BETTER COVENANT. Hebrews 7:20-21 No oath was taken when the Levitical priesthood of Judaism was established. This was because it was a temporary priesthood, a shadow of what was to come later. The value of a covenant depends on whether an oath was made. The Aaronic priesthood was imperfect and deteriorating, as history records of Israel. When an oath is made, something final and authoritative by nature is declared.
There were many Jewish priests, but God never committed Himself to them forever. Their death made that impossible. When God made an oath with Abraham, it was to him and his seed, which is Christ. The better covenant is “better” because of the plan God made for people to be able to come to Him. The priestly work of our Lord Jesus Christ included His life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. This complete redemptive work is backed by the authority of the Father, which guarantees the validity of the new covenant. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the surety of the new covenant.
The new covenant is a life-giving agreement that originates from the hearts of those who enter it. Obedience flows from the new life we receive from God. Our Lord Jesus, as the Great High Priest, ensures that all the terms of the covenant are fulfilled. He guarantees that God will keep His promises, has given us eternal life, and that the law of life and God's Spirit reside within us. He also acts as our surety to God, confirming that our obedience and dedication are acceptable. Our High Priest has dealt with the sin that separated us and has taken it away.
He has opened a new and living way, a new and satisfying life, and the power of an endless life with divine certainty that every promise and obligation will be fulfilled. The office He holds has been confirmed by an oath that He swears by Himself. Through His person, His honor, and His word, this better covenant is established. By faith, we see what God has promised, and by faith, we allow God to fulfill His promise in us.
Our role is to understand and accept what the Holy Spirit teaches in God’s word. That way, we will be freed from the “what ifs” of flawed and partial views of what our Great High Priest is working out for us and through us. Our responsibility is to wait for guidance from God and then allow Him to do what He wants through us. God will lead us when we walk by faith in Him.