CHAPTER IX
FURTHER
QUALIFICATIONS OF OUR HIGH PRIEST
Such is the thought
of the first two chapters of Hebrews. And upon this the third chapter opens, or
rather the one great thought continues with the beautiful exhortation:
“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the
Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to
Him that appointed Him.”
Having presented
Christ in the flesh, as He was made “in all things” like the children of men
and our nearest of kin, we are now asked to consider Him in His faithfulness in
that position. The first Adam was not faithful. This last Adam “was faithful to
Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all His [God's] house.
For this Man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who
hath builded the house hath more honor than the house. For every house is
builded by some man, but He that built all things is God.
And Moses verily was faithful in all His
[God's] house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be
spoken after; but Christ [was faithful] as a Son over His own house; whose
house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm
unto the end.”
Next is cited
Israel, who came out of Egypt, who were not faithful; who failed of entering
into God’s rest because they believed not in Him. Then upon this is the
exhortation to us to “fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His
rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel
preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not
being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do
enter into rest,” in believing in Him who gave Himself for our sins.
We enter into rest
in the forgiveness of all our sins, through believing in Him who was faithful
in every obligation and under every temptation of life.
We also enter into
rest and there abide, by being partaker of His faithfulness, in which and by
which we also shall be faithful to Him who has appointed us.
For in considering
Him “the High Priest of our profession” in His faithfulness, we are ever to
consider that “we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin.” Hebrews 4:15.
When we “have not an
high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” we
have an High Priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. And
the way in which He can and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities is
that He “was in all points tempted like as we are.” There is not a point in
which any soul can be tempted but that He has been exactly so tempted, and has
felt the temptation as truly as any human soul can feel it. But, though He was
in all points tempted like as we are and felt the power of it as truly as any
one can, yet in it all He was faithful and through it all He passed “without
sin.” And by faith in Him—in this His faithfulness—every soul can meet all
temptation and pass through it without sinning.
This is our
salvation, for He was made flesh as man and in all things it behooved Him to be
made like unto His brethren and to be tempted in all points like as we are
“that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to
God.” And this not only “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people,”
but also to “succor”—to run under, to run to the aid of, to assist and deliver
from suffering—“them that are tempted.” He is our merciful and faithful High
Priest to succor—run under—us when we are tempted, to keep us from falling
under the temptation and so to keep us from falling under sin. He “runs under”
us is our temptation so we shall not fall under the temptation but shall
conquer it and rise in victory over it, sinning not. “Seeing then that we have
a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let
us hold fast our profession.” Heb. 4:14.
And also seeing that
we have such an High Priest, “let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Further, in presenting for our consideration our High Priest in His
faithfulness, it is written that “every high priest taken from among men is
ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and
sacrifices for sins, who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that
are out of the way, for that He Himself also is compassed with infirmity.”
Hebrews 5:1,2.
And this is why it
is that in order that He should be a merciful and faithful high priest in
things pertaining to God and that He should bring many unto glory, it became
Him, as the Captain of their salvation, to be “compassed with infirmity,” to be
tried by temptation, to be “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;” thus
“in all things” to be made acquainted with human experience, so that He truly
“can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are not [sic. “out"]
of the way.” In a word, in order that He might be “a merciful and faithful High
Priest in things pertaining to God,” it became Him to be made “perfect through
sufferings.” “And no man taketh this honor [of high priesthood] unto himself
but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
So also Christ
glorified not Himself to be made an High Priest; but He that said unto Him,
Thou art My Son, to-day have I begotten Thee. As He saith also in another
place, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Who in the
days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong
crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death and was heard in
that He feared; though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things
which He suffered; and being made perfect [being tested to perfection in all
points], He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him;
called of God an High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 5:4-10.
“And inasmuch as not without an oath He was made Priest; for those priests [of
the Levitical priesthood] were made without an oath; but this with an oath by
Him that said unto Him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a Priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek: by so much was Jesus made a surety of a
better testament.”
Thus, above all
others, by the oath of God, Jesus was made a Priest.
Therefore, and “by
so much” “we have such an High Priest.”
And further, “They
[of the order of Aaron] truly were many priests, because they were not suffered
to continue by reason of death: but this man, because He continueth ever, hath
an unchangeable priesthood.” Hebrews 7:23, 24.
By the oath of God
He is made a Priest forever.
He is also made a
Priest “after the power of an endless life.” Hebrews 7:16.
Therefore “He
continueth ever.”
And because He
continueth ever, He hath an “unchangeable priesthood.”
And because of all
this, “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him,
seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25.
And “we have such an
High Priest.” And “such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth
not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own
sins, and then for the people's; for this He did once, when He offered up
Himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word
of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son [High Priest], who is
consecrated forevermore.” Hebrews 7:26, 27.
The Consecrated Way
— Alonzo Jones
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