“For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood” (Hebrews 7:14).
In the five books Moses wrote, nothing is recorded about a priest of God coming from the tribe of Judah. All instruction concerning the Old Testament’s priesthood was addressed to the tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron.
The prophet Zechariah, however, does. He writes: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the Lord; yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both’” (Zechariah 6:12-13). Prior to this, God’s spokesman Jeremiah had also prophesied of this coming one. He declared: “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth’…‘In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth’” (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15).
This disparity between Moses and these two prophets is additional proof for the inference drawn in Hebrews 7:12—a High Priest from the tribe of Judah necessitates a change of the law. The new covenant in Christ’s blood is not an afterthought in God’s plan.
It is God’s plan.
