Hebrews explains something absolutely foundational to understanding the transition from the Old Testament system to the New Testament ministry of Jesus Christ.
The issue is not simply that Jesus brought a new message. Something much greater happened.
Hebrews 7 gives us the key:
“For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” — Hebrews 7:12, KJV
That verse connects the priesthood and the law directly.
If the priesthood has changed, the administration connected with that priesthood cannot simply continue unchanged.
Aaron's priesthood was temporary and earthly. Christ's priesthood is eternal and heavenly.
Hebrews begins by immediately directing our attention to Jesus Christ.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son...” — Hebrews 1:1-2, KJV
The Son is not merely another prophet. Hebrews presents Christ as the Son through whom God has spoken.
“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” — Hebrews 1:3, KJV
Notice the words: “when he had by himself purged our sins.”
The work was accomplished by Christ Himself.
Hebrews warns believers not to neglect the great salvation provided through Christ.
“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation...” — Hebrews 2:3, KJV
Hebrews continually points away from the temporary and toward the eternal.
The message is not about returning to an earthly religious system. It is about recognizing the superiority of what God has accomplished through His Son.
Moses was faithful in God's house, but Hebrews makes a distinction between the servant and the Son.
“For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.” — Hebrews 3:3, KJV
Hebrews keeps moving the reader upward:
Moses was a servant. Christ is the Son.
The Old Testament system pointed forward. Christ is the fulfillment toward which those shadows pointed.
Hebrews 4 speaks of entering into God's rest.
“For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” — Hebrews 4:10, KJV
This does not teach that the believer becomes careless. It teaches that confidence is no longer placed in one's own works as the basis of acceptance before God.
The believer comes to Christ and rests in what Christ has accomplished.
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16, KJV
Notice that the throne is called the throne of grace.
Now Hebrews begins revealing the great priesthood change.
“So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.” — Hebrews 5:5, KJV
“As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” — Hebrews 5:6, KJV
This is crucial.
Jesus Christ is not presented as another priest in the Aaronic succession.
He is a priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrews presents the hope of the believer as an anchor of the soul.
“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;” — Hebrews 6:19, KJV
And again the priesthood of Christ is emphasized:
“Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” — Hebrews 6:20, KJV
Hebrews 7 contains one of the most important statements for understanding the relationship between the priesthood and the law.
“For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” — Hebrews 7:12, KJV
The priesthood changed. Therefore the law connected with that priesthood necessarily changed.
Why?
Because the law specified the priesthood, the sacrifices, the offerings, the tabernacle service, and the earthly religious administration.
But Jesus did not come from the tribe of Levi.
“For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” — Hebrews 7:14, KJV
Christ's priesthood therefore belongs to another order.
“For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” — Hebrews 7:17, KJV
Hebrews then explains the weakness of the former commandment and the bringing in of a better hope:
“For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.” — Hebrews 7:18, KJV
“For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.” — Hebrews 7:19, KJV
Hebrews is not saying that God's law was meaningless. It is explaining that the former system could not bring God's ultimate perfection through the Levitical priesthood and its sacrifices.
Hebrews 8 continues the argument.
“But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” — Hebrews 8:6, KJV
The earthly priesthood belonged to the old covenant administration. Christ is the mediator of the better covenant.
“In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” — Hebrews 8:13, KJV
The warning is therefore clear: do not confuse the former covenant administration with the present ministry of Christ.
Hebrews is moving the believer from the old earthly system to the superior heavenly ministry of Christ.
The old covenant involved earthly tabernacle worship and animal sacrifices.
But Christ entered with something infinitely greater.
“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” — Hebrews 9:12, KJV
Notice the word: ONCE.
Christ did not need to continually repeat His sacrifice.
“Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;” — Hebrews 9:25, KJV
Christ's sacrifice is fundamentally different.
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many...” — Hebrews 9:28, KJV
Hebrews 10 makes the contrast unmistakable.
“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” — Hebrews 10:1, KJV
The sacrifices were a shadow. Christ is the substance.
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” — Hebrews 10:4, KJV
Then Hebrews brings us to Christ:
“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” — Hebrews 10:10, KJV
“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;” — Hebrews 10:12, KJV
The old priests stood because their work was never permanently finished. Christ sat down because His sacrifice was accomplished.
“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” — Hebrews 10:14, KJV
After explaining Christ's superior sacrifice, Hebrews turns to faith.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1, KJV
Hebrews then gives example after example of people who trusted God by faith.
The message fits perfectly with Galatians:
The believer's relationship with God is centered on faith, not self-righteous religious performance.
Hebrews 12 brings everything back to Christ.
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith...” — Hebrews 12:2, KJV
The believer's eyes are not supposed to remain fixed upon the old system.
We look unto Jesus.
He is the author and finisher of our faith.
Do not turn your eyes backward to the shadow when the substance has come.
Hebrews closes by directing the believer's attention to Jesus Christ.
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” — Hebrews 13:8, KJV
And the book ends with Christ's sacrifice and God's work in the believer.
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant...” — Hebrews 13:20, KJV
The finished work of Christ was not an accident or an afterthought. Scripture reveals that Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
“Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,” — 1 Peter 1:20, KJV
Revelation also speaks of the Lamb in connection with the foundation of the world:
“...the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” — Revelation 13:8, KJV
God's redemptive purpose in Christ therefore reaches back before the foundation of the world.
But when Jesus hung upon the cross, He declared the accomplishment of that work:
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” — John 19:30, KJV
Hebrews gives us a remarkable progression:
The Aaronic priesthood was connected to the law.
Christ's priesthood is after the order of Melchisedec.
Therefore Hebrews tells us plainly:
“For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” — Hebrews 7:12, KJV
The believer is therefore not looking for righteousness through the old priesthood and its repeated sacrifices.
We look to Jesus Christ, our eternal High Priest.
If the priesthood has changed, do not pretend the priesthood has not changed.
If Christ is the eternal High Priest, do not place your confidence in the temporary Aaronic priesthood.
If Christ offered one sacrifice for sins forever, do not return to the repeated sacrifices of the old system.
If Christ is the mediator of a better covenant, do not confuse the old covenant administration with the present ministry of Christ.
If the law was a shadow of good things to come, do not substitute the shadow for the substance.
Galatians and Hebrews are teaching complementary truths.
Galatians emphasizes the danger of returning to the law as the basis of righteousness.
Hebrews explains the priesthood and covenant structure behind that transition.
Galatians says:
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” — Galatians 5:1, KJV
Hebrews explains why:
“For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” — Hebrews 7:12, KJV
Together, these passages point us to the superiority of Christ.
And at the center of it all is Jesus Christ.
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith...” — Hebrews 12:2, KJV
The believer's confidence is not in himself.
It is not in an earthly priest.
It is not in repeated sacrifices.
It is not in returning to the old covenant administration.
Our confidence is in the eternal High Priest: Jesus Christ.