“For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood” (Hebrews 7:13-14).
Psalm 89:14 poetically describes two aspects of God’s character: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne…” (NIV). When used in relation to God, these references tell us that God always does what is true, honest, good, and just. In addition, the Biblical Scriptures also use the word “holy” to describe God’s character. In other words, God is morally perfect and completely distinct from anything that may be wrong, corrupt, or impure (see Isaiah 6:1-5).
In light of these characteristic qualities, we can say that God never “breaks the rules” as He interacts with His creation. He consistently acts with integrity and always does what is ethical and right (Psalm 11:7). These attributes should guide our understanding of this passage from Hebrews 7:13-14.
You see, the fact that Jesus’ human lineage prevented Him from entering the Levitical priestly order was an issue that had to be addressed lawfully. Because of this, the Law had to be changed to accommodate this new (and better) High Priest. One commentary details the practical challenges associated with that change…
“As long as the Mosaic law was operative, the fact that Jesus was of the tribe of Judah created an insurmountable obstacle. The Law never honored or allowed one from that tribe to function as priest. Conversely, when King Uzziah, a Judahite, took that role to himself, God judged him with leprosy (2 Chr 26:16–21).
As long as the Law was functional, Jesus could not serve as priest. But the Law promised another priest, one after the order of Melchizedek, who would replace the insufficient levitical priesthood and its law.” (1)
Another source adds…
“It was from the tribe of Judah that our Lord was descended. The Mosaic legislation never authorized anyone from that tribe to be a priest. Yet Jesus is a Priest. How can that be? Because the law has been changed.” (2)
Finally, the Law itself provided for this amendment, as mentioned earlier. Therefore, God did not act capriciously in executing this change to a new and better priesthood. While the benefit of hindsight allows us to better understand that change, few could have anticipated the depth and breadth of God’s act of reconciliation in Christ before it took place.
(1) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2554.
(2) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad Thomas Nelson Publishers (2 Corinthians 5:10) p.2179