“Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?” (Hebrews 7:11).
On the timeline of Biblical history, there is a multi-century gap between Abraham’s encounter with Melchizedek and the next mention of Melchizedek’s name in Psalm 110. In between those references came the beginning of the Levitical priesthood. That leaves us with the following sequence of events…
- Abraham meets Melchizedek and responds by giving him “…a tenth of everything” (Genesis 14:18-20).
- The Old Testament Levitical priesthood begins (Exodus 28).
- Psalm 110 makes the following statement regarding the Messiah: “The Lord has sworn And will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek'” (Psalm 110:4).
The author of Hebrews uses this chronology to make an important point with a relatively simple question: “…if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?” (NLT).
Jesus also touched upon the superior nature of that priestly order in an exchange with the religious leaders of His day. After successfully fielding several questions that were designed to entrap Him, Jesus responded with a question of His own from Psalm 110…
“Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: ‘What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ They replied, ‘He is the son of David.’
Jesus responded, ‘Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’ Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?’
No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions” (Matthew 22:41-46 NLT).
So Jesus holds a position that is greater than any Levitical priest, but He also holds a position that exceeds the one held by Israel’s greatest political leader: David, the king of Israel. Because of this, we can say that Jesus overcomes the inadequacies that may exist within those religious or political orders that are led by mere human beings.