Hebrews 7:21

Whence also the prophet says, The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedec.

Since he was the one who under the law appointed priests but brought them to an end and declared another in their place, he was obliged to say that he appointed them without taking an oath, but in his case included an oath as well. …

"And inasmuch as not without an oath." What is "And inasmuch as not without an oath"? That is, Behold another difference also. And these things were not merely promised (he says). "For those priests were made without an oath, but This with an oath, by Him that said unto Him, The Lord swore and will not repent, Thou art Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better covenant." He lays down two points of difference, that it hath no end as the covenant of the Law had; and this he proves from its being Christ who exercises the priesthood; for he says "according to the power of an endless life." And he proves it also from the oath, because "He swore," and from the fact; for if the other was cast out, because it was weak, this stands firm, because it is powerful. He proves it also from the priest. How? Because He is One only; and there would not have been One only, unless He had been immortal. For as there were many priests, because they were mortal, so here is The One, because He is immortal. "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better covenant," inasmuch as He swore to Him that He should always be Priest; which He would not have done, if He were not living.

For, he says, the priests of the law are appointed without an oath, and God swore concerning none of them, saying: you shall be a priest according to the law. But Christ with an oath, given through God, who says to Him: You are a …

365. – In regard to the first he forms the following argument: That which is instituted without an oath is less valid than that which is instituted with an oath. But the priesthood of Christ was instituted with an oath, as is clear from what …

Here God has upon oath declared the immutability, excellency, efficacy, and eternity, of the priesthood of Christ. There is a change in that covenant of which the priesthood was a security and the priest a surety; that is, a change in the dispensation of that covenant. The gospel dispensation is more full, free, perspicuous, spiritual, and efficacious, than that of the law.

For these priests were made without an oath,....

Translate in the Greek order, "For they indeed (the existing legal priests) without the (solemn) promise on oath (so the Greek [TITTMANN]) are made priests." by him--God. unto him--the Lord, the Son of God (Ps 110:1). not repent--never change His purpose. after the order of Melchisedec--omitted in some oldest manuscripts, contained in others.

THOSE Of you who read Scripture carefully will have noticed that the word, "better," is one of the key words of the Epistle to the Hebrews. You are constantly meeting with it. In the opening chapter we read that our Lord Jesus Christ is "made so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." Look a little further and you are taught that He is better than Moses, inasmuch as Moses was faithful as a servant in the Lord's house, but Christ, as a Son over His own house.

THOSE Of you who read Scripture carefully will have noticed that the word, "better," is one of the key words of the Epistle to the Hebrews. You are constantly meeting with it. In the opening chapter we read that our Lord Jesus Christ is "made so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." Look a little further and you are taught that He is better than Moses, inasmuch as Moses was faithful as a servant in the Lord's house, but Christ, as a Son over His own house. Further on we find our blessed Lord described as better than Aaron, while His blood is mentioned as speaking better things than that of Abel. And He is declared, in our text, to be the Surety of a better Testament, of which it is said that it is established upon better promises. It would be a very delightful subject to work out the betterness of Christ, of His blood, of His Covenant and to show that however good other things may be, they must all yield in excellence to Him. It is implied in the use of the word, "better," that the ordinances of the ceremonial Law were good, in their place, but Jesus is better than the best of all visible things—the eternal Christ is better than the best of all the temporal arrangements which God has made for the good of man. How much better what heart shall conceive? "If the ministration of condemnation is glory, much more does the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For if that which is done away with was glorious, much more that which remains is glorious." It behooves us, my dear Brothers and Sisters, to have a firmer faith than Old Testament saints because we see more clearly our ground of trust.

Those priests - The Levitical, were made without an oath, to show that the whole system was changeable, and might be abolished. But this - The everlasting priesthood of Christ, with an oath, to show that the Gospel dispensation should never change, and never be abolished. By him - God the Father, that said unto him - the promised Messiah, Psa 110:4, The Lord sware, to show the immutability of his counsel, and will not repent - can never change his mind nor purpose, Thou art a priest for ever - as long as time shall run, and the generations of men be continued on earth. Till the necessity of the mediatorial kingdom be superseded by the fixed state of eternity, till this kingdom be delivered up unto the Father, and God shall be all in all, shall this priesthood of Christ endure.