There is one true promise keeper - God. None of us were even nominated or received honorable mention. No "A" for effort. It is an unchanging and eternal promise for those who believe, which began in the days of Abraham and carried through to the Seed - Jesus Christ. Once the Seed had come, the Jewish people were no longer considered as being under the "guardian" ... known as the law of commandments.
Many from the twelve tribes would struggle with Paul's message along these lines. But because of this truth—both Jew and Gentile were able to begin to identify as children of a royal family by faith. The law was a dead-end street and was not connected to the faith freeway. But those who belong to Christ are considered as Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. We're mining for gold in Galatians Chapter 3.
Galatians 3 explains the law was a guardian for the Jews to point them to Christ in order for them to be justified by faith. But once faith came—or once Christ came—the Jewish people would no longer be under that guardian/tutor. This isn't meant to be chicken feed for Gentiles who were never under the law.
In order for Jesus to be declared High Priest by God, there had to be a change of priesthood so there could be a change of law. Why? Because according to the law given by Moses to the Jews, priests were required to come from the tribe of the Levites. Jesus was from a different tribe (Judah) which the law said nothing about concerning priests.
The law was received by the Jews through the (Levitical) priesthood. They fit together like a hand in a glove, and you could not eliminate one without doing the same with the other. Those many priests ministered within a covenant that was weak and useless ... and would be replaced by a superior priesthood—Jesus—who was not appointed by the law like the other priests, but would carry on an eternal priesthood. If the Mosaic law still had any function whatsoever, then Jesus could not be considered as a legitimate priest. It had to end.
In Hebrews 7, the writer is explaining why that law had to completely be annulled and cancelled—not revised or tweaked.
Our third program in the series takes a look at how the Mosaic law was something that had kept people from God, from righteousness, and from a covenant of grace. While it had been meant to ultimately lead the Jewish nation to a Savior, in this New Covenant, we don’t use it in the same way (because nobody is under it). It was a ministry that brought guilt, death, condemnation, and bondage, while bringing a reminder of sins … the precise opposite of what Jesus brings. It came to an end when Jesus became High Priest. It was nailed to the cross and in Paul’s words, it was abolished.
As Paul stated, the law spoke to those who were under it (Jews). Since it has been made obsolete with a new and better covenant, it doesn’t say anything to anyone today. If the law were truly not abolished, that would mean none of it was and it would (all) still have a place … which brings confusion and inconsistency to the message of the gospel of grace.
Prior to the ratification of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, we find that there was a barrier, a middle wall of separation which was keeping the Jews from attaining righteousness … and the other 99% of the world without a covenant at all. At the time of the Old Covenant (before the cross), Gentiles were described as being without God and having no hope in the world.
What was it that was keeping Jews from righteousness and Gentiles separated from God entirely? It was the law of commandments contained in ordinances from the first covenant. Jesus broke down this law wall—abolishing this enmity in His flesh. This resulted in Gentiles being brought near to God by the blood of Christ, and bringing both groups together into one new man. Inside of a very different covenant, it is not an obsolete, abolished law that lures people towards God … it was having it removed and taken out of the way.
