Jesus Like Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:11–17
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The inadequacy of the legal and Levitical system and how it had to be replaced with something better is pointed out. If the Levitical priesthood could have brought access to God or salvation it would have not been necessary for God to provide another priesthood. As long as these Jews held onto it and relied on its sacrifices, they would never be free of sin and they would never have access to God.

The new priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, was not added to Aaron’s priesthood but rather  replaced it (v.11). Because the Aaronic priesthood and the Mosaic law were so closely tied together, a changed priesthood also  meant a changed ceremonial law (v. 12). This meant the required rituals and ceremonies of the Old Covenant were done away with. What this old priesthood and ceremonial law could  not  do, Christ did. The old system could reveal sin and even cover sin to a certain degree,  but it could  never  remove sin. Jesus Christ, as our High Priest, can do what Aaron could not do.

In Christ we are freed from all of sin’s debts and we can live forever in His riches. It is like a young woman who has run up a lot of bills and charged far beyond what she is able to pay. Then a young man comes along, and they fall deeply in love and he proposes to marry her. She tells him about all her debts but he says, “Don’t worry. I’ll  pay all your debts. Just leave them to me.” However, she was not actually free of her debts until they were married and he paid all of them. Then she found  out that he was wealthy and he gave her a joint checking account. Now she no longer has any debts, but also shares in her husband’s riches. By law, only Levites could serve as priests but Jesus came from the tribe of Judah (vv. 13-14). Old Testament priests were vital to the spiritual life of Israel, but they were imperfect and temporary but Jesus met the qualification of being a priest forever (vv. 15-17).

Application

As a Christian I have a joint account of spiritual riches with the Lord in heaven. It is possible for me to never write any checks on this account and live like a pauper.