Now, the apostle is opening up
for good a great subject in verse 14. Seeing then that we have
a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the
Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not
a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities, but was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet
without sin. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. 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 sin. Who can have compassion on the
ignorant, on them that are out of the way, for that he himself
also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought,
as for the people, so also for himself to offer for sins. And no man take this honor unto
himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also
Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but
he that said unto him, Thou art my son, today have I begotten
thee. And he saith also in another
place, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek,
who, not Melchizedek but Christ, in the days of his flesh, when
he had offered up prayers and supplication with strong crying
and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was
heard in that he feared. Though he were a son, yet learned
he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect,
he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him, called of God, and high priest after the order of
Melchizedek. Now look at verse 5 again, please. So also Christ glorified not
himself to be made an high priest, but he that said unto him, Thou
art my son, today have I begotten thee. I tell you that the Hebrew
epistle is the most important and the most relevant to the
transition from Judaism unto Christianity, or from the manifestation
of the old covenant to the bringing in and manifestation of the New
Covenant than the epistle unto Hebrew. This is the definitive
epistle in the Bible on that subject. Furthermore, no other
New Testament epistle better sets the Mosaic institution in
a truer or a better light than this great epistle that we have
read from this morning. By the way, notice its very name,
Hebrews. It can be seen that it is principally,
therefore, written from the Jewish point of view. In order to help
them understand that Hebrews 10 and verse 1, that the law
and all contained in it was a shadow of things that were to come.
Not the very image. of those things were those things
that Aaron and his sons did. They were not the real substance
of the matter. They were shadows, not the reality. The whole system, every aspect
of the Mosaic institution was what Paul called in Colossians
2 and verse 17, a shadow of things to come. Because of that, they
were to be done away, and in their place would come the gospel
institution with Christ as the core and the center, the heart,
and the foundation of gospel worship. Now, this perplexed
many among the Jews in that day, particularly many or some of
those who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, to be called on
to abandon that system of worship which, as Owen said, they had
been so zealously addicted to, to cleave to their old way of
worship in spite of their having professed to believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and some of them turning back or turning away,
were then swallowed up in apostasy only to see their city and their
nation destroyed and the kingdom of God taken from them and given
unto the Gentiles. Now, our present passage of Scripture
is found in that section of Hebrews dealing with the subject of the
high priesthood of Christ our Lord. Some expositors count this
as the third section of the book of Hebrews, not counting the
opening statements and contrasts in chapter number 1 and verses
1 through 3. Now, beginning in chapter 1 and
verse 4, we have section 1. And that is because of the admiration
and because of the connection of angels to the Old Testament
economy, or the Mosaic economy, the author proceeds to show that
Christ is more excellent than the very angels of God. And that in chapter 1, verses
4 through 8, He has a more excellent name than they, and He has a
closer union and relationship unto God than they. Then section
2, chapter 3, verse 1 and following, that though Jews in that time
practically deified Moses, are the most revered names in their
history. And they held Him in great and
high esteem. Yet the author Hebrews shows
that Christ is more excellent even than Moses, and that He
provided a better rest for them than Joshua did in taking them
into the land of promise. Then comes the section on the
priesthood of Christ. And John Brown, in his commentary,
said it is not only the longest section in the doctrinal part
of the Hebrew epistle, But it is also the most important section,
the priesthood of our Lord. Now, it actually begins chapter
4 and verse 14 and runs through verse 18 of chapter 10. Thereby we can see that it is
the longest. There is that digression, if
we may call it, in Hebrews 5-11, through chapter 6 and verse 20,
but in verse 7 he comes back again to say, Now this male Kazadik,
and discusses him openly. Now there's one great objection
that the Jews might make against Christianity, which they would
surely take offense, and at which they would surely stumble." And
that objection would be to the Christian, you have no high priest. You have no high priest at the
altar making sacrifices, shedding blood. You have no high priest. Therefore, you have none to propitiate
God for your sin. You have none to bring a sacrifice
and offer it unto God in our behalf. Who is there that will
make a sacrifice for your or our sin? John Brown also wrote
this, that the high priest among the Jew was the principal religious
minister of their economy." He did what neither the king nor
the prophet of God could do or was allowed to do. Even Moses,
in fact, was not allowed. For only the high priest, could
make a sacrifice and enter into the Holy of Holies on the Day
of Atonement and sprinkle there the blood of Atonement. Only He could appear in that
place before the mercy seat of Almighty God and sprinkle the
blood. James Haldane in his book on
the Hebrew said, Aaron and his family were exclusively appointed
under the priesthood." And that means that only the Aaron His
sons and his successors were allowed to serve in and about
the tabernacle and to burn incense and care for the table of showbread
and the altar and such things. Now our answer, or the Christian
answer, to such a Jewish mindset is this. Yes, we do have a high
priest. We have a great High Priest,
and what's more, He is the Son of God, and what's more, He has
passed yonder into the heaven. Chapter 4, verse 14. Who in verse 15 is touched with
a feeling of our infirmity. Who in verse 16 of chapter 4,
by whom we may come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we
might find mercy to help in time of need. So the answer to that,
Jew, is we are not lacking a high priest. We are not without one
to represent us before God and to sacrifice and intercede with
God in our behalf. Contrary to the objection of
a Jewish adherent to the Levitical priesthood, the apostle shows
that under the gospel economy it has a more dignified high
priest, it has a more magnificent temple, it has a more sacred
altar, and it has a more efficacious sacrifice. to take away sin. We have a high priest. Now, coming to our passage in
Hebrews 5, verses 1 through 10, you will notice there in verses
1 through 4 there is Let's call it a general description of the
nature of the duty, of the qualification, the calling, and the functions
of a high priest. And, as Calvin wrote in one of
his commentaries, comparing Christ with Aaron, showing where Christ
is like them and where He is unlike them in the section to
follow. When the apostle speaks in verse
1, of every high priest taken from among men. He refers to
the Levitical system or order of high priests, of course. Aaron
being the very first one, mentioned by name here in this section. The apostle does not approve
of any other system of priests, as for example, those practiced
even in our day. Nor does he approve of anyone
being considered the head of any particular church for that
belongs to Christ and to Christ only. But what he says here is
every Levitical high priest being taken from among men is ordained,
is appointed in behalf of men in regard unto God in order that
he might offer gifts and sacrifices unto God. Before we consider
this mark of the high priesthood, let's remember how the priesthood
evolved, if that's a good word, to the point that there was one
and only one priest in the worship or the order of worship of the
Jew in the Old Testament. By saying that, I refer to this
fact. that before the giving of the
Mosaic Law, it would clearly appear that the heads of the
houses of household, the father, husband, or the oldest son, could
be seen acting as a priest, that is, offering up sacrifices. Now, not for whole cities, and
not for whole nations, and not for the house next door or down
the street, but for their own house and family. Maybe the best
example of that is what we read in the book of Job, chapter 1
and verse 5. Listen to this carefully in that
light. And it was so. when the days
of feasting were gone, that is, of Job's sons, in verse 4, that
Job sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning
and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all, for
Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in
their heart. Thus did Job continually," or
Margin said, all of his days. one time after another, looking
out for the soul and the spiritual welfare of his children. It was a regular custom of Job,
the father of ten. And not to get bogged down, but
Job's thought was, This is their merrymaking, their feasting. They may have in their heart
left God out. Of course, that's a separate
sermon in itself. We won't go there. But there
are other individuals who also built altars and offered sacrifices
unto God. You find Cain and Abel in Genesis
4, 1-4. And of course, there's Noah as
we saw in Genesis 8, 20-21. Abraham built an altar in Genesis
12, 7. And each family slew a lamb on
Passover night down in the land of Egypt. You'll find that in
Exodus 12. But then, after the law was given
and the Mosaic economy had been established. Then the priesthood
was concentrated in one single man of God's choosing and of
God's calling. Though there were many lesser
priests, the family of the Levites, there was only one high priest
at a time, the first one being Aaron. And the priesthood from
that time on was restricted exclusively to the family of Aaron and the
tribe of Levi. And here in Hebrews chapter 5,
1 through 4, the apostle is giving us a general description of the
duties of the high priest. And he gives us some features
of the priesthood, such as it can be seen as being reflected
in the high priesthood of Christ our Lord. Let's look at some
of them. First of all, the high priest
is taken, he is appointed from among men. He was a man. He was like his brethren and
he partook of their infirmity. Every high priest taken from
among men was so. Secondly, his office and his
work was in behalf of others. Well, of course he did some for
himself, but what he did was in behalf of the people or in
behalf of others. Thirdly, proper sacrifices ascribed
by God were offered by the high priest. Fourthly, they were encompassed
with infirmities. You see that again in Hebrews
7 and verse 28. And fifthly, none could have
this office except by a divine call from God. This was not an
office or a position that one was to campaign for. He was not
selected by the popular vote of the people. Only God could
establish the office and fill it by His sovereign choice with
His good pleasure. So let's see Hebrews 5 and verse
4 and read it again. No man takes this honor unto
himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. The thought is simple. No man
has this honor. No man can have this honor. No man can have this exalted
position except by a divine call. And that was true both of Aaron
and is true of Christ. You have the record in Exodus
chapter 28. of the calling and the installation
of Aaron. And in verse 1 of that chapter,
Exodus 28, we read that God instructed Moses, quote, Take unto thee
Aaron thy brother and his sons with him from among the children
of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office
Again, God said to Aaron, Numbers 18 and verse 7, You and your
sons shall keep your priest's office for everything of the
altar and within the veil. You shall serve. I have given
you your priest's office as a service and a gift, and the stranger
that comes nigh shall be put to death. exclusively put into
the hands of Aaron. Only Aaron and his son, the Levite,
were to minister about the tabernacle, or about the temple, or the altar,
or the court. or within the veil, or burn the
incense, whatever, everything that was to be done in and about
the service of the tabernacle was to be done by Aaron and by
his son. And any who thought to intrude
into this work without a call from God were subject to death
or were subject to die. And by the way, you should have
read sometime the 28th chapter of Exodus all the way through. A description there of the garments
of glory and beauty that were designed and that were made for
Aaron and worn by him in his various priestly duty. They are called in Exodus 28
and 2, holy garments for glory and for beauty. Aaron was, when
he dressed in those garments, a rather impressive figure among
his fellow Israelites, and one that the Jews highly esteemed
and revered to stand for them in and with God. But back to
our text in Hebrews chapter 5, now looking at verse 5 and following. The apostle having given in verse
1 through verse 4 a fivefold description of the priesthood
as it existed under the Mosaic economy and as it was exercised
among men, the apostle now in verse 5, begins to apply these
principles unto Christ and show that we indeed in Christ have
what the Apostle called in chapter 4 and verse 14, a great high
priest who is the very Son of God and who has passed into the
heaven and in the application of it unto Christ. His first
point is concerning the call of God in regard to Christ's
priesthood. That is, the high priesthood
of Aaron and Christ have this in common. Both of them were
chosen by God and were picked by God to be in the high priesthood. that the Son of God was divinely
constituted a high priest, and that it was sealed and ratified
with an oath of swearing. We see that in connection with
verse 4, verse 5, verse 6 of our text. Verse 4, no man takes
this honor to himself. Christ glorified not himself,
verse 5, to be a high priest, but God said to him, you are
my son, this day I have begotten you. In verse 6, in another place
he said to him, you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Christ did not assume this office
on his own, though he assumed it willingly, nor did he usurp
it away from another individual, nor apart from the will and the
pleasure of God did Christ become a high priest. This is not an
honor, the author insists, that one can bestow upon themselves. They must be divinely called
as was Aaron. So he says, even so, Christ,
Him, the Son of God, God Himself, the Eternal One, did not glorify
Himself to become a high priest. The point is, easily perceived,
there is none that can lawfully take this honor and office to
themselves unless they are appointed and called to it by God." Now
there may be imposters who call themselves so. There probably
have been those who entered unjustly into the office of a priest,
just as there are those today who call themselves a pope or
an apostle or a prophet. John Brown put it well, no man
is a legitimate high priest unless he is divinely called unto that
office. And without a call to the high
priesthood, He is not a high priest. The high priesthood,
notice, is called an honor. And that seems to be equivalent
to us saying, an honorable office or an honorable work. And such
it is indeed. It has honor, it has dignity,
it has glory attached unto this office. Now let's repeat something
said earlier for emphasis, that the office of high priest among
the Jews was the highest and most honorable one among them,
as he was the principal religious minister of that old economy. Now to catch the significance
of this honorable office and this work, let's fetch again
that phrase back in verse 1. is ordained for men in things
pertaining to God. This is the purpose of a high
priest. And connected to that, gifts
and sacrifices for sin. Here are two points I got from
the Puritan commentator John Owen, from the most extensive
commentary on the book of Hebrews I think perhaps ever written.
Number one, Sin is what made the office of the priesthood
necessary. Sin is the reason we need a great
High Priest. Secondly, it was of infinite
grace that such an appointment was made. That because we are
sinners, yet God has appointed a High Priest in things pertaining
unto men before God. Though most, including many preachers,
do not understand or believe the high priesthood of Christ
our Lord, that all access to God without him would be cut
off. There would be no access to God
for any sinner without a great high priest. There could be no
reconciliation to God. There could be no fellowship
of any with God, any fallen sinner, except there be this office of
a high priest. To be called to be a high priest
involves, as one commentator wrote, to be employed in managing
the religious interest of his fellow man and to be allowed
a particularly intimate relationship with the divinity." He must be
one having been appointed by God to offer what God requires. High priests make sacrifices,
make sacrifices for sin. And in regard to sacrifices for
sin and forgiveness of sin, here are a few thoughts gleaned from
a sound expositor of a Hebrew epistle. It is according to the
will of God whether he will forgive the sins of men. And it being
the will of God to forgive whosoever sins he will, it is his prerogative
then to appoint what he will accept for forgiveness of sin. Thus, in setting up a great high
priest, his very own eternal son, who offered what God required
and had received the promise from God that he would be appeased
by the sacrifice offered up by the Son. Now concerning the thought
One must have a legitimate call to the high priesthood. The apostle
fixes upon a couple of passages of Scripture from the psalm. Verse 5 of Hebrews 5 is from
Psalm chapter 2, verse 7. Thou art my son, this day have
I begotten thee. Verse 6. is from Psalm 110 and
verse 4, and is repeated again down in verse 10, called of God
a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. And the apostle
lays great weight and store upon that text from Psalm 110, verse
4, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. I counted at least seven times
in the priestly section of this Hebrew epistle that Christ is
a high priest, that he is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek,
not after the order of Aaron, Hebrews 7 and verse 11. Now, the first mention of a priest
is that of Melchizedek. Where is it? It is found in the
first book of the Bible, in Genesis chapter 14 and verses 18 through
verse 20. You'll find a mention where in
verse 18, of Hebrews 14, this man Melchizedek is called the
priest of the Most High God. We see something else. He had
dual offices. King of Salem, priest of the
Most High God. You can see the description of
Melchizedek, chapter 7 of Hebrews 1 through 10. Christ's priesthood
was patterned after the order or the arrangement or the rank
or the character or the dignity of that priest who blessed father
Abraham and to whom Abraham in return gave tithes. You see the point in Hebrews
7, 4 through 10. For the author would express
the dignity and the greatness of the office and the nearness
to God by the behavior of Abraham toward Melchizedek. For remember, the Jew held Abraham
in high regard. They gloried in their descent
from him after the flesh and believed that that gave them
favor and advantage with God. So the Hebrew author makes two
points. in order to establish the greatness
and the dignity of the priesthood order of Melchizedek. And this seems a necessary point
in view of the fact that Christ's priesthood is after the order
of Melchizedek, not after the order of Aaron. And those two
points are as follows. Number one, Abraham owned Melchizedek
as the priest of the Most High God and gave him tithes of all. That's in Genesis 14 and verse
20. That Hebrews 7, 4, even The patriarch
Abraham gave to Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils." And Melchizedek
blessed Abraham. You can see that in Hebrews 7
and verse 6. Both received Abraham's tithes
and blessed Abraham, the father of the Jew, did Melchizedek. And it established a principle,
stated in Hebrews 7 and verse 7, that the less is blessed of
the better. In other words, the blesser is
greater than the one that is blessed. He that receives tithes
is greater than he that pays them. Thus, the actions of Abraham
established or the Jewish benefit, the dignity of Melchizedek as
a priest, out of which another arises besides the order of Aaron. Then the second point. Hebrews
7, 9 through 10, which was the same time establishes the superiority
of the Melchizedekian priesthood over the Levitical. In that,
this is a point, and you have to look at it carefully, Levi,
who had a commandment to take tithes of the people, yet Levi
paid tithes in father Abraham, the paternal head of the Jewish
race, being in the loins of Abraham when he gave tithes to Melchizedek. So that the Levite priests were
reckoned to have tithed to Melchizedek in Abraham, as we are reckoned
to have sinned in Adam. Romans 5 and verse 12 through
19. How then does Christ's priesthood
resemble that of Melchizedek and not of Aaron? One fact is
the constant use of the word forever. Forever, forever. In all of those texts, a priest
forever, coupled with the fact that Christ was made a priest
with a divine oath of swearing. You are a priest forever. Psalm 110 and verse 4. In Hebrews 7 and verse 21, the
Lord swore and will not repent. You are a priest forever. after
the order of Melchizedek. What's so special about the order
of Melchizedek? Well, Melchizedek neither succeeded
another priest, nor did his priesthood pass upon any other. He was the only one of his kind. Melchizedek was the only one
of his kind. Unlike the Levite, he had no
genealogy. That's what's said in Hebrews
7. No record of his parents, of
his mother or his father. No record of his birth or of
his death. This accords with Christ who
had or has, an intransmissible priesthood, never passing over
to another. So that death not only did not
put an end to his priesthood as it did Aaron and the Levite,
but it actually was a necessary part of the priesthood of Christ
that he died and that he arise again. He lived to ever make
intercession, for he is a priest after the power of an endless
life. We read in Hebrews chapter 7,
Now, two things about the Lord as a high priest. If the Lord
is a great high priest, if he is called of God and appointed
to God and is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek,
but not after the order of Aaron." Then two points we need to bring
up. Number one, as the high priest
of God, he must have somewhat to offer. Listen, if you would,
to Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 3. Every high priest is ordained
to offer gifts and sacrifice it, wherefore of necessity that
this man have somewhat also to offer. If he's a high priest,
he must have something to offer. Secondly, he's a high priest,
after the order of Melchizedek, not after the order of Aaron,
he must have a place to serve. And since he is not after the
order of Aaron, he does not serve in the earthly tabernacle. But
he has a place to serve, and you see that in chapter 9, chapter
10 of the book of Hebrew. Now, what is a priest without
a perpetuary sacrifice or a temple in which to serve and draw near
unto God? Now, as to the first, what will
he offer? He offered himself without spot
unto God. He was both the offerer and the
offerer. He was both the priest and the
sacrifice. He gave himself to God as the
sacrifice for sin. He gave himself. Now, as for
the second, where shall he serve? He entered not into the patterns,
but by his own blood he entered into the Holy of Holies. is set down on the right hand
of the majesty on high, the true tabernacle which God pitched
and not men, one not handmade like that one upon the earth. Now, the Lord is sinless and
need not, like Aaron, offer a sacrifice for his own sin. And unlike Aaron,
his priesthood was not terminated or brought to an end or a close
by his death. In Hebrews 3 and verse 1, the
apostle and high priest of our profession is how the author
refers to Christ. We notice again in Hebrews 4
and verse 14, the Lord is called a great high priest. Not just a high priest, but a
great high priest. like He's called the Chief Shepherd
that shall appear, like He is called the Great Shepherd. He's
the Chief, Great, the Great, the Mighty Shepherd, the Sheep. So He is a Great High Priest,
using that epithet, Great. A distinguished and illustrious
high priest we have. Not in an earthly tabernacle
in earthly handmade woven garments, but one with more glory and dignity
than any other who has ever served in the office of a priest. He is a great high priest by
his name, by His person, by His exaltation. He is the very Son
of God Himself. He is passed into the heaven. He is now in the very presence
of God for us. Oh, the shame and the insult
to the name and the office of Jesus! to bestow honor upon a
man-priest, or to call him Father, or to ask Him to forgive our
sin and confess our sin unto a mortal man. Jesus is the forgiver
of our sin, His great sacrifice, His high priesthood, exercise
not in an earthly tent, or tabernacle or temple, but in the very presence
of God. We have a great high priest that
is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. And we ought
to be content with that and thankful unto God for it, for it is a
very important part of His saving work and ministry.