As noted in the last installment, in Hebrews 4:14-7:28, the Lord is presented as the High Priest of the Jewish nation. In 4:14-16, as we saw last month, the writer urged the Jewish people to accept Him as their rightful High Priest. By doing so they would receive mercy for the past and grace for every time of need.

In order to strengthen his appeal to his brethren to accept Christ, he showed that under the old dispensation, the high priests, the sons and descendants of Aaron, were men who were compassed about by infirmities and who could sympathize with them in their troubles and difficulties. No one is able to be a true servant of God, ministering to the spiritual needs of men, who has not a kind, sympathetic heart, and who can not enter wholeheartedly into their trials and difficulties.

A survey of Old Testament history shows that some of the high priests were self seeking and not interested in the welfare of the people. Unfortunate is any generation who must be led by such incompetent guides. The writer of Hebrews lays great emphasis upon the fact that Jesus, our great High Priest, is one who is in touch with all the feelings of our infirmities, having been tempted in all points like as we, yet without sin. He therefore has every qualification of a faithful minister who can meet all our needs and sympathize with us in the fullest manner possible.

The high priest in Israel offered both gifts and sacrifices for sin. A study of the Levitical system of sacrifices and offerings shows that there were various ones which were commanded to be offered in regard to different types of sin and transgressions. Of course, there were the daily morning and evening offerings. There also was the Passover which was offered at the proper season. Moreover, at the Feast of Weeks, Pentecost, certain offerings were made. But the great national offering for sin occurred on the Day of Atonement—the tenth day of the seventh month. In addition to these there were the whole burnt-offerings, the meal-offerings, the peace-offerings, the sin-offerings, and the trespass-offerings. These were presented to the Lord by individuals whenever they had sinned or done wrong and were guilty of certain offenses, in order to make atonement for their souls. These sacrifices and offerings set forth various aspects or phases of the complete and perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose atonement was foreshadowed most graphically in Isaiah 53.

The high priest had to make offerings first for himself and then for the people, all of whom were guilty of sins of ignorance and of erring through the weakness of the flesh. Let me hasten to call attention, however, to the fact that there were no offerings prescribed in the Levitical system for presumptuous, or deliberate, willful sinning. (See Numbers 15:30,31.)

In regard to the special offering which each individual Israelite had to bring when he was guilty of various sins, the reader should study carefully the first seven chapters of Leviticus and also chapter 16.

The writer of Hebrews was very careful to call attention to the fact that no man rushed into the priestly office to assume the grave responsibilities of that position. On the contrary, those who officiated were those who were called of God as was Aaron. He was not self-seeking. God looked into Aaron's heart, knew what was there, and called him, bestowing upon him that honor. The high priesthood remained, by the choice of God, in the Aaronic family. The Lord guarded very carefully this office with its honors and taught Israel to respect it. An excellent example of such a demonstration is found in Leviticus 10 in the case of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, who offered strange fire upon the altar. Again, the Lord taught the lesson concerning the sanctity of the priestly office in His smiting with leprosy King Uzziah when he forced himself and burnt incense to the Lord (II Chron. 26).

In the days of the Maccabees, however, the moral and spiritual condition of Israel was at a very low ebb and there were those in Israel who liked the preference and the honors bestowed by the people. Hence there were connivings and schemings, plottings and counter-plottings on the part of certain unprincipled men in order to obtain the priesthood. These efforts to seize this honorable office on the part of these unscrupulous men brought countless disasters and troubles to the nation.

The sacred writer called his reader's attention to the fact that Christ did not glorify Himself by rushing into the high priestly office. He cared nothing for the adulation and praise of men. Throughout His entire ministry He constantly called attention to the fact that He came not to do His own will but the will of Him who sent Him. He did not seek the applause of the people. He was not caring for the praise of men. One thing only He sought and that was to do the will of God and to bring the truth of the Almighty to lost humanity in order that they might be saved.

But God the Father appointed Christ the High Priest, even though He was not of the Aaronic order. But no Hebrew should have been surprised at that, for David, in Psalm 110, had foretold that the Messiah would be not only King but also Priest of the Hebrew nation. In support of this proposition our writer quotes from Psalm 2 these words: "Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee." An examination of the passage from which this quotation is taken shows that this psalm gives a conversation between God the Father and God the Son, which was held in the council chambers of eternity with reference to the great plan of redemption. Looking forward to the time of the Incarnation, the First Person of the Holy Trinity declared to the Second, "Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee." Since this one, the God-man, is God's Son, all He has to do is to ask of the Almighty to give Him His rightful inheritance. The Father will then turn over all the nations to Him, and He will reign in Mount Zion, Jerusalem, for a thousand years.

Having quoted from Psalm 2, the writer then gave these words from Psalm 110: "Thou art a priest forever After the order of Melchizedek." In order to see the force of this statement, one must study Genesis 14, where appears the account of the mysterious priest-king, Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. Like a lone mountain in a plain stood this priest-king in the ancient world. He had no connection with the Aaronic priesthood nor with the Davidic line. Nevertheless, he was king of Jerusalem and priest of God Most High. King David in Jerusalem, by the spirit of God, looked forward to a time when God would raise up one to reign as King in Jerusalem and to officiate as His High Priest. This one was typified by Melchizedek. Thus our writer called attention to the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of man, was the one who was raised up of God to be this Priest-King "After the order of Melchizedek."

In speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, our writer then called attention to the prayer life of the Son of God who, during the days of His flesh engaged much in prayer and supplication, together with strong crying and tears to God who was able to save Him from death. An examination of the Gospel of Luke shows the prayer-life of Jesus as does none of the other records. Of course, His weeping, praying, and crying to God reached its highest point in Gethsemane just before the arrest. To the Father the Lord Jesus said, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matt. 26:39). He came into the world to lay down His life for our redemption. God did not cause the cup of death and suffering to pass from Him. He drank it to the very last bitter drop—for your redemption and mine.

In Hebrews 5:9 we are told that our Lord, the Son of God, was made perfect through sufferings (cf. Heb. 2:10). He was perfect in every respect. He knew no sin. He was sin apart. He never had to make any offerings or sacrifices for sin. He never confessed any sin. He challenged his opponents to point to one sin of which He was guilty. He was pure, spotless, without blame, without guile. Nevertheless, He was made perfect. He was very God and at the same time perfect man. As the God-man He was perfected. He reached His goal by wading through the turbulent waters of sufferings.

Having been made perfect He became the Author of eternal salvation unto all who obey Him. He brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. He offers salvation full and free to all. It is to be had for the asking. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Having reached the end by suffering and having become the Author of eternal salvation, He was addressed or saluted by God as a High Priest "after the order of Melchizedek." Doubtless when He ascended after His resurrection and sat down with the Father on His throne, the Almighty saluted Him as the King Priest after the order of Melchizedek.