Art Toombs Ministries
Online Bible Commentary
There’s a New Sheriff in Town
Hebrews 7:11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. (NKJV)
The early church claimed that the Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews. Clement of Alexandria claimed that Luke translated the book into Greek.
Luke was Paul’s amanuensis in Paul’s final days (2 Timothy 4:11) and is believed to be his amanuensis for this writing. This letter is believed to be Paul’s last, written late A.D. 67-early A.D. 68.
The book of Hebrews has two main subjects: the superiority of Christ; and exhortations to obedient living. It is also interspersed with five warnings to the Hebrew Christians.
In previous commentaries I wrote of the superiority of Christ to the prophets, the angels, Moses and Joshua. The section 4:14-7:28 concerns the superiority of Christ to the priesthood.
Paul begins this passage by writing “Therefore” (v. 11a). This is a reference to the previous passage when he wrote of the superiority of Melchizedek over Abraham and the priests.
He continues with “If perfection” (v. 11b). So, he continues this passage with the concept of “perfection”.
Paul writes “were through the Levitical priesthood” (v. 11c). God is looking for perfection from his people.
But God did not receive perfection “through the Levitical priesthood”. On Mount Sinai, God instructed Moses to appoint priests from the tribe of Levi.
They were called Levitical priests. He instructed Moses to name Aaron, the brother of Moses, as the first high priest. Moses and Aaron were of the tribe of Levi.
Paul continues with “(for under it the people received the law)” (v. 11d). The sacrificial system, based on “the Law” and managed by Levitical priests, was not resulting in the perfection of God’s people, the Israelites.
The ‘Law” was defined by the first five books of the Old Testament, referred to as the Torah, and to a greater degree the whole of the Old Testament.
The spiritual history of Israel was like a roller coaster. They would approach perfection, and then they would fall into sin.They would be punished for their sin, hit bottom, reach out to God, and He would bring them back up again.
This cycle repeated itself over and over again throughout the history of Israel. However, at a point in history, God decided that this system was not giving the desired results.
Paul continues with “what further need was there that another priest should rise (11e). So, God decided there was a need for another priest.
Actually, this had been ordained by God from the beginning. There was a need for a new sheriff in town.
Paul writes “according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?” (v. 11f). God decided that this new sheriff, priest, would be of the order of Melchizedek, and not the order of Aaron.
Melchizedek was a high priest appointed by God in the days of the patriarchs, prior to the Law. God appointed Melchizedek to be a priest forever.
Melchizedek’s priesthood did not end with his death, as it did for the Levitical and Aaronic priests. God wanted another priest, like Melchizedek, to replace those of the current priesthood.
Christ would be that other priest. He was to be a high priest, appointed forever, like Melchizedek.
Next, Paul writes “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law” (v. 12). God also decided that if the priesthood was to be changed, the Law also would need to be changed.
The problem was not just with the priests, who were men subject to sin themselves. The problem ran even deeper.
There was also a problem with the Law. It would have to be changed. The system of rules and laws, of animal sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin, was not bringing the desired result of perfection in God’s people.
So, Paul writes “For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar” (v. 13). The new sheriff, Christ, was not from the tribe of Levi and Aaron. He belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe had ever served at the altar, had been a priest under the Law.
Next, Paul writes “For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah” (v. 14a). Christ was of the tribe of Judah, the line of David.
Paul closes this passage with “of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood” (v. 14b). No one from the tribe of Judah could become a priest under the Law of Moses. So, changes needed to be made.
So, the law was changed. This does not mean that the Law no longer applies.
The Law still applies for the purpose of pointing out sin. Jesus said “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law” (Mt. 5:17). This new sheriff in town came to fulfill the Law, not to abolish it.
In order to fulfill the Law, perfection of God’s people would have to be realized. Christ was that perfection.
He lived a life on earth of perfection. He was sinless. Because he was sinless, he could die on the cross for us, taking our sin upon Himself.
Therefore, when God looks down upon Christians, He sees us as being perfect, even though we are not.
Our sins have been covered by the blood of Christ. This is called imputed righteousness. The righteousness of Christ is put upon us. In this way Christ fulfilled the Law, in a way that could never have been accomplished without His coming.
There’s a new sheriff in town. His name is Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Christ, meaning the Messiah.
He has come for you, and for me. He wants to arrest us and bring us into God’s family.
However, this is not an arrest of confinement. On the contrary, this is an arrest of freedom.