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Perfection and Legalism
It has been objected that the giving of the law from Mount Sinai preceded and did not
follow the setting up of the Levitical priesthood. We do not think the expression
"received the law" refers to the giving of the law at Sinai, and that it is hardly a good
translation. In chapter 4: 2 we find that the people were "evangelized", here, in
7: 11, we see that with the institution of the Levitical priesthood the people were
"legalized". They were shut up to carnal ordinances, mortal priests, and the blood of
bulls and of goats, until Christ should come Who by His offering should "take away the
first, that He may establish the second" (Heb. 10: 9).
"For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the
law" (Heb. 7: 12).
This was a sore point with the Jew. Stephen was stoned to death because they said
that he taught that:
"Jesus of Nazareth shall . . . . . change the customs which Moses delivered us"
(Acts 6: 14).
The same charge was brought against Paul:
"Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the
people, and the law, and this place (the Temple)" (Acts 21: 28).
Those who had become believers from among Israel still retained their regard for the
law:
"Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they
are all zealous of the law: and they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews
which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise
their children, neither to walk after the customs" (Acts 21: 20, 21).
It is evident that in dealing with the change of law and priesthood, the Apostle had a
delicate task before him, and whereas the Gentile could easily grant the whole situation
without scruple, the whole constitution of the Jew rebelled against the very idea. So it is
that we have so much detail, and the consideration of the subject from so many different
points of view. In the section 7: 11-18, the argument revolves round the fact that the
Old Testament recognizes a change in the order of priesthood. In the law, priesthood is
exclusively connected with one tribe, LEVI. Christ however sprang out of JUDAH, but
of this "Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood" (verse 14). "It is evident", said the
Apostle, "that our Lord sprang out of Judah". It is more abundantly "downright evident"
(as the words may be rendered), that the priesthood and the law with it must be set aside,
for the Scripture testifies:
"Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Heb. 7: 17).
The new Priesthood differs from that of the Levitical order in one grand particular.
The Levitical priest was made: