high priest

The Coming King and Priest

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9 And the word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ 14 And the crown shall be in the temple of the Lord as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.

15 “And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.” – Zechariah 6:9-15 ESV

With the eight visions completed, Zechariah received an oracle from the LORD instructing him to perform a symbolic coronation. Much of what Zechariah was shown in the visions had to do with Israel’s distant future, including the judgment of her enemies (Zechariah 6:1-8). Chapter 3 revealed the purification of Joshua the high priest, symbolizing the renewal of the priestly ministry.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here.” – Zechariah 3:7 NLT

God was foreshadowing a future day when the priesthood of Israel would play a significant role in the spiritual restoration of the nation.

“I will remove the sins of this land in a single day. And on that day, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree.” – Zechariah 3:10 NLT

In chapter 4, Yahweh emphasized the role of Zerubbabel, the civil administrator of the nation of Judah. In a sense, he served as the de facto king of Judah, overseeing the physical well-being of the people as they struggled to restore Jerusalem and rebuild their lives in the promised land. Zechariah was given a vision of the golden lampstand and the two olive trees. When Zechariah inquired about the trees, he was told, “They represent the two anointed ones who stand in the court of the LORD of all the earth” (Zechariah 4:14 NLT). This rather cryptic response emphasizes the two offices of priest and king and their unified nature in the future kingdom.

With the visions completed, Yahweh provides Zechariah with a rather strange assignment.

“Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah will bring gifts of silver and gold from the Jews exiled in Babylon. As soon as they arrive, meet them at the home of Josiah son of Zephaniah.” – Zechariah 6:10 NLT

These three men had recently arrived from Babylon bearing expensive gifts that were likely intended to finance the construction of the Temple. But Zechariah is ordered to take the men and their tribute to the home of Josiah the high priest. A lot is going on in this passage that bears a closer look. While no details are given as to the identities of these three men, their names are significant. Heldai means “The Enduring One.” Tobijah can be translated as “The LORD is good” and Jedaiah means “God cares.” Each of their names points to a distinguishing characteristic of Yahweh.

Secondly, they had recently arrived from Bethlehem bearing gifts. This brings to mind the story of the “wise men from the east” found in the Gospel of Matthew.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” – Matthew 2:1-2 ESV

The Greek word translated as “wise men” is magi which the Babylonians and Persians used to describe their astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, soothsayers, magicians, and sorcerers. It is doubtful that Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah practiced the occult arts, but their recent arrival from Babylon bearing gifts foreshadows the future coming of the wise men. They too would bring expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).

The magi, having seen a sign in the sky that seemed to portend an important event, conducted a search of the ancient religious texts and found the words written by the prophet Micah.

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
    whose origins are in the distant past,
    will come from you on my behalf.
The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
    until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
    will return from exile to their own land.
And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
    for he will be highly honored around the world.
   And he will be the source of peace. – Micah 5:2-5 NLT

This discovery fueled their curiosity and motivated their journey. But little did Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah know that their gifts would be used for something other than the Temple.

With the three recent arrivals in tow, Zechariah went to Joshua’s house where he took the gold and silver and crafted a crown. He then placed the crown on the head of Joshua the high priest and pronounced the following blessing.

Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” – Zechariah 6:12-13 ESV

Again, there are a lot of details in this passage that could easily be overlooked. First, the oracle mentions “the Branch,” which God foreshadowed in chapter 3.

“Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.” – Zechariah 3:8 ESV

The prophet Jeremiah used this same designation when referring to a future descendant of King David who would rule and reign upon his throne.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” – Jeremiah 23:5-6 ESV

“In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’’ – Jeremiah 33:15-16 ESV

This was all in keeping with the promise God gave to David concerning an heir who would one day sit on his throne and rule over an everlasting kingdom.

“I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” – 2 Samuel 7:12-13 ESV

Jesus was that descendant, having been born of the tribe of Judah and through the line of David (Matthew 1; Luke 3). The apostle Paul referred to Jesus as God’s Son, “who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3-4 ESV). In the Book of Revelation, Jesus refers to Himself as “the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16 ESV).

Jesus was the Branch who “sprouted” from the tree of David and the prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of the majestic glory of this future branch.

“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel’s highest mountain. It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches.” – Ezekiel 17:22-23 NLT

So, as Zechariah crafts a crown of silver and gold and places it on the head of Joshua the high priest, there is far more going on than he even realizes. This symbolic act of crowning the high priest is weighted with meaning. As Zechariah crowns Joshua he boldly proclaims, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both’” (Zechariah 6:12-13 ESV).

Even Joshua must have been at a loss as to what was taking place. It was Zerubbabel’s job to oversee the construction of the Temple, not his. Why was Zechariah placing that responsibility on his shoulders?

But Joshua was merely a stand-in for the greater high priest to come. This ceremony of crowning the high priest as king was meant to foreshadow the coming of the Messiah, who would be the priest-king. The Book of Hebrews provides an explanation for Jesus’ designation as this hybrid ruler over the people of God. The author of Hebrews uses a story from the Book of Genesis to introduce a rather obscure character named Melchizedek, who is described as the king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High” (Hebrews 7:1; Genesis 14:18).

According to the author of Hebrews, “The name Melchizedek means ‘king of justice,’ and king of Salem means ‘king of peace’ (Hebrews 7:2 NLT). Melchizedek was the king of what would later become Jerusalem. He was also a priest of Yahweh but not a descendant of Levi. He was a priest of a different order and Jesus was to follow in his footsteps.

Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied,

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

Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. – Hebrews 7:16-19 NLT

Jesus would combine the offices of priest and king, serving as the perfect and complete leader for the people of God. With His death and in His role as the high priest, Jesus offered the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the sins of mankind.

Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. – Hebrews 7:27 NLT

And because God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice and raised Him back to life, Jesus lives forever and “his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf” (Hebrews 7:24-25 NLT).

He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. – Hebrews 7:26 NLT

Zechariah is told that the Branch “shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne” (Zechariah 6:13 ESV). Once again, God is foreshadowing future events concerning the coming Messiah. In his gospel account, John records Jesus making the following statement to the Jewish religious leaders:

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” – John 2:19 NLT

They understood Him to be speaking of the literal Temple, but John points out, “when Jesus said ‘this temple,’ he meant his own body” (John 2:21 NLT). Jesus was the Temple of God. He was God in human flesh. Jesus would later tell the woman at the well, “the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem…indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21, 23 NLT).

The oracle ends with the following words:

“…those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.” – Zechariah 6:15 ESV

This promise carries a now-not-yet aspect to it. Zerubbabel and the people of Judah would complete the physical Temple. But God had something far greater in mind. He is predicting the coming of the Church, the true temple of God; a fact that the apostle Paul makes clear.

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. – Ephesians 2:19-22 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I Will Make All Things New

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1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD was standing by.

6 And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. 8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9 For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” – Zechariah 3:1-10 ESV

In this fourth vision, Zechariah is shown what appears to be a trial in the throne room of heaven. He sees Joshua (Jeshua) the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD as Satan levels accusations against him. This fits the description of Satan found the Book of Revelation.

This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,

“It has come at last—
    salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
    has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
    before our God day and night.” – Revelation 12:9110 NLT

Zechariah does not divulge the nature of Satan’s accusations against Joshua, but he reveals that the high priest is wearing filthy garments. His priestly robes are in a state of impurity, a sign of his sinfulness. But as Zechariah looks on, he hears the voice of Yahweh (the LORD) speaking on Joshua’s defense.

“I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” – Zechariah 3:2 NLT

Joshua, whose name means “Yahweh saves,” is in a disheveled state, but Yahweh orders his garments to be removed and replaced with new ones. Despite Satan’s declarations of Joshua’s guilt and demands for punishment, God offers the high priest undeserved mercy and grace.

“See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” – Zechariah 3:4 NLT

This imagery of new clothes for old is found throughout the Scriptures.

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. – Isaiah 61:10 NLT

So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.…Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. – Romans 13:12, 14 NLT

…for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. – Colossians 3:9-10 NLT

Joshua’s condition symbolizes that of the nation of Judah. As the high priest, he is their God-appointed representative. The priestly cast was to set the standard of behavior for the rest of the nation. But over the centuries, they had failed at their primary responsibility.

“When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed.
    So the priests are glad when the people sin!
 ‘And what the priests do, the people also do.’
    So now I will punish both priests and people
    for their wicked deeds.” – Hosea 4:8-9 NLT

Their far-from-holy behavior left the entire nation in an unacceptable state before the LORD. Joshua’s condition mirrored that of the people.

We are constant sinners;
    how can people like us be saved?
We are all infected and impure with sin.
    When we display our righteous deeds,
    they are nothing but filthy rags. – Isaiah 64:5-6 NLT

Yet, Yahweh saves. He graciously declares Joshua free from sin and, by extension, the people were also the beneficiaries of God’s abundant grace. God orders Joshua to be dressed in new, pristine priestly robes. His righteousness or right standing before the LORD is restored. The new garments Joshua receives are meant to symbolize his set-apart status as God’s servant. The Book of Exodus describes the one-of-a-kind nature of the priestly robes.

“Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service. These are the garments they are to make: a chestpiece, an ephod, a robe, a patterned tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother, Aaron, and his sons to wear when they serve me as priests. So give them fine linen cloth, gold thread, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread.” – Exodus 28:2-5 NLT

Robed in righteousness provided by Yahweh, Joshua is given a solemn charge from his gracious benefactor.

“If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here.” – Zechariah 3:7 NLT

God is demanding that Joshua change his behavior. As the high priest, he had an obligation to live in a way that glorified God. He had been set apart for a higher calling and was expected to conduct himself in a selfless and God-honoring way. In this vision, Joshua serves as a stand-in for all the Levitical priests who ever served. As a priest, he held to a higher standard.

“The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.” – Malachi 2:5-6 NLT

God made His expectations clear.

“The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Malachi 2:7 NLT

But somewhere along the way, the priests had lost their way.

“But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions.” – Malachi 2:8-9 NLT

Now, God was purifying His priests and calling them back to a life of obedience and faithful service. In the vision, the LORD tells Joshua that his restoration points to another renewal that will take place in the distant future.

“You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.” – Zechariah 3:8-9 NLT

These two verses point to a future time when God will send another servant to bring about another cleansing that will be even greater in scope and significance. The use of the term “branch” points to the coming Messiah, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
He will delight in obeying the Lord. – Isaiah 11:1-3 NLT

“For the time is coming,”
    says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant
    from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
    He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
And this will be his name:
    ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved,
    and Israel will live in safety.” – IJeremiah 23:5-6 NLT

In this vision, Joshua the high priest also symbolizes Jesus, the Great High Priest.

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. – Hebrews 4:14-15 NLT

But Jesus is also “the Branch” and “the stone” that will restore righteousness to the world. The Psalms speak of a stone that was rejected by men but became a vital building block in God’s redemptive plan.

The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see. – Psalm 118:22-23 NLT

Jesus quoted this verse when addressing the unrighteous religious leaders of His day.

Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see.’

“I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” – Matthew 21:42-44 NLT

Jesus came to be the broken branch that brought life to sinful mankind. The branch likely represents Christ’s first advent, when He offered up His life as payment for the sins of humanity. The stone symbolizes His triumphant return when He appears as the King of kings and the LORD of lords (Revelation 19:6). All the symbolism associated with the stone in Zechariah’s vision is unclear and unexplained. The number seven represents perfection, so the seven eyes mostly likely symbolize Jesus’s perfect wisdom and knowledge. As the Son of God, He is infinitely wise and all-knowing. Unlike Joshua and his high priestly predecessors, Jesus will be the sinless, omniscient, omnipotent high priest who serves in perfect righteousness. And when He comes, He will restore righteousness to the earth, making all things new.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” – Revelation 21:1-7 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

No Pain, No Gain

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1 Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 4 And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.

7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s herdsmen.

8 Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.” 9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.” – 1 Samuel 21:1-9  ESV

The next ten chapters of the book of 1st Samuel will chronicle the life of David as he spends the next years of his life running from King Saul. Having received the news from Jonathan that Saul was still determined to take his life, David made his way to Nob, which was about two and a half miles southeast of Gibeah. There, he sought out Ahimelech, the high priest.

David was running out of options. He could no longer go home and his relationship with Samuel the prophet had reached an end. David most likely avoided any contact with Samuel because that would be what Saul expected him to and the prophet was probably under surveillance. David had said his final goodbyes to Jonathan, knowing that they would probably never see one another again. So, in need of food and shelter, David turned to the high priest.

His arrival at Nob caught Ahimelech off guard. He was surprised and a bit scared to see David arrive by himself, without his usual allotment of troops. It seems that Saul’s volatile nature was well-known and justly feared. Ahimelech jumped to the conclusion that David had shown up as an agent sent by Saul to wreak havoc on the priests of God. This would ultimately prove not to be a farfetched idea because, in the very next chapter, Saul commands the execution of every single priest in Nob for aiding and abetting David (1 Samuel 22:6-23).

David assured Ahimelech that he was not there to do them harm. Yet, he also lied to the high priest, assuring him that he was on a top-secret mission for the king, the nature of which he was not free to divulge. This deception was used to obtain food for him and his men and to keep the high priest from asking further questions. It also reveals a certain sense of fear and a lack of trust on David’s part. He was not yet willing, ready, and able to put all his reliance upon God. He was in a tight spot and was willing to lie to preserve his own life. As time went on and David began to see God’s miraculous provision and protection, he grew increasingly more confident in God’s capacity to care for his every need. But at this point in the story, David is fairly unfamiliar with the whole fugitive lifestyle and is simply doing whatever he has to do to stay alive.

When David asked Ahimelech for bread, the only thing the high priest had available was the showbread that was put on display in the Tabernacle as part of a weekly sacrifice to God. The book of Leviticus provides us with important details regarding the showbread. It was to be changed out weekly, and the old bread was to serve as food for the priests. But they were required to eat it in a holy place and only while in a purified state because it was considered holy.

“You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf. And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the Lord. And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord. Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the Lord regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever. And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the Lord‘s food offerings, a perpetual due.” – Leviticus 24:5-9 ESV

Ahimlech’s reticence to share the bread with David and his men was based on the requirement that the bread was holy and not to be eaten by anyone other than the priests and only if they were ceremonially pure. David was able to assure Ahimelech that his soldiers were ceremonially pure because there were no soldiers to begin with. David was alone. There is no indication in the text that David had taken time to gather any troops before he fled. He was completely on his own but knew that Ahimelech would have found that news even more suspicious. So he fabricated the part about his traveling companions.

But David also assured the high priest that he and “his men” were pure; they had no had any sexual relations. This was certainly true of David because he had not seen his wife Michal for several days. But David never addressed the issue that the showbread was dedicated only for priestly consumption and he was not a priest or even a member of the tribe of Levi. He was a Benjamite. Yet, David took the bread.

Were his actions wrong? In lying to the high priest and taking bread that had been dedicated to God and reserved for the priests alone, was David guilty of violating the Mosaic Law? Did he sin against the Lord? For an answer, we have to turn to the lips of Jesus who took time to address this very story.

“Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?” – Matthew 12:3-4 ESV

Jesus is addressing a group of Pharisees who have just accused His disciples of breaking the Mosaic Law by “harvesting” grain on the Sabbath.

Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.” – Matthew 12:1-2 NLT

Jesus referred back to this historical, real-life event in David’s life in order to make a point to His adversaries. He compared what David did with His own disciples eating the heads of wheat on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, with their legalistic mindset, had declared Jesus and His followers to be in violation of God’s law. For Jesus, the actions of the disciples were justified because they were simply meeting the normal human need to eat. Jesus used the same reasoning on another occasion, when He said to the Pharisees, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:11-12 NLT). According to Jesus, David was simply trying to stay alive, so his actions were necessary and, therefore, justified.

But what David didn’t know was that his actions were being observed by someone who was on Saul’s payroll. Doeg, the Edomite was in charge of all of Saul’s flocks and it may be that he had it in for David, because he was jealous of his success. After all, David had started out as a shepherd but had risen to a place of power and prominence in the king’s court, and had even married into the king’s family. Perhaps Doeg hoped that by ratting on David, he would be elevated up the royal food chain and move from the pasture to the palace. But regardless of his intent, Doeg made his way to Saul with news about his enemy’s presence in Nob. David’s respite would prove brief and the role Ahimelech played in helping David would prove deadly.

Having been forced to leave Gibeah in a hurry, David was unarmed and defenseless. He had no troops and little hope of staving off any soldiers sent to capture him. So he inquired of Ahimelech whether there were any weapons in the priestly compound. It just so happened that the sword of Goliath, the Philistine champion whom David had killed in hand-to-hand combat, was in the Tabernacle wrapped in a priestly robe. This was the very same sword David had used to cut off the giant’s head. The symbol of his earlier victory would become a sign of hope for the future.

Having retrieved the sword, David took the five loaves of ceremonial showbread and said his goodbyes to Ahimelech. He then began what would be a long and difficult period of running, hiding, and learning to trust in God. In the years that lie ahead, David would find himself experiencing a wide range of life lessons that would increase his faith in God and strengthen his resolve to serve God faithfully. The man and leader David would eventually become would be a direct byproduct of the trials and tribulations of this less-than-pleasant phase of his life. For David, the phrase, “no pain, no gain” could have been the tagline for his life. He would discover the difficult truth that persecution often precedes exaltation. He would endure years of suffering before he ever experienced his crowning. The daily experience of loss and pain would preface his eventual reign.

Years later, when David finally experienced release from Saul’s dogged pursuit and was crowned the king of Israel, he expressed his gratitude and love to God for all He had done.

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies. – Psalm 18:1-3 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Till the Perfect Comes

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1 So the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. 2 And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 3 They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die. 4 They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you. 5 And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel. 6 And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the Lord, to do the service of the tent of meeting. 7 And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.” – Numbers 18:1-7 ESV

As a result of the rebellion of Korah, God brought a plague among the people of Israel. It was only Aaron’s quick action in atoning for their sins, that prevented the complete destruction of the people of Israel at the hands of God. Aaron intervened and interceded on their behalf, and God spared them. As a result, God reconfirmed His selection of Aaron and his sons to serve as His priests.

The budding of Aaron’s rod provided a divine sign of confirmation that God had chosen Aaron and the tribe of Levi as His servants. God had set the Levites apart and only they could serve as caretakers of the Tabernacle and only Aaron and his sons could serve as priestly intercessors with God on behalf of the people. With their jobs came great responsibilities and great blessings. They were to remain holy and wholly dedicated to God. They received no inheritance in the land, but God provided for them from the gifts that were given to Him as a part of the sacrifices of the people. The Levites received from God that which was holy. They ate well but they had to be very careful not to profane or desecrate the things of God through unholy conduct.

God warned Aaron, “You, your sons, and your relatives from the tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations connected with the priesthood” (Numbers 18:1 NLT).

These were ordinary men who had been given an extraordinary responsibility. They were the literal keepers of the spiritual flame of Israel and were to maintain God’s house and everything in it. The Levites were tasked with protecting and transporting God’s sacred house and all its contents. Aaron and his sons, as the priests, were responsible for offering sacrifices on behalf of the people, atoning for their sins, and providing a means for them to remain in right standing with God. But their work could never fully remove guilt or provide full atonement for the sins of the people. The priesthood and the sacrificial system as outlined in the Old Testament was a foreshadowing of something greater to come.

They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. – Hebrews 8:5-6 NLT

God’s plans for the Tabernacle, the sacrificial system, and the priesthood pointed to a far greater future reality. The Tabernacle was fashioned after the heavenly model that Moses was shown in a vision. The Tabernacle that Moses and the people of Israel built was a magnificent structure, but it was made from earthly materials and constructed by sinful men. Even Aaron and his sons, who served in its inner chambers, were flawed and far from perfect, just like every other Israelite. For them to perform their duties as priests, they had to undergo rigorous purification rites for the atonement of their own sins. According to the book of Hebrews, their humanity made them susceptible to death just like everyone else and required that there be constant replacements available.

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office. – Hebrews 7:23 ESV

But God’s plan was far greater than that of the Tabernacle and the earthly priesthood. He had already determined a better means of atonement for the sins of mankind. It would involve His own Son and had been his plan from before the foundation of the world. After His resurrection from the dead, Jesus gave His disciples two separate Bible lessons where He “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45 ESV). For the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, “he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27 ESV). Jesus unpacked all the writings of Moses and the prophets, showing how His coming had been foreshadowed and predicted; everything had been pointing to Him. The entire sacrificial system was but a shadow of things to come. The priesthood as practiced in Moses’ day, served as a glimpse of something greater to come.

He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.  Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.  The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever. – Hebrews 7:26-28 NLT

Man would need a greater High Priest. Sinful humanity would require a greater means of atonement. The sacrificial system, as practiced by the Jews in Moses’ day and even into the days of Jesus, could never fully eradicate the sins of men. Since man’s capacity for sin was endless, so was the need for constant sacrifice. There was never a point at which they were totally forgiven and completely free from the guilt of their sin. If nothing else, the law and the sacrificial system were a daily reminder of the ever-present reality of sin and guilt. No one could keep the law perfectly so, therefore, no one was truly sinless. And the constant capacity to sin required the constant need to sacrifice to atone for those sins.

But Jesus came to put an end to the madness. He was the High Priest who came to deal with sin once and for all.

He did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. – Hebrews 9:25-28 NLT

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, our sins have been paid for. Our atonement has been accomplished once and for all. We can now stand before God as righteous in His eyes. All because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross on our behalf. We have been set free and are no longer slaves to sin. Empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can live differently and distinctively; our righteousness is not of our own making but has been provided for us by Christ Himself. He bore our sins and transferred His righteousness to us. He died so that we might live.

When reading the Old Testament, we must look for Christ and understand that it all foreshadows His ultimate arrival on the scene. The Old Testament is as much about Christ as the four Gospels. Before His ascension, Jesus took time to teach His disciples and point out all that the Old Testament Scriptures revealed about Himself. The story of the Bible is the story of God’s ultimate redemption of mankind through the saving work of His one and only Son. Like any story, it has a beginning and an end. In the story recorded in Luke, we see Jesus departing from His disciples and ascending into heaven, but we know that’s not the end of the story.

This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven. – Acts 1:11 ESV

He has gone, but He will someday return. His work as High Priest is complete but His job as King is not yet fulfilled. And we look forward to the day when God closes the final chapter in His great book of redemption.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

He Died So That We Might Live

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16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. – Hebrews 9:16-28 ESV

Throughout this section of his letter, the author has been attempting to establish the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice. His death ushered in a new and better covenant. The shedding of His blood was necessary for that new covenant to replace the old one, and the blood that was shed resulted in death. This point is key to understanding the effectual nature of Christ’s sacrifice. The Son of God had to die so that the sins of mankind could be atoned for, and the author uses a clever play on words to make an important point. The Greek word for “covenant” is diathēkē, but it can also be translated as “testament” or “will.” In verse 16, the author states that “where there is a testament (diathēkē), the death of the testator (diatithēmi) must of necessity come in” (Douah-Rheims Bible).

For a will to go into effect, the one who made the will must die. In the same way, for the new covenant to replace the old one, Jesus’ death was “a necessity” (anagkē). Without His death, the promise of atonement, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life would have remained unfulfilled. Had Jesus not sacrificed His life, the old covenant would have remained in effect, leaving mankind with an awareness of sin but with no way to remove the guilt and condemnation that came with it.

The Jewish recipients of this letter were very familiar with blood sacrifices. Before coming to faith in Christ, they had taken part in the sacrificial system of Israel, in which the shedding of blood was an everyday reality. Under the old covenant, blood and death were unavoidable necessities if any Jew wanted to have his sins forgiven and his relationship with God restored.

When Moses dedicated the Tabernacle in the wilderness, he sacrificed unblemished animals and sprinkled their blood on the book of the law, the people, as well as the Tabernacle and its contents. Before the new house of God could be opened and the presence of God could fill the Holy of Holies, everything and everyone associated with it had to be purified. For, as the author reminds his readers, “under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV).

In the same way, the new covenant went into effect when Jesus sacrificed His life and allowed His blood to be poured out as a spiritual offering to God on behalf of sinful humanity. At the final Passover meal He shared with His disciples, Jesus held up a cup of wine and stated, “…this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many” (Matthew 26:28 NLT).

Just hours later, Jesus would shed His blood on the cross, sacrificing His sinless life on behalf of sinful mankind. And that sacrifice would prove to be better and more effective than any other sacrifice that had ever been given. When Moses inaugurated the Tabernacle, he said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you” (Hebrews 9:20 ESV). And when Jesus had prepared to use His body as the new means of sacrifice and the key to atonement, He said, “…this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28 NLT).

Both covenants were sealed in blood. But there is a huge difference between the two. The old covenant involved the blood of bulls and goats. The new covenant was based on the blood of the sinless Son of God. He “appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26 ESV). Jesus didn’t require an animal sacrifice because He was without sin. He needed no atonement. Instead, His death was vicarious in nature, as He served as a substitute for sinful humanity. He became the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:20).

And His sacrifice was not offered in some Tabernacle made with human hands.

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. –  Hebrews 9:24 ESV

Under the old covenant, the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement. After offering sacrifices for his own sins, the high priest could pass through the veil and enter the Most Holy Place where he would sprinkle the blood of a sacrificed bull on the ark of the covenant. He would also sacrifice a goat and sprinkle its blood on the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat “because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites” (Leviticus 16:16 NLT). Then he would take a second goat and “lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel” (Leviticus 16:21 NLT). This symbolic action would “transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat” (Leviticus 16:21 NLT). That living goat would become the “scapegoat,” bearing the sins of the people and being led into the wilderness where it would inevitably die.

But with His death, Jesus entered into the presence of God. He did something no other sacrifice had been able to do. He died and was brought back to life by the power of God’s Spirit, which signified that His sacrifice had been acceptable by God. Jesus did not cease to exist after death. While His earthly body died and remained in the grave for three days, the Holy Spirit raised that body back to life.

When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, they fully recognized Him because He was, in a sense, His old self. His body even carried the holes left by the nails in His hands and feet. The disciples could clearly see the wound from the spear that had pierced His side. Jesus had died but was now alive. And as the author makes clear, Jesus was not going to have to die again. His sacrifice was fully sufficient.

…he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. – Hebrews 9:25-26 NLT

Paul reminds us of the incredible power that raised Jesus back to life because we have it available to us in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s power not only brought the body of Jesus back to life but it raised Him back to heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father.

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. – Ephesians 1:19-21 NLT

And just as Jesus came the first time in order to die for the sins of mankind, He is coming a second time to complete what He began. We all face the inevitable and inescapable reality of death. But the author of Hebrews gives us the good news regarding the death of those who have accepted Christ as their Savior.

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. – Hebrews 9:27-28 NLT

Jesus is coming again. And to all those who have placed their faith in His substitutionary sacrifice, He will provide victory over death. They will receive new resurrected and redeemed bodies, free from pain, suffering, and sin. Those living under the old covenant depended on the blood of animals to cleanse them from their sins and any atonement they received was temporary in nature. They lived to sin again. They enjoyed forgiveness for the moment, but would eventually be required to offer another sacrifice. And they had the constant presence of their guilt before them and the fear of death facing them. But because of Jesus’ death, those of us who call Him Savior no longer live with the condemnation of sin or the fear of death. We are forgiven. We have the firm assurance of our promised inheritance. Our future is secure. Because we have placed our hope in a better sacrifice.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Finished Work of Jesus

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11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. – Hebrews 9:11-15 ESV

To understand this passage, it is essential to understand God’s view on blood. For those of us living in the 21st Century, the very idea of a blood sacrifice is appalling and distasteful. It sounds barbaric and cruel. But you have to go all the way back to the book of Leviticus to get God’s view on blood and its role in the sacrificial system He established for Israel.

“And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people,  for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.” – Leviticus 17:10-11 NLT

Blood was a symbol of life. Without blood, life would be impossible. So when innocent animals were sacrificed on the altar of the tabernacle, they were acting as substitutes for the people of Israel. Their blood was spilled so that the guilt of the sinful Israelites could be atoned for. The Israelites, like all people, sinned regularly, and their sin, according to God’s law, deserved death. So God allowed an unblemished animal to serve as a substitute. However, the atonement the Israelites received was temporary and incomplete. It could not fully cleanse them from sin. The life of the sacrificial animal could never fully replace the life of a human.

So the sacrificial system and the tabernacle were both symbols of something greater to come. And the high priest, who acted as a mediator on behalf of the people, was also a type, an imperfect representation of a greater high priest to come – namely Jesus. Ultimately, Jesus came to die. Yes, He was born of a virgin, grew up to be a man, performed miracles, taught His disciples, raised the dead, walked on water, and spoke often about His Kingdom. But the primary objective of His earthly mission was to die – sacrificing His life as a substitute for the sins of mankind. The author makes this perfectly clear.

With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. – Hebrews 9:12 NLT

The sacrifice Jesus offered was not presented in the earthly Tabernacle of Temple and was not done using the blood of bulls or goats. He shed His own blood. It was just as He had told His disciples the night they shared their final Passover meal together.

“This cup is the new covenant between God and his people – an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” – Luke 22:20 NLT

The blood of Jesus had to be poured out on behalf of all men in order for complete atonement to be made. Jesus was sent by His Father to be the atoning sacrifice, just as John the Baptist had prophesied. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV). The prophet, Isaiah, recorded these powerful words centuries before Jesus appeared on the scene.

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. – Isaiah 53:7-10 NLT

Jesus came to earth in order to take on human flesh and do something no other man had ever done: Live in complete obedience to God’s will and in perfect compliance with the Mosaic Law. The apostle Paul eloquently describes the path of obedience that led Jesus from His rightful place at His Father’s side in heaven to a cruel Roman cross on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. – Philippians 2:6-8 NLT

His perfect obedience made Him the perfect sacrifice. As the “spotless lamb,” His blood was an acceptable sacrifice to God and served as payment for the sins of mankind. And unlike the sacrifices of bulls and goats, Jesus’ atonement for sin was permanent and not temporary. His death was able to “purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14 ESV). In other words, His offering was more than ceremonial in nature. It was not simply a ritual cleansing from sin, but it provided a thorough removal of all vestiges of sin in the life of the penitent sinner.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us. – Psalm 103:11-12 ESV

With the death of Jesus, men no longer had to carry around a sense of guilt and apprehension. By placing their faith in His sacrificial death, they could be absolved from the guilt of their sins and enjoy complete freedom from the fear of future condemnation or judgment.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. – Romans 8:1-4 ESV

With the perfect sacrifice offered on their behalf, sinful men and women no longer had to worry about whether they had done enough to please God. Under the old sacrificial system, there was always the chance that their sacrifice was not good enough. Their lamb was not pure enough. Their motives were not righteous enough. The Jews always had to worry whether their sacrifice would be acceptable to God. They also had to live with a sense of impending doom because of their inability to refrain from sinning. Any sacrifice they offered could only atone for past sins but could not alter future behavior. It provided forgiveness but not heart change.

But the sacrifice of Jesus covered mankind’s sins completely and permanently. It served as the perfect sacrifice, offering atonement for all sins – past, present, and future. As the apostle John wrote, “…the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 ESV). Jesus offered the all-sufficient sacrifice. It was the once-for-all-time atoning sacrifice that was based on the finished work of Jesus and not the flawed and feeble efforts of sinful men. Under the old covenant and the sacrificial system, no one could be fully justified or made right with God through self-effort. Attempting to keep the Mosaic Law proved to be a futile enterprise for God’s people. And the presence of repeated sacrifices was proof that their efforts to live in obedience to God’s laws were unsuccessful. That’s why Paul reminds us that justification by works was never intended to be our means of salvation.

…we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. – Galatians 3:16 ESV

But because of what Jesus has done, sinful men and women can serve the living God, both in this life and in the life to come. Not only can they enjoy freedom from condemnation and absolution from the guilt of their sins in this life, but they can be assured of spending eternity in perfect communion with God the Father.

…those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance… – Hebrews 9:15 ESV

Jesus, the better high priest has provided a way for sinners to receive forgiveness for all their sins. The sinless Lamb of God has offered His life so that sinners can be made right with God – not just now but for eternity. With His death, Jesus provided forgiveness of sin, assurance of salvation, and the promise of eternal life. But this incredible gift is not based on anything we have done or will do. It relies solely on the work that Jesus accomplished on the cross.

The apostle Paul, who was a faithful Jew and a former Pharisee, summed up nicely what Jesus’ sacrificial death accomplished on our behalf. And his message would have resonated well with the Jewish audience to whom the letter of Hebrews was written.

I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. – Galatians 2:18-21 NLT

For those Jews who had placed their faith in the saving work of Jesus, there was no going back to the Mosaic Law. That old system had served its purpose. With the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the new covenant was now in full effect and it was based on the work of Jesus, not the works of men.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New and Improved

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1 TNow the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. – Hebrews 8:1-7 ESV

A better covenant. A better high priest. A better ministry. A better promise. Everything about Jesus is better. To borrow from an age-old, tried, and true advertising slogan, you might say that everything about Jesus is “new and improved.” Jesus didn’t just provide man with one more option among many. No, He made possible the one and only means by which sinful men and women could be restored to a right relationship with God.

Unlike the priests who served in the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus ministers in the divine Tabernacle of God located in heaven. His is not an earthly or temporal ministry, but a heavenly and eternal one. He is no longer offering up sacrifices to appease or propitiate God, because His death fully paid the penalty for sin and satisfied the just demands of a righteous God – once and for all.

In this first section of chapter eight, the author continues to establish Jesus as superior to all and everyone else. But he does so by contrasting the old covenant with the new covenant. In verses 22-28 of chapter seven, he pointed out that Jesus is “the guarantor of a better covenant.” This new covenant only requires one priest: Jesus. And what sets this new high priest apart is that He will never die or need to be replaced. Unlike Aaron and his successors, Jesus died but rose again. His earthly ministry ended in death but was followed by His resurrection and ascension. Now, He is seated at the right hand of God the Father and intercedes on behalf of all those who have placed their faith in Him as Savior.

Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. – Romans 8:34 ESV

The new covenant that Jesus inaugurated by the shedding of His blood on a Roman cross requires no more daily sacrifices for sin. Under the old covenant, the people of Israel were required to offer repeated sacrifices day after day and year after year because their sins never ceased and their atonement was never full or complete. They were in constant need of purification and forgiveness, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4 ESV).

Under the old covenant, the rituals and rites performed by Aaron and his sons were incapable of providing inner purification. They were primarily ceremonial in nature and dealt with the external problem of uncleanness or impurity.

For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. – Hebrews 9:9-10 ESV

During the days of the Tabernacle and the Temple, the simple act of touching a forbidden object or eating one of many prohibited foods could render someone unclean and unworthy to enter God’s presence. Purification was necessary but the process only produced a temporary state of acceptability before God. It could do nothing to change the condition of the human heart. The entire process could only make the individual acceptable to God but could not produce a permanent state of righteousness.

So, something better was needed and God provided it. This better covenant administered by a better high priest had been part of God’s plan from the very beginning. All that came before it was intended to be a foreshadowing of something better to come. The Mosaic Law, the Tabernacle, and the sacrificial system were earthly representations of the heavenly realm.

Chapter eight discloses that the high priest of the new covenant sits at the right hand of God in a heavenly Tabernacle, not an earthly one. The Tabernacle in the wilderness was a replica of the real thing, what the author describes as “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5 ESV).

And over the centuries, the millions of animal sacrifices offered in both the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem were simply foreshadowings of a better sacrifice to come.

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebrews 10:4 ESV

They could provide temporary atonement or relief from sin’s condemnation but were not intended to offer a permanent fix. That is why the sacrifices were “continually offered every year” (Hebrews 10:1 ESV). In his gospel, Luke records the words Jesus spoke to His disciples on the night He shared His last Passover meal with them.

After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people – an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for.” – Luke 22:20 NLT

With the death of Jesus, a new covenant was made between God and man. It replaced the old covenant. Why? Because it provided a better way for men to be made right with God. In fact, it provided the only way for men to be made right with God. Under the old covenant, the shedding of blood provided temporary relief from the condemnation of sin. But with His death, Jesus provided a permanent solution to man’s sin problem. Rather than sinful men having to try and earn a right standing with God through self-effort, Jesus provided the gift of His own righteousness. He took on man’s sin and, in exchange, gave the formerly condemned His righteousness in return. That is why Paul wrote, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT).

And Paul further elaborates on this point in his letter to the Romans.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. – Romans 8:3-4 NLT

In chapter nine, the author of Hebrews continues his elaboration on the point that Jesus was the better mediator of a better covenant.

Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. – Hebrews 9:15 ESV

It was not that the old covenant was bad; it was simply that it was incomplete. It could reveal sin but could not remove it. It could display what righteousness looked like but was not able to produce righteousness in a man’s heart. It all pointed to something better to come. It was a foreshadowing of something greater to be revealed. It revealed man’s sinfulness so that he would understand his desperate need for a Savior.

It’s interesting to note that when Jesus walked this earth, He offered the following commentary on the spiritual state of man:

“Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” – Mark 2:17 NLT

His point? Those who think they are without sin and in no need of a Savior will never turn to Him. It is those who are “weary and carry heavy burdens” (Matthew 11:29) who will find rest for their souls. The apostle John wrote, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth” (1 John 1:8 NLT). To deny the presence of sin is to live a lie, and the apostle warns that it is tantamount to calling God a liar.

If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. – 1 John 1:10 NLT

Jesus offers a better ministry as a better high priest and the mediator of a better covenant based on better promises. But to take advantage of it, men must recognize their sin and their desperate need for a Savior. They must desire something better. They must turn from the old covenant with its laws, rules, and regulations. They must give up the hope of achieving righteousness in their own effort and receive by faith the new covenant that Christ has made possible through His blood.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Such a Great Salvation

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11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him,

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

18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

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

22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. – Hebrews 7:11-22 ESV

A better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. What better summary statement could there be for this section of Hebrews? The author has been establishing the high priesthood of Jesus and setting up his defense of the superior nature of Jesus’ sacrifice. There was no need for the Jews in his audience to fall back on or revert back to their old Judaic rituals or customs. He has already warned them about drifting away and neglecting such a great salvation found in Jesus. He has reminded them that Jesus “had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17 ESV).

With His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus accomplished something new, better, more effective, and totally permanent when it comes to man’s damaged relationship with God. As Paul stated in his letter to the Romans, “For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God” (Romans 6:10 ESV). Peter fully concurred with Paul when he wrote, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18 NLT).

The main point of the author of Hebrews is that God sent Jesus because the Mosaic Law, the Levitical priesthood, and the sacrificial system were never meant to be a permanent solution to man’s sin problem. He elaborates further on this fact in chapter ten.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. – Hebrews 10:1-2 NLT

He even takes it one step further: “But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3-4 NLT). This is why he infers that the high priesthood of Jesus would never have been necessary if “perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood” (Hebrews 7:11 ESV).

If men could have been made right (justified) with God through the law, there would have been no need for Jesus to come to earth. But He did come because the law could only convict but not save. It was temporary, a shadow of something greater to come. The law revealed the holiness of God and the sinfulness of mankind. And Jesus came in order to bridge the gap between the two. He became God in human flesh, living among men, and doing what no other man had ever been able to do, including Aaron the high priest: He obeyed all of God’s law. In doing so, Jesus revealed His perfect righteousness and demonstrated that He required no sacrifice for atonement.

Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. – Hebrews 7:27 NLT

Aaron was just a man and, as such, he was susceptible to sin and in constant need of atonement. He could not serve as the mediator between God and the people of Israel until his own sins had been paid for. He and his sons required constant purification from their own sinfulness so that they might offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. But that was not the case for Jesus.

Jesus needed no cleansing from sin. And rather than offering repeated sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people, Jesus took care of the problem with a single sacrifice that served as a permanent solution to mankind’s sin problem.

Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. – Hebrews 7:27 NLT

And Jesus did this despite the fact that He was not a member of the tribe of Levi. He was not a descendant of Aaron and, therefore, was not in line for the high priesthood. His path to the priesthood was ordained by God.

Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. – Hebrews 7:16 NLT

Just as Aaron had been appointed by God, so too was Jesus. But His priesthood was of a different order altogether. As God had done so many times before, He began again. He started fresh. He annulled the earlier priesthood and replaced it with a better one.

…the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. – Hebrews 7:18 NLT

God had never intended the Aaronic priesthood to last forever. It was a temporary institution that would eventually run its course. When the temple was destroyed the priesthood effectively came to an end. Without the house of God, there was no place to offer sacrifices. There was no Holy of Holies, no mercy seat, and no hope of atonement. The priesthood became unnecessary and the peoples’ hopes of being made right with God all but disappeared – until Jesus appeared on the scene.

With His incarnation, Jesus became the permanent and superior high priest. Unlike Aaron and his descendants, Jesus cannot die, therefore His priesthood has no end. And because He cannot sin, He has no need for atonement. His perfection made Him the perfect high priest and allowed Him to provide a better way for men to be restored to a right relationship with God.

The author says that the old system of the law has been “set aside.” The Greek word he used is athetēsis and it means “to annul, abolish, reject.” This word has powerful implications and he uses it for a reason. He wants his readers to know that there is no reason whatsoever for them to fall back to their old way of life as Jews, because “a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect)” (Hebrews 7:18-19 ESV).

They now have a “better hope” (Hebrews 7:19 ESV). Jesus, the new-and-improved high priest, provides a way for sinful men to be justified before God. It isn’t based on the blood of bulls and goats but on the blood of the sinless Lamb of God. In offering Himself as the perfect offering for the sins of mankind, Jesus did away with the need for animal sacrifices.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. – Hebrews 10:1-2 NLT

The better priest offered a better sacrifice. And, unlike Aaron, Jesus’ priesthood is permanent because He is eternal. God made Jesus our high priest and swore an oath that His priesthood would last forever. This makes Jesus “the guarantor of a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22 ESV). Aaron, the original high priest, eventually died. Every Levite who served as a priest in the Tabernacle of God also died. And even while they were alive, their sacrifices were temporary at best. Again, the author elaborates on this issue in chapter ten.

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. – Hebrews 10:11-12 NLT

He is the better high priest who offered a better sacrifice and provides us with a better source of hope. His sacrifice will never have to be repeated. His death left God the Father fully propitiated or satisfied. Those who are in Christ have had their sins forgiven completely and permanently. They have been made right with God forever. There is nothing more they need to do to earn God’s favor or remain in His good graces. Which is why the author calls it “such a great salvation.”

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Our Forever High Priest

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1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. – Hebrews 7:1-10 ESV

The Mosaic Law, the temple, and the sacrificial system were all central to the practice of Judaism, and the Levitical priesthood played an indispensable role in it all. They were the teachers of the Law, the caretakers of the Temple, and the mediators between God and man when it came to the sacrificial rites. So, the Jews placed a high priority on these men and viewed them as the God-ordained keepers of their faith system.

That is why the author begins this lengthy section of his letter with another comparison between Jesus and Melchizedek, the “king of Salem, priest of the Most High God” (Hebrews 7:1 ESV). His first mention of this somewhat obscure and enigmatic man came back in chapter five, where he designated Jesus to be “a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:9-10 ESV). But this is not the first time the author has portrayed Jesus as a high priest. All the way back in chapter two, he described Jesus as “a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God” (Hebrews 2:17 ESV).

In chapter four, he continued to promote the high priestly role of Jesus.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. – Hebrews 4:14-15 ESV

The author wanted his readers to understand that Jesus was and is a high priest. The Jewish Christians to whom he wrote held the priesthood in high esteem; especially the role of high priest. And some of these converts to Christianity were considering a return to their former way of life as strict adherents to the Law which would place them back under the authority of the priesthood. So, the author goes out of his way to portray Jesus as superior to any human high priest, including a descendant of Aaron, the first high priest, or even Melchizedek.

He points out that Jesus was not a descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses whom God ordained as the original high priest. Jesus’ priesthood was not of an earthly order. His was a divine priesthood, commissioned by God. He was the Savior of the world, the Messiah sent from God to act as King and usher in a new Kingdom. But He was also a priest who offered up a better sacrifice for the sins of men. His priesthood was not based on an earthly, human genealogy, but a heavenly one. That is why the author compares Jesus with Melchizedek.

There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God. – Hebrews 7:3 NLT

The Scriptures provide no genealogy for this king-priest. He just appears out of nowhere in the biblical text and then disappears from the scene. It is almost as if he had “no beginning or end to his life.” But this lack of a genealogical record was intended to foreshadow the coming of Jesus, the true King of Salem (Jerusalem) and the High Priest of God.

On one of the many occasions when Jesus found Himself confronted by the Pharisees, He asked them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” (Matthew 22:42 NLT). They replied, “He is the son of David” (Matthew 22:42 NLT). Then quoting from Psalm 110, Jesus replies, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’ Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” (Matthew 22:43-45 NLT). His point was that He was the Son of God. Yes, He was an earthly descendant of David, but His kingship was of a different sort than that of David. He was to be the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And in that very same Psalm of David, it reads:

The LORD said to my Lord,
    “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
    making them a footstool under your feet.”

The LORD will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem;
you will rule over your enemies.
When you go to war,
your people will serve you willingly.
You are arrayed in holy garments,
and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.

The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
    “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” – Psalm 110:1-4 NLT

This Psalm, written by David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was actually a prophecy concerning the coming Messiah. It was a divine foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus, outlining His God-ordained role as both king and priest.

The author used this reference from a Psalm of David and weaved it into his lengthy narrative concerning the story of Abraham and Melchizedek, all in order to prove the superiority of Jesus as both king and priest. In the story, found in the book of Genesis, Melchizedek blessed Abraham and Abraham offered a tenth of all his spoils in return. Melchizedek was a king and a priest, and as such, he was Abraham’s superior. The real point seems to be that the descendants of Abraham would eventually offer tithes to God through the Levites, their own brothers. That’s why the author writes, “those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham” (Hebrews 7:5 ESV).

When Abraham offered his tithe to Melchizedek, the tribe of Levi did not yet exist. So in a sense, the author says, Levi and his sons offered a tithe to Melchizedek through their forefather, Abraham. The whole issue here is one of superiority. Jesus, as a high priest of the order of Melchizedek, is superior to any earthly high priest. Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek; the inferior was blessed by the superior. And we are blessed by Jesus. We are blessed by the King of peace and righteousness. And it is interesting to note that Melchizedek blessed Abraham for no apparent reason. If you read the story in Genesis 14, it says that the kings of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim made war with the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela.

Melchizedek, the king of Salem, is not even mentioned. He had no dog in this hunt. When the battle took place “the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions and went their way” (Genesis 14:11-12 ESV). Abraham stepped in and defeated the kings of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim, rescuing Lot and taking a great deal of plunder. And that’s when Melchizedek shows up on the scene. His country of Salem had not been attacked and yet he seeks out Abraham and blesses him. Abraham had not done anything to deserve Melchizedek’s blessing. He had not rescued any of his citizens. He had not returned any of Melchizedek’s spoil. The king of righteousness and peace blessed Abraham.

Those of us who are in Christ have been blessed by the King. And that blessing had nothing to do with any merit on our part. We have done nothing to earn His blessing. When Melchizedek blessed Abraham, he said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,  Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you” (Genesis 14:19-20 NLT). And the blessing we have received is similar. We have been given victory over sin and death by God through the sacrificial death of His Son. We have been blessed by God through the Son of God.

Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. – Hebrews 5:8-10 NLT

We have been given perfect righteousness through Christ. And we now enjoy peace with God, having been made right in His eyes because of the substitutionary death of His Son.

The Jewish Christians who were the original recipients of this letter needed to decide whether they were going to return to their former religious system and rely on an earthly priesthood or whether they were going to place their hope in the high priesthood of Jesus. A human high priest could only offer temporary atonement for sin. But Jesus, with His death on the cross, provided a once-for-all-time payment for the sins of man. He was the superior high priest and offered a better sacrifice.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Personal Holiness at All Costs and at All Times

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1 And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people, 2 except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, 3 or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean). 4 He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself. 5 They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body. 6 They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the Lord‘s food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. 7 They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. 8 You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the Lord, who sanctify you, am holy. 9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.

10 “The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes. 11 He shall not go in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother. 12 He shall not go out of the sanctuary, lest he profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am the Lord. 13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity. 14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin of his own people, 15 that he may not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.” – Leviticus 21:1-15 ESV

A life of holiness was a non-negotiable requirement for all of God’s people but it was especially important for those men who served as priests and intermediaries between Yahweh and His chosen people. So beginning in chapter 21 and running all the way through Leviticus 22:16, God turns His attention to the priesthood. Aaron and his sons had been given the responsibility of ministering within God’s house, the Tabernacle, where He had promised that His holy presence would reside. Their vital role within the sacrificial system established by God required them to live up to a more stringent set of standards. God had given them the responsibility of serving as spiritual instructors for His people.

“You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the Lord has given them through Moses.” – Leviticus 10:10-11 NLT

And they were to teach by example as well as by word. And it’s interesting to note that when Jesus was describing the religious teachers of His day, He basically recommended that His disciples do as they say, but not as they do.

“The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.” – Matthew 23:2-3 NLT

There was no room for hypocrisy and duplicity in the life of God’s priestly leaders. Their lives belonged to God and they served on His behalf and at His behest. Their role as priests was not a job, but a calling. Yawheh had set apart Aaron, his sons, and the rest of the men of the tribe of Levi, and given them the mission of serving as His ministers and as emissaries to the rest of the nation of Israel.

God wanted His priests to understand and embrace the importance of their calling, so He provided them with a diverse range of regulations and rulings that concerned matters that might disqualify them for service. Anything that could result in their ceremonial defilement was to be avoided at all costs. These men were to take special precautions to maintain their purity and preserve their holiness. Their intimate connection with the Tabernacle required that they pay special attention to every area of their daily lives. Most of these commands have to do with their “off-duty” hours when they were not serving in their official capacity as priests. But even when they weren’t “on the clock,” they were to remain vigilant about their spiritual purity.

Death was a daily reality among the Israelites. The elderly passed away from natural causes. Others died from injuries or accidents. Disease and illness took their toll on some. But in all of this, the priests were never to allow themselves to become defiled by coming into contact with a dead body. Should this happen, they would become ceremonially unclean and unfit for service. But God gave a special exemption in terms of family members.

“The only exceptions are his closest relatives—his mother or father, son or daughter, brother, or his virgin sister who depends on him because she has no husband.” – Leviticus 21:2-3 NLT

In all other cases, the priests were to avoid any and all contact with the dead. And not only that, the priests were prohibited from imitating the mourning rituals of the pagan religions of the Canaanites. God strictly forbade His priests from shaving their heads, trimming their beards, or cutting their bodies. God had already addressed these issues back in chapter 19.

“Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards. Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord.” – Leviticus 19:27-28 NLT

None of the Israelites were to practice the occult-like rituals of the Canaanites. But these kinds of practices were especially off-limits for the priests of Yahweh, and rightfully so.

“Not only did such rituals show the priest mourning the dad, but they involved mutilation of the body and possibly suggested pagan veneration of the dead.” – Allen P. Ross, Holiness to the Lord: A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus

God demanded that Moses and the people of Israel treat the priests as holy “because they offer up food to your God. You must consider them holy because I, the Lord, am holy, and I make you holy” (Leviticus 21:8 NLT). In a sense, it behooved the people of Israel to help protect the purity of the priesthood because of their vital role in the sacrificial system. Unholy priests would be of no help when it came to seeking atonement from God. So, it was incumbent upon all the people to assist the priests in their pursuit of holiness.

That’s why God addressed the subject of priests and marriage. They were strictly prohibited from marrying women who were prostitutes or divorced. To do so would result in their defilement and disqualification for priestly service. And God considered prostitution so dangerous to priestly purity that He actually addressed what to do if a daughter of a priest was found to be a prostitute.

“…the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.” – Leviticus 21:9 ESV

This was serious business to God. The daughter’s willful actions negatively impacted her father’s holiness thereby invalidating him from priestly service to the Lord, and the only way to remedy the problem was to remove the impurity – permanently. Most likely, the woman was to be executed, then her body was to be burned. This would serve to purify the father from defilement and restore his ability to perform his role as a priest.

Verses 10-15 address the high priest in particular. As the highest-ranking member of the priesthood, Aaron was placed under even stricter requirements. When it came to mourning the death of a loved one, he was not allowed to “leave his hair uncombed or tear his clothing” (Leviticus 21:10 NLT). As the spiritual leader of God’s people, he was not permitted the luxury of mourning like everyone else. He represented God at all times. So, God denied him the right to mourn like everyone else. He was not allowed to go anywhere near a dead body, even if it belonged to his own father or mother. And God gave the reason for this harsh-sounding restriction.

“He must not defile the sanctuary of his God by leaving it to attend to a dead person, for he has been made holy by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.” – Leviticus 21:12 NLT

Even the death of a parent was not to distract the high priest from his calling as the mediator between God and His people. God had set Him apart for His service alone. Others would have to mourn the dead because the high priest had been set apart to worship the living God. And this principle is echoed by the words of Jesus found in the gospel of Matthew. One day, Jesus was approached by a young man who expressed the desire to be His disciple but he gave the excuse, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father” (Matthew 8:21 NLT). But Jesus gave what sounded like a harsh and compassionless response. 

And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” – Matthew 8:22 NLT

Some commentators believe the issue was that the young man was postponing his commitment and using the future death of his father as an excuse. They speculate that the death of the young man’s father was not imminent but only inevitable. There was no funeral about to take place. The young man was simply hoping to delay his commitment to a later date. But it makes more sense to see this passage through the lens of Leviticus 21. Jesus was calling on this man to make serving God his highest priority, placing greater value on following the Lord of life than in mourning the dead.

Even when it came to marriage, the high priest had to answer to his higher calling. God prohibited Aaron and his successors from marrying a woman who was a widow, divorced, or a known prostitute. And whoever the high priest ended up marrying was required to be “a virgin from his own clan” (Leviticus 21:14 NLT). The wife of the high priest was expected to help maintain his holiness and provide him with future offspring who might serve in his place upon his death. Purity was essential. Holiness was critical. Because the high priest and his associates represented God at all times. Of all people within the camp of Israel, they were expected to pursue and maintain personal holiness at all costs and at all times.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.