Each Thursday we will take a few minutes to examine three thoughts (or bullets) from the book of Hebrews. We encourage you to read the text, and consider the bullet points. Then join us in a simple prayer.
“For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place,“You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 5:1-10
The Old Testament Priesthood
The Son’s high priesthood is now a clear focus for much of the middle portion of the book of Hebrews and the author continues to draw parallels from Israel’s history with his explanation of the new and better covenant that was created through the Son. He continues the discussion of the O.T. priesthood that he started in 4:4-16 by expanding on it. The principles of the priesthood as described in the Old Testament are:
The high priest originates from among the people (v. 1).
The role of the high priest is to represent people in matters related to God, especially through offering gifts and sacrifices (vv. 1–2).
The high priest’s weakness enables him to deal gently with people, and he is required to offer sacrifices for himself as well as for the people (vv. 2–3).
God is the One who confers the office of high priest by appointment (vv. 1, 4).
The author of Hebrews now turns from the universal principles related to the old covenant high priesthood to their specific manifestation in Christ. Just as Aaron was called by God (Heb. 5:4), so Christ himself did not “take upon himself the glory” but was appointed to the position.
Learning obedience and being made perfect
Guthrie goes to great lengths to point out the importance that we, as modern interpreters, clearly understand what the writer of Hebrews means when he says that the Son “learned obedience from what he suffered. And being made perfect he became the source of perfect salvation”
He writes, “when the author says that Christ “learned obedience” and was “made perfect,” he is not suggesting that the Son had been disobedient and flawed (cf. 4:15). Rather, Jesus’ call involved walking obediently all the way to the end of a path to which the Father had appointed him. That he “learned obedience” means that the Son arrived “at a new stage of experience,” having passed through the school of suffering.13 Perfection refers to the Son’s having “graduated” from that school, accomplishing the mission and making it to the end of that path of passion.
As we already discussed in Hebrews 2:10, the perfection being spoken of does not imply that prior to “suffering” the Son was imperfect, or lacking of any good thing. Instead we should think of this word as connotating completeness, wholeness, or full adequacy to the task of providing salvation. As Guthrie writes, “In Jewish literature the idea of perfection is applied at times to death as the completion or seal of life. Perfection in Hebrews has to do with fully completing a course, making it to the end of God’s plan. That Jesus was made “perfect through suffering,” therefore, connotes his full obedience to his mission of death on the cross and, perhaps, the adequacy of that act for bringing the children of God to glory.
The Order of Melchizedek
In Hebrews 5:1–10, the author introduces his audience to a discussion of the Son’s appointment as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. This will be an important point that he will continue to expound upon in later chapters (specifically in Hebrews 7). For this reason we would be getting ahead of ourselves if we were to give a full treatment of Melchizedek here.
As Guthrie writes, “The author does not intend this section, as an introduction, to raise all the pertinent issues related to the high priesthood of the Son; he carries out that task in the following chapters. Rather, the unit serves to provide the broad sweep of his priestly ministry, grounding his high-priestly Christology in the Old Testament.”
However, it is important to understand who Melchizedek is and why this would be an important statement, to which he will return.
Melchizedek is mentioned only twice in the bible outside of Hebrews. The first time is Genesis 14:18-20, which records Abram’s return from victory in battle. He gives the King of Salem and “Priest of God Most High) a tenth of all his spoils.
The second mention is in Psalm 110:4, where the Psalmist writes, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
As the ESV Study bible remarks, “The Davidic King is to be “after his order” i.e. Like him, probably in the sense that he is both king and a priest (these are two distinct offices in Israel), ruling in Jerusalem. The prophet Zechariah foresaw a merger of these two offices in the person of the Messiah, or “the Branch” (Zech 6:9-14). Since the O.T. records this of no other king of David’s line, this shows that the psalm is primarily about the final king, the Messiah. The author of Hebrews who cited Psalm 110:1 throughout his book, uses this verse to explain to his Jewish audience why Jesus, the now-reigning heir of David is also the ultimate priest.
Prayer
Dear Father,
Thank you for sending your Son! In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Because of his completed work on the cross we can stand before you without fault or stain. We confess that Jesus is the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him and we ask you for the grace to hold fast to this confession.
Amen
All quotes from Guthrie, George H.. Hebrews (The NIV Application Commentary Book 15) (pp. 186-187). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.