The Forever Priest Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 7: 11 to 17) God was very strict and specific on the priesthood that only Levites could serve the altar and only Aaron’s descents could be priests. In the Old Testament, it described what happened after Saul’s unlawful sacrifices as below. And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue...” (First Samuel 13: 13 14) Also, King Uzziah's unlawful offering as below. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him.  (Second Chronicles 26: 20) Nonetheless, David and Solomon also offered sacrifices to God, but God was honored and glorified as described below. And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel. (Second Samuel 24: 25) And Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered the burnt offering and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat. (Second Chronicles 7: 7) The purpose that God chose Levitical and separated them from the rest of the Israeli tribes, was for them to serve and glorify God solely without any worldly distractions or personal involvements. David and Solomon indeed made the offering to fulfill God's will and glorify Him, but not Saul and King Uzziah. Saul and King Uzziah did that to fulfill their own gain or pride. That's why the writer of Hebrews said the priesthood perfection had not been attainable. Not because God's priesthood itself was not perfect but because man couldn't understand and perform it according to God's will. That’s why the writer says that Jesus Christ as another priest has been arisen after the order of Melchizedek as described below. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. (Hebrews 7: 3) The Levitical needed to be separated from the Israeli tribes, but Melchizedek was born like that. Jesus Christ himself was like that too, not physically but mentally. In the mind of Jesus Christ, he didn't belong to any worldly domain including his family as described below. While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12: 46 to 50) Jesus Christ also knew his purpose on earth as he described himself below. No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3: 13 to 17) Jesus Christ not only knew his purpose on earth, but also who he was and how to save the world to fulfill God's will. This is exactly a High Priest should be. Not only a High Priest but a forever High Priest because he not only offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to satisfy God's righteousness once for all, but also abolished the condemnation, defected Satan's lies and accusations and glorified God forever. Emmanuel. (To return, select <- on the toolbar)