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Hebrews

Hebrews 5

By Pastor Doug
The writer of Hebrews begins to show these people that Jesus is the High Priest. He is greater than any other priest. To walk away from Him was to go backwards.

 Hebrews 5:1-4

We are a fallen race.  Through Adam and Eve, all of mankind that came after was born with a sinful nature.  From birth we were imperfect and incapable of coming before a perfect and holy God on our own.  The only way any man could find his way to God was through a priest; but not just any priest and not just any man acting as a priest.  Priests were not chosen by people; they were chosen by God.  God set his standards regarding priests when He gave the law to Moses.  There are several stories in the bible where men that were not priest tried to step into the role of a priest and they paid dearly for it.  Priests were the sons of Abraham, son of Isaac, son of Jacob, son of Levi, sons of Aaron.  These men were set apart for service to God in the temple.

 

The High Priest was a man among men, yet, he was chosen by God to serve God.  His job was to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin as outlined by God in His law.  This guy wasn't just butchering animals in some assembly line fashion.  He was to have compassion on those who had sinned and gone astray.  This High Priest understood what it was like to be tempted.  He understood the plight of mankind and battle between the flesh and spirit.  He could represent the people well because he understood their circumstances.

 

Before the High Priest could offer sacrifices for the people, he had to offer a sacrifice for himself.  He wasn't beyond sinning and his sin had to be atoned for before he could assume his role as high priest.  God gave specific instruction on how the priest was to prepare himself.

 

The Jews had their Priests to serve them and minister because of their sin.  The first sacrifice was for the sin of the Priest.  Then the people brought their sacrifice to Him so it could be slain for their sin.  All this is a picture of Jesus being our great High Priest.  All of mankind needs Jesus as their High Priest to find their way back to God.  He was a man, but he knew no sin.  Yet, because He was a man, He could sympathize and have compassion on the people.

 

Many religions of the world have their own High Priests they believe will do the job.  Many people have appointed themselves as their own High priest, relying on their own way.  They believe they will be accepted by God by their own righteousness or perceived goodness.  Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.

 

Hebrews 5:5-6
Jesus didn't appoint Himself as High Priest.  As a High Priest, He was appointed by God, just like all the others.  The quote in verse 5 is from Psalm 2:

" You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You."

This same verse is quoted in the book of Acts.  Luke and the writer of Hebrews both say this quote is speaking of God declaring Jesus as His son.  Then God declares, today I have begotten You.  This speaks of the resurrection.  By the Power of God, Jesus was the firstborn of the dead.  He was raised from the dead to show that His perfect sacrifice was received and accepted.  Jesus had become sin, died bearing all our sin.  He was raised in perfection.  All sin was paid for, the crown of thorns was gone.  In His sinless state he could ascend back to the Father.  When He ascended, He sat down at the right hand of God the Father.  He assumed His role as High Priest, interceding on our behalf in the presence of God.

 

Romans 8:31-39

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

" For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."


37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

This is our great High Priest at work.  If we are in Christ, then we can't be separated from God.  Nothing can separate us, and if He is working for us in Heaven who can work against us.  He has taken His place between God and men to reconcile all men to Him.  What can go wrong?  Really, only one thing can come between us and God; our own rebellious heart of man.  That's what the writer is trying to show these Hebrews.  They needed to run to Christ, to seek Him, no matter how hard it got.  Their Great High Priest knew what they were going through and was interceding on their behalf to the Almighty.

 

Men seek their own way, their own false god or idol.  They seek after a false priest or assume that role themselves thinking they can find favor with God in some way as they hold tightly to their sin.  No man can be reconciled with God except by Jesus Christ.

 

The next quote in verse 6 said:

" You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek";

This is attributed to God saying this about Jesus.  This comes from Psalm 110 which is a great messianic Psalm.  This Psalm says begins:

1 The LORD said to my Lord,
"Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."

And again, we get this picture of Jesus at the right hand of God.  It's God the son in His role as priest, for a time, until God says, go, and Jesus comes again to assume His role as King.

 

Since all the High priests of the Old Testament were from the tribe of Levi, and since we know this is a picture of our great High Priest Jesus, we might assume Jesus was from the tribe of Levi, a son of Aaron, the priestly tribe.  But Jesus wasn't a Levite.  Jesus was from tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe.  He was born in the line of David.  We might ask how he could be a priest if He wasn't a Levite. 

 

Jesus is a both priest and king.  He becomes a priest to deal with sin so that we can call Him King.  He is the fulfillment of the descendant of David sitting on the throne.  That was another promise of God that we trust will come true as all His promises do.  We said that the priest that served in the temple were all types and shadows of the One priest to come.  These priests were imperfect, subject to sin.  They lived and died serving God.  The Aaronic priest sacrificed over and over, never getting anywhere, never defeating sin.  The Old Testament priests were very real.  What they did was very real.  But all they did was point to the Great High Priest that would once, for all, defeat sin.

 

Jesus was a different priest.  His work was done once for all.  He is eternal.  The temple priests served as directed by God according to the order of Aaron.  Jesus is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.  All the previous High Priest served in the temple were just men.  When we look at them there are many likenesses to Jesus.  But here is where the similarities end and Jesus begins to stand alone as the Great High Priest.  All the previous priests were priests of the law.  They were imperfect.  They came and went.  Priests lived, they sinned, they served, they died.  Jesus is not the same as that.  He is in the order of Melchizedek, a priest and king, forever.  Once He assumed His role as Priest, no other priests among men were needed.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the law.  All fines were paid.  The legal transactions were all completed.  On the cross Jesus declared 'teleo'.  It is finished.  This means paid in full.  Jesus took the debt of sin and paid it all and declared it paid in full, teleo.

 

As the intercessor, Jesus ministers on our account to God the Father.  In regard to us He says, that one is mine, all their sins are paid for.  When we trust in Him, the righteousness of Jesus is put on our account and we find rest.  Our sins were moved to His account.  Because He paid for them, we find rest.  Leviticus 16 says that the Day of Atonement was a Sabbath of solemn rest.  Since Jesus is the fulfillment of that and made atonement once for all, then it's in Him we find that Solemn rest.  It's a place of peace where we receive mercy and grace.

 

Hebrews 5:7-8

Jesus didn't glorify Himself.  In His final days as He was heading for the cross, we don't see a man that was confident and telling other men what He was about to do for them.  This was an amazing thing He was about to do, but there wasn't any claim of being something special, though He was and is.  He wasn't drawing attention to Himself.  He didn't announce it to the world.  He told His disciples what was happening.  He asked for their prayers.  In the garden, Jesus offered prayers and tears to God the Father.  He asked God if there was another way.  He asked His disciples to join Him in prayer, and what did they do?  They fell asleep. 

 

Jesus was about to take on the entire burden of sin of the world.  This would separate Him from God the Father.  Sin cannot abide in the presence of the Holy God.  We can't begin to imagine what He was going through.  He cried out to God in prayer.....

"O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."

 

This was the prayer and supplication Jesus offered up to the Father.  The word 'supplication' in verse 7 is the Greek word 'hiketeria'.  This is the only place this word is used.  It literally means an olive branch wrapped in wool.  In the Greek culture a person who was pleading for mercy because of some offense would approach the one of authority who could grant relief and extend the olive branch to them.  This was the hiketeria, the supplication.  This was an acknowledgement of placing yourself in the hands of that one of authority.  In that we see the humility of Christ.  We don't see Him glorify Himself.

 

Jesus offered prayers and 'hiketeria', supplications to God the Father.  He extended that olive branch wrapped in wool, stating God; I am at your mercy.  I am in your hands.  The Hebrew men that were to read this letter may have been asking, how can Jesus know what I'm going through down here on earth?  This life is hard.  Jesus had never felt the burden of sin, yet He was about to take it all on.  Jesus had never died as a man but He was about to die.  He had never been separated from God the Father and the God the Holy Spirit.  Yet, for a time, He had to be separated because He became sin.  He cried real tears and felt anxiety that came from a godly fear.  Jesus the man, the son of God, learned obedience when He said not my will Lord, but yours.  He knows what we go through when we are suffering and in pain and look to Him and say, "Not my will Lord, but yours."

 

I don't think this was the attitude of these Hebrew men.  They had been persecuted but not even close to the extent of going through what their Lord had experienced.  They had allegedly given their lives to Christ.  They had relinquished all Lordship to Him.  They supposedly trusted wholly and completely in His plan.  Yet when things got a little tough, they were ready to rethink all that.  We don't see the attitude of 'not my will Lord but yours be done.

 

Jesus is their example of obedience.  Even in light of what was before Him, He said, Father, Your will be done.  Could these Hebrews say, Lord Jesus, even in persecution, regardless of what my life brings, not my will, but Your will be done?  Can we say that?  No matter what, Jesus, Your will be done in my life today and every day.

 

In the Garden Jesus asked if there was another way.  There wasn't one, there was only One way that sin could be dealt with in which men could find their way back to a right standing with God.  These Hebrews were seeking another way when there was none.  They could only argue that this way didn't suit them because it was uncomfortable or painful or inconvenient or not what I had envisioned for my life.  And all those complaints seem a little lame when we say them to Jesus   To say there are many ways or even one other way is to mock and disregard the obedience of Christ to the Father.  It's to say, God made Jesus Go through that for nothing because there was another way.  All the while the bible says that Jesus was obedient to the requirements of the Lord.  Not my will, but yours.

 

Hebrews 5:9

In verse nine we see the word 'perfected'; we should read the word as 'complete'.  Jesus was already perfect.  He is God.  He wasn't made perfect in His work here.  The work that he did perfected or completed the plan of salvation.

 

In Him the perfect plan of God was completed.  It was the plan from the beginning that would bring salvation and redemption to men.  For these Hebrew men who thought they had choices, they are now seeing there is one choice, one way.  Salvation comes to all who obey Him.  Those who believe in Him and trust in Him will obey Him.

 

Hebrews 5:10-11

The writer affirms that God called Jesus to be this High Priest.  Jesus was obedient in that call.  He is that priest according to the order of Melchizedek.  The writer has much more to say about this, but it was hard to explain to hose who were dull of hearing.  (He does so anyway in chapter 7.)

 

Now it's interesting that the writer doesn't feel like He can get into the discussion of Melchizedek right away.  Being dull of hearing was an indication of a heart problem.  The writer felt as though they had an issue with their spiritual maturity that needed dealt with first.  How does the writer of Hebrews know there is a problem?  He knows that no one having truly known Jesus would ever consider walking away.

 

You almost get the feeling that Jesus was some secondary part of the life of these Hebrews and not their first love.  We can easily see that in our world where Jesus is taken on like some good luck charm to make for a better life.  Or God is looked at like a genie to grant our wishes.  If you are 'born again' and become a disciple of Jesus and fully embrace all that it means to be a disciple, then you will remain a disciple.  You won't walk away or run back to the wilderness.

 

It would be futile to enter into a discussion of Melchizedek with a person who was never 'born again'.  That kind of theological explanation is only going to interest those who have had a change in their heart.  This is a good opportunity to examine our self.  Do we have a desire to know and understand the deep things of God; to do the heavy lifting in the scriptures, seeking God in every way; yielding to Him saying, "Not my will, Lord but Yours?"

 

Hebrews 5:12

Wow, the writing is laying down.  It seems they should have grown up long ago.  Is the writer trying to shock them into seeing their spiritual immaturity?  With this evaluation, we know the writer knew the folks he was writing to.  There had to be some previous mutual respect to be able to talk to them in this way. 

 

These men should have been teachers.  What had they spent their life doing?  They were in a difficult place in their life and instead of having a strong faith to lean on they found they had nothing.  They were in a crisis of faith.  Now that they needed their faith to stand strong, they had to have someone teach them again the basic things of God.  They needed someone to teach them again of the superiority of Christ.  They needed someone to remind them of Jesus the High Priest and higher than anything they could possibly chase after.  They required another lesson on Jesus, the creator, sustainer, savior, redeemer, prophet, priest, King and Lord of all.

 

They needed milk.  The implication is they were babies when they should have long ago grown up.  They should have graduated to solid food long ago.  The implication was that they not only didn't continue to feed themselves and grow up they couldn't even feed themselves the baby food.  Someone else had to do it, reminding them again of the basic things.

 

Augustine said that the Bible is shallow enough for a child to wade in and at the same time deep enough for an elephant to drown in.  Its okay to wade in as a child, it's not okay to stay there.  We must continue in and make our way to the deep end.

 

Hebrews 5:13-14

There is nothing wrong with milk.  But it's a diet of only milk that is the problem.  These men were unskilled in the word of righteousness because of their diet.  If we stay on the spiritual milk all the time, we'll never grow up.  By contrast, when we move to the solid food, we mature with each meal.  Consistent use of solid food provides training and exercising our spirituality and faith.  As we grow, we'll be better equipped to handle that solid food and apply the gospel to the hard things of life.  We'll be able to distinguish good from evil.  We'll be strong to stand in times of trouble and testing.  With this consistent spiritual diet, we come to know God on a deeper level.  Our discernment becomes very natural as we recognize the things of God quickly among the darkness of this evil world.

 

As we read this in our day, it seems the writer of Hebrews is really critical of the Hebrews.  We live in a time when someone is likely to become offended at talk like this.  Self-esteem, selfishness and pride are nothing new though.  I suspect there was plenty of that in play for these men.  This, with the persecution that day caused a natural reaction of self-preservation.  Standing with Jesus was not just dangerous, but also damaging to their social status.  We don't have to look very far to see that in our day.  While it's easy to be critical of these Hebrews, the truth is we are studying it for a reason.  We're not all that much different.

 

I think it's fascinating that these men were thinking of turning from Christ and this writer doesn't coddle them.  He doesn't beg them.  In fact, he is almost to the other extreme, he is almost to the point of berating them for being so spiritually immature.  Yet, we know he's right.  We know if they were spiritually mature they wouldn't be considering turning from Jesus in the first place.

 

1 Peter 2

1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a babe in Christ.  In fact, it's exciting to see a babe in Christ take the milk of the word and begin to feed.  It's exciting to watch them grow. 

 

When I see my weight or health get out of wack, I often stop and check my diet, troubleshoot it and make adjustments.  This passage is a great opportunity for us to do the same spiritually.  Do a little self-inspection of your spiritual diet.  Weight the intake of God's word with TV, internet, Facebook, News, etc.  Weigh prayer time with game time.  Are we getting enough spiritual fiber into your diet?  Are you filling yourself with the things of God?  Are you becoming skilled in the word of righteousness?  Or is God waiting for you to grow up?  Does He have deep things to teach you and share with you?  Peter said, if you have really tasted that the Lord is gracious then you will desire to grow.

 

© 2011 Doug Ford

Updated and revised 2019