the superiority of Christ’s priesthood over the Aaronic order, which he came to fulfill and replace. A Sinless Priest First, our Lord Jesus Christ is a sinless priest (Hebrews 7:26). We have a High Priest who is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” No other priest could ever say that. They were all sinful, like you and me. But not Christ. He was tempted but never yielded to the point of sin. Needed No Sacrifice Second, because he was sinless, our Priest did not need to make atonement for himself. Therefore, he could and did offer himself as a sacrifice to God for us (Hebrews 7:27). The Lord Jesus did not have to offer sacrifices for himself, but instead could offer himself as a sacrifice. He did not need, like those high priests of old, to offer up daily sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Therefore, he was able to atone for the sins of his people, which were imputed to him, by the sacrifice of himself. This He did once for all when He offered up himself. The Lord Jesus Christ is radically different from all those priests. They had sins of their own that had to be dealt with first. Never in a million years would it have entered their heads that they could actually be the sacrifice for the sins of others. But Christ changed everything. He needed no sacrifice for himself. Rather, he became a sacrifice in himself. Once For All Third, our Lord’s sacrifice of himself was “once for all” (Hebrews 7:27). “This He did once, when He offered up Himself.” What a great declaration! One time, conclusively, with finality, the Son of God made atonement for all God’s elect by the sacrifice of himself! This great work of redemption is the center of all history. Every work of God’s grace in history before the sacrifice of Christ looked forward to the death of Christ for its foundation. And every work of God’s grace since the sacrifice of Christ looks back to the death of Christ for its foundation. Christ is the center of world history, the center of Bible history, and the center of the history of grace. There is no grace without him. Grace was planned from all eternity, but it was planned with Christ at the center and his death as the foundation (Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Timothy 1:9-10; Revelation 13:8). Divinely Appointed The fourth superiority of Christ over all the priests of the Old Testament is this: - They were appointed by the law in their weakness; but he was appointed by the very oath of God himself as the perfect Son (Hebrews 7:28). The oath of God here is the oath given in Psalms 110:4, “The LORD has sworn and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” The oath came after the law and pointed to the end of the law even in David’s day, “for Christ is the end of the law.” The Lord Jesus Christ is the termination of the law, because he is the complete fulfillment of it. The oath was spoken to Christ as our Mediator. In Psalms 110:1, David says, “The Lord (God, Jehovah) said to my Lord (Christ our Mediator, the Messiah) sit at my right hand.” Thus, David declared that the final High Priest is the Messiah, the Son of God, after the order of Melchizedek, not after the orders of Levi or Aaron, One who was installed by the oath of God, not by the law of a carnal commandment, which has now passed away. Therefore, we read in Psalms 110:3, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” A Priest Forever The fifth superiority of Christ over all other priests is that He is a Priest forever (Hebrews 7:28). The oath “makes the Son, (a Priest) who is consecrated forever.” The Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, shall never die. He shall never be replaced. He has an indestructible life. He will outlive all his foes. He will be there for us long after everyone we depend on is dead. Children sometimes fear that their parents will not live to take care of them. And sometimes parents fear they will not be alive to take care of their children. Here is something peculiarly precious to the believer. – That One who is our great High Priest, our Advocate with the Father, that One who prays for us, with all the tenderness and sympathy of his infinite Being, has been perfected forever! – Not for a decade. – Not for a century. – Not for a millennium. – But forever! The Point The great point of this text is this: – We have a great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came into the world in human flesh, lived a perfectly righteous life as a man, offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of his people, rose to everlasting life, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High. There he who loves us with a distinguishing, everlasting love, prays for us and bids us draw near to God through him. There is no priest between God and man, but Christ. Oh, but what a Priest he is! In John 17 we are given a glimpse of our great High Priest’s intercessory work, as he prays for his elect, seeking for us all things necessary for our souls’ everlasting good; and his prayer, the Father always grants!