Chapter 5 of this letter to the Jewish Believers tells us a key reason why the New Covenant is greater than the Older is that we have a greater High Priest.
Most Jewish people today think of priests as Roman Catholic or Anglican but the priesthood is an integral part of Biblical Judaism. In 5:1 we learn about the work of the Priests.
Here we are told that the High Priest was appointed for the sake of the people. His function what to offer gifts to God and are reminded that his work included making sacrifices for sins.
In v 2 we learn about the characteristics of the High Priest. He can identify with those who are ignorant of the faith, as well as the misguided, because he has is a mere man as well.
The word translated “deal gently” in the Hebrew, means literally to deal with mildness and moderation. It carries the idea of being in the middle, in two ways.
Being in the midst of the people knowing and understanding, but avoiding the extremes. To be able to maintain balance when dealing with grief or a dangerous situation.
A person who becomes too sympathetic or apathetic can’t really help someone in great need. The one who is too sympathetic will himself be engulfed by the problem.
A person who is too removed from the issue, may not even recognize the problem a person is having, and if by chance he did, would not be as capable of helping.
In the middle is the person who can deal gently. He can fully identify with a person having problems without losing his perspective or judgment.
This is the responsibility of God’s priests. We who are believers are all called to be a nation of priests, even as Israel was called to a national priesthood.
Today as then some are called to the full-time vocation of Priestly or pastoral ministry. Someone who can convey a relationship with God and men.
When God created man, it was to have a relationship with Him. God has eternally existed in a community in Himself as Father, Son and Spirit.
He created man to be a part of that relationship and the world as an ideal place to develop relationships. God created us for connection with Him and one another.
In much the same way the world today is looking for relationships. And in calling us to Himself, God invites us to be in communion with Him and through Him to restore our connection with others.
In dealing with people, it helps us to understand the expectations of God as his priests. A priest is called to offer sacrifices for himself and for others.
The High Priest, which is the model of all priests, was to be humble because he was appointed by God. Yeshua is our model of priesthood.
The writer of Hebrews then goes on in this chapter to cite the qualifications of Yeshua to be High Priest. Two passages are given to establish His credentials as a High Priest.
In v 5 we are told that Yeshua is God’s unique Son and as such was appointed by God to His office. Just as the Priesthood of Israel went to the nation God appointed.
Yeshua didn’t take this honor for Himself, like King Saul when he tried to act in the role of a priest in 1 Sam.13. The result was the loss of his Kingship.
Then in v 6 we learn that Yeshua, in fact, was a priest forever. The High Priests of Israel were only temporary. Two significant Old Testament passages demonstrate why Yeshua’s Priesthood was greater.
Psalm 2:7 “Thou art my son, Today I have begotten Thee” This statement is not referring to a birth since all three persons of the Godhead are uncreated and eternal.
It is the Father’s declaration of the Messiah’s Sonship as the angel Gabriel announced in Luke 1:32), and spoken by God at Jesus’ baptism in Lk 3:22.
In Heb. 1 the writer spoke extensively of the deity of Yeshua from the Jewish Scriptures. As this special prophesied son, the writer of Hebrews demonstrated his heavenly rights.
Secondly in Psalm 110:4 “Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” This should be translated “of the same kind” not the same order.
Melchizedek had no priests follow after him and therefore there is no “order” of Melchizedek. Yeshua was a priest like him.
Who was Melchizedek? We learn more of how he is a kind of priest like Yeshua when we study chapter 7. But let’s look at him briefly now. We find him in Gen. 14:17-20.
Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). {18} And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. {19} He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; {20} And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” He gave him a tenth of all.
Melchizedek was a King of Ir Salem (city of peace); A Priest; And the blesser of Abraham. Psalm 110:4 is a prophetic passage concerning the King – Messiah who was to come.
So Scripture spoke of Messiah as being a priest like Melchizedek: A Priest who would be forever, a King of Ir Salem; And the blesser of Abraham.
So, Yeshua is qualified as a High priest because He is the Son of God which gives him a heavenly perspective, He was appointed by God, and His priesthood is like Melchizedek’s.
Another qualification of Yeshua to be a priest is that he has a oneness with mankind. Yeshua has experienced life as we know it. He experienced life’s pains and trials. He knows our emotional and our physical travails.
He experienced that which mankind fears most- death. In Heb. 5:7, we’re reminded of the prayers and supplications he made, with loud crying and tears, which point to His dependence on God while in His earthly existence.
Even though He was God the Son, he experienced death. Although you would think that because of His position he would be exempted from such suffering.
But he did suffer, and in the process learned obedience. Does this mean that Yeshua went from disobedience to obedience? No, but rather he learned obedience by obeying.
There is a difference from doing something and just being willing and prepared to do something; just as innocence differs from virtue.
In v. 9 we see a similar expression, “having been made perfect”. Here again this expression does not mean that he was imperfect and then became perfect.
There is a perfection that can come only having gone through suffering as opposed to just being ready to go through it.
It’s one thing to say we’re ready to lay down our lives for our faith and another to be confronted with death as He was. In the garden of gethsemane, he understood the cost and embraced it.
As a result of His obedience, Yeshua became the source of eternal salvation. It’s noteworthy that the One who “learned” to obey, brought salvation to those who have learned to obey.
In 5:11 we learn that the Jewish believers who this letter was written to were deserting their faith. Why? Because they had become dull of hearing.
To accept the truths of God we need to steadily grow in our faith. If we don’t, we will not be able to comprehend the things of God. Faith comes by God’s Word.
We’re all called to grow. If we are not, we are surely headed for problems. In 1 cor. 14:20 “Brethren, do not be children in your thinking, yet in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature.
In Eph 4:14-15, we are admonished to no longer be children tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine … but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him…
In v. 12 You should be teachers! Instead, you are still learning and re-learning things that you should know backwards and forwards. They were in the faith long enough to be teachers.
The expression elementary principles mean the ABC’s of the faith. Remember we’re dealing with Jewish believers and they should be advanced beyond most because of their privileges.
(Romans 9:4) who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,
Jewish believers were given so much including the grace to see and recognize the Messiah when he came. And what were these believers doing with all that they have been given? Falling away.
Heb 5 ends with the strong statement “you have come to need milk and not solid food.” The word “come” suggests that they have moved from one state to another.
As believers either we are moving forward or moving back. There is no standing still. Paul speaks to this truth in 1 Cor 3:2-3. “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly…”
The reason many believers remain immature and become dull is that they fail to grow up as they grow older. Growing older has little to do with growing wiser.
Spiritual development is stymied because of the habits we develop. Daily time in God’s Word will prepare us in knowing the word of righteousness.
What is the “Word of Righteousness”? We get a clue from Rom. 1:16-17. It is the Gospel. And not just the N.T. The Gospel is from faith from Genesis to Revelation.
Abraham was justified by faith Gen. 15 and Hab. 2:4. As believers we are called to know the Word of Righteousness. We are called to “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth”. 2 Tim. 2:15
Heb. 5:14 gives us an idea of how to attain spiritual maturity:
Good Food – We need more than bottled formula given to us by someone else. We need to learn how to feed ourselves with the meat of God’s Word.
With the right kinds of activity. – Growing requires more than just eating, it requires practice. Applying what we learn in our study.
Too much of what we hear and learn, stays in our heads; if it isn’t utilized, we lose it. One of the best ways to reinforce what we learn is by teaching it to someone else.
That’s what the writer alludes to in v.12. You ought to be teachers. If we don’t implement what we learn or reinforce it, we will be sure to lose it.
We are all called to make disciples. It’s not just the work of the pastor or teaching elders. Discipleship is everyone’s responsibility.
A third mark of maturity is not just old age it is “Discerning good from evil”. With growth in God’s Word you will be able to identify false teaching immediately.
You will discern an overemphasis of a certain theology or opinion. A person with keen senses is not distracted from the truth by sparkling lights, large crowds, beautiful music, and religious language.
We must decide to develop spiritual teeth. Or else we are no different than the multitude of Israel in the past and the multitude of so-called Believers today.
