The perversions change the language in that passage. However, God tells us what is going on in the heart of every lost person. Saved people have been given a changed heart. That is what God is telling us in the book of Hebrews and in many other places in the Bible. Unless the LORD is given His rightful place in your heart and in mine, wickedness will rule. It is the duty of God-fearing people to expose the wickedness and to show people the truth.
God-fearing pastors do not spend the bulk of the their time exposing corrupt politicians and media. There is no end to that. Godly pastors focus on teaching the people the holiness of God and the mercy of God and the grace of God, etc. God directed the writer of Hebrews to exalt Jesus Christ. That is the need of man. When we teach the truth, it will expose the lies.
In our text we are reminded that Jesus Christ was made a priest with an oath. The Old Testament priests became priests because they were of the lineage of Aaron. They were not individually chosen by God. There were some good priests among them and there were corrupt priests among them. Some were removed from their office due to their corruption. Some were killed by wicked kings.
Jesus Christ was personally declared to be a priest after the order of Melchisedec. That is what we have noted from Psalm 110:4.
In verse 21 of our text we see that passage quoted. In verse 22 we are reminded that this oath was what made Jesus Christ surety of a better testament. We have already noted that God did not make a mistake in choosing Aaron and his sons as priests. We learn from Leviticus 10 that Nadab and Abihu, two of Aaron’s sons, were killed by God because they defiled God’s order. God impressed upon the priests that His order was not negotiable. It needed to be followed carefully. The Old Testament priests were to be a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were fallible, He is not.
In verse 23 we are reminded that there were many priests in the Old Testament time. They died and needed to be replaced. In verse 24 we are told that Jesus Christ, “this man”, “continueth ever”. His is an unchangeable priesthood. Jesus Christ, being God, does not change His mind. He does not corrupt the truth. He is the truth and He upholds the truth.
In verse 25 we are reminded of a very important truth. Jesus Christ is different in a right way in that He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him. Those who turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation, are given eternal life. They cannot lose it because it is a gift of God. We have already talked of the naysayers that want to scare people into submission to their false teachings. They need a whip to keep people in line. They claim that if a person does not follow their way, they can lose their salvation. God chastens those who are saved. He does not threaten that they will lose their salvation. He does not take back His promises.
Jesus Christ is not only the Saviour but He is also the intercessor, standing in the gap between saved individuals and a holy God. Jesus Christ is alive and never too busy or preoccupied. It is a blessing to have this great High Priest as intercessor. We would have no hope without Him.
In verse 26 we are reminded that Jesus Christ “became us.” He is the eternal Son of God. He left heaven’s glory at a specific pre-determined time and He became a man, taking on the form of a servant, obedient unto death. He did that for us. He did that for all of mankind. It is extremely foolish to reject God’s offer of salvation.
Notice in verse 26 that Jesus Christ, as a man is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens. In verse 27 we are reminded that He does not need to offer up sacrifices on a daily basis as those Old Testament priests needed to. They had to offer first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. Jesus Christ had no sin. He did not need to offer up any sacrifices for His sins. He offered Himself up once on the cross and He shed His blood and was buried and rose again the third day, proving that He is greater than our sin. He is able to forgive our sin and be unstained by our sin.
In verse 28 we are reminded again that the law made high priests from among men that sinned. Aaron sinned. Others that were made high priests also sinned. They all had to offer sacrifices to atone for their own sins before they could offer sacrifices for the people. If they would not have done that, they would have been hypocrites and God would have struck them dead. No high priest could enter the holiest without first offering a sacrifice for his own sins.
However, Jesus Christ, Who came after the law, and was declared to be the Son, is consecrated for evermore. He was declared to be the “beloved Son,” at His baptism as well as at the mount of transfiguration. He will never cease to be the Son of God. He will never be replaced as the Great Hight Priest. He is undefiled and well able to save repentant sinners.
If you are reading this but following some empty humanistic rituals, why not turn to the true God today and be saved. You will never regret that. It is the most important decision you could ever make. If you turn to God, He will change you. You will be amazed at the blessing that He gives to His repentant child. Don’t settle for anything less. Anything less will not save you. You will not know God’s peace unless you accept His gift of salvation.
Pastor Bartel