In our discussion we have examined chapters 1:1-4:13. In chapter 1 we have seen the picture of Jesus as the Son of God. In chapter 2 we observed Him as the Son of man. The writer, the Apostle Paul, urged his brethren in the flesh to give heed to the things which they had heard—the gospel. In 3:1, he exhorted them to consider the Apostle and High Priest of the Jewish confession. In 3:1-4:13, he insisted that the nation should accept Jesus as Apostle and High Priest while it was being called To-day, which period, as we have already seen, terminated with the destruction of Jerusalem and the overthrow of the nation in 70 A.D.

In this section he has presented Jesus as the Apostle from God—the God-man, and urged his readers to accept Him as such. In 4:14-7:28, he pictured the Lord Jesus as the High Priest of the Jewish nation. In effect, he declared that the high priest who was then living at Jerusalem and heading the nation religiously was not God's high priest, for they had a genuine one in the person of the Lord Jesus. It is our privilege now to study Him as High Priest. "Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession" (Heb 4:14).

It was God's original design that Israel should constitute a theocracy—a people governed by the Lord himself. In this economy the high priest was to be the head of the nation—and its approach to God through him and the services which he performed for the nation as a whole. In the days of Samuel, however, a situation arose which gave rise to a clamor for a king who would head the nation like those of their surrounding neighbors. This clamor for a human monarch was tantamount to the rejection of God's plans and the substitution of human ways for them. The Lord at their continued insistence gave them a king. Under this regime the high priest was a secondary figure, being divested of practically all his authority and power so far as control of the nation was concerned.

The Lord through David promised to raise up a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 110). Jeremiah also foretold this one in 30:21,22. Paul, in Hebrews, called Israel's attention to the fact that she now had the real High Priest who was sent to her from God in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

Concerning our Lord, the Apostle asserted that He had passed through the heavens. The word "heavens" in the Hebrew is in the dual number but is rendered by the plural in English. In the Greek it is usually put in the plural number. This fact may be an echo of that which Paul referred to in the following passage: "I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not; or whether out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up even to the third heaven" (II Cor. 12:2). We usually think of the first heaven as being the atmosphere, which surrounds the earth; the second, the starry heavens; and the third, the immediate presence of God. This place where the Almighty sits enthroned is in a position north of this earth and is referred to in several passages of scripture.

In this heaven of heavens—the third heaven—is the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man (Heb. 8:2). It is referred to in Revelation 11:9 and is spoken of as the temple of God in heaven.

After the Lord Jesus made His sacrifice for the sins of the world, He went with His blood into the true sanctuary to accomplish the atonement for those who accept Him. Thus Paul in the verse under consideration referred to Jesus as having left this earth and having passed through the first and second heavens into the very presence of God, appearing in the temple of God in heaven for His people.

Having spoken of this great High Priest, the Apostle called Him by name—Jesus. This is His human name. The angel told Joseph to call Him Jesus, "for it is he that shall save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). The word "Jesus" means Jehovah's Salvation. This word in Hebrew is rendered "Joshua". This same idea was expressed by good old Simeon when he came to the temple and the Baby Jesus was placed in his arms. Looking up toward heaven, he blessed God and said, "Now lettest thou thy servant depart, Lord, According to thy word, in peace; For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples (Luke 2:29-32).

This High Priest is called the Son of God. David spoke of Him as the Son of God in Psalm 2. He is also referred to as God's Son in Proverbs 30:4. While the various synoptic writers refer to Christ as the Son of God only occasionally, John is the one who dwells upon this thought. Jesus is the Son of God par excellence. We are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus; but He was the son of God in a special and unique sense—that is, in the sense that He was God in human form Who entered the world by virgin birth.

The Apostle urged his readers saying, "let us hold fast our confession." This rendering would imply that they had already taken hold of Christianity, having accepted Christ, but that the apostle was urging them to hold on to Christ tenaciously. If this rendering is correct, then all which we have seen heretofore concerning the exhortation for the readers to give heed to the things which they had heard and to consider Jesus as Apostle and High Priest is erroneous. But this supposition is certainly far from facts. In order to get to the heart of this difficult question, it is necessary for us to notice the word that was employed by the Apostle and that was rendered "hold fast." This term in the original Greek has three distinct meanings: first, to have power, be powerful; second, to get possession of—that is, to become master of, to obtain; third to hold—that is, to hold in the hand, to hold fast to, not to discard or let go. We must select the meaning of any word which accords with the facts of the context. The first meaning is out of harmony with the data of this passage. The second one, to get possession of, that is, in the sense of obtaining or taking hold of, accords with all the facts of this context. In view of these things, I suggest that we accept that definition of the word and render the exhortation something like this: "Let us take hold of our confession." The Apostle is here using the word "confession" in the broad sense of the religious system—somewhat as we use the term when we speak of the "Christian confession." Christianity is Jewish and the Apostle could properly urge those addressed to take hold of Christianity by saying "take hold of our confession."

In verse 15 the Apostle showed the qualifications which this High Priest has. In the first place, he made a statement relative to Him, using the double-negative: "For we have not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." This statement is equivalent to the assertion that Jesus was touched with all of the feelings of our infirmities. He knows our frame. He knows that we are dust. He is sympathetic with us, and we can come to Him with perfect confidence and assurance. In the second place, He has been tested in all points like as we are. Never has any man been subjected to a temptation that is different from those which were presented before the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus He knows from experience all of our external temptations. In the third place, He was without sin. He did not have a fallen, depraved nature as human beings do today. Moreover, because of His sinlessness, he did not yield to sin or commit any wrong. Such is the force of our language in the verse under consideration.

In the sixteenth verse the Apostle urged his Jewish brethren with boldness to draw near to the throne of God which is the source of all grace, since we have such a High Priest sitting thereon and ministering in our behalf.

People are to come, not with fear and dread, but with boldness. The word rendered "boldness" means, telling everything. Come, he tells them, making a clean breast, a complete confession, throwing yourselves upon the mercy of the Lord and looking to Him for peace and pardon.

People are to come to this great High Priest in order that they might receive mercy—mercy for the past and also grace to help in every time of need. We need both grace and also mercy. Especially do we who have accepted Christ need grace to help us in every trying hour. The words rendered "to help us in time of need" literally means, "answering a cry." No one who will come to the Lord Jesus in faith will be rejected. He who comes to Christ will in nowise be cast out. We can there find grace and mercy for every time of need. Praise God for such a High Priest as He is!