“And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’” Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant” ( Hebrews 7:20-22 )

Several times throughout the gospels the voice of God was heard over Jesus. The first instance is when he was baptized by John. A voice came from heaven and said, “This is my Son, whom I love: with him I am well pleased” ( Matthew 3:17 ). Another notable event was on the mount of transfiguration. While Jesus was speaking with Moses and Elijah a bright cloud enveloped them and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” ( Matthews 17:5 ). Lastly right before Jesus death, while He was praying in the garden He said, “Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ( John 12:28 ). Everyone there had different reaction to the voice of God, some said it had thundered and others said an angel had spoken to him. However look at Jesus’ response “This voice was for your benefit, not mine” ( John 12:30 ).

Every time God spoke audibly to Jesus it was for our benefit. Jesus understood God’s nature completely because they are one and the same so the words were not said for Jesus’ sake ( John 1:1, Colossians 1:15, Colossians 1:19, Hebrews 1:1-2 ) However, He said these things about Jesus so we could have insight into this relationship between the two. Through it we see that God loved Jesus, God was pleased with Jesus and God’s name was glorified through Jesus. These are important truths to know.

In the same way, the oath made between God and Jesus that He would eternally be our High Priest was made solely for our benefit so we could understand that the covenant made on our behalf was lasting and eternal. In fact God wanted to make His intent very clear so He made us this promise and then confirmed it with an oath and hinged everything on his character, “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. ( Hebrews 6:17-18 ). Knowing this should give us boldness and courage to approach God on the basis of being reconciled through Jesus.

Because of this oath, through Christ we have full access to God. We have boldness to enter into the very presence of the Father to find grace and help in every circumstance of life ( Hebrews 4:16 ). This is why the Law was weak and useless ( Hebrews 7:18 ). It could not bring us into perfect fellowship with God the Father ( Hebrews 7:11 ), however Jesus did. And because God promised Him on oath that He was a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, He has become the guarantee of a better, stronger and more advantageous covenant ( Hebrews 7:22 ). God wants us to know this; which is why He made this oath to Jesus. This is something we should constantly remind ourselves so that we can live in a state of peace, being assured that we are acceptable to God solely on the basis of what Jesus did for us. This is an amazing truth, which is why John said, “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” ( I John 3:19-20 ).

The oath made to Jesus was made solely for our benefit so that we would know and rest in the covenant that Jesus secures for us. Through Christ we have peace with God (Romans 5:1) and confidence to approach Him through faith ( Hebrews 4:16 ). This is why the covenant of grace we have is far superior to the old covenant in every way imaginable and this new covenant is guaranteed eternally by the oath made on our behalf.

“The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God” ( Hebrews 7:18-19 )

The solution to the chasm that sin created is not the Law. As this passage clearly declares using it in this way is weak, useless and ineffective. Paul called the Law the ministry of death ( II Corinthians 3:7 ). So relying on it to bring us into fellowship with God, bridging the gap caused by sin, only brings us death and condemnation.

On the other hand, if it is used in accordance to its true purpose then we will be justified by it. “the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law” ( Galatians 3:24-25 ). The Law was set aside when Jesus ushered in the New Covenant because it was useless in bringing a person into perfect fellowship with God ( Hebrews 7:11 ). The Law defined our sin in relation to God’s holiness. So in essence it accused us before God, bringing further separation instead of reconciliation. Which is why Paul told Timothy, the Law was not made for the righteous man, but for sinners ( I Timothy 1:8-10 ). It showed us the need for a savior. So trusting in Christ to save us is the better hope that this passage is describing by which we draw near to God for reconciliation.

Paul made this very observation about the purpose of the Law in Romans 7, “What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. ( Romans 7:7-13 ).

The main point that the writer is making is that to draw near to God we must set aside the Law, because the Law strengthens sin in our lives increasing its hold on us instead of bringing us the reconciliation we need.  Instead we should cling to the better hope by which we have full access to God.

This blessed hope is in the person of Jesus Christ who has paved the way for us to enter blamelessly into the God’s very presence ( Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 10:19-22 ).  His blood has completely wiped away the effects of sin in our lives once for all ( Hebrews  9:12, Hebrews  9:14, Hebrews  9:26, Hebrews  9:28, Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:12, Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 10:18, Hebrews 10:22 ). This is why we have this access. Jesus imputed His righteousness to us when we believed; the righteousness required to fulfill the entire law. Adherence to the law couldn’t make us righteous because of our sin nature ( Galatians 3:21 ). However Jesus fulfilled it because He was sinless. Then He gave us His Spirit to replace that sin nature when we were born again, which is how He imputed His righteousness to us. This is why He is the better hope by which we can come before God.

When we understand this, it gives us boldness and confidence before God instead of uncertainly and fear. Under the Law, the High Priest was allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies and into the presence of God once a year when he made atonement for the people. However, when Jesus was crucified on the cross the curtain that had separated the people from God’s presence was torn entirely in two from top to bottom ( Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45 ). This was done by God himself showing us that Jesus paved the way for us to come with full assurance of faith and clean consciences ( Hebrews 10:22 ). His body is now the curtain by which we can freely enter at will ( Hebrews 10:20 ).

This is why the law is set aside when we are saved, because its purpose has been fulfilled in bringing us to Christ to be justified by faith. Now that Jesus is our High Priest, He assures this access eternally. “For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever” ( Hebrews 7:28 ). Jesus is the better hope which gives us confidence before God.