Life Project Blog

Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

Hebrews 5:1-4

The discussion of Jesus, our great High Priest continues through chapter 5.  Here in these verses, we have a description of what a high priest is; someone appointed from among the people to represent them in “matters related to God.” Thus, we would say that the high priest performs the duties of an intermediary between Man and God.  In the case of the Old Testament priesthood, they would present sacrifices for sins and other offerings to God according to the Law. In making intercession, the priest is in a position to understand the plight of humanity since he has the same problems, challenges, and temptations as everyone else; he offers sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the rest of the people… and he does not appoint himself as high priest, for this is an office ordained by God.

In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father.”

And he says in another place,

“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 5:5-6

Our author is going to some pains here to demonstrate that Jesus, as high priest, is not something that came about by any means other than the assent of God, citing two passages to indicate that His elevation to the office of high priest was indeed a divine appointment.

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. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 5:7-10

This is a key passage for a couple of reasons. First, we can see three aspects of Jesus priestly ministry: First, we see Jesus’ intercessions through prayer. Throughout the Gospels, we clearly see Jesus as a man of prayer, one who is able to freely, boldly, and submissively approach the Father in prayer.  Second, we see Jesus’ priestly ministry through His obedience by the fact that He was willing to offer Himself as the ultimate and transformational sacrifice for sin, once and for all, putting to an end the need for the atoning sacrifices of the Old Covenant system.  Effectively, Jesus made the ultimate intercession with God on behalf of all humanity when He sacrificed Himself.  Third, we see the present priestly ministry of Jesus, in which He is the “source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…”  Notice the conditional nature of this sentence in “all who obey him.” Yes, Jesus is the source of eternal salvation, but we must “obey him.”  I suppose this can be taken two ways, but I take it as meaning that we obey His call to repentance, and accept the grace He has made available to all of us.

In the very last part of this passage, we see a very important fact, one that our author will explain in detail in chapter 7: Jesus, our high priest is a priest in the “order of Melchizedek.” For now, let’s just mention that this is not the order of priests who served in the Old Covenant system by the Law of Moses in the Jerusalem Temple.  This is quite significant!  That tells us that Jesus is not an Old Covenant priest at all, that He serves in an entirely different system that provides entirely different promises.  The Old Covenant system was served by priests in the order of Aaron, the Levitical priesthood.  They could not offer a sacrifice that could result in the forgiveness of sins, they offered sacrifices that could atone for sins, putting off the penalty for sin until a future date when the account would come due, so to speak.  Jesus, on the other hand took sins away completely and forever.

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

“So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.

And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”

Hebrews 4:1-5

The warning continues in this text, but now the warning is building up to something wonderful.  The “promise” of entering His rest still stands. Needless to say, this is sometimes a source of confusion; what exactly is this “rest” that still stands?  In the original Old Testament context, the “rest” was the Promised Land, but it was also the Sabbath.  Now, there seems to be another context taking shape: What’s going on?

Whatever is going on, we still have that hope somehow, and we need to be careful that we don’t fall away from God before we get there. Now our author adds the rest and the Sabbath.  So, is the Sabbath a promise?  Some say so, but last time I checked, it wasn’t a promise, it was a Commandment!  In fact, it’s one of the 10 Commandments, but unlike the other 9, Jesus didn’t re-assert this one in the Gospels:  Why? Because it was the sign of the Old Covenant, just as circumcision is the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant; neither are in force now. And yet, there is still a rest for the people of God…?

Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”

Hebrews 4:6-7

There it is again!  There is still a “rest” that we might enter into, and we need to ensure that our hearts aren’t hardened into disbelief, or we might miss out.  I don’t know about you, but I think this is really cool… and great fun! What could he mean?

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Hebrews 4:8-11

Again the promise, again the warning- and more clues. Joshua led the people into the Land, Moses had given them the Law, and still centuries later, David spoke of another “rest” and the disobedience of old.  Hebrews has several instances where the Old Testament is said to contain “shadows” that are pictures of the glorious reality to come in Christ, and this is the first one of them, even though the author hasn’t come right out and said so yet.  In this case, both the Land and the Sabbath are mere shadows of a great reality that doesn’t come until Christ.  Everything in the Old Covenant is centered on the physical world. The promises, the curses, the worship, the Temple, the festivals… all are physically oriented, but point to a great reality that was to come; this is called “typology” and these things are called “types.”  Thus, the Land and the Sabbath are “types” of something wonderful that the people of the Old Testament had no real concept of… eternity.  When Jesus began speaking of eternal life, He was speaking of something that the Old Testament made no mention of… at all. All of the promises in the Law were earthly, not one was eternal in scope.  Jews do not die and go to Heaven; they die and live through their children. If you don’t believe me, ask one of your Jewish friends.

Yes, I know that some Christians might want to dispute this, saying that God hasn’t kept the Land promise, and will do so in the millennium. Personally, I think that runs counter to our text right here, but my normal reply is: “Would you rather have a Tel Aviv address for a thousand years, or eternal life with Christ?  Jesus fulfilled the promise of land with something far better than real estate: This is the wonderful part. Yet, another warning, “make every effort” to enter the rest and not to perish because of disobedience.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:12-13

This is the sternest warning of all in this section, and yet it is wonderful at the same time: The Word of God- powerful, penetrating, alive! We often refer to the Scriptures as the Word of God, and so they are.  Then we go and relegate it to a mere academic discipline full of teachings, rules and promises… even trivia, but the Word of God is never trivial.  The Word of God is powerful, the most powerful force in our universe, for it holds the entire universe together as we saw in chapter 1.  The Word is also a Person.  Go back and read John 1:1-4; 14.  The Word of God is none other than Jesus Christ Himself: The Word of God is Wonderful!