3. — THE SON’S GLORIOUS PRIESTHOOD.
(Chaps. 3-8)
THE subject of the priesthood must now engage our attention. The personal dignity of the Lord in His Godhead and Manhood is fully set forth in the previous chapters in order that the super-eminent and glorious way in which He fulfils this or any work or office undertaken by Him may be truly understood and appreciated by the saints.
Priesthood was a familiar thought to the Hebrews; and the sense of need of a priest in their national and religious relations with God, permeated their education and earliest recollections. The apostate condition of the priesthood had not effaced this thought, nor destroyed its influence. On the contrary, where any conscience of sin was in exercise there was a deep-seated desire and expectation of divine interposition to purify and restore (Mal. 3:1; Mark 1:2; John 4:25; Luke 7:27). This was recognized and answered to in various ways by the Lord when on earth, especially in His repeated cleansing of the Temple, the state of which, being His Father’s house, was sufficient warranty for. His so doing.
The appointment of the priesthood was in connection with the establishment of a dwelling-place for the divine glory among God’s people (Exod. 28.), that they might be acceptably represented before Him, so that He might dwell among them (29: 45), and also that the feeble and defective state of the people might not be an occasion of judgment to them (Num. 17., 18.) This appointment was the thought of God, but the need lay in the condition of the people, of which it was the only resource.
In the Epistle to the Hebrews the priesthood, which is after a new order, and is undertaken by Jesus, the High Priest of our (Christian) concession, is viewed, to begin with, from the side of the people’s need. They are being tempted, and require a merciful and faithful high priest; one, too, who should make propitiation for their sins (Heb. 2:17, 18, 3:1). The latter is the lowest point in which the high priest could be engaged on the people’s behalf with God, and then not in his proper priestly character, but as their representative, owning their sins, and making atonement for them. This Jesus did for us in dying upon the cross, taking the lowest place for us, though in the highest and most precious grace. His heavenly priesthood is based upon this, but is only properly exercised in heaven.
Though strongly marked by contrast in the detail, the Aaronic priesthood is presented as typical of its exercise, but the order of Christ’s high priesthood is according to that of Melchisedec and not of Aaron (ver. 6, et seq.). The legal Levitical order is displaced by the grace that preceded law (Gen. 14.), and by the glory that follows it (Ps. 110.).
It will be found that the priesthood in Hebrews refers largely to two chief subjects, namely, to their godly infirmities in passing through this wilderness world on the one hand, and on the other to their place of approach and intercourse with God, answering thus to the type in Exodus 28., 29., and Numbers 17, 18. respectively.
In chapters 2:17 to 4. Jesus, the High Priest of our confession, concerns Himself with His brethren in regard to their temptations. But He is also their Apostle, a greater than Moses, inasmuch as He builds them into the house of God, and leads them onward to the rest of God (3, 4:13). In passing we may notice that for Christians God’s house is a purely spiritual and living one, composed of His saints; and the rest is that which remains when God has rested from all His works, as when in the six days He formed the present world, and rested on the seventh. Thus the house is where God is known, and the divine life developed in its nature and relationships. This is already true of the saints on earth (3:6). The rest is the fruit of His eternal thoughts, the scene where His heavenly purposes of grace are accomplished, and is wholly future as yet (4:9). Those only who believe enter in — a faith which is tested, and indeed created, by the living Word of God which searches the heart, where this word is hearkened to; the rest remains for such, but is not entered into otherwise.
Meanwhile Jesus, the Son of God, is our great High Priest, so that we may well hold fast our confession (4:14). Compared with Aaron He is indeed “great,” passing through, not merely entering, the heavens, or, as Aaron did, the earthly courts. But glorious as is the place,
He forgets not us, and is still presented as acting with respect to our infirmities (4:14, 15). Tempted like us in all things when down here, He is able therefore, though above, to sympathies with our infirmities. Having suffered, He is capacitated to help; having been tempted, He is able to sympathies. In this confidence we draw near to God freely, to the throne of grace in the heavenly place, where Jesus is, from whence all mercy and help are surely received.
To the end of chapter 4. the Spirit of God had applied the priesthood of Christ to our infirmities only. He now proceeds, as already pointed out, to develop it, being according to the order of Melchisedec, in connection with our heavenly place of intercourse with God, and our especial links of relationship with Him (5-8).
There are first of all three things noticed in chapter 5. as necessary for a high priest. He must be ordained or established for men in things relating to God. This concerns the authority with which he is invested for the office. He must be able to exercise forbearance — a capacity or acquirement which qualifies him for it. Thirdly, he must be personally called of God to exercise it. Thus the Son, born in manhood here, is by the Father’s word set a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec (ver. 5). Psalm 110. shows us that this is not on earth; and indeed, His qualifications for the office consisted in having suffered unto death, and learned obedience by the things which He suffered. With the earthly priests this was not the case; the fact that they were themselves clothed with infirmity was what qualified them to use forbearance. But Jesus had consummated the whole pathway of godly suffering in death itself before being “perfected,” or consecrated as priest for the actual exercise of His office. He is then, in entering the heavenly courts, saluted of God as High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec, and become to all that obey Him author of eternal salvation.
Let us distinguish carefully between the “eternal salvation” which we have by our Lord Jesus, in connection with the heavenly place, as contrasted with temporal deliverances, and the being saved through all the difficulties of the way, right to the end (7:25), which Jesus also undertakes for us. The unsettling of eternal salvation by teaching that it is a continual or progressive thing, and not a settled and final one — in fact, confounding it with being saved through the dangers of the path, has occasioned very much defective doctrine as well as a corresponding defective state of soul among Christians. Indeed it has tended to keep souls in the immure state, of which the epistle speaks (5:12-14, 6:1-3). To “full growth” belongs not merely the “beginning of Christ,” for this gave no security or stability, nor entered into that within the veil. It gave not a hope as anchor of the soul, nor a strong encouragement for those who fled for refuge. But all this now belongs to us, Jesus having entered within the veil as forerunner for us, and become forever a high priest according to the order of Melchisedec. It is as solid food to full-grown men with senses exercised to distinguish good and evil according to the mind of God.
Remark that “full growth” refers not only to the external privilege of Christianity, but enters into that within the veil, where our hope enters as anchor of the soul, and where Jesus is entered as forerunner for us. Our true Christian place is thus indicated much more definitely than before. Previously it was merely said (4:14) that He had passed through the heavens, and sympathized with our infirmities. But now it is a question of the unchangeableness of God’s purpose, confirmed by His unchangeable oath. Needed encouragement for those who had fled from the guilt of Messiah’s blood to God in the heavenly sanctuary!
The personal title and qualifications of our High Priest were given in chapter 5.; now, in chapter 7., we have the character and order of His priesthood. In the first place it is an uninterrupted (ver. 3), and an eternal one (vers. 17, 24). It supersedes the earthly Levitical priesthood and the law with which it was connected; for our Lord sprang from Juda, of whose tribe came no priest according to the law. But the law perfected nothing, and could only exclude us from the holy presence of God. Therefore, in the grace of God, a different Priest arises constituted according to the power of an indissoluble life; and a better hope is introduced by which we draw nigh to God. And approaching by Him to God, He is able to save us to the end, since His priesthood is unchangeable, and He is always living to intercede for us.
These two verses (7:19, 25) show clearly that the question is now one of approach to God; not merely of sympathizing with our infirmities, but of maintaining us in a practical way, feeble as we may be, at the full height of our heavenly privileges and relationships. Little as we may realize or properly appreciate it, we nevertheless belong to and have our links with God in that place which is higher than the heavens. Our High Priest must therefore be there, “holy, harmless, undefiled, and separated from sinners,” He who, once for all, has consummated all sacrifice in offering up Himself, not having infirmity like the legal priests, but constituted by the oath of God subsequent to law, a Son consecrated for eternity.
Thus the Spirit in this epistle not only shows us Jesus, entering within the veil, but lifts up the eyes of our faith to behold Him become higher than the heavens. Nay, more, He sums up the doctrine in these words: “We have such an high priest, who is set (or, set Himself down), on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (8:1).
On earth He would not even be a priest, for only the shadows of heavenly things were there. But His ministry is more excellent; He is the mediator of a better covenant established on better promises. That first covenant, much as His people might boast in it, was not faultless. There should be a new one; and meanwhile the first grows old and disappears. The legal system passes away forever; but the new covenant is not yet made with Israel. Anticipatively, the believer enjoys already the essential provisions of it, viz., the law written in the heart, grace putting in us what was natural to Christ, delight in the law of God after the inward man — result of the new nature; then, secondly, our sins forgiven, and never more remembered. This latter blessing is developed in the two following chapters (9., 10.), in connection with the glory of Christ’s sacrifice.
Meanwhile, let us remember that the benefit to us of Christ in His heavenly high priesthood is eternal salvation, perfect security, and assured acceptance at all times, as well as availing intercession in our infirmities and temptations
(To be continued.)