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verity83So I'm reading through Hebrews. I'm trying very, very hard to make sense of it. It's always been a difficult book for me, but bearing in mind James Rafferty's thoughts on it is helping a little.
This is the thing I'm puzzling over at the moment:
Hebrews 7 talks about "a better priest", comparing Christ to Melchisidec, and contrasting Christ's priesthood with the Levite priesthood.
The Levites were priests because of the law (7.11). Christ, being of the tribe of Judah, was therefore not a priest in the same way they were. He was a priest because of God's oath. (7.21, 22)
What's the difference?
LAW is defined as "rule of conduct or procedure established by custom, agreement, or authority."
OATH is defined as "solemn formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge". Or, from a legal dictionary, this definition: "any type of attestation by which an individual signifies that he is bound in conscience to perform a particular act truthfully and faithfully".
In other words, it appears that God's ultimate plan was never for the Levite priesthood. That was used merely as a figurative lesson pointing to the real thing, which had nothing to do with an established custom, but rather a promise to perform a particular act. Jesus was our sacrifice and He is our High Priest.
"The law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever." (7.28)
I feel like there's more I should be getting out of this, something more profound, yet I can't seem to get to it.
This is the thing I'm puzzling over at the moment:
Hebrews 7 talks about "a better priest", comparing Christ to Melchisidec, and contrasting Christ's priesthood with the Levite priesthood.
The Levites were priests because of the law (7.11). Christ, being of the tribe of Judah, was therefore not a priest in the same way they were. He was a priest because of God's oath. (7.21, 22)
What's the difference?
LAW is defined as "rule of conduct or procedure established by custom, agreement, or authority."
OATH is defined as "solemn formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge". Or, from a legal dictionary, this definition: "any type of attestation by which an individual signifies that he is bound in conscience to perform a particular act truthfully and faithfully".
In other words, it appears that God's ultimate plan was never for the Levite priesthood. That was used merely as a figurative lesson pointing to the real thing, which had nothing to do with an established custom, but rather a promise to perform a particular act. Jesus was our sacrifice and He is our High Priest.
"The law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever." (7.28)
I feel like there's more I should be getting out of this, something more profound, yet I can't seem to get to it.
