Lessons From Hebrews – Lesson 5
Hebrews was written by Paul to saved Hebrews who were tempted to go back to practicing Judaism. Paul started off the letter by presenting Jesus high and lifted up.
One of the reasons that I like the book of Hebrews so much is how it just keeps presenting our Lord high and lifted up. We keep seeing time and time again in this book how Jesus is better. He is better than the prophets, better than Moses, better than the angels, and so on.
These Hebrews were tempted to go back and Paul knew they needed Jesus lifted up before their eyes.
Then he went into an admonition to not make the same mistake that the Israelites in the wilderness made. And we talked about how there is saving faith that saves the soul once and for all. And then there is the faith that you need to walk with God in this life.
There is a spiritual rest offered to Christians today. We saw it was offered during Moses’ time, it was offered during David’s time and it is still offered today.
It is a rest offered for the people of God. And you enter into it by faith. It is realizing that the God that has the power to save your soul, has the power to give you spiritual victories in this life.
Not getting a hold of that was why they could not enter into Canaan. They trusted God to save them from the death angel. They applied the blood of the Lamb in faith. They believed that, but they did not believe that God could give them victory in the land.
Paul admonishes Christians to not make the same mistake. The God who loved you enough to die for you, loves you enough to be carefully watching over you.
The God who has the mercy and grace to save, has the mercy and grace to provide. It is realizing that God has a purpose for your life, and your part is to trust even if you don’t understand.
Spiritual rest in the turbulent storms of life only comes thru faith.
And during Paul’s discussion of all this we find these statements. They are not placed here by accident. Paul did not lose his train of thought. These verses are exactly where God wanted them.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Heb 4:14 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 4:15 For 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.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Basically Harden not your heart Christian. Let the powerful word of God be a discerner of your heart. Let it be a mirror, and show you what you need to change. God knows anyway. And then those wonderful verses about our Great High Priest who understands. Jesus is on a throne of grace.
We can go there to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
And in verse 14 it says let us hold fast our profession.
Jesus has all the power and grace that we need to hold fast. Our part is to keep our hearts right and go to Him for help.
After this warning and admonition to not make the same mistake of unbelief. Paul is going to start a comparison of the high priesthood of Jesus to the Aaronic priesthood.
The priesthood was very important to the Jews. They were raised up with it. All thru their childhood they had been taught about it. It was a part of their cultural makeup.
Now they have been saved. The Aaronic priesthood is no longer needed. They have to let that go. All they need now is Jesus.
But some of their families are still wrapped up in it. Some of their friends, their neighbors, and people they have to do business with. They are tempted to go back. They had had it drilled into them that man needs a high priest.
Paul has already addressed that Jesus is our Great High Priest. But there would still be doubts and questions. After all there were very specific qualifications that had to be met to be a high priest.
So now Paul is going to deal with Jesus’ qualifications specifically for the office of High Priest.
Heb 5:1 For 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:
Every high priest is taken from among men. An angel would not qualify. An angel would not possess man’s nature, he would not be subject to man’s temptations, and he would not have experience with man’s sufferings.
Christ qualifies because He became human. He had to take on our nature to be our mediator. He could not have just showed up, told us we would be saved if we believe and then just leave. He had to become man. The payment for sin had to be made.
Verse one also says is ordained for men.
Man needs a priest. Man cannot approach God directly. How well the people this letter was written to understood that. What would happen to anyone who was not the ordained High Priest if they went into the holy of holies?
He would die. The people could not mediate for themselves. Someone was always ordained to do it. Noah was the priest for his family Gen 8:20
Abraham was the priest for his family. Gen 12:8
Job was the priest for his family Job 1:5
Later Aaron and his sons were ordained to be High Priests for the nation of Israel and anyone who would approach God.
The picture was always the same. Man needs someone ordained to mediate.
Verse one says in things pertaining to God.
The priest had one function in life. He was to focus on the things of God. He was not to pursue filthy lucre. He was not a King, a businessman, or farmer. He had no portion when Canaan was divided. God was his inheritance.
Verse 1 says, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
The gifts were voluntary and for worship. The sacrifices were for men’s sins.
Heb 5:2 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.
The priest was to have compassion on them that are out of the way. He was always to remember that he was also a sinner. The priest was not to be prideful, or arrogant.
Heb 5:3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
Paul is bringing out many of the qualifications of the Aaronic priesthood. He had to be human, he had to be ordained for men, he had be devoted to God’s work. He had to have compassion. Christ meets all those.
Now we have something brought out that separates Christ from those other priests. They were all sinners. They all had to offer for their own sins as well as for the people.
If you remember from studying the Tabernacle. They would tie a rope around the ankle of the High Priest before He went into the Holy of Holies to offer for the people.
Why?
Because if he did something wrong or had his heart wrong he would die. They could not just go in and get the body. The High Priest was the only one allowed in there. A picture that there would be only one mediator between God and man. The Old Testament High Priest was only a type, a picture of the true High Priest to come. Those Old Testament priests were still all sinners. He gets in there and starts thinking the wrong thing and they have to pull him out with the rope.
I am sure those guys prayed and prayed. God if there is any unconfessed sin in me, show me before I go in there.
When Jesus made His offering for the people, He did not have to worry about any of that. Jesus had no sin. Nothing to confess. No fear of being struck down for anything that He did. He was the just dying for the unjust.
Heb 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as [was] Aaron.
Another qualification to be a high priest was that you had to be called of God. No man just took it upon himself one day to be a high priest. The job was not based on who could score highest on a test. It was not a popularity contest. The job was appointed by God.
Paul reminds them of this and uses Aaron as an example. Aaron did not go up and say I got a good idea. I will be the high priest.
Many had tried it in the past. Korah and his followers tried it and God killed them. The ground opened up and they fell into the pit.
King Saul invaded upon the priesthood and lost his kingdom. 1 Sam 13.
King Uzziah tried to enter the Temple and burn incense and God smote him with leprosy. II Chronicles 26:16-21.
To be qualified for the position of High Priest you had to be called of God.
Paul then shows that Jesus also met this qualification.
Heb 5:5 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.
This quotation is from Psalm 2:7
Christ holds a higher position than Aaron’s sons. He is the Son of God.
Now there may have been some that might have been thinking. Jesus saves yes, but He was not a Levite. One of the qualifications to be a high priest is that you have to be a Levite. Someone from the tribe of Gad or Asher or Judah would not be qualified. Jesus was not from the tribe of Levi.
Paul is now going to handle this question by showing that there is a different priesthood. One that came before Aaronic priesthood.
Heb 5:6 As he saith also in another [place], Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Melchizedek was a mysterious man who shows up after Abraham rescues Lot.
Abraham who was a priest for his own family, recognizes that Melchizedek is above him and Abraham pays tithes to Melchizedek.
Paul will have much more to say about Melchizedek. Right now he only mentions him to show that Jesus is not disqualified because He is not a Levite. Jesus is just of a different order.
The appearance of Melchizedek was planed of God. He foreknew that it would be very important to have the priesthood of Melchizedek established to take away the objections of Jesus not being a Levite.
Heb 5:7 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;
Verse 7 is a reference to Gethsemane. And at Gethsemane prayers and tears were connected. Some people have a hard time with the statement that Jesus feared. They try to say that Jesus feared to die. But the verse does not say that.
It says He prayed unto him that was able to save him from death. That speaks of the resurrection. That prayer was answered, Jesus knew that. Jesus did not fear not being resurrected. His perfect foreknowledge knew that He would be resurrected even before the incarnation. I believe that what Jesus feared was actually being made sin for us.
He was perfectly holy and righteous and had never had any sin. Sin is repulsive to God. And Jesus was about to take our filthy sin upon Himself. There was a conflict going on in Gethsemane that we will never be able to fully understand.
Jesus came to take our sin. He knew He would go to the cross. He loved us and would not turn away. And yet being faced with it there was agony.
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
The Old Testament High Priests had to bring a sacrifice for the people. They would bring bulls, lambs, and goats.
As our High Priest Jesus brought a perfect sacrifice. He gave Himself. It was painful, it was agonizing. He paid for our terrible sin and became the author of eternal salvation.
Heb 5:10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Is it possible to be saved and yet be dull of hearing? You bet it is.
Here is a good prayer. Lord don’t let that be me. Help me to be teachable. I do not want to be dull of hearing Lord. I want to draw closer to you.
Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
HEB 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
These Christians are in a state of spiritual infancy.
Paul is writing to believers who should have grown by now. He says that by now they ought to be teachers. But instead of being teachers they are in need of being taught. In fact they are in need of being taught the basics again.
What would you think of a little baby that is 6 months old? You would think how cute and how beautiful. Right. On the other hand what would you think of a baby that is the same size as a 6 month old but they are 20 years old? You would not think how cute.
You would think that this is awful. You would think why didn’t someone do something about it. You would ask questions like why didn’t the parents take him to the doctor when they did not see him growing as he should. Christians should normally be growing after they get saved.
It is a sad thing, but I see Christians all the time today who have not grown like they should.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Some people can discern between both good and evil and some cannot. Some Christians have grown in their knowledge and some have not. The fact is that all Christians should mature.
Every one of us should be growing in the Lord and in our faith every day. We need to do as this verse mentions and exercise our senses to discern both good and evil.
There is a difference between harsh hypocritical judgment and spiritual discernment. Christians are to judge the things that they hear and discern if they are correct or not. We are supposed to know if something is good or evil.
If all Christians had the kind of discernment that is talked about here, then none of these false heresy teaching TV preachers would make it. Christians would not send them a dime when they hear. Send me your money and God will send you a financial blessing.
Discerning Christians would turn off the TV when they hear God wants you to be rich. Properly discerning Christians would not watch someone flopping around on the floor. A discerning Christian would know that being slayed in the spirit is not biblical and is not of God.
Look at the volume of people who listen to the health and wealth false gospel. We have multitudes of professing Christians who know very little Bible.
They don’t understand the Biblical principles of separation.
They don’t understand sanctification. Or the importance of personal Bible study. The blood atonement. The fear of the Lord, Or… or… or…
There are some of them where I work. You start a conversation about some Bible truth or even use an illustration out of the Old Testament, and they get that deer in the head lights blank look on their face.
To them Christianity is all about waving hankies, flashing lights, and toe tapping body swaying music. To them it is all about feelings and it’s all about me.
To them it is not about sacrificing and serving a Holy God. In the Bible obedience is connected to love.
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
They have very little interest in denying themselves something they want. Sin and obedience is not on the menu.
They don’t have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. They can’t discern the false teachings of all these new movements.
There are many of these outfits that are actually working on getting along with and bringing together all of the world’s religions.
So called Christian leaders who endorse Mormonism and even Islam. Gay marriage, socialism, and on the list goes. And blind baby Christians are following them by the thousands.
I really believe we are living in the last days. Days where things will get worse and worse.
We need to be Christians who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.