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“Listen up: this is better” -- A study on the Bible book of Hebrews
A 13-week series given in 2020
Given 28 August 2020
Lesson Five: The Great High Priest and learning to lead
Shalom to each of you here on the Zoom call and those who will watch this class lecture on YouTube later. I hope you will feel welcome and when this section ends in about 20 minutes, that you will be a participant in the rest of the questions and discussion time. This letter to messianic Jews was written before the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. Today we study chapter 5, and if you haven’t yet read it, please, those of you on YouTube, pause the playback, read the chapter, and then press play again to re-join us. Thanks.
Welcome back.
The author is going to present to us another challenge, but not a warning. It’s almost a bit of calm hostility about the disappointment the author feels about these Jewish believers not taking the lead as they should. There is not a single ‘therefore’ in this chapter neither is there a single warning. It’s a brief comment on Yeshua and on us who follow him.
Remember our two major themes in this book: Listen up and This is better. Over the last couple of chapters the author has highlighted our need to listen, to hear and to hear just now using the 95th Psalm’s word ‘TODAY.’ Now we move again to something much better. Yeshua is better indeed, better than Aaron. Wow, that’s chutzpah. 1500 years after Aaron died someone is saying there is another who is way better than this iconic figure in Jewish history.
Imagine someone rocking up in today’s world and knocking or diminishing the clout, the effectiveness, the efficacy, the importance of an icon. Say you are in India and you say that the new guy is way better than Gandhi. Or you are in Tibet and start a movement announcing the new hero is significant. OK, some will listen to you. But then you say the new hero is better than the Dalai Lama. Or you are in Thailand and you insist that a new man could have the same importance as #5 or #9 (those are historic kings). You aren’t just starting a counter-movement; you are diminishing the #1 and therefore you are making yourself to be a man of fake news, a person who doesn’t value your own life. Some would take your diminishing as an insult of the hero and thus you are treasonous or at least to be held in low repute.
When Yeshua said to the crowd in John 8, “Before Abraham was, I am” he was bordering on this activity. He took a central and preeminent Jewish character and basically said, ‘You think Abraham was significant? Buckle your seatbelts… I am more preeminent. I was there before him.” To say you were existing before another is in those days to say you were of a higher level of significance. Similarly when Yeshua taught that your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness (John 6), but I’m the true bread that came down from heaven. (6.41) The argument by many on that day was about his identity. “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?” They were ready to dispute his claim, his saying that he was around previously, in fact, that he existed at that time, in other words, they disputed his claim to preeminence.
1. A better priesthood
So here in the 5th chapter of Hebrews, the author sets a contrast between Yeshua and Aaron, the Jewish people’s original and therefore preeminent high priest. George Washington is the greatest US president arguably because he set the bar. Napoleon, greatest in the French revolution and therefore the ongoing highest-ranking leader since then. When a Jew, to this day, mentions the priesthood from Scriptures, the priesthood ordained by God, there is no doubt that the greatest was Aaron. His two elder sons, Nadav and Avihu, died by bringing a strange offering to God; his third son El’azar took over when Aaron died. But no one since that time had as much clout, though to be sure, others tried, even so, the Aaron of history was the Aaron of preeminence.
When the author kicks off today’s lesson with a sense of kindness and ease about priests, the point person of the discussion is Aaron. And just as we saw in chapter 3 where the similarities were first introduced between Moses and Yeshua, so here, similarities between Aaron and Yeshua. Look at verses 1 and 2.
“For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2 he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided since he himself also is beset with weakness;”
He is selected ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, “from among men,” and is appointed ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων, “on behalf of men,” to represent them before God. The author is making the point that God chose the priesthood, both in Aaron’s day and in the choosing of Yeshua. Then we see, due to his humanity, the priests can be kind and gentle with those who are acting wrongly in the community of Israel. Why? Because he knows his own weaknesses. He knows he has feet of clay and he diminishes the demands of the Lord, negotiating if you will, and weakening God to people.
The priest even has to offer sacrifices for himself because of his own sins. The contrast with what already has been said is clear. We read at the end of chapter 4 about the great High Priest who can sympathize with us in our weakness, who was tempted in every way like as we are, but who never sinned. Yeshua can help in every circumstance. The best another priest can offer, due to his own weakness, is to downplay the demands of the Sovereign God. But more on that contrast in due course.
So the point here at the beginning is that both Yeshua and Aaron were chosen by God to serve the people.
Verse 3: “and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself.”
Two comments from verse 3.
1) The role of the priest was huge in ancient Israel, diminished in modern days, certainly since the destruction of the Temple. We have to understand how Judaism has changed so radically since that time.
No longer do priests have any major role; their role has been taken over by the rabbis and teachers, by the spiritual guides in synagogues rather than by those who brought offerings for sin in Temple days. I highlight that here because when you try to share what you believe with Jewish people in 2020, and speak about sin, and blood atonement, you will be met with initial rejection. Why? Because modern Jews, outside this month and next month, will have little consideration of sin and the need for atonement. We don’t have sacrifices for sin, and thus sin takes a back seat. Sin is not an issue. Why? Because the Temple and the blood are both gone. We have a harder hill to climb in witness than the author of Hebrews did in the day.
2) Aaron had to offer up animals for sacrifices; Yeshua offered himself as the eternal sacrifice.
Verse 4:
4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.
Again the author is highlighting the choice of the priest was God’s choice.
Verse 5: “So also Messiah did not glorify Himself”
The similarity is highlighted. In the same way that Aaron did not self-select, neither did Yeshua, and as a result, did not bring glory to himself.
Then the author quotes two Psalms. First Psalm 2, then Psalm 110.
I like what William Lane says of the quote in verse 5, from Psalm 2.
“The writer correctly interprets Ps 2:7 as a declaration of appointment, not of parentage.” The author is not saying anything in favor of or against procreation and the birth of Yeshua. The intention is to highlight the choice of the Son over the choice of the priesthood of Aaron. And the point being—betterness!
Again from Lane,
“No other Christian writer of this period drew attention to Ps 110:4, but in Hebrews there are more references to Ps110:4 than to any other biblical text. In addition to three direct quotations of the passage (5:6; 7:17, 21), there are eight allusions to it in chaps. 5, 6, and 7, and each of the allusions is distinctive in form and function (see especially Hay, “Chart 4: Early Christian Interpretation of Psalm 110:4,” in Glory, 46–47). The primary reason for the emphasis on Ps 110:4 in Hebrews is that it supplied a scriptural basis for the writer’s priestly christology.”
Verse 8:
“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”
Pondering obedience, which is crucial to understanding the point of the author, I like how she links suffering with obedience. Remember a steady theme in the book is the reluctance of Messianic Jews to continue to identify with Yeshua and Yeshua’s people. The author issues six warnings. And the reality is that when the Jewish community issues rejection orders, it’s painful; it’s suffering. There’s nothing you can do to dismiss it. What we are needing to do in those moments is to turn and trust our Messiah, who gets it. He also was sent ‘outside the camp’ and was rejected. He learned to obey (which does not mean he previously disobeyed and got a 2nd chance) by suffering. We will learn the same lesson when we stand together as Messianic Jews no matter the cost of our families and friends who might reject us.
[[Story in USA and then a story in Singapore-- only available on the YouTube video]]
Verse 10: We will speak more about Melchizedek at length in a couple weeks, but for now, just know that the reason the author brings in Melchizedek is to highlight the priesthood of Yeshua is better than the priesthood of Aaron. More later, trust me.
2. Messianic Jews ought to be teachers
Verse 11 introduces the final section today. That is, the role that disciples should have in carrying on this message. The author is aching for disciples to teach others, to carry this message to other messianic Jews and even to the Gentiles for Jesus movement. We believers are chided for becoming ‘dull of hearing.’ Again, reminding us on the flip side, to ‘listen up.’ And when we listen, we will become teachers.
Verse 11ff: “since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
It’s not to be lost on you, here on Zoom, or on YouTube, that when you have learned, and have your senses trained to discern good and evil. When you have learned the elementary principles (about which we will speak again next week), then it’s time to be sharing what you know with others. There are people, real people out there, who need to hear what you have to say. You ought to be teaching them!
Discipleship is not an education system only. It’s not how much you have learned and what preachers you like to listen to or how many notebooks you have filled up in seminars and Bible conferences. It’s about personal growth, which, to be sure, includes learning, and then putting that all into practice.
Dear friends on Zoom, or on YouTube, if you don’t yet know Messiah Yeshua, please I appeal to you today, surrender your life to him. Admit your need of him. Trust him who came from heaven to earth to show the way. And to set you free. That’s faith. That’s the opposite of unbelief and do it today (4.7) the author says. Even now.
If you want to talk more about that, start with prayer. Talk to the Almighty. He loves to listen to your faintest whisper. And if you want to ask me a question, just use the email here on the screen. I’ll give it a go and try to answer you.
Until next week, when we will meet again to share about chapter 6 and more about those elementary and basic doctrines, and the idea of eternal security especially, and of course more on this Great High Priest-- Until then,
Shabbat shalom.
Actual text:
Heb. 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2 he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. 4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.
Heb. 5:5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”;
6 just as He says also in another passage, “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”
7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Heb. 5:11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Bibliography
Ladd, George E., A Theology of the New Testament, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1974. (Pages 571 – 587)
Lane, William L, Word Biblical Commentary Series, Hebrews.
Vine, W.E., An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Revell, Old Tappan, NJ, 1966.
Weirsbe, Warren. Be Confident. David C. Cook Publishing, Colorado Springs,1982.
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D-Groups for this week
1) Tuesday 11 am Sydney time. Led by James Howse
2) Monday 10 am Sydney time, led by Rebekah Bronn
3) Thursday 7 pm, Sydney time, led by James White
(Contact our office for zoom details)
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