Hebrews 7:28

‘For the law appoints men high priests, having infirmity, but the word of the oath, which was after the law, appoints a Son, perfected for evermore.’

For the situation can be summed up in these words. The Law appoints men who are weak, and have blemishes and insufficiencies, and are mortal, to be their High Priests. It is an earthly Law. But the word of God’s oath, which is after (later than) the Law, appoints a Son, One totally perfect in every respect, everlasting, and perfected for the High Priestly work for evermore. The Law thus partially fails men, but God’s oath in Christ provides all that men need.

So does he demonstrate that the Aaronic priesthood, which was so revered by the Jews, is in fact, by the Old Testament itself, looked on as deficient and needing to be replaced, and along with it the old Law and the old covenant. And this, he has explained, is what Jesus Christ in fact came to do.

We may close this chapter by summarising the superiority of Christ’s High Priesthood.

1) Christ’s appointment as High Priest was on the basis of God’s oath, which guaranteed it for ever. This contrasts with the Aaronic appointment which was dependent for its continuation on faithfulness to the covenant. In the end it ceased because of faithlessness, and because it sought to destroy God’s High Priest.

2) Christ’s High Priesthood was on the basis of the ‘power of an indisolluble life’, while the Aaronic High Priesthood was on the basis of a ‘law of fleshly commandment’.

3) Christ’s High Priesthood is continual for ever, while the Aaronic High Priesthood changed on death, successor following successor, with never any certainty of the quality of the successor.

4) Christ’s High Priesthood is on the basis of a better covenant, while the Aaronic High Priesthood is on the basis of a failing covenant..

5) Christ is High Priest because He is the Son, chosen by God because of Whom He was and what He had come to do, and because He lives for ever, the Aaronic High Priests were so because they were weak and failing mortal men, of limited priesthood, cut off by death, nevertheless privileged by being chosen by God on the basis of descent from Aaron, who, however, himself miserably failed God and had to die.

6) Christ’s High Priesthood is based on the heavenly tabernacle and is conducted from the throne of God where He has permanent residence, the Aaronic High Priesthood was based on the earthly tabernacle/temple, and entry to its throne (the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies) was limited to once a year, and then only in a brief and obsequious visit. The daily priesthood was conducted from a distance.

7) Christ as High Priest offered a total and complete sacrifice once-for-all, never requiring to be repeated. The Aaronic High Priests offered sacrifices daily and continually, sacrifices which required constant repetition because they could never fully satisfy the requirements of God’s holiness.

Let them then choose which priesthoood they would prefer.