A confident hope by having access to God

So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron? And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it…This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Hebrews 7:11-19 NLT

From the Old Testament, we read about the Israelites being so attuned to the truth of knowing that God is everywhere. They also understood that the focal presence of God is in the Temple, in the Holy of holies. To have an access to God was a noble goal of every individual Israelite. This access signifies having a right relationship with God. A person was granted access through the forgiveness of sins. The Israelites sought this access because it provides them an opportunity to experience God’s glory. This is why the Psalmist will always express a deep longing of being in the presence of God by being in the Temple. “The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple” (Psalms 27:4). “Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple” (Psalms 65:3-4). Though there was this desire to always be in the presence of God, access was limited because of the old covenant through the Aaronic priesthood. This type of priesthood instituted laws of sacrificial system to which access was only granted to a select few high priests once a year. They were the only ones who could enter the Holy of holies after they had offered sacrifice for their own sins and then for the people. When the new covenant was instituted by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, the veil that covers the Holy of holies limiting the access of the people was rend from top to bottom. “Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:50-51). This happened because the priesthood of Melchizedek “has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed” (Hebrews 7:15-16). True and unhindered access is now granted to all those who placed their faith in Christ. This access now had provided us a “confidence in a better hope through which we draw near to God” (Hebrews 7:19). This is why we do not pray to anybody else for access has been granted to us through the sacrifice made by our High Priest Himself, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, let us joyfully come to the throne of grace of our Lord and Savior.

Blessings,