THE SUPERIORITY OF JESUS' PRIESTHOOD TO AARON'S
(Suggested Reading: Heb. 5:1-10)
At the opening of Chapter 3 Paul exhorted the Jewish brethren to consider Jesus in two ways as the Apostle of our confession and as the High Priest of our confession. An Apostle is one sent by God. Their fathers knew Moses. He had an apostolic character for he had both spoken the Word of God to them and given it to them in writing. But Jesus is "the Apostle of our confession" for God is now speaking in the Person of His Son 1:2. The Father had never been revealed before until Jesus came, speaking the Words of God. He was the sent One of the Father. So much for the Apostle of our confession what now about the High Priest of our confession? Where in Hebrews do we find Jesus compared to Aaron? This is a wide ranging subject. Paul introduces it in the last three verses of Chapter 4. But the consideration of Jesus as the High Priest of our confession properly opens at the beginning of Chapter 5 and closes at 10:18. Because this large subject is subdivided we shall consider here only the first ten verses of Chapter 5.
The Priesthood of Aaron
The first four verses give us the character of the Aaronic priesthood, so we have a basis for comparing it with Christ's. Verse 1 is a general statement "for every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins." The expression "every high priest" suggests a succession in the priesthood as the office is vacated by death. The first general characteristic of human priesthood then is weakness. However while the high priest holds the office his duties are defined "things relating to God" that is spiritual considerations. Then the two main duties are spelled out offering both gifts and sacrifices for sins." The word for gift here is DORON—gifts offered to God. Since it is distinguished from sacrifices for sins which were offered on the brazen altar outside, possibly the gifts refer to the high priest's duties within the holy and most holy place. In any event it is clear that priestly duties were both inside and outside. But the high priest was a sinner like other men and his exalted official duties did not exempt him from offering a sacrifice for his own sins v.3. And because he was a man he was able to exercise forbearance toward the ignorant and erring. Though clothed with a priestly garment he was also clothed with infirmity like other men. Still the official position was honorable. It was divinely established. Aaron did not usurp authority over his fellows in carrying out divine services into which the people dare not intrude. Aaron was called by God to the office. It was God Himself who conferred on Aaron the glory and dignity of the high priest's office. Nobody then could be a priest unless God called him to the office. But God called Christ to be a Priest also v.5. No man could assume the office of his own will. But this introduces in the reader's mind the thought of two high priests, without raising the question if one of them has been superseded. For the present it affords him an opportunity of comparing one order of priesthood with the other.
The Priest Whom God Called Is Also the Apostle God Sent
Paul once more reverts to the Old Testament Scriptures to prove what God has said about Christ. In Psa. 2:7 God had said, "Thou art My Son this day have I begotten Thee" and in Psa. 110:4 "Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedec." As Son He was the Apostle i.e. the Father sent the Son into the world as Priest He is called into God's presence in the heavens to establish a new order of priesthood. These divine utterances are repeated in verses 8 and 10 in slightly different form so there is no reason for misunderstanding them.
But why should God's eternal Son be told in time "this day have I begotten Thee" and what day is in mind? There can be little doubt that the day in the quotation was the day when Christ was baptized by John in the river Jordan. So great was His humiliation then and so unknown His Person that God the Father declared "Thou art My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." As Son He was the Apostle the One Whom the Father had sanctified and sent into the world and in His own words the Son of God. His public service for God commenced after the Father's voice from heaven was heard at the Jordan. Aaron could have no such personal dignity yet Aaron was a priest on earth, which Christ was not, as we are told later on in the epistle. God saluted Him as a Priest when He returned to glory, the meaning of "being made perfect" at the beginning of verse 9. But He is a special kind of priest "forever" and "after the order of Melchizedec." "Forever" tells us that unlike Aaron and those who followed him in the priesthood He will be a Priest as long as the office is open. This High Priest will have no successors in the office as Aaron had, for He never dies. "After the order of Melchizedec" means that He brings a new order of things into the priest's office. The order of His priesthood is mentioned seven times in Hebrews four of which stress that the order is forever 5:6-6:20-7:17 and 7:21 and three the character of His order of priesthood 5:10 and 7:11 (twice). Melchizedec was a man of blessing Gen. 14. Now the first of all Christian blessings is the forgiveness of sins. Aaron's order of priesthood with its endless animal sacrifices could not give man this most essential of all blessings. But by one sacrifice His own Christ has purged our sins. Furthermore' it was God, not Paul, who spoke of the coming of this new order of priesthood. Paul merely showed the Hebrews, from their own Scriptures, what God had said. By inference the first order of priesthood must pass away if a new order is to be established.
The Holy Spirit now returns to the days of Christ's flesh. His first testing and suffering in the flesh was at the temptation. "If Thou be the Son of God, command these stones that they be made bread." Truly He was hungry and had the power to satisfy His hunger for He was the Son of God. "Man shall not live by bread alone" He replied "but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God." He would not use His power to satisfy His needs unless His Father told Him that was the meaning of His reply. He knew Satan's underlying suggestion that surely the Father would not allow His Son to starve if He were His Son. Having overcome Satan, His Father attended to His bodily needs. Satan then disappeared for a season, reappearing at the Garden of Gethsemane. If he could not overcome Him in life perhaps he could do so by bringing across His soul the shadow of his power of death. Could this deflect Him from doing His Father's will if the price of obedience were death? He "offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him who was able to save Him from death and was heard in that He feared." He feared from the full knowledge of what sin meant to God and how God must judge it. All this is prophesied of Him in Psa. 22. "And He said unto them 'My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death. Remain here and keep watch.' And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said 'Abba Father, all things are possible unto Thee. Take away this cup from Me nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt'" Mark 14:34-36. As Man He learned obedience through experiencing human sufferings for He was the Man of Sorrows yet truly Son of God and without sin. God's answer to His perfect obedience even the death of the cross was to make Him "perfect" that is not only to raise Him from the dead but exalt Him to His own throne in glory. There in the highest heavens He has sat down on God's throne. It is from this pinnacle of exaltation that He becomes "the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him." "The gospel of the glory of the blessed God" is so-called in Scripture because it originates from the throne of God in heaven.
This gospel is preached on earth "for the obedience of faith." We are to obey Him the Author of eternal salvation as He obeyed His Father. Obedience to God characterizes true Christian life and should be found in our pathway. The reward of His obedience was a special salutation from God when He returned to the glory... "addressed by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedec." Thus the Old Testament Scriptures were fulfilled "Thou art My Son" Psa. 2:7 at the beginning of the Lord's ministry at the Jordan and "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedec" Psa. 110:4 when He returned to glory. So the Lord ended His Apostolic office and took up His High Priesthood. Now the High Priesthood of Christ is according to the order of Melchizedec. Since Melchizedec was a blesser the new order of things Christ introduces into the High Priest's office is an order of blessing. When He was on earth Christ's blessings were material in character as the record of His miracles shows now that He is in heaven the blessings are spiritual. We might remark in closing that all blessing for-man is founded on the death and resurrection of Christ. However the character of the blessing depends on where the priest is. When the priesthood was on earth the blessing was limited, because it really looked forward to the death and resurrection of Christ. So you could bring the very finest bullock to the priest for sacrifice but he could not give you eternal salvation. He Himself had to die and leave His office to another. But now the priesthood is in heaven. This is proof that the blessing is perfect, for God is so satisfied with Christ's work that He has pronounced Him priest and He is seated on God's throne. The blessing then flows from the place where the Priest is heaven to the place where His needy people are earth.
For encouragement and strengthening, His people must look up. He is perfected that is Man in glory. He is both the Author of eternal salvation 5:9 and the Leader of our salvation 2:10. If we follow Him we shall be perfected in glory as He is. If we look up and that is the thought in coming boldly to the throne of grace we will see with the eye of faith the Man in the glory. So all closes on a note of triumph. The perfectly obedient Man has been glorified. As He had companions on earth so He would have them in heaven for that is the place where He is now. What a rich unfolding of grace this is to be companions of the Man in the glory of God.
In the High Priesthood of Christ two streams of blessing converge the human and the divine something not possible in the old established order of priesthood. We can consider our High Priest (3:1) in that light and so as a High Priest of good things to come 9:11. From the human standpoint He is a merciful and faithful High Priest 2:17 not one who is unable to sympathize with our infirmities but who has been tempted in all things in like manner, sin apart 4:15. Such an High Priest became us 7:26 and "we have such an High Priest "8:1. To these four human considerations the Holy Spirit has added three which are divine He did not glorify Himself to be made an High Priest 5:5 God did that, addressing Him as an High Priest according to the order of Melchizedec 5:10 and not only so but His High Priesthood according to that order of blessing is forever 6:20.
When Jesus was on earth He surrounded Himself with companions He loved them and wanted their company. Has He changed now that He has left this earth for heaven? Not at all. He wants our company now. To enjoy His company we too must leave earth for heaven. That is the race, but you might say that is for the future when Christ comes for us. Partly true. But to the extent that we realize that our citizenship is in heaven where Christ is, the heart is drawn away from earth. His Person becomes the center of our thoughts. In spirit, if not in actual fact, we are His companions, sharing His thoughts and interests.