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THE first person in history who was called a priest, was Melchisedec; and that priesthood which is of his order shall endure for ever.  Before, Abraham, Abel, and Noah, and others performed the sacerdotal functions, and the sons of Aaron for ages served at the altar as a separated class; but the priesthood of Christ is of the highest order, and endures for ever.  In order to point out this we shall show first, that Christ was personally greater than Aaron; and secondly, that his priesthood was infinitely higher than his. 

First, Christ is personally greater than Aaron.

• The Lord Jesus is the Son of God.  He is God himself.  In his human nature he is free from sin.  He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.  He is the Father’s righteous servant; the Most Holy; the Lord our righteousness.  Aaron, on the other hand, was a sinful man.  He sinned in the matter of the golden calf; he sanctified not the Lord at the waters of Meribah, “strife;” he took part with Miriam in envying Moses; and he had to offer on the day of atonement a bullock for his own sin, as well as a goat for the sins of the children of Israel.  And he died on Mount Hor in the land of Edom before reaching Canaan, incurring the forfeit of life for his own sin.  The Lord was displeased with Aaron, but heard the prayer of Moses on his behalf.  “And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him; and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.” Deut. 9.20.  But the testimony of the Father from heaven given once and again concerning his Son was, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matt. 3.17; 17.5. 
• Aaron could do nothing by himself.  He was indeed an eloquent man.  But God said to Moses: “Thou shalt speak unto him, and put words {222} in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.” Exod. 4.15.  And when Moses was up in the mount his eloquence was unavailing to him with the children of Israel.  But of the Lord Jesus it was said: “Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.” Psalm 45.2.  He is Christ, the power of God, and the Wisdom of God.  Never man spake like this man.  Aaron in general had need of his brother Moses, and was associated with him in discharging his duties.  Moses and Aaron together went in unto Pharaoh, and it was, according to God’s command, at the bidding of Moses, that Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and his servants, and it became a serpent. Exod. 7.9,10.  When the tabernacle was set up, Moses and Aaron washed in the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar.  And, in general whether in more ordinary or extraordinary circumstances, they came before the tabernacle of the congregation, as when the sacrifices were offered, or the people were gathered against them.  Moses and Aaron together were called to speak to the rock.  By the two the Lord led his people through the wilderness.  And, by Moses, Aaron was anointed and separated to the priesthood.  On the other hand, the Lord Jesus stood alone, and of the people there was none with him.  “And their noble one shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me, saith the Lord?” Jer. 30.21.  When the Lord Jesus was about to suffer, all his disciples forsook Him and fled.  And yet He was not alone, for the Father was with Him.  And when He said, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” He Himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree.  Aaron once and again was left with the children of Israel, while Moses approached the Divine presence.  The Redeemer, even while He tabernacled here below was the Son of Man then in heaven. 
• The dignity of the house of Aaron was strengthened by his affinity with the house of the prince of Judah, he having taken Elisheba, the sister of Naashon to wife.  The Lord Jesus is a prophet, priest, and king, in one person.  The blessing of God was invoked on the house of Aaron.  The Lord Jesus Himself commands the blessing, even life for evermore.  Aaron, with the rest of the children of Israel, fed upon the manna which came down from heaven.  The Lord Jesus provides food for his people.  And He Himself is the bread of God, the true manna, that came down from heaven.  The people who ate of the manna in the wilderness died.  But they who eat of this bread shall live for ever.  Aaron and his sons in the sanctuary trimmed the sacred lamps.  The Lord Jesus Himself is the true light that lighteneth every one that cometh into the world.  The oil of Divine grace is the anointing of his Holy Spirit.  He is the light of salvation that shines in the sanctuary.  The cloud of the presence {223} has disappeared.  But the glory of the Lord has appeared, and all flesh shall see it together.  The Jews say that when Aaron died the cloud was taken up.  And we know that it stopped on the borders of the promised land.  But the presence of God was really enjoyed when the Lord Jesus became incarnate, God manifest in the flesh.

But Secondly, the priesthood of Christ is infinitely higher than that of Aaron and his sons.

• The priesthood under the law as well as the people were compassed with infirmity, and being thus bound together in sympathy, the one had to offer for themselves as well as for the other offerings on account of sin.  But the great High Priest of our profession is without sin.
• Aaron was indeed called to his office.  But Christ was called to his priesthood in terms addressed to no mere creature.  “Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.” [Psalm 2.7; Heb. 5.5.]  “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”  This priest of the Most High God was a real and also a typical character.  His history is given in Gen. 14.  He was king of a given place, Salem, signifying “peace.”  And his name was “King of righteousness.”  His name and his dominion were therefore both significant and accordant as cause and effect.  The effect of righteousness is quietness, and peace and assurance for ever.  The Lord Jesus is “the Lord our righteousness.”  And “of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.” [Isa. 9.7]  Melchisedec blessed Abraham not by himself, but in the words of prayer: “Blessed be Abraham of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth.”  Of the angel with whom Jacob wrestled till the breaking of the day, we read, however, “And he blessed him there,” the blessing being pronounced in his own name.  And though Aaron prayed “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee,” the Lord Jesus gave his own blessing in the Sermon on the Mount.  But Melchisedec having blessed Abraham, was the greater, for “without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.”  And a proof that he was greater than Abraham is found in the latter giving to him the tenth of the spoils.  And from this the apostle in writing to the Hebrews argues that the Levites who were represented by Abraham were thus shown to be inferior to Melchisedec.  Abraham was both a prince and a priest.  Isaac and Jacob successively inherited the twofold office.  In Moses the two were at first combined, but afterwards shared between him and Aaron.  The tribe of Levi was taken instead of the first-born of the families of Israel to serve about the tabernacle.  And the house of Aaron was taken to minister at the altar instead of the princes of the tribes.  The transmission, therefore, of the priestly office from Abraham to the sons of Aaron was by inheritance and succession.  That of the house of Aaron was, therefore, of the same order as that of Abraham, and inferior to that of Melchisedec, and much more to that of Christ.
• Again, Melchisedec was a priest of a higher order than that of Aaron, as he had no predecessor, and no successor, both of which they of the house of Aaron had for a long period. {224}  “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the son of God, abideth a priest continually.” Heb. 7.3.  There are only two passages in which the priesthood of the order of Aaron is represented as everlasting—viz., Exod. 40.15, and Num. 25.13.  Both promises, however, are really limited; in the former, the words, “throughout their generations” being used, and in the latter, “He”—i.e., Eleazar, “shall have it, and his seed after him.”  It is a matter of fact that while the promise was fulfilled, the priesthood of Aaron ceased, whether from the temple service ceasing, or the sons of Aaron dying out, or from both causes.  And, indeed, we find that in the days of David, Ahimelech, of the family of Ithamar, was priest, although that afterwards Abiathar, his son, and Zadok, of the family of Eleazar, were priests at the same time. 2 Sam. 8.17; 1 Chron. 24.3,4.  If the priesthood of the order of Aaron had been adapted to all times, it should have been continued.  But it was not, and it therefore ceased.  In its stead came one that was to endure for ever.  And in so far as that which is enduring or eternal excels that which is temporary, in so far the priesthood of Christ excels that of Aaron.
• In so far as the moral law excels the ceremonial, in so far does the one excel the other.  And in the change that was made, the dignity was taken from the tribe of Levi and given to that of Judah, of whom no man after the giving of the law had ministered at the altar.  And this signified that the work of the tribe of Levi, which was but significant at the highest, was done, and that the work of a real priesthood, that of Christ, who is both king and priest, was then to come.  Even of this fact, too, there were foreshadowings, when, several centuries after the blessing of Judah by the patriarch Jacob, the government of the people, whether by judges or priests, or a king, was divided among the Benjamites and Levites, and royalty passed into the tribe of Judah only in the person of David.  In so much, therefore, as the substance excels the shadow, in so much more excellent than the former is that Priest of which it is said, “Who is not made after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.” Heb. 7.16.
• The superiority of this priesthood will appear also from the oath of God by which it was confirmed.  The priests, under the law, were made without an oath, but this with an oath by Him that said unto Him, “The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec.”  The covenant of God with Abraham was ratified by an oath, but no oath confirmed the Aaronic priesthood.  The covenant was to continue, the priesthood to pass away.  A change in the dispensation of the covenant was to take place, but the promise of the covenant was sure.  And the priesthood of Christ which was confirmed by an oath was required to give perpetuity to the covenant of Abraham, the blessings of which were solely by promise.  Abraham is dead, but the covenant made with him endures.  The services of the sons of Aaron have long since come to an end, {225} and the dispensation under which these were performed has passed away.  The new covenant, or last dispensation of Divine grace is the continuance of the Abrahamic covenant after the ritual and typical dispensation of Sinai has ceased.  And finally, the great High Priest of our profession ever liveth.  His priesthood is, therefore, truly an everlasting priesthood.

From this subject, therefore, in conclusion,

• Let us, in the First place, infer the infinite dignity of the priesthood of Christ.  He is King and Lord of all.  He is the only High Priest constituted by the oath of God.  He is truly the Shepherd of Israel.  He led his people from the days of old, even like a flock.  He sent them Moses and Aaron, his chosen ones, but his own eye was still over them.  He raised up men to rule over them according to his pleasure.  He sent them David his servant, a man after his own heart.  He continued among them a system of carnal ordinances till the period of the promise should come.  He then, of whom preludes have been given in the likeness of men, who had caused his glory to shine forth in the pillar of the cloud, and in the holy place of the tabernacle or temple, at last came in his person.  Great was the work which He had to accomplish.  None of his servants could accomplish it.  The offerings presented under the law could not effect it.  It could not be done in heaven.  It must be performed on earth.  The Redeemer came to earth to die for his people, giving Himself an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.  But his intercession is conducted in heaven—his royalty is exercised there.  The blood of the everlasting covenant has been carried within the most holy place.  It cannot be washed out.  It cries not for vengeance, however, but speaks peace.  Peace to them that are afar off, and to them that are nigh.  And there the sceptre of royalty is laid up.  It goes forth as a rod of Jehovah’s strength from Zion.  But it returns to rest there.  No more shall the insignia of Israel’s government go into Philistia, or Babylon, or Rome.  They have been carried into heaven.  The Prophet, King, and Priest is there.  There He fulfils his own predictions, there He intercedes for his people, there He rules over them in all lands.  There He shall receive them in the end.  There his promise is fulfilled by Him wearing the priestly and royal garments of glory and beauty: “They shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels.” [Mal. 3.17.]
• And Secondly, let us draw near to God through Him.  He is indeed the friend of sinners.  He sympathizes with his people.  In all their afflictions He was afflicted.  He gave his very life a ransom for them.  He intercedes for them.  And of all that the Father hath given Him hath He lost none.  Are we sinful? God extends pardon and acceptance through Him.  Are we diseased? He can not merely pronounce us clean, but make us so.  Let us, then, do honour to the glorious Redeemer, and unite in saying in terms of adoration, “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise.  Thine hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies.”  Are our natures still influenced by sin? let us come to {225} him that He may take away all iniquity and receive us graciously.  Are our enemies many and powerful? Let us depend on his strength, and invoke his aid.  He will undertake for us.  Having loved his own, He loved them unto the end.  Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.  He gave Himself for his people, and He will save them by his life.  His eye is upon them for good.  Let us turn away our eyes from visionary vanity.  The eyes of men shall yet be turned to the Lord.  Let us wait for Him as they who wait for the morning.  “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”