Able To Draw Near To God

January 14th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

Hebrews 7:20-25 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath 21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, “The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever’ ”); 22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 23 The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Melchizedek was a type of Christ, superior to Abraham who carried in his loins Israel’s future priesthood. Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek in Genesis 14:20 proved his inferiority to Melchizedek’s priesthood, for by tithing to him, Abraham’s inferior yet-to-be-born-priesthood in Levi, also tithed to Melchizedek. Now the author adds that Jesus’ superior priesthood came with an oath taken by God Himself. The Jewish priesthood could make no such boast (v. 20).

Jewish priests became such on the basis of their ancestry. As to the Law, only Levites could serve at the Temple, and only the descendants of Aaron could be priests. But the priesthood of Jesus was superior to the Law that prescribed such, which in itself was imperfect since it was unable to make anyone perfect (vv. 18-19). Verses 20-21 reveal Jesus Christ’s superior priesthood in that, contrary to the Jewish priests, Christ was made a priest according to God’s sworn oath. The author then quotes Psalm 110:4 to prove that before Christ took on flesh, God swore on oath to Him that He would be a priest forever. And God does not change His mind.

Having shown his Jewish audience the superiority of Jesus Christ over Judaism, and doing so by using the Jewish Scriptures, the author then made the logical move in v. 22 to show that Jesus had become the “guarantee of a better covenant.” This of course meant that the old covenant (the Law of Moses in the OT) was superseded by the new covenant (cf. Jer. 31:31-34). The fact that this new covenant is guaranteed by the superior Priest proves that the old covenant of Moses, the Law, has been replaced with something better. It all boils down to having faith in God. In this new covenant God the Father swore on oath that the Christ, His Son, would be the superior Priest (Ps. 110:4; Heb. 7:14-17). Also, God the Son guaranteed that He Himself was, and is, the better covenant (Heb. 7:22). Moreover, God the Spirit is pledged as the downpayment for the believer’s future redemption (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14). Clearly God has gone to great lengths to assure His people of both His promises and His honor.

The Jewish priests were numerous during their 1,500 years of existence. They all died, yet Jesus continues as a priest forever because He lives. His priesthood is therefore enduring, and He “lives to make intercession” for those who draw near to Him for salvation (v. 25). Jesus made the impossible possible, namely for believers to “draw near to God” (4:16; 7:19). Those who do so are saved because of His constant intercession on their behalf. It is now by virtue of His death, resurrection, and ascension that He intercedes for all Christians (Rom. 8:34).

Food For Thought
Christians know that Christ is superior, but we don’t always live our lives exhibiting our belief in such. Christ is superior to sex, yet many choose to sin sexually in order to fulfill that which sex cannot fulfill. Christ is superior to riches, yet some sell their souls to materialism which never fulfills. Christ is superior to sleep, yet many regularly sleep in on Sundays and disdain worship. For many, the knowledge that Christ is superior is just knowledge. Their refusal to put their knowledge into action, however, says something very disturbing about their faith.