Lesson #17 [id3] The Priesthood Of Christ Series

20

Tom Lowe

Lesson #17 [ID3] The Priesthood of Christ (HEBREWS 5:6-10)

Text (NIV)

6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered

9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Background

The book of Hebrews was written for the Jewish people. According to Old Testament teaching, these people were raised with firm convictions that a priest was necessary to their relationship with God. The priest served as a go-between or an intercessor between man and God. Such a person was necessary due to the Holiness of God. Holiness means God is totally separate from fallen man and, in a real sense, inaccessible. For this reason, God determined that certain men who were ritually cleansed in a special way could approach him on behalf of the people. These men were selected by God for the office. They would sacrifice to God which symbolically atoned or paid for the people's sins. This principle is seen at work very early in the story of Job (42:7-9).

When God established His covenant with the Jews at Sinai, he chose one family to act as priests. This family was the family of Aaron and in addition, Aaron's tribe, the Levites. The book of Leviticus is written to instruct the "Levitical" priests on how to perform their service. One example of their service is the day of atonement. On this day, among other things, the priest in charge would give an animal sacrifice for the forgiveness of the people's sins. He then would take some blood (a symbol of death) from the sacrifice and enter the small cubicle where God dwelt in a special way. There he would display the blood symbolically to God thus demonstrating that the sacrifice had been given--a life had ended, implying that the wages of sin (death) had been paid. (See Leviticus 17:10) Only the high priest could come into this cubicle in the temple. If anyone else came in, he would be struck dead. This rule was so unwavering that, according to tradition, a rope was tied around the priest's ankle so that, if he collapsed or died while in the cubicle, he could be pulled out by rope rather than have someone else go in for him.

You can see how this demonstrates the unapproachability of God. At the same time, it shows the definite need for a priest to represent us as sinners before God. But there is a problem with verse 6 because of the statement, “You [Jesus] are a priest forever . . .”

As mentioned above, a Jewish priest must be from the tribe of Levi. The author of Hebrews intends to show that Jesus is in fact the only ordained priest that God has for believers. However, Jesus was not from the tribe of Levi but from the tribe of Judah. (See Heb. 7:13,14.) This means that according to Mosaic law, Jesus lacked the first requirement for priesthood.

Besides this, even if the readers of Hebrews conceded that Jesus was a priest, He was no longer on earth at the time the book was written. This would mean, according to Old Testament law, that someone should take over to perform the services in the temple. In other words, even if Jesus had been a priest, He would not have been one after His ascension.

Commentary

6 And he [that is, the same person, God the Father] says in another place [or psalm; namely Psalm 110:4], “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

This passage introduces us to a rather obscure Old Testament figure named Melchizedek. Melchizedek is a priest. Yet the priesthood was not established for at least 500 years after this incident! This incident occurred in roughly 2000 BC, but the priesthood referred to in Leviticus was set up in the 1400's BC. Obviously, this man must have been a priest in some order other than the Levitical order.

This unusual man meets the great patriarch Abraham one day as Abraham is returning with the booty he has won from a battle with some enemy troops. There a very brief but very strange transaction occurs. Notice verse 19. Melchizedek blesses Abraham. According to Biblical and ancient practice this means that both Melchizedek and Abraham realized that of the two of them, Melchizedek had greater stature. Fathers, for instance, always bless sons. The son would never pronounce a blessing on the father. Yet, while Abraham apparently viewed Melchizedek as greater, he was himself probably the greatest name in the whole Old Testament! He was the father of the Jews, the father of all the great men of God who were born afterword. When we realize how great Abraham was it becomes doubly hard to understand how Melchizedek could be even greater.