October 26 – Hebrews 7:15-22. Everything Changed.

October 26 – Hebrews 7:15-22. Everything Changed.

And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: 


         “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”  


The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. 
And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: 


         “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind:  ‘You are a priest forever.’ ”  

Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

Imagine being born into the tribe of Levi.  There was a pretty good chance you were going to be a priest.  It wasn’t something you chose to do, it was chosen for you simply because of your lineage.  The rule was set into place, it didn’t matter if you were any good at it, it was what you did.

Now, imagine you were a young man in say, the tribe of Manasseh that wanted desperately to be a priest of God.  You had a heart for worship, but since you weren’t born into the correct tribe, it really was never a consideration.

That Law … the Law that said only the Levites were priests was weak and useless because it was interpreted and managed by man.  There is no way that man can achieve perfection.

What we didn’t know was that God had already ordained His Son as the perfect High Priest. The author of Hebrews says that God took an oath on himself – a pretty amazing thing – in Psalm 110:4 acknowledging that His son, Jesus, would be a priest of a different sort.  A priest in the order of Melchizedek.

When Christ came to earth … the New Covenant, the New Law, the New Priesthood was set into place.  Everything changed.