The Book of Hebrews, Lesson 6 chapter 5
by Lane Rogers
The Perfect High Priest
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1For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. 4And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. |
I. The General Qualifications of a High Priest.
A. Must be able to sympathize with those he represents.
B. He must be divinely appointed to office.
1. Since a High Priest represents men in matters before God it becomes necessary that the High Priest be a man.
2. The High Priest then is responsible for offering "gifts"Defined in Genesis and sacrifices
It is theologically important to distinguish the difference between gifts and sacrifices. See above link.
3. There is much more to being a High Priest than just the ritual aspects. The High Priest must be inwardly correct.
(a) With only a shallow understanding of the 2nd Temple period we see that most of the time the High Priest did not meet the inward qualities desired even though they performed the rituals.
(b) From the fall of the house of Zadok to the destruction of the Temple some two hundred years later, very few priests passed this test.
4. There is also the idea of 'forbearance' involved here. How would it be possible for a High Priest to make fitting expiation of sins for the people if that High Priest had an indignation toward those people for their sins?
5. The point our author is making here is that Aaron did in fact have these qualities, which means that Jesus must surpass that.
II. Now we review the Qualifications!
A. Must be taken from Men (Numbers 18:6ff).
B. Must be appointed (Heb. chapter 1, I Kgs 10).
C. For Men._____
D. For the things of God____a court settings, this priest represents men as a lawyer.
E. Must be able to emphasize with the ignorant and the erring. (The ignorant knows no better, the erring know better).
F. Sacrifices for sin (must be able to make atonement).
G. Sacrifices of worship (See Heb. 13:15). The book of Leviticus is divided into two different categories. Worship scarifies (first three) and sin sacrifices (all that remain).
1. It ought not be overlooked that the High Priest (Levitical Priesthood) had to offer a sin sacrifice for himself before being fit to offer one for the people.
2. This is a major point later (7:27). Jesus was sinless, therefore He had to offer no sin sacrifice for Himself.
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5So
also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest,
but He who said to Him, |
I. The Qualifications of Christ as Our High Priest!
A. (v.5) To be a High Priest is a calling from God (Ps.2:7). "Thou art my Son, Today I have begotten you" is that calling. The same God who claims Jesus as His son also recognizes Jesus as the High Priest.
B. Early Judaism as well as modern variants of Judaism believe/believed in the two Messiah theory. One Messiah was to be the Messiah of Israel from the house of David, and the other Messiah was to be from the Priestly line and be the High Priest. Two Messiahs: Here our author destroys that idea. Notice that Jesus was the "Son of God" (v.5 Ps. 2:7), but now we are also told that He is the High Priest (Ps. 110). Once again, Jesus was acclaimed by God as the Davidic Messiah in Ps. 2:7 and now we are told He is the High Priest (Ps.110). Not two Messiahs but one.
C. Melchizedek makes His appearance in Genesis 14:18. Of course, from a biblical typological point of view, Melchizedek was Jesus. Melchizedek was the Priest of the Most High and the Priest of Salem (traditionally identified as Jerusalem). When Salem (Jerusalem) fell centuries later to David (II Sam. 5:6ff), David and his successors became heirs to the Melchizedek kingship. For many centuries, the Priesthood in Jerusalem was exercised by the line of Zadok,(Here) a family quite distinct from the line of David. It was not until Christ the Messiah that the rightful linage (those from the house of David) was returned to power.
D. (7) Jesus can represent us because of His ability to sympathize with our troubles. He sympathizes with our weaknesses because He was exposed to every trial that we are exposed to. These test befell him "in the days of His flesh." Once again, the humanity of Christ while on earth is emphasized. We have already stated how Jesus relinquished His status as deity when He came to earth (Phil. 2:7 "He emptied Himself"). In John 17:5, while in the Garden, Jesus prays to have His deity (glory) returned before the cross.
A (v. 8) Tells us the purpose of suffering. It is so that obedience may be learned.
1. It is natural for a son to learn suffering through obedience (12:5ff).
2. Jesus was not granted any special privileges, like us, He learned through suffering.
B. In Isaiah 50:4ff, we have a list of those sufferings!
1. He was exposed to ridicule
2. Ill-treatment
C. All of this was because the Lord gave Him an attentive ear!
1. Jesus did not rebel
2. He gave His back
3. His cheeks for abuse
4. His hair plucked out
5. He hid not his face from shame and spitting (Isa. 50:5f).
D. (9-10)
1. Jesus was made perfect through suffering (2:10).
a. To be made perfect
(1) became unto all them that obey Him the author of eternal salvation.
(2) was named by God as High Priest (context)
(3) and lived without sin
b. Those are some of the elements of the perfection of Christ.
E. Spiritual Immaturity!
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11Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. |
1. Our Author leaves the matter of the High Priest for some words of practical application.
A. (11)Melchizedek's person may be too much for you people to grasp. This is a matter of substance. Your minds are sluggish.
B. They had been Christians for a long time yet not only are they not ready to understand the teachings concerning Melchizedek, someone needs to re-teach them.
C. You (the congregation) are still on the elementary principles (first principles or the ABC's). For us, those things are baptism, the Lord's Supper and other elementary issues.
D. We are dealing with an extremely immature group of people. The contrast between milk and solid food apparently was used a great deal in the early church and it seems as these ideas came out of Greek moral philosophy. (See 1 Cor. 3:1ff). The point is clear. These are babes in Christ who have been members of the church for a long time.
2. (vs.13-14) Our author is doubting the understandings of these people.
A. He is teaching about the Priesthood and Melchizedek but fears his audience is so immature they do not understand.
B. This immaturity is obvious. They have not yet cut old ties.
C. The milk here is the same as the ABC's.
D. They cannot even understand the "principle of righteousness."
E. It is by reason and practice of reason that we train our senses to discern good from evil.
by Lane Rogers
