Hebrews 7:28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
The greatness of the Son is compared again to something else. The author compared Jesus to the angels in ch. 1 and to the Levitical priests in ch. 6. His comparison focuses now on the high priest who was appointed to make special atonement for the people on one special day each year. The high priests were appointed by the regulation of the law. These high priests were still human. They were weak and even sinful. The author would agree with Paul in Romans 3:23, that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Some early church fathers even considered Paul to have authored this epistle. Many of the ideas in Hebrews agree with Paul’s letters. The Jews had followed the law for almost 1500 years, although for many of those years, their commitment and knowledge of the law were weak. Often politics entered into the selection of high priests. The weakness and limitations of the priesthood in Israel and in the Judaism of the first century are compared to the perfected priesthood of Jesus as the Son of God. The Son was appointed by the Father to serve in the special role of high priest. Jesus is the only one who fits the qualifications that humanity needed. He was sinless but also experienced human weaknesses. He can identify with us while also being the only human who can enter God’s holy presence because he was without sin. He opens up the throne of grace for us.
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