Weaknesses and Perfect Appointments

For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:28) This verse summarizes the contrast between the old and new covenant priesthood. First, the old covenant priesthood was appointed by law without a divine oath (v. 20), while the eternal priesthood of Christ was appointed by an oath (v. 21). Second, the temporary appointment of weak and sinful (v. 27) men is contrasted with the eternal appointment of the sinless Son who is “perfect forever.” I’m not going to get into this any further except to say that you should read the whole chapter to understand the comparison happening in this verse. Rather, I want to focus on weaknesses and perfect appointments. Let me get started– priests, all of them, religious people, clergy, pastors, rainmen, whatever you call them are, at best, beset with weaknesses in comparison with divine standards. At the end of the day, all flesh and blood is weak and dependent; I don’t care what you lift in the gym, or what good deeds you do on Thanksgiving, or what your morality dictates you are able to download on the internet. So, what I’m saying is that if you’re trying to find redemption from people, religious or not, it’s a waste of time. It’s not going to save you. The euphoria stemming from finding somebody or something that will condone or forgive your sins here on earth will never give you the satisfaction that comes from Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. The things and people that condone or forgive, i use them interchangeably because most people use the two words synonymously, although it is erroneous to do so, to emphasize the fact that it doesn’t matter because those things and people are weak, at best. Simply put, there isn’t a single thing they can do for you when it comes time to do anything. Now, on the flip side of all that is what the author of the Hebrews deems as the “perfect appointment.” The passage states that the Son (Jesus) was made perfect. That perfection was made, it was earned, it was proven. It means that when things hit the fan, Jesus did not shrink into imperfection like the “high priests”; rather, Jesus just became better and sweeter. What we have to understand is that when Jesus stepped onto this earth and lived like we did, except he lived without sinning, his perfection was made. Moreover, when he endured the cross, as the sacrifice, he allowed the Father to raise him back to life making Jesus perfect forever– that is, Jesus was glorified by being raised from the dead and in that elevation, the perfection of Jesus is maintained into eternity. What does this highly theoretical quiet time mean for us tangibly? Trust nothing and nobody except the appointed Son, who is our savior. There is nobody else that can truly save; and likewise, nobody else who can ensure our salvation despite our circumstances.