Hebrews
5:1-14 - JESUS, A PRIEST
FOREVER
The office and duty of a high
priest abundantly answered in Christ. (1-10) The Christian Hebrews reproved for
their little progress in the knowledge of the gospel. (11-14)
Hebrews 5:1-10 The High Priest must be a
man, a partaker of our nature. This shows that man had sinned. For God would
not suffer sinful man to come to him alone. But everyone is welcome to God,
that comes to him by this High Priest; and as we value acceptance with God, and
pardon, we must apply by faith to this our great High Priest Christ Jesus, who
can intercede for those that are out of the way of truth, duty, and happiness;
one who has tenderness to lead them back from the by-paths of error, sin, and
misery. Those only can expect assistance from God, and acceptance with him, and
his presence and blessing on them and their services, that are called of God.
This is applied to Christ. In the days of his flesh, Christ made himself
subject to death: he hungered: he was a tempted, suffering, dying Jesus. Christ
set an example, not only to pray, but to be fervent in prayer. How many dry
prayers, how few wetted with tears, do we offer up to God! He was strengthened
to support the immense weight of suffering laid upon him. There is no real deliverance
from death but to be carried through it. He was raised and exalted, and to him
was given the power of saving all sinners to the uttermost, who come unto God
through him. Christ has left us an example that we should learn humble
obedience to the will of God, by all our afflictions. We need affliction, to
teach us submission. His obedience in our nature encourages our attempts to
obey, and for us to expect support and comfort under all the temptations and
sufferings to which we are exposed. Being made perfect for this great work, he
is become the Author of eternal salvation to all that obey him. But are we of
that number?
A. Our Compassionate High Priest.
For every
high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to
God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have
compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also
subject to weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also
for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor
to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
a. For every high priest taken from among men:
God established both the priesthood and the office of high priest in the days
of Moses, as described in Exodus 28:1
and following. The writer to the Hebrews neatly summarizes the work of the high priest, in saying that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
The primary job of the high priest
was the officiate, either directly or indirectly through lower-ranking priests,
sacrifices unto the Lord.
i. The
phrase gifts and sacrifices for sins
reminds us that not every sacrifice was a blood atonement for sins. Many of the
ritual sacrifices were intended to be simple gifts to God, expressing thanks
and desiring fellowship.
b. He can have compassion: Ideally, the high priest was more than a “butcher” offering
sacrifice. He also had compassion on those who
are ignorant and going astray, and ministered the atoning sacrifices
with a loving heart for the people. In this ideal, the high priest has this compassion because he understands that he himself is also subject to weakness.
i. God made
specific commands to help insure the high priest
would minister with compassion. In the breastplate of the high priest were set twelve stones engraved
with the names of the tribes of Israel, and on the shoulder straps were stones
engraved with the names of the tribes. In this, the people of Israel were
always on the heart and on the shoulders of the high priest (Exodus 28:4-30).
c. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also
for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins: God also made specific
commands to help insure the high priest
would minister with awareness that he was also
subject to weakness. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest had to sacrifice for himself
first, to remind himself and the nation that he had sin to atone for, just like
the rest of the people of Israel (Leviticus 16:1-6).
d. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is
called by God, just as Aaron was: Of course, the High Priest was taken
from the community of God’s people; but was not chosen by God’s
people, but appointed by God for His people. But it was important to
state that no man takes this honor to himself.
The office of high priest was nothing to aspire to or campaign for. It was
given by right of birth, it was chosen by God. It was an honor no man could take
to himself.
i. The true
priesthood, and the high priest, came
from a specific line of descent. Every priest came from Jacob, Abraham’s
grandson, whose name was changed to Israel. Every priest came from Levi, one of
Israel’s thirteen sons. God set the tribe of Levi apart as a tribe committed to
His service and as representatives of the whole nation (Exodus 13:2;
Numbers 3:40-41).
Gershon, Kohath and Merari were Levi’s three sons; each of these family lines
had their own duties. The family of Gershon had care of the tabernacle’s screen
(veil), fence, and curtains (Numbers 3:25-26).
The family of Kohath will this family had care of the tabernacle’s furnishings,
such as the lampstand, altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant (Numbers 3:31-32).
The family of Merari had care of the boards and pillars of the tabernacle and
the fence (Numbers 3:36-37).
These families were not properly priests, though they were Levites.
The priesthood itself came through Aaron, the brother of Moses, of the family
of Kohath. Aaron’s family and their descendants made up the priests and the
high priest, those able to serve in the tabernacle itself and to offer
sacrifice to God. The high priest was generally the eldest son of Aaron, except
if they disqualified themselves like Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-3)
or according to the regulations of Leviticus 21:1-24.
In this sense, the priesthood was not popularly elected, but chosen by God, not
appointed by man.
ii. There
are some dreadful instances where men presumed to act as priests who were not
priests, such as Korah (Numbers 16:1-50),
Saul (1 Samuel 13:1-23)
and Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:16).
iii. We can
also not take the honor of being our own priest. It is great arrogance to think
we can approach God on our own, without a priest; but it is great superstition
to think we need any other priest other than Jesus Christ Himself. God has
provided a mediator, a priest, and we must avail ourselves of the priest
God has provided.
iv. “A
sinner can undertake to manage nothing towards God immediately, or by himself,
but with a mediating priest, who must know God’s mind and perform it . . . The
common sense of mankind about it since the fall doth evidence it; no nation
being without a religion, a temple, a place of worship, or a priest.” (Poole)
So also
Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who
said to Him: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” As He also says
in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the
order of Melchizedek”;
a. Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest:
Jesus did not make Himself High Priest. Instead, just as much as Jesus was
declared to be the Son (Psalms 2:7),
He was also declared to be a priest forever
(in Psalms 110:4).
i. It was
easy to see why the priesthood of Jesus would be difficult for early Jewish
Christians to grasp. He was not from the lineage of Aaron. Jesus claimed nor
practiced no special ministry in the temple. He confronted the religious
structure instead of joining it. In Jesus’ day, the priesthood also become a
corrupt institution. The custom had become High Priest in those days through intrigue
and politicking among the corrupt priesthood.
ii. A priest forever is an important contrast.
Jesus’ priesthood (like Melchizedek’s) is unending, but no High Priest
descended from Aaron ever had a forever
priesthood.
b. Today I have begotten You refers to Jesus’
resurrection from the dead. At that time He fully assumed His role as our great
High Priest, having been perfected (Hebrews 5:9).
i. Jesus’
resurrection demonstrated that He was not a priest like Aaron, who had to atone
for his own sin first. The resurrection vindicated Jesus as the Father’s Holy
One (Acts 2:24;
Acts 2:27),
who bore the wrath sinners deserve, without becoming a sinner Himself.
c. Hebrews 7:1-28
will more fully develop the theme of Jesus as a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Who, in the
days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with
vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was
heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned
obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became
the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High
Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” of whom we have much to say,
a. When He had offered up prayers and supplications, with
vehement cries and tears: The agony of Jesus in the Garden of
Gesthemane (Matthew 26:36-39,
Luke 22:44)
proves He knows what it is like to struggle with the difficulty of obedience,
yet He obeyed perfectly.
i. This
answers the question, “How can this glorious, enthroned Jesus know what I am
going through down here?” He knows; obedience did not always come easy for
Jesus.
b. The word
for supplications is hiketeria.
This ancient Greek word essentially means “an olive branch wrapped in wool,”
because that is was someone in Greek culture would hold and wave to express
their desperate prayer and desire. Significantly, this supplication of Jesus
took place in a garden of olives - and he supplied the “wool,” being the Lamb
of God!
c. And was heard because of His godly fear: If
Jesus asked that the cup be taken away from Him (Luke 22:42),
and the cup was not taken away, how can it be said that He was heard? Because His prayer was not to
escape His Father’s will, but to accept it - and that prayer was
definitely heard.
d. He learned obedience by the things which He suffered:
How could Jesus (who never stopped being God) learn anything? Then
again, how does God, enthroned in heaven experience obedience, except by casting off the glory of
the throne and humbling Himself as Jesus did?
i. Jesus
did not pass from disobedience to obedience.
He learned obedience by actually
obeying. Jesus did not learn how to obey; He learned what is involved in
obedience.
e. He learned obedience by things which He suffered:
Suffering was used to teach Jesus. If suffering was fit to teach the Son of
God, we must never despise it as a tool of instruction in our lives.
i. Some say
that we might learn through suffering; but such lessons are only God’s
second best. God really intends for us just to learn by His Word, and it is
never His real plan for us to learn through trials and suffering. But was Jesus
ever in the Father’s second best?
ii. The
Bible never teaches that strong faith will keep a Christian from all suffering.
Christians are appointed to affliction (1 Thessalonians 3:3).
It is through many tribulations we enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22),
and our current suffering is the prelude to glorification (Romans 8:17).
f. Having been perfected, He became the author of eternal
salvation: Jesus’ experience of suffering makes Him perfectly suited
to be the author (the source, the
cause) of our salvation.
i. Some
don’t want Jesus to be the author of
their salvation. They want to write their own book of salvation. God won’t read
it! Only Jesus can author your
eternal salvation.
g. Notice
that this salvation is extended to all who obey
Him. In this sense, all who obey Him
is used synonymously for believing on Him - which simply assumes that believers
will obey!
h. Called by God as High Priest “according to the order of
Melchizedek”: The emphasis is repeated. Jesus is a High Priest, who was called by God (not personal ambition),
according to the order of Melchizedek.
The much to say comes in Hebrews 7:1-28.
B. An exhortation to maturity.
And hard to
explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
a. Since you have become dull of hearing: This
explains why the writer doesn’t go into the topic of Melchizedek right away. He
wants to address some critical basics before going on to more intricate topics,
but their spiritual condition makes it hard to
explain.
i. He fears
the discussion of Aaron and Melchizedek and Jesus will sound too academic and
theoretical to his readers. At the same time, he recognizes this says more
about his dull hearers than
the message.
ii. Being dull of hearing is not a problem with the
ears, but a problem with the heart - you just aren’t really interested in what
God has to say to you. Not wanting to hear the Word of God points to a genuine
spiritual problem!
b. These
Christians who felt like giving up with Jesus were also dull of hearing. The dullness usually comes
first, then the desire to give up. Watch out when the Word of God starts
seeming dull to you!
c. They
have become dull of hearing. Become is an important word. It indicates that
they didn’t start out that dull of hearing,
but became that way.
For though
by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you
again the first principles of the oracles of God;
a. By this time: According to the time they had
been followers of Jesus, they should have been much more mature than they were.
b. You ought to be teachers: It wasn’t that these
were unique people who would hold a unique role of teaching. Instead, they ought to be teachers in the sense that all
Christians should be teachers.
i. There is
an important sense in which every Christian must be a teacher, because we can
all help disciple others. We really only master something after we have
effectively taught it to someone else. Teaching is the final step of learning.
c. You need someone to teach you again the first principles
of the oracles of God: This isn’t to their credit. It isn’t that the first principles are “beneath” the mature
Christian. Rather, the sense is that one should be able to teach one’s self,
and remind one’s self of these first principles
of the oracles of God.
Commentary on Hebrews
5:11-14 Dull
hearers make the preaching of the gospel difficult, and even those who have
some faith may be dull hearers, and slow to believe. Much is looked for from
those to whom much is given. To be unskilful, denotes want of experience in the
things of the gospel. Christian experience is a spiritual sense, taste, or
relish of the goodness, sweetness, and excellence of the truths of the gospel.
And no tongue can express the satisfaction which the soul receives, from a
sense of Divine goodness, grace, and love to it in Christ.
And you
have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of
milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But
solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by
reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
a. And you have come to need milk: Milk corresponds to the first principles
of Hebrews 6:12.
Solid food is the “meatier” material
such as understanding the connection between Jesus and Melchizedek. It isn’t
that milk is bad; but these Christians
should have added solid food to their
diet. Peter reminds us all as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the
word, that you may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).
b. In the
original language, the sense of for he is a babe
is for he has become a babe. There is nothing more delightful than a
true babe in Jesus. But there is nothing more irritating and depressing than
someone who should be mature but who has become a babe!
i. Have you
become a babe? Perhaps your Christian
life is unstable. Babies are handed from one person to another; babes are tossed
to and fro by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14-16).
ii. Have
you become a babe? Perhaps you are
divisive in your Christian life. Babies each have their own crib that they
stick to; babes have their particular denomination or church that they think of
as “my church.”
iii. Have
you become a babe? Perhaps you are
star-struck by Christian celebrities of one kind or another. Babies are focused
on one particular person (mommy); babes glory in men (I am of Paul, I am of
Apollos).
iv. Have
you become a babe? Perhaps you are
spiritually asleep. Babies need a lot of sleep; babes spend much time
spiritually asleep.
v. Have you
become a babe? Perhaps you are fussy
and cranky with others. Babies can be cranky; babes will fuss over any little
thing.
c. Is unskilled in the word of righteousness:
Those who have become babes reveal themselves because they are unskilled in the word of righteousness. We
don’t expect brand new Christians to be skilled in the word of righteousness, but those who
have been Christians for a time should be.
d. Who by reason of use have their senses exercised to
discern both good and evil: Our senses
are exercised (trained by practice
and habit) to discern both good and evil
(doctrinally, not morally). How are our senses
exercised? Plainly, by reason of use.
When we decide to use discernment, we
mature.
i. These
Christians demonstrated immaturity by both their lack of discernment between good and evil and in their contemplation of
giving up with Jesus. The mature Christian is marked by their discernment and by
their unshakable commitment to Jesus Christ.
ii. The
ability to discern is a critical
measure of spiritual maturity. Babies will put anything in their mouths!
Babes are weak in discernment, and will accept any kind of spiritual food.
e. Have their senses exercised: It can be said
that all five human senses have their spiritual counterparts.
i. We have
a spiritual sense of taste: If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is
gracious (1 Peter 2:3).
Taste and see that the LORD is good! (Psalms 34:8)
ii. We have
a spiritual sense of hearing: Hear and your soul shall live (Isaiah 55:3).
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Revelation 2:7).
iii. We
have a spiritual sense of sight: Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous
things from Your law (Psalms 119:18).
The eyes of your understanding (heart) being enlightened (Ephesians 1:18).
iv. We have
a spiritual sense of smell: He shall be of quick scent in the fear of the
LORD (Isaiah 11:3,
RV margin). I am full, having received from . . . you, a sweet-smelling
aroma (Philippians 4:18).
v. We have
a spiritual sense of touch or feeling: Because your heart was tender, and
you humbled yourself before the LORD (2 Kings 22:19).
The hardening of their heart; who being past feeling, have given themselves
over to licentiousness (Ephesians 4:18-19).
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