RPG Adults
IMPERFECTION OF THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21
Hebrews 7:11-28
2 John 8-9
“Look to yourselves, that we lose
not those things which we have
wrought, but that we receive a full reward.”
IMPERFECTION OF THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD
The text continues to give arguments and comparisons to show that the Levitical priesthood was temporary and also inferior to that of Christ. The priesthood of Melchizedek best represents that perfect one. The Levitical one was not perfect but was just a picture of the eternal priesthood of the Son of God. He lives for ever to make intercession for believers. He had all the necessary qualities and His sacrifice was not repeated but was offered once for He was consecrated for ever.
Since the Levitical priesthood was not perfect, it was necessary for another priest to rise after the order of Melchizedek. The Aaronic priesthood that came from the house of Levi had limitations and could not fulfil God’s requirement. The writer posed the question that under the Levitical order the people received the ceremonial law, thus there was another needed after the order of Melchizedek. He asserted that since the priesthood was changed, there was a need to change the law. In reality this is not a change per se but assigning the Mosaic Law its rightful place.
The validity of the law versus the gospel is the main factor here. The coming of Jesus Christ brought to completion that which was prefigured in the Mosaic Law. The law is said to be changed because the service of the Aaronic priesthood came to an end and in effect changed the law. Christ now occupies the office of the priest. In the flesh He was born, not of the house of Levi but of a tribe that Moses said nothing about priesthood. The writer said that our Lord sprang out of Judah. The argument here was to terminate the Aaronic priesthood which had served its purpose and to approve the priesthood of Christ. He is best represented in the priesthood of Melchizedek. This depicts its perfect character while that of Aaron was insufficient.
THOUGHT: The Levitical priesthood is a picture of the perfect one.
PRAYER: Father, may I always be confident of Jesus as my eternal High Priest.