Heb 7:11 Now if there was perfection through the Levitical
priesthood (for under it hath the people received the law), what
further need was there that another priest should arise after the order
of Melchizedek, and not be reckoned after the order of Aaron? ASV
Heb 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical
priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further
need was there that another priest should rise after the order of
Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? KJV
Heb 7:11 Truly, then, if perfection was through the Levitical
priestly office (for the people had been given Law under it), why yet
was there need for another priest to arise according to the order of
Melchizedek and not to be called according to the order of Aaron? LITV
Heb 7:11 Therefore if perfection were by the Levitical priesthood
(for under it the people received the Law), what further need was there
that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek,
and not be called after the order of Aaron? MKJV
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COMMENTARY
First there is the Imperfection of the Levitical Priesthood. It
was insufficient to accomplish true remission of sins. No matter how
many animal sacrifices were offered the people still remained in their
sins. We know this is so because Hebrews says that the blood of bulls
& goats can never take away sins. Therefore all those under the
Levitical Priesthood of Aaron & his descendants remain in their
sin.
Next we see a very important point concerning the law which
relates directly to the issue of the Two Covenants. It was under the
Levitical Priesthood that the Law was given. That means that the Law
and the Levitical Priesthood both stand or fall together, as a unit. As
they say.. you can't have one without the other. Where you had the
Levitical Priesthood there you had the Law; and where you have the Law
you must of necessity have the Levitical Priesthood! They both stand or
fall together. So that, when people want to reinstate Moses, as in
Dispensationalism, or have him continue, as in Covenant Theology, they
must of ~Absolute Necessity~ have the Levitical Priesthood. In other
words, when a Dispensationalist says the
Old Economy sacrificial system will be reinstated in his millennium he
~Must of Necessity~ say that the Levitical Priesthood will also be
reinstated. Even if he says the system will only be a "memorial" you
still need the Levitical Priesthood in
order for it to be the true Old Testament Economy. Conversely, when the
Covenant Theologian says that Moses is now still in force and binding
on all men in all ages he also ~Must of
Necessity~ say that the Levitical Priesthood is still in force. But you
see folks.. if Moses and Aaron are still in force then that ~Must
of Necessity~ place the Lord Jesus Christ ~Outside~ the legal office of
Priesthood because he was from the tribe of Judah and Not Levi!
That makes Him an Illegal Priest and if that's so then there is
no salvation. That means that when a Dispensationalist or a Covenant Theologian
says that Moses is still in force or will be in the future they
are denying the Gospel and robbing saints of their salvation.
Can a person who denies the Gospel be a Christian?
The only way to resolve all this is to see that the Scriptures
clearly teach that Moses was completely fulfilled in the Lord Jesus
Christ and then nailed to His cross in its entirety and put away once
and for all. While He was doing all that He was also bringing in a New
Law, or more precisely in Biblical language, the Lord Jesus Christ was
~Changing~ the law and in so doing He was abrogating both the Law and
the Levitical Priesthood in order to make room for Himself to rightly
assume the office of The Great High Priest, who was indeed 'after the
order of Melchizedek' but was so much higher and better than either
Melchizedek or Aaron in that He was able to secure eternal salvation
for all those whom the Father had given Him in eternity! This is the
whole force of these chapters in Hebrews folks... the insufficiency of
the entire Old Economy including the Levitical Priesthood and the
necessity to change the entire system which included both the Law and
the Priesthood under which that Law was given; and the full and
complete sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ to accomplish that which
neither the Law nor the Levitical Priesthood could ever accomplish...
eternal salvation for the elect of God.
In short, if perfection comes
through Aaron and the Levitical Priesthood, what need would there be to
change it? But since perfection did not come by the Levitical
Priesthood, it was necessary that it be changed. And since the
Levitical Priesthood had to be changed, it was necessary to change the
Law! So says the very next verse!
Hebrews
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