Lesson Themes: Sin separated us from God. Christ, however, came to bridge that gulf. In order to do that, He became our High Priest. His role has similarities to human priests—but also differences. He is called a priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:6, NRSV). What that actually means is that Christ is “resembling Melchizedek” (Heb. 7:15, NRSV). This king and priest, Melchizedek, was a contemporary of Abram. When a coalition of kings attacked Sodom and Gomorrah, they not only conquered it but also took Lot, the nephew of Abram, captive. In response, Abram launched a counterattack and rescued Lot and the other captured citizens of those cities, together with the plundered goods. After they returned from battle, Melchizedek, king and priest of Salem, blessed Abram, and in return, Abram gave Melchizedek one tenth of all the battle spoil (Genesis 14). This Melchizedek was neither Christ incarnate nor a heavenly being. He was just a human king and priest, a useful paradigm for Paul to use. Melchizedek, as a type of Christ, fits into Paul’s argument. Although not belonging to the tribe of Levi—the priestly tribe in ancient Israel—Christ became an effective and superior priest because His priesthood was according to the order of Melchizedek, the king-priest of Salem. Note that Melchizedek received the tithe from Abraham, which makes his priesthood prior to and superior to that of that of Levi. Thus, the priesthood of Melchizedek fittingly typifies Christ’s royal priesthood.
Part II: Commentary
High-Priestly Qualifications: Hebrews 5:1–4 begins with a general catalog of high-priestly qualifications. “Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was” (Heb. 5:1–4, NRSV).
In all, 12 qualities of a high priest are listed in Hebrews 5:1–4. First, the job description: every high priest is (1) “chosen from among mortals,” (2) selected “on their behalf,” (3) is “in charge of things pertaining to God,” and (4) is appointed “to offer gifts and sacrifices” (5) “for sins.” Next come the personal dispositions: (6) “He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward” and (7) is “subject to weakness.” Furthermore, (8) “he must offer sacrifice for his own sins,” (9) “as well as for those of the people.” Finally, the issue of vocation: (10) “one does not presume to take this honor,” (11) “but takes it only when called by God,” (12) “just as Aaron was” called.
Four characteristics for the high priest stand out. These are: solidarity with humans (qualities 1–3); ability to moderate his emotion (quality 6); being subject to weakness (quality 7); and, finally, the priest’s calling (quality 12). We will deal with each one of these four outstanding characteristics before turning our attention to Christ’s qualifications for this job.
First, the high priest is chosen from among his own people. He was supposed to be an Israelite (Exod. 29:9, 44; Num. 18:1–7) from the tribe of Levi. Aaron was appointed first as high priest by God Himself (Exod. 28:1). When certain individuals, such as Korah and his company, presumed to appoint themselves or others to the position of high priest, God had to destroy them (Num. 16:15–40). The priesthood and its prerogatives were not a trifling matter, as King Uzziah experienced via a leprous outbreak on his own body when he forced his way into the temple to make an offering on the altar of incense (2 Chron. 26:16–21). Interestingly, during the Second Temple period, or intertestamental period, at the end of the Hasmonean kingdom, Salome Alexandra took the throne as queen (76–67 b.c.), but not the priesthood. Because of her gender, she could not be high priest. So, she appointed her eldest son, Hyrcanus II, to the position. His younger brother Aristobolus II did not accept the appointment of his brother and rivaled him for the office.
So, we see that the earthly high priest was always a male, chosen from his own people. He also needed to show solidarity with his own people. Thus, as we said, he was an Israelite, a descendant of Aaron, from the tribe of Levi. His job was to represent other humans before God and offer gifts and sacrifices on his own behalf and on theirs. The topic of Christ’s solidarity with us humans surfaces in Hebrews 2:17, 18, resurfaces in Hebrews 4:14–16, and will be developed further in Hebrews 5.
Second, the high priest, as Hebrews describes him, is a person who is able to moderate, meaning restrain, his own emotion with those who are ignorant and go astray. “He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward” (Heb. 5:2, NRSV). The ideal high priest was a person not too harsh but also not indifferent to sin. The earthly high priest shared in the general responsibilities during the cultic year (Exod. 29:38–46); but he alone offered the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:1–25) and carried the Urim and the Thummim (Exod. 28:30). He needed to do all of these things with emotional self-control.
Third, while at least sometimes the high priest must have been frustrated with the sins committed by his people (just think of the high priest Eli when he wrongly accused Hannah of being drunk [1 Sam. 1:13, 14]), he was himself subject to weakness. Hebrews 5:2 literally says the high priest was “clothed,” “wore,” or was “surrounded” with weakness underneath his elaborate outer garb (Exodus 28). This distinction is important because his weakness enabled him to deal gently with the wrongdoers. As a high priest, he showed solidarity with his people, restrained his emotions when frustrated, and also was aware that he was subject to sin. This made him an approachable person.
Fourth, the office of the high priest was not one for which a person could enlist or run. The first appointee, Aaron, was chosen by God, and no one was permitted to confer this honor upon himself. A person accepted it only when summoned by God.
In summary, a high priest showed solidarity with his people, controlled his emotions, was aware of his weakness, and took the office only when summoned by God.
Thought Question: When the church applies corrective discipline to an erring person, why is it important to show solidarity, have emotional self-control, and be aware of one’s own weakness?
Christ’s Qualifications: With Hebrews 5:5, 6, Paul turns the discussion to Jesus. Paul considers Jesus in the context of two of the qualifications of high priest, delineated in the previous section, namely, His divine appointment and His solidarity with humans.
First, Christ as High Priest did not take the honor upon Himself, but, rather, God appointed Him to the position. How does Paul make that point? By welding two psalms together. Both already have been used in Hebrews, in Hebrews 1:5 and Hebrews 1:14, at the beginning and end of a string of quotations in Hebrews 1:5–14. The first quotation is from Psalm 2:7. Psalm 2 is the Messianic psalm that talks about the appointment of Christ as the prophesied Son of David. The second quote comes from Psalm 110:4 and shows that Christ is called to be a Priest by God. His priestly accomplishments already were alluded to in Hebrews 1:3: “When he had made purification for sins, he sat down” (NRSV). Here Paul combines the Sonship motif, with the high-priestly motif of Christ. Christ is the appointed Son of God and the perfect High Priest for humans, “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:6, NRSV), or as Hebrews 7:15 states, “resembling Melchizedek” (NRSV). Like Melchizedek, Christ is King and Priest. Compared to human Levitical high priests, Christ is better than they are in that He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward. Likewise, He is able to “sympathize with our weaknesses” (Heb. 4:15, NRSV) and “to help those who are being tested” (Heb. 2:18, NRSV). He is “able to save completely” (Heb. 7:25, NIV) and can perfect “forever those who are being made holy” (Heb. 10:14, NIV).
The second qualification of Christ, namely, showing solidarity with humans, is made obvious by His suffering, His learning obedience, and His becoming perfect (Heb. 5:7–10).
Thought Question: Read Hebrews 7:23–25. Why was it necessary to have a better High Priest than those from the tribe of Levi?
Part III: Life Application
Thus far, Paul describes Jesus as superior to the angels in His capacity as the enthroned Son of God (Hebrews 1). Yet, for a time, Jesus is made lower than the angels, as One who, through His death, destroyed Satan’s power of death (Hebrews 2). Jesus also is described as the One unable to provide rest for the Exodus generation because of their unbelief (Hebrews 3), but able to offer rest for the post-Messianic people of God (Hebrews 4). Jesus also is a Priest who is similar, yet very different from, the priests of the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 5). In light of this information, what is the next step to which Paul wants to lead his audience?
Paul wants his readers to advance in their understanding of Christ’s high-priestly ministry by seeing His resemblance as their High Priest to Melchizedek. However, there are some obstacles. The obstacles include the readers’ being lazy in hearing the Word; needing milk as immature Christians, rather than solid food; and being unskilled in the Word of righteousness (Heb. 5:11–14). Although Paul speaks in very strong terms, he balances his exhortative reproach with a positive statement about their spiritual condition by saying: “Even though we speak in this way, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation” (Heb. 6:9, NRSV).
Thought Questions:
Is there ever a place in our personal spiritual journey when we need to be accountable to a third party, besides God, for our progress or regress? Discuss.
Is there a place for a spiritual authority to hold us corporately accountable, just as Paul holds his audience accountable? Why, or why not?
Is there such a thing as a static Christian, or is that status a contradiction in terms? Explain.
Adjust My Preferences
Welcome! Please set your reading preferences below.
You can access this panel later by clicking the
preference icon
in the top right of the page.
Key Texts: Heb. 5:1–10; Gen. 14:18–20; 1 Pet. 2:9; Heb. 7:1–3; Heb. 7:11–16, 22, 26.
Lesson Themes: Sin separated us from God. Christ, however, came to bridge that gulf. In order to do that, He became our High Priest. His role has similarities to human priests—but also differences. He is called a priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:6, NRSV). What that actually means is that Christ is “resembling Melchizedek” (Heb. 7:15, NRSV). This king and priest, Melchizedek, was a contemporary of Abram. When a coalition of kings attacked Sodom and Gomorrah, they not only conquered it but also took Lot, the nephew of Abram, captive. In response, Abram launched a counterattack and rescued Lot and the other captured citizens of those cities, together with the plundered goods. After they returned from battle, Melchizedek, king and priest of Salem, blessed Abram, and in return, Abram gave Melchizedek one tenth of all the battle spoil (Genesis 14). This Melchizedek was neither Christ incarnate nor a heavenly being. He was just a human king and priest, a useful paradigm for Paul to use. Melchizedek, as a type of Christ, fits into Paul’s argument. Although not belonging to the tribe of Levi—the priestly tribe in ancient Israel—Christ became an effective and superior priest because His priesthood was according to the order of Melchizedek, the king-priest of Salem. Note that Melchizedek received the tithe from Abraham, which makes his priesthood prior to and superior to that of that of Levi. Thus, the priesthood of Melchizedek fittingly typifies Christ’s royal priesthood.
Part II: Commentary
High-Priestly Qualifications: Hebrews 5:1–4 begins with a general catalog of high-priestly qualifications. “Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was” (Heb. 5:1–4, NRSV).
In all, 12 qualities of a high priest are listed in Hebrews 5:1–4. First, the job description: every high priest is (1) “chosen from among mortals,” (2) selected “on their behalf,” (3) is “in charge of things pertaining to God,” and (4) is appointed “to offer gifts and sacrifices” (5) “for sins.” Next come the personal dispositions: (6) “He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward” and (7) is “subject to weakness.” Furthermore, (8) “he must offer sacrifice for his own sins,” (9) “as well as for those of the people.” Finally, the issue of vocation: (10) “one does not presume to take this honor,” (11) “but takes it only when called by God,” (12) “just as Aaron was” called.
Four characteristics for the high priest stand out. These are: solidarity with humans (qualities 1–3); ability to moderate his emotion (quality 6); being subject to weakness (quality 7); and, finally, the priest’s calling (quality 12). We will deal with each one of these four outstanding characteristics before turning our attention to Christ’s qualifications for this job.
First, the high priest is chosen from among his own people. He was supposed to be an Israelite (Exod. 29:9, 44; Num. 18:1–7) from the tribe of Levi. Aaron was appointed first as high priest by God Himself (Exod. 28:1). When certain individuals, such as Korah and his company, presumed to appoint themselves or others to the position of high priest, God had to destroy them (Num. 16:15–40). The priesthood and its prerogatives were not a trifling matter, as King Uzziah experienced via a leprous outbreak on his own body when he forced his way into the temple to make an offering on the altar of incense (2 Chron. 26:16–21). Interestingly, during the Second Temple period, or intertestamental period, at the end of the Hasmonean kingdom, Salome Alexandra took the throne as queen (76–67 b.c.), but not the priesthood. Because of her gender, she could not be high priest. So, she appointed her eldest son, Hyrcanus II, to the position. His younger brother Aristobolus II did not accept the appointment of his brother and rivaled him for the office.
So, we see that the earthly high priest was always a male, chosen from his own people. He also needed to show solidarity with his own people. Thus, as we said, he was an Israelite, a descendant of Aaron, from the tribe of Levi. His job was to represent other humans before God and offer gifts and sacrifices on his own behalf and on theirs. The topic of Christ’s solidarity with us humans surfaces in Hebrews 2:17, 18, resurfaces in Hebrews 4:14–16, and will be developed further in Hebrews 5.
Second, the high priest, as Hebrews describes him, is a person who is able to moderate, meaning restrain, his own emotion with those who are ignorant and go astray. “He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward” (Heb. 5:2, NRSV). The ideal high priest was a person not too harsh but also not indifferent to sin. The earthly high priest shared in the general responsibilities during the cultic year (Exod. 29:38–46); but he alone offered the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:1–25) and carried the Urim and the Thummim (Exod. 28:30). He needed to do all of these things with emotional self-control.
Third, while at least sometimes the high priest must have been frustrated with the sins committed by his people (just think of the high priest Eli when he wrongly accused Hannah of being drunk [1 Sam. 1:13, 14]), he was himself subject to weakness. Hebrews 5:2 literally says the high priest was “clothed,” “wore,” or was “surrounded” with weakness underneath his elaborate outer garb (Exodus 28). This distinction is important because his weakness enabled him to deal gently with the wrongdoers. As a high priest, he showed solidarity with his people, restrained his emotions when frustrated, and also was aware that he was subject to sin. This made him an approachable person.
Fourth, the office of the high priest was not one for which a person could enlist or run. The first appointee, Aaron, was chosen by God, and no one was permitted to confer this honor upon himself. A person accepted it only when summoned by God.
In summary, a high priest showed solidarity with his people, controlled his emotions, was aware of his weakness, and took the office only when summoned by God.
Thought Question: When the church applies corrective discipline to an erring person, why is it important to show solidarity, have emotional self-control, and be aware of one’s own weakness?
Christ’s Qualifications: With Hebrews 5:5, 6, Paul turns the discussion to Jesus. Paul considers Jesus in the context of two of the qualifications of high priest, delineated in the previous section, namely, His divine appointment and His solidarity with humans.
First, Christ as High Priest did not take the honor upon Himself, but, rather, God appointed Him to the position. How does Paul make that point? By welding two psalms together. Both already have been used in Hebrews, in Hebrews 1:5 and Hebrews 1:14, at the beginning and end of a string of quotations in Hebrews 1:5–14. The first quotation is from Psalm 2:7. Psalm 2 is the Messianic psalm that talks about the appointment of Christ as the prophesied Son of David. The second quote comes from Psalm 110:4 and shows that Christ is called to be a Priest by God. His priestly accomplishments already were alluded to in Hebrews 1:3: “When he had made purification for sins, he sat down” (NRSV). Here Paul combines the Sonship motif, with the high-priestly motif of Christ. Christ is the appointed Son of God and the perfect High Priest for humans, “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:6, NRSV), or as Hebrews 7:15 states, “resembling Melchizedek” (NRSV). Like Melchizedek, Christ is King and Priest. Compared to human Levitical high priests, Christ is better than they are in that He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward. Likewise, He is able to “sympathize with our weaknesses” (Heb. 4:15, NRSV) and “to help those who are being tested” (Heb. 2:18, NRSV). He is “able to save completely” (Heb. 7:25, NIV) and can perfect “forever those who are being made holy” (Heb. 10:14, NIV).
The second qualification of Christ, namely, showing solidarity with humans, is made obvious by His suffering, His learning obedience, and His becoming perfect (Heb. 5:7–10).
Thought Question: Read Hebrews 7:23–25. Why was it necessary to have a better High Priest than those from the tribe of Levi?
Part III: Life Application
Thus far, Paul describes Jesus as superior to the angels in His capacity as the enthroned Son of God (Hebrews 1). Yet, for a time, Jesus is made lower than the angels, as One who, through His death, destroyed Satan’s power of death (Hebrews 2). Jesus also is described as the One unable to provide rest for the Exodus generation because of their unbelief (Hebrews 3), but able to offer rest for the post-Messianic people of God (Hebrews 4). Jesus also is a Priest who is similar, yet very different from, the priests of the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 5). In light of this information, what is the next step to which Paul wants to lead his audience?
Paul wants his readers to advance in their understanding of Christ’s high-priestly ministry by seeing His resemblance as their High Priest to Melchizedek. However, there are some obstacles. The obstacles include the readers’ being lazy in hearing the Word; needing milk as immature Christians, rather than solid food; and being unskilled in the Word of righteousness (Heb. 5:11–14). Although Paul speaks in very strong terms, he balances his exhortative reproach with a positive statement about their spiritual condition by saying: “Even though we speak in this way, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation” (Heb. 6:9, NRSV).
Thought Questions:
Is there ever a place in our personal spiritual journey when we need to be accountable to a third party, besides God, for our progress or regress? Discuss.
Is there a place for a spiritual authority to hold us corporately accountable, just as Paul holds his audience accountable? Why, or why not?
Is there such a thing as a static Christian, or is that status a contradiction in terms? Explain.