Hebrews Bible Study

                                          The Priesthood

There are some verses I want to comment on. I feel that they are important. You should read Hebrews chapters 7-10 several
times to become familiar with the context. It tells us Jesus Christ is our High Priest and the Levitical Priesthood or the Aaronic
Priesthood, as the L.D.S would call it ended. There is no more need for it because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice and he
takes its place as our mediator. The writer of Hebrews makes a comparison and contrast of the priesthood of Melchizedek and
the priesthood after the order of Aaron.

The text is from the New American Standard Version and my commentary concerning the text is in “bold”.

HEBREWS CHAPTER 7
1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter
of the kings and blessed him,
2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils was first of all, by the translation of his name king of
righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.
3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of
God, he abides a priest perpetually.
4 Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.
5 And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the
people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham.

(Verse 4 ) Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. He recognized that Melchizedek was above him and that he was the
priest of the most high God.

(Verse 5 )The sons of Levi who were descended from Abraham collected tithes from their brethren. But Abraham
paid tithes to Melchizedek. This shows us that positional Melchizedek was superior to Aaron and his family.

6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham, and blessed the one who had the
promises.
7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.
8 And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.
9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes,
10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
11 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?
12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.

Verse 8 "in this case" refers to the Levitical priest, "in that case" refers to Melchizedek and his priesthood.
(here & there in KJV)

Verse 11 indicates to us that the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood as L.D.S would say, was incomplete. (It never
brought perfection, complete communion with God. It never gave redemption and acceptance before God to the
people. Therefore we need Christ.)

Verse 12 The change in law. We are not under Mosaic law. The Mosaic law and the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood
go together. They offered blood sacrifices we do not Christ is our Passover 1 Cor.5:7 his sacrifice is what
Christians claim for atonement for sins.

13 For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning
priests.
15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek,
16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.
17 For it is witnessed of Him "Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."
18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness
19 (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.
20 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath
21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, "The Lord has sworn
And will not change His mind, 'Thou art a priest forever'");
22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Verses 13-14 Jesus came from the tribe of Judah therefore he could never have been a priest here on earth. Only
certain Levites could hold the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood in the Old Testament. The priesthood however was
changed and Christ is after the order of Melchizedek.

Verse 15 This priest to rise in the order of Melchizedek is a fulfillment of the prophecy in P.110:4

Verse 16&17 Christ became a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Since he rose from the dead he has
endless life.

Verse 18 The Levitical system was faulty. It never gave mankind what he needed. Its weakness was man himself
as we see in verse 28

23        And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from
continuing,
24        but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently.
25        Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make
intercession for them.
26        For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted
above the heavens;
27        who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the
people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
28        For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a
Son, made perfect forever.

Verse 23 In other words the men in Levitical or Aaronic priesthood would die.

Verse 24 Jesus is our High Priest now and he will never die. So his priesthood last forever.

Hebrews Chapter 8
1        Now the main point in what has been said is this} we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of
the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2        a minister in the sanctuary, and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
3        For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary that this high priest also have
something to offer.
4        Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law;

Verse 1-3 The main point in what has been said is a priest must have something to offer. Jesus sacrificed himself
once for all time. In verse 2 we see man made a tabernacle built by hands of man. This tabernacle heaven was not
made by man.

5        who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the
tabernacle; for, "See," He says, "that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain."
6        But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which
has been enacted on better promises.
7        For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.
8        For finding fault with them, He says, "Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a new covenant with the
house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
9        Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land
of Egypt; for they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not care for them, says the Lord.
10        "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into
their minds, and I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Verse 6 Christ mediates in a much better covenant. (Christ blood is at the base of this new covenant)

Verse 7 If the first covenant (the Levitical system or Aaronic Priesthood) had been faultless there would be no
need for the new covenant.

Verse 8 God found fault with this system and declared there would come a time he would establish a new and
better covenant.

Verse 10 The new covenant is not the Mosaic law but the law is found in the hearts and minds of his people.

11        "And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know
me, from the least to the greatest of them.
12        "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."
13        When He said, "A new covenant " He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old
is ready to disappear.

Verse 11-12 He will remember their sins no more. Why? because Christ paid for them on the cross. verse 11 says
"Know the Lord" to even come to the Lord then the people had to go through the priest to God. Man now goes
straight through Jesus our High Priest who made a sacrifice in our behalf that last forever. (of course you must
accept this sacrifice Jn.3:16-17)

Verse 13 Notice the word obsolete What is obsolete? The context in chapter 7-8 was what you call the Aaronic
priesthood this is obsolete. The Levitical system that required us to go through the priest or priesthood to come
to God is obsolete.

The KJV on this verse reads "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that
which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

The Aaronic priesthood decayed, waxed old and vanished away. It is now obsolete.