Hebrews 5 - Are You Ready for the Meat?
5 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
The role of the high priest was the most important one in the Jewish community. A priest was a "go-between" or a "mediator" between God and people. Because we are sinful we are separated from God which requires a sacrifice to atone for our sins, or to be made right with God. The high priest facilitated this process for the Israelites.
Since a high priest was human, he not only needed to mediate for the sins of the people, but also his own. Aaron was the first high priest, so future priests were called to the "Priesthood of Aaron". It was both a high calling and a huge responsibility to be the high priest.
"God established both the priesthood and the office of high priest in the days of Moses, as described in Exodus 28 and following. The writer to the Hebrews neatly summarizes the work of the high priest, in saying “that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.” The primary job of the high priest was to officiate, either directly or indirectly through lower-ranking priests, sacrifices unto the Lord." - Guzik
"The phrase “gifts and sacrifices for sins” reminds us that not every sacrifice offered a blood atonement for sin. Many of the ritual sacrifices were intended as simple gifts to God, expressing thanks and desiring fellowship." - Guzik
5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.”[a] 6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”[b]
Jesus was a high priest, because he was ultimate mediator between us and God. Psalm 2:7 prophesied that Jesus was a different kind of high priest. because of His relationship to His Father, who called Jesus, his Son.
Melchizedek is an interesting character in the Old Testament, who was both a priest and a king. He was the king of Salem and a priest of God.
Melchizedek is a mysterious and highly significant figure appearing in three primary sections of the Bible. He is described as both the King of Salem (traditionally identified as Jerusalem) and a Priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:18). His name means king of righteousness and peace. "Zedek" is the Hebrew word for righteousness, and Salem is from the word "shalom", which means peace. - Google AI
7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Though Jesus was equal to God, He submitted himself to God the Father as a man. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he cried out to His Father in agony and desperation. In obedience He offered up His will to God and chose to go to the cross. Jesus was completely obedient to the Father in all matters. The cross was His last act of obedience, which made him perfect and complete.
Though none of us want to suffer, our suffering brings us closer to God, if we are obedient. We are tempted to walk away from God when we suffer, because we feel like He has abandoned us. But our suffering brings us closer God, especially if we can remain faithful. The faith required to trust God when things aren't going well is a lot more than when everything is going well. But the fruit of this trust is a deeper relationship and trust in God to provide for us.
This answers the question, “How can this glorious, enthroned Jesus know what I am going through down here?” He knows; obedience did not always come easy for Jesus. - Guzik
“Obedience is a trade to which a man must be apprenticed until he has learned it, for it is not to be known in any other way. Even our blessed Lord could not have fully learned obedience by the observation in others of such an obedience as he had personally to render, for there was no one from whom he could thus learn.” (Spurgeon)
How has your suffering led to obedience? Where is God calling you to be obedient today?
Warning Against Falling Away
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Verse 12 reveals a couple of really important truths. First, we should grow to understand God's Word to the point where we could teach others. I don't think this saying that everybody should be a pastor or teacher. But every believer should be able to explain the essentials of the Christian faith to someone else. This is also called "discipling". The only way we can make disciples who make disciples is if we learn how to teach the bible to others and then be an example of obedience to the truth of God's Word in our own lives.
1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be ready to give an answer for the hope you have within you, but do so with gentleness and respect."
A simple question you might ask yourself is, "If someone asked me what Christians believe, would I be able to give them a clear and logical answer based on scripture."
Unfortunately many of the Christian Jews he was writing to did not have an understanding of the basic of the faith. He calls the basics of the faith, "milk". I.e. Something you would give to a child. And then he uses the word "solid food", which we often sometimes refer to as "meat". Someone who eats meat is someone who can go deeper into God's Word. We also say this person is a mature Christian.
He uses the term "by constant use". One doesn't become mature in their understanding God's Word by just going to church every Sunday. Or, taking a part of an occasional bible study. Constant use means you intentionally pursue reading or listening to God's Word on a regular basis.
This can happen in bible study too if it is structured correctly. I.e. When everybody has studied the bible lesson before the class, and comes prepared to discuss. Unfortunately some bible studies have an expert who opines and everybody just passively listens. This isn't going to lead to the people in this study to teach it to others!
If you have endeavored to be consistently in God's Word this year well done. You probably weren't perfect. I certainly wasn't. I have written this blog for the last 12 years, so that I can continue to stay in God's word. By writing about each chapter, it helps me to go deeper. When I quote other commentaries I am learning from other theologians and bible scholars, who have devoted their who lives the study of God's Word.
I hope you will join me next year. I am going to be using a little different format but the goal will still be read 5 chapters per week to get through the New Testament in One Year.
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