Hebrews 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. 3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. 4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
God wants us to understand the limitations that even good systems have on this earth. God ordained the true priesthood in the days of Moses. There were false priests in nations around Israel. God did not copy them in establishing the Aaronic priesthood, as some claim. God had a plan and He laid out that plan over time according to His will. God’s priestly system was filled by men. Aaron was a man and he demonstrated that he had his failures. He sinned against God and yet he was called to be a high priest by God. His purpose was to function under the authority of God and for God’s purposes. He needed to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. The high priest was not called the “high priest” so that he could lord it over the people. He was called the high priest because of the importance of his office and he was to be compassionate toward the people. The people needed to be taught the truth and that was part of his duty. He was to receive his instruction from the Lord and then teach that to the people. He was to help those who were not following God’s way to see the importance of truth. He was to do so in a manner that would help them to see the benefit of following the truth. He was also a sinner. He also needed to offer sacrifices for his own sins. Thus he needed to serve God and the people in a manner that would honour God. We see in verse 3 that he was not seen as better than the people. He needed to receive the sacrifices of the people and bring them before the Lord. He also needed to offer sacrifices for his own sins. No one was called to worship the high priest. He was not infallible. He was not worthy of worship. He needed to be respected in his capacity as a high priest, and he also needed to show himself worthy of that high calling. According to God’s Word, no man is a self-appointed high priest. In Catholicism, the priests are appointed by a humanistic fallible body that does not know the true God. They function under laws and commandments that are contrary to God’s Word. They are in bondage to sin and they keep their followers in bondage to sin. God’s high priest is appointed by God. Aaron was the first one and his son Eleazar was the next. There were priests who set themselves up as priests and high priests and they led many Jews astray. However, in our text God directed the writer to deal with those who were appointed by Him. God shows us that Aaron was the first one appointed by God. In verse 5 we are reminded that Jesus Christ did not take a position that was not His to fulfil. He did not assume a place that was not His to take. He did not defy God and become an high priest of His own accord. We are also told here that His High Priestly appointment would not follow the Old Testament pattern. He would not follow the lineage of Aaron. God the Father declared Him to be His Son. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He came to this earth as a man and He fulfilled the role as High Priest among other things. He is not like Aaron who was appointed from among men. He came from heaven and humbled Himself and became a man and was obedient unto death on the cross. Aaron could not take away his own sins. He could not take away the sins of his sons. He lost two of his sons because they abused the duties of the priesthood. Jesus Christ was and is different. Jesus Christ was an eternal priest after the order of Melchisedec. Melchisedec was first mentioned in Genesis 14. He is called the king of Salem in that passage. The Scriptures speak of him as a unique person. The Psalmist spoke of him as well:
Psalm 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Unlike the Old Testament priesthood, Jesus came from the lineage of Melchisedec. He did not follow the Aaronic lineage. From what we read in Psalm 110 and also in Hebrews 7, it seems that Melchisedec was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 7 of our text we see that Melchisedec was not just a king, but he was also a priest. He offered prayers and supplications with strong crying. He was a man who cared about his people. He came before the true God with his requests and God heard him because he feared God. In verse 8 the writer is clearly speaking of Jesus Christ. He learned obedience by the things that He suffered. As God He knew all things. As the Son of man He needed to experience the sufferings of man in order to be able to fulfil His duties as the High Priest. In verse 9 we see that Jesus Christ was made perfect through His sufferings. He became the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him. Jesus Christ was the Saviour from eternity past. However, He had to come as a man and lay down His life and shed His blood in order to fulfil His duty as the Saviour. He was not a spectator. He was actively involved in providing salvation for man. In verse 10 we are reminded that He was called of God an High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. God approved all that Jesus did. We have already seen that in the declaration made of Him during His earthly ministry. God shows us over and over again that it is irrational to refuse and reject the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. There is no legitimate substitute for God’s gift of salvation. Yet the majority of people still refuse and reject God’s gift. It is a spiritual war that is centred in the heart and mind of man. The Word of God is the Only means of penetrating that hardened wall. The Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to effect change in people’s lives. Those who are saved are privileged to have responded humbly and obediently to the work of God in their hearts and minds. Those who are saved need to walk humbly and obediently with the Lord in order to be able to help others to see the importance of listening to the truth and being saved. We, those who are saved, have been given a great privilege to proclaim the only Good News there is. Let us learn how to do so more faithfully. Pastor Bartel
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