The Law Makes Nothing Perfect

Today’s reading is Hebrews 7.

Twice already we have been told Jesus was made perfect (Hebrews 2:10; 5:9). However, now we learn Jesus, the Son, was not made perfect by the Law. The Law makes nothing perfect (Hebrews 7:19). Jesus did not become all God wanted Him to be and everything we needed Him to be through the Law. The Law made Aaron and his sons the priests. Jesus is not a son of Aaron. (In this context, “the Law” does not refer to the entire Old Testament as it does in some places, but to the Torah found in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.)

Our author makes a powerful point for his Jewish Christian audience. Psalm 110:4 established a new order of priesthood “later than the law.” The establishment of a new order implies something lacking in the old order. If the Levitical priesthood had been complete, perfect, all that was needed, or could complete, mature, perfect or make whole anything or anyone then the Psalm would claim the Messiah was a priest after the order of Aaron. But it doesn’t. Why? Because neither the Law nor the priesthood under the Law makes anyone or anything perfect–not the priest and not us. Therefore, something new, something different was needed.

Please, grasp the line of reasoning our author presents. It is important in explaining our own relationship with the Law. Jesus is not a priest based on the Law. That is, He is not a priest because He met a legal requirement laid out by Moses. Rather, that law, that legal requirement, was set aside because of its weakness and uselessness. A priesthood not established by or ordained by the Law needed to be established. The law had to be changed to allow for a changed priesthood, a strong, perfected, useful priesthood. That is what happened in Psalm 110. Rather then finding the high priest “on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent,” God swore an oath that the true high priest would be established “by the power of an indestructible life.” This harkens back to Hebrews 2:14-18 which explained Jesus partook of death, but death did not destroy Him. Rather, He destroyed the one who had the power of death and delivered those who were subject to slavery through the fear of death. All of this happened so He would become our faithful and merciful high priest. He was made perfect through what He suffered and endured, not through the Law.

But, here is the key. He was “made perfect forever.” He was not perfected by the Law. The audience of Hebrews was not perfected by the Law. We are not perfected by the Law. We will be perfected only by the High Priest who was made perfect forever. Let us cling not to the Law, but to Jesus our merciful and faithful and perfect High Priest. Only through Him will be perfected.

Tomorrow’s reading is Hebrews 7.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. What comfort do you find learning we are made perfect by Jesus and not by the Law?
3. Do you think this means it doesn’t matter whether we obey God? Why or why not?
4. What do you think clinging to Jesus in order to be perfected looks like?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

What Happened to the Streams?

Today’s reading is Psalm 42.

We have just started the second book of the Psalms. Some suggest there are five books of Psalms to mirror the five books of the Torah. Either way we have moved through a division of the Psalms into a new section. And the contrast couldn’t be greater than how Book I started.

Do you remember how Book I started? There was the blessed man who meditated on the Lord’s Law and he was like a tree planted by streams of water. However, as Book II starts, we have the psalmist separated from God and, like a deer in the middle of a drought, panting for streams of water.

What happened to the streams?

We have no idea when this psalm was written. However, the picture it paints along with the northern geographical markers would fit a situation like 2 Kings 14:11-14, when Jehoash of Israel defeated Amaziah of Judah in battle and took vessels from the temple and hostages up into the north.

The psalmist is no longer able to worship at the Lord’s House. He is no longer able to lead his brothers and sisters in a throng of worship to the temple. Up in the north he sees Hermon, but he doesn’t see Zion. The enemies around him taunt him, “Where’s your God?” In other words, “If you and God are so close, why isn’t He doing something for you right now?”

Yes, as Psalm 1 says, the one who meditates on the Lord and His Law will be like a tree planted by the waters, prospering and bearing fruit. However, that doesn’t mean all of life is going to be like a walk along a garden path. There will be moments when, like this son of Korah, we have to talk to ourselves. We have to remind ourselves we have no need to be cast down and in a turmoil. We have to remind ourselves God is our salvation. What we are facing now will pass. We will once again drink from the streams of God’s mercy and grace. These are tough moments, but not only must we stay in God’s Word, we must speak God’s Word to ourselves over and over again, reminding ourselves to be steadfast.

Hang on no matter what. Even when it seems like the stream has run dry, God is still God and He still cares. This too shall pass.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 42.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the psalm and the written devo above?
2. What are some times you have faced that felt like the streams had all run dry?
3. What helps you hang on to God during those times?
4. How can we help you during those times?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this psalm and our discussion today?