Letter to the Hebrews Volume 63

 The Absolute Necessity for a New Priesthood Part 2

Hebrews 7:12-14 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For He of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. KJV

The writer of Hebrews now makes the very sound point (that I fear many Hebrew converts to Christ back then and many converts to Christ now and in every era and generation miss) that if the Levitical Priesthood was changed by our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, then so does He change the 'Law' forever just as He does with the Priesthood, as it is written here by the author, "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." (Hebrews 7:12) (KJV). How then does the 'Law' change? Well, in no way did our Lord Jesus Christ (during His earthly Ministry) ever speak of the abolishment of the 'Ten Commandments', however, what He did declare to everyone who had 'ears to hear' (Luke 8:8) was the abolishment of the law of ordinances and ceremonies. He proclaimed that every sinner who would come to Him would be 'born again' (John 3:7-8) and in so doing each person would have the 'Law' written upon their/our hearts or their/our inner man or inner woman (their/our souls which is the real them/us), as it is written with these words for us by the Prophet Jeremiah, "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an Husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34) (KJV). This too is the covenant that He (God/Jesus) makes with every person that comes to Him and is 'born again', He remembers our sin no more. Here is what Vincent's Word Studies had to say of Hebrews 7:12, "The inferiority of the Levitical priesthood is inferred from the fact that another Priesthood was promised. If perfection was possible at all under the Mosaic economy, it must come through the Levitical priesthood, since that priesthood was, in a sense, the basis of the law. The whole legal system centered in it. The fundamental idea of the law was that of a people united with God. Sin, the obstacle to this ideal union, was dealt with through the priesthood. If the law failed to effect complete fellowship with God, the priesthood was shown to be a failure, and must be abolished; and the change of the priesthood involved the abolition of the entire legal system."

The writer of Hebrews now points out the fact that the Levitical priesthood was established out of the 'Tribe of Levi', however, the Messiah (our Lord Jesus Christ) came into the earth realm through the 'Tribe of Judah' and who has already been declared by this same writer at the end of the previous Chapter a Priest forever, as it is written by him with these words speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:20) (KJV). The prophecy (of this forever Priesthood) was made by King David when he wrote these words by God the Holy Spirit's inspiration, "The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." (Psalms 110:4) (KJV). So, then we see that not only was this foretold by God, but the fact that the Messiah was from another Hebrew Tribe stands for, or signifies, and secures the abolishment of the Levitical priesthood and establishes this new Priesthood of Jesus Christ that is radical, revolutionary, and remarkably different than the old system because it gives every individual follower of Jesus Christ a personal relationship with God the Father through Him eliminating the requirement that anyone had to go to and through another sinful man to gain or get access to God, therefore, we now read these words from the author of Hebrews, "For He of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood." (Hebrews 7:13-14) (KJV). Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of these facts, "In Psalms 110:4 and in the type of him Melchizedek, in the preceding verses; for not Melchizedek is here meant, but the Lord Jesus Christ, as appears by what follows; the antitype of Melchizedek, the Lord our righteousness, the Prince of peace, the priest of God, that lives for ever, without father, without mother, &c. Pertaineth to another tribe; the tribe of Judah, and not the tribe of Levi: of which no man gave attendance at the altar; either of burnt offering or of incense; that is, no man waited there, or took upon him and exercised the priest's office that was of the tribe of Judah: no man might lawfully do it; Uzziah, indeed, thrust himself into the priest's office, who was of that tribe, and went into the temple and burnt incense upon the altar of incense; but then he had no right to do it, and was punished for it."

Here is the account of King Uzziah's rebellion and punishment by God for doing only what was lawful for the priest of God to do, "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him. And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land. Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write. So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead." (2 Chronicles 26:16-23) (KJV).

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…