A Better Hope

Hebrews 7:11-22

May 6, 2001

 

How does a sinful man come into the presence of God? For that matter, why does a sinful man even want to enter the presence of God? There is a sense in which all men recognize something of their weakness and frailty as humans-at least most men. We hear the blare of the siren and realize that next time it might be for us. We pass cemeteries and reflect upon the inevitability of death, maybe wondering where our own tombstone will mark the futility of our existence. Beyond the morbid, we think of the positive things of God's blessings for our lives. We want God to make our lives rosy, filled with pleasant things. We want God to supply not just our needs but also our every want. We desire that God keep us from harm, storm clouds, and even the IRS! Occasionally, when a man feels the gnawing of his conscience, he even wants God to at least numb the pain if not remove the problem causing the agony of heart. Even when the motives are obsessed with selfish interests, how does a man come into the presence of God?

 

Adam struggled with this question as evident by his hiding from God. The Lord God had made access easy for Adam by strolling in the Garden of Eden. But Adam hid from God's presence when he recognized his own sinfulness and God's holiness. The Tower of Babel illustrates futile attempts to build a stairway to heaven that bypasses personal righteousness. If only mankind could construct an edifice that reached to the heavens, then he would be able to commune with God, face to face. But the access was denied, for God will not be reached with buildings or schemes. 

 

The children of Israel sought the presence of God through the Levitical priesthood. The Law of Moses had instructed them in the minutest way of what was needed to come near to God. Holy garments, ritual baths, sweet-smelling incense, bloody sacrifices, and a drawn veil were the symbols of their attempts at drawing near to God. Yet such a design was only temporary in nature and never opened the way into the Holy of Holies for the common man. Only the high priest could "draw near," and that only once a year.

 

With ingenious maneuvering, multitudes today seek the presence of the Lord as well. Some give no thought to a right of access, simply thinking that by virtue of humanity they have the right to God's presence. So they take no look at God's Word or inward look at the sin in their lives. Others develop self-convincing acts of sacrifice and service they believe will draw them into the holy presence. As long as they are convinced in their own minds of being right, that is all that seems to matter. Some have turned church attendance into their own Levitical sacrifice so that with great confidence they approach God's throne, dependent upon their regular attendance in the house of worship as their entr�e before the Holy One. They tolerate the singing and preaching and worship so that they will have the goods necessary to be accepted by God. But does any of this really open the way into the presence of an altogether righteous and holy God?

 

The Psalmist asked, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?" His reply of "clean hands and a pure heart" refers to an inward righteousness that is not natural to any of us. All of the methods we can imagine fail to grant access to God. God is, in practice, unapproachable. But the truth of our text sounds the solitary note of a better hope: the unapproachable God is now accessible through the High Priest with an indestructible life. What hope do you and I have to enter God's presence? Let us see how the best of the old approaches to God must be laid aside for the "new and living way" that God has given to draw near to Him.

 

I. Out with the old

 

The high priest had done this before-a year before. He had gone through the ritual ablutions, slipped on the holy garments, and carefully moved behind the thick veil separating the holy place from the Holy of Holies. He brought a basin of blood, still warm with the life of the sacrificial animal. With his branch of hyssop, he sprinkled the glistening golden mercy seat beneath the outstretched wings of the golden cherubim. The bells sown into the fringe of his garment offered a comforting jingle as he quickly moved through his duty, waiting for the completion and God accepting his sacrifice. If he emerged, then God had accepted his bloody sacrifice. For a year, the divine wrath was assuaged and the people could breathe a sigh of relief-until next year, same day, and same procedure.

 

Did it work? Did that sacrifice of a dumb, unthinking animal atone for their sin? Was it effective? If so, then why did the high priest have to do the same thing every year in the same detailed way?

 

Our first century audience was quite familiar with this process. They had counted on it many times until someone told them that God had replaced the old covenant with the new covenant that Jeremiah had spoken of. Now, after 1500 years, they were to believe that what their forefathers had for generations depended upon was no longer valid. They had entered into a new covenant relationship with God through Christ, the great High Priest, and would never again need to have the high priest offer a bloody sacrifice upon the mercy seat for them. But they struggled to believe this.

 

1. A priesthood that didn't work

 

And so their pastoral writer seeks to convince them that God had done away with the old practices and the old covenant in favor of the new covenant through Christ. The reason was quite clear to him: the old priesthood didn't work. How did the ancient writer go about convincing them of this?

 

Because both this writer and his audience believed in the authority of Holy Scripture, he argues on the basis of what God had declared through David in the Psalms. "Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron?" He had already begun his argument in 5:5-10 when he broke off for a parenthetical exhortation (5:11-6:12). In that passage he relates David's prophetic word concerning the Messiah being of a new priestly order, that of Melchizedek. In 7:1-10, he explains without doubt the greatness of Melchizedek above Abraham and his lineage (especially the family of Levi/Aaron). It is Christ Jesus who has been appointed a priest according to this superior order of Melchizedek and not the inferior, inadequate order of Aaron. His argument for the new priesthood of Christ is two-fold.

 

First, David would not have called for a new priesthood if the old one were sufficient to mediate the way to God for sinful men. The Scripture never contradicts itself. For David to declare the Melchizedekian priesthood if the Aaronic priesthood was permanent would have been blasphemous! But it was spoken with authority in Psalm 110 and confessed through the worship and hymns of the Israelites for a thousand years. This is why our author later writes, "For it is attested of Him, YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." The word "attested" is a divine passive that utilizes the unusual term meaning "it is witnessed" or "the testimony is borne" by God Himself [O. Palmer Robertson, The Israel of God, 71]. This assertion was not the creation of those attempting to update the Jewish religion rather it was God who made this declaration. As such it must be believed.

 

A second reason that the Aaronic priesthood did not work is the fact of its repetition. No priest lasted over thirty years and no sacrifice lasted over a year. Everything had to be repeated, a fact that demonstrates imperfection and inadequacy. This is precisely why the Messiah must assume a new order of priesthood rather than the old one that was full of imperfections.

 

2. A law that couldn't save

 

The basis of the priesthood is the law that commands it. This writer rather shockingly peels away the dependence upon the ceremonial laws and even upon the moral law as a means of justification. "For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also." Under the old covenant the Israelites were charged to keep all of the law of God. So along with this came the prescribed way of worship, including the details of the priesthood that the Israelites were to follow. Exodus and Leviticus, in particular, explain the priestly duties and regulations. Every detail of their rituals was spelled out. Added to this were the commands for the people. They too had duties to maintain. So serious was the need for both priest and people to follow in detail that a failure in any respect would be a breach of the covenant and be remedied by divine judgment. This was a bilateral covenant that meant both parties had obligations for it to continue in force. God would bless if Israel obeyed the laws of the covenant. For all of its good, the law and the priesthood could not perfect men so that they could gain access to God. "For the Law made nothing perfect" the pastoral writer tells us. The problem was not in the law but in the hearts of men who failed to follow the law. "The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good," writes Paul in Romans (7:12), "but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin" (7:14).

 

So the writer points out the necessity of changing the law upon which the new priestly order of Melchizedek would be based. The old law served as a "tutor," as Paul called it, to reveal the sinfulness of men's hearts and direct them away from self-trust to the only source of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. "But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:23-26). The old law of works could not save; but a new law of faith in Jesus Christ gave promise for the way to God being opened.

 

3. An access that wouldn't open

 

This epistle makes much of access to God. The multiple references to Christ as "a merciful and faithful high priest" on our behalf, along with the exhortation to "come boldly before the throne of grace" points to one of the chief themes of this epistle (3:17-18; 3:1-6; 4:14-16; etc.). How can we, as sinners, approach God with our burdens and needs? While these ancient believers could see through the veil of the priesthood and law's inadequacy, they struggled with the assurance that they were on track by casting all dependence upon Jesus Christ. So he tells them, "For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God." The old or "former commandment" must be set aside, but not unto hopelessness. It is set aside in order to bring in "a better hope, through which we draw near to God."

 

He shows them the vanity of retreating back into the ritualism of Judaism and trust in the work of sinful priests. As much as they longed for the presence of the Lord, they never gained access through the old system. They lived in fear that the priest might not do his work properly or that God might not accept his sacrifice. Even so they considered that the high priest was the only one worthy enough to enter God's presence, so that they only sat on the sidelines and watched. But now they are told to draw near to God, to enter his presence through this new priestly order.

 

But we are not Jews, you assert. We have never followed the ceremonial law of sacrifices and temple worship. True as this might be, you might nevertheless be following a ritual of your own in an attempt to enter God's presence. Every Sunday, bloodless sacrifices are offered by unrobed priests in mock-up temples as a means to gain access to God. Promises are made to God. Dutifully, hymns are sung, prayers are prayed, offerings are given, and patience is stretched to sit through a worship service. And for what reason? It is so that God might hear my prayers; and God might rescue me from danger; and God might help me to further my ambitious lifestyle. It is a superstitious confidence that if I follow the prescribed rituals then God is obligated to keep me going on my merry way. It never works; but there is "a better hope, through which we draw near to God" by the Melchizedekian priesthood of Jesus Christ.

 

II. In with the new

 

Change normally comes with difficulty. We see this in politics, in education, and in churches. Change is not a synonym for good. At times it is necessary. On other occasions it serves no purpose but to rearrange our troubles and do nothing to solve our miseries. But not so with the change identified in our text; for the biblical writer expounds the new covenant and new priesthood that opens the new and living way to God. In this case, to live in the old way and old priesthood is to fail miserably in this life and eternity. It is only through the new way described for us in the gospel that we truly have access to God.

 

1. A Priest that remains qualified

 

What was wrong with the Aaronic priests? None of them were qualified to open the way to God! They were all sinners just as we are. They needed a mediator just as much as we do. There was no permanency to their works. Their qualifications for service were three-fold: (1) they had to be legitimate; (2) their mother had to be an Israelite and their father served as a priest; (3) and they had no physical defects [Kent Hughes, Hebrews: An Anchor for the Soul, 198]. All of the emphasis from that point on was upon the external qualifications: the anointing oil, special clothing, ritual washings, etc. Just about the time a good Israelite began to get comfortable with a priest, he would either die or retire. The confidence would sink once again. Who would mediate the way between God and himself? The writer is reminding his audience of the inadequacies they had lived with in the old system of the Aaronic priesthood. It was high time that they woke up to this fact of the temporal nature of the old system that must give way to the new.

 

While the Aaronic high priests descended from the tribe of Levi, Jesus arose from another tribe. "For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended [lit. has arisen] from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests." You might remember the time that King Uzziah (of the tribe of Judah) attempted to offer the sacrifice in the place of the high priest. He was called down by the priests and as Uzziah responded in anger, he immediately became leprous and remained so the rest of his life. It was not proper for him as a member of the tribe of Judah to perform the duties of the Aaronic priesthood. But Jesus Christ did not officiate in the order of Aaron but that of Melchizedek! Rather than being part of an ongoing tribe of priests who had never succeeded to open the way to God, using sacrifices that could never atone for sin, and following rituals that never satisfied God, Jesus Christ officiates as a high priest of a different order. Being of the tribe of Judah, the royal tribe, he serves as the kingly-priest who not only mediates the way to God for us but exercises his righteous rule over us as well. The play on words are intentional which the NASB adds in its marginal rendering. While the Aaronic priests descended from the tribe of Levi, Jesus Christ ascended from the tribe of Judah! He rose up as "the sun of righteousness" (Mal. 4:2), and as "the morning star" (II Pet. 1:19) that would bring light and life into our hearts!

 

The corruption of sin eventually affected every priest of the Aaronic family. They served simply because they were sons of Aaron. Some of them were very corrupt, as Hophni and Phineas, the sons of Eli. Yet they served since they were commanded to serve. The contrast is again set forth in verses 15-16: "And this is clearer still [lit. it is perfectly obvious], if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life." Aaron's sons and grandsons served due to the "physical requirement," or more literally, the fleshly commandment. The emphasis is upon the external and temporal as opposed to the inward qualifications of Christ and the eternal nature of his priesthood. Their priesthood lasted only a short time and would be broken by death. There was inconsistency in it and discontinuity of their work as mediators. But the priestly work of Christ is totally different! He serves forever "according to the power of an indestructible life!" He has already conquered death and continues "to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (7:25). But is this believable?

 

2. An oath that gives assurance

 

This was overwhelming to the Jewish mind! And if we think about it, it is overwhelming to any mind-that One person, "according to the power of an indestructible life," has mediated the way to God for all the redeemed. You may be having difficulty grasping and believing this reality. You may be thinking, 'All of this sounds so good, but Jesus Christ cannot possibly know how I feel, he cannot possibly be sympathizing with me in my weakness, and he cannot possibly open the way to God for me'. And so with that attitude, you attempt to keep some semblance of a relationship to Christ around, as though he was a lucky rabbit's foot for you, but you are really seeking to find the answers to your spiritual questions in other places. You think that if you can have some kind of new experience or hear some new message from God or stumble onto some new means of appeasing God, then all will be well with you. What you need is the assurance that Jesus Christ alone, through his mediatorial work at the cross and the indestructible power of his resurrection life, can draw you near to God as one that is forgiven and justified in his presence. God has given you an oath that this is so.

 

"And inasmuch as it was not without an oath (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who has said to Him, 'THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND, YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER'." The Aaronic priests served out of commandment. Jesus Christ is your high priest by means of a divine oath. God has no cause to swear since his word is always true and faithful. In the case of a divine oath, it is given, not because of any deficiency on the part of God's character, but to help us in our weakness to be assured that God will accomplish his word to us. The Aaronic priesthood is temporary but the priesthood of Jesus Christ is forever. A law established the Aaronic priesthood while the priesthood of Christ stands through the divine oath. Laws can change, but oaths are unchanging. There will be no afterthoughts with God that changes this.

 

We make proposals and come up with ideas that can never be accomplished. That is because we do not have the natural power or resources to accomplish all that our minds can conceive. But not so with the Eternal God! What he says, he does. He has the power and infinite ability to accomplish all that he declares. So the word of the oath is a double assurance to help us in our weak, fretting minds to know that God has already come through. Christ has already been established as our high priest. Christ has done the work necessary to bring us to God. We need not retreat from him but rest in the perfections of his redemptive work.

 

3. An access that continues open

 

I was struck in reading this text by the emphasis on perfection. Its use is not in the sense of moral perfection as we normally think of it but it is "the condition in which men are acceptable to God," as Leon Morris explains [Expositor's Bible Commentary, 66]. It means that we have a right standing with God-we are justified and declared righteous before him. The Levitical priesthood could not bring about such perfection (v. 11) because "the Law made nothing perfect." And so the Levitical regulations are all set aside due to weakness and uselessness." But he declares, "On the other hand, there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God." Here is the key to understanding what he means by perfection: it is the capability of drawing near to God or having a right standing before God. Access to God is what is meant. The use of the present tense, "we draw near to God," implies that the access is never shut when you are in Christ; you can continually enter into the presence of God. And how is this brought about? It is through "a better hope" by means of the priestly work of Jesus Christ. It is through Christ alone that you are forgiven and declared righteous before a holy God! His one sacrifice for all time secured this "better hope" for you.

 

4. A guarantee that stands forever

 

But how do we know that the way to God will remain forever open to those who are in Christ? Jesus Christ stands as surety that the way to God is certain through thick and thin, through dark days and vicious nights, through times of coldness and doubt. This writer has explained that in contrast to the Aaronic priesthood, Jesus Christ remains qualified as our great high priest. He has shown us that God has made an oath by which we are assured the way to God is open through Christ. He has explained that this access continues to be open forever through Christ. But he adds more! "So much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant." In other words, added to all of this is the fact that Jesus Christ stands as the surety of the new covenant God made with you. The "guarantee" is a legal term that means whatever the promise might be it will be fulfilled on the basis of the dependability of the guarantor. In this case, Jesus Christ is the guarantor, or the one who signs with his own life-blood the guarantee that all the promises of God in the gospel will come through. Can you ask for more assurance that this?

 

Conclusion

 

Some of you are wrestling with doubt. That is not a bad thing as long as you are wrestling. It is evidence that you are taking seriously the judgment of God and your own sinfulness. But what you must do in your wrestling is to look outside of yourself and your performance. You must see that the guarantee that you will be forever in the presence of the Lord is not found in yourself; it is in Jesus Christ alone. That is why we are looking at this text today, to move all of us away from a dependence upon the old priests and old laws that have no power to change the heart, unto a resting in the new and living way to God through Jesus Christ, the priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

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