7/08/16 Hebrews 4:14 - 5:4 “Sinners need an Advocate
to plead their case”
When determining what Hebrews
means so far, we have to look at how things are put together by the writer.
Clearly he has meant to
(a) demonstrate that Jesus
Christ has “better” qualifications to speak for God, better than the prophets,
better than the angels, better than all God’s creation,
(b) demonstrate that Jesus
Christ was a “better” Man than all others, in fact, the only One who could
redeem man back to what God had intended man should be, by tasting death for
every man, as the sinless Son of God come in the flesh,
(c) show that Christ was the
first fruits of the salvation He offers to every man through His sacrifice on
the cross (the Captain of their salvation), that He is a merciful and faithful
High Priest,
(d) demonstrate that Christ was
more faithful (“better”) than the one the Jews considered faithful, that is,
Moses,
(e) teach of a future Sabbath
rest for the people of God, better than the rest that was offered to the
Hebrews who were led by Moses out of Egypt,
(f) demonstrate that those who sinned in the wilderness failed to enter their rest; that we should learn from what happened to them, “lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” To not harden our hearts as in the rebellion,
(g) teach that the soul that sins shall pay the penalty, that obedience will obtain that Sabbath rest, and that God who can see to the uttermost depths of our lives will see every sin that we might think has been hidden from sight,
(h) teach that we must hold fast to our confidence and hope firm to the end.
Hebrews 4:12-13 showed us that God can discern all things
about us, even the thoughts and intents of the heart, that our lives are laid
bare (naked) before God who will one day judge everything we do. So, if we are
all guilty before an infinitely holy God, how may we stand if we are to be
judged on our very lives? Even our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)! If we could do the best we could all our
lives, we would still fail to satisfy God’s holiness. Certainly the writer has
been telling the Hebrews that “they could not enter in because of unbelief”
(Hebrews 3:19) or “we which have believed do enter into rest” (Hebrews 4:3).
But how do we define “believing” in God? What if we disbelieve God just once?
Are we still believers? According to James 2:10 – For whosoever shall keep the
whole law, and yet offend in one {point}, he is guilty of all. So how may we believe when we have
already shown unbelief in our hearts? So clearly here we have a problem: it is
impossible for man, even a good man, to be acceptable to a holy God!
This is
where we are heading in Hebrews – the need for someone to be our advocate,
someone who will plead our case before holy God.
1 John 2:1 – My little children, these things write I unto you, that
ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous:
advocate – paraklētos (summoned; called to one’s aid; one who
pleads another’s cause before a judge; intercessor; advocate for the defence;
of the Holy Spirit – sometimes called the Comforter) This word is only used by
John, 4 times in John, and once in 1 John.
As our Advocate, Jesus pleads our imputed righteousness through the blood He
shed on Calvary, that we are to be considered as such acceptable to a holy God
in and through the sacrifice on the cross. The word also means to be an
intercessor. The Hebrew priesthood was to offer up prayers of intercession for
the people, to act as intercessors between God and man.
An intercessor is a person who intervenes on behalf of
another, especially by prayer. “one who intervenes”, from a word meaning to
intercede. That is, to come between two opposing parties with the intention of
mediation.
Numbers
16:47-48 – 47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the
congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on
incense, and made an atonement for the people. 48 And he
stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
Note Jeremiah
7:16 – Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer
for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
We are now
being led by the writer toward Jesus Christ, our eternal High Priest in the
heavens, One who understands intimately all our weaknesses and needs.
Hebrew
7:24-27 – 24 But this [man], because he continueth
ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is
able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he
ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26
For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who
needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up
sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did
once, when he offered up himself.
Only with such a high priest
may we have any assurance that we may be counted as righteous before an
infinitely holy God. Only One who can search the depths of our souls, One who
came to seek and to save that which was lost, may help us.
Hebrews 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.
hold fast – krateo (be powerful; get
possession of; lay hold of; hold fast; keep carefully and faithfully; retain)
This is a different word from “hold fast” (Hebrews 3:6) and “hold” (Hebrews
3:14) which meant more to keep (something) from being lost or getting away,
while the word in Vs 14 above means more of a taking control, to hold with all
our strength.
Note its use in Revelation 20:2 – And he laid hold on the dragon, that old
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
We are to take control of our profession (of our
salvation and faith in Jesus Christ). For profession we may read “confession”
as the word means; note the following use:
1 Timothy 6:13 – I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and {before} Christ Jesus, who
before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
With our weaknesses, we certainly have a need for an
Advocate, our great (megas)
High Priest in the heavens, one who will plead our defence before a holy God.
Therefore, keep carefully and faithfully that which we have confessed: our
faith in the salvation of Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:13 – Looking for
that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour
Jesus Christ;
Hebrews 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.
be touched with the feeling – sympatheō (to
be affected with the same feeling as another; to sympathise with; to feel for;
have compassion on) Note “sympathy”
infirmities – weakness; frailty of body; feebleness of health; a want of
strength and capacity to do things.
For our High Priest has experienced all that we
experience, only without sin. He was born as a human, with all the feelings of
weaknesses that we have. He put aside (willingly) all the authority of being
God (yet never was any less God for this) that would have lifted Him above our
infirmities.
Philippians 2:5-7 – 5 Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men:
Thus, Jesus can understand our weaknesses, but also have
the answers on how to overcome such weaknesses, having been in the flesh like
us. We don’t have the answers of ourselves to overcome all sin, yet Jesus went
through the same experiences yet without sin – an example for us to follow.
This empathy is essential to a complete understanding of all our needs and
weaknesses.
Hebrews 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.
boldly – freedom in speaking; openly; frankly; that
is, without concealment; free and fearless confidence; cheerful courage;
boldness; assurance.
Because we come in the name (and thus His authority) of
our great High Priest, we may come before an infinitely holy God without fear
of being destroyed on the spot because of our sin.
Hebrews 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:
ordained – to set one over or in charge of
something; to appoint someone to administer an office.
gifts – gifts offered in expression of honour; of sacrifices and other
gifts offered to God.
We come to a description of the requirements of the high
priest of God; such would also apply to the leadership of any ministry of God
today.
A genuine high priest is taken from among the men he
serves so that he may intercede for the sins of those he represents. He is
ordained, that is, appointed to administer that office. Aaron was ordained by God
to serve the people of Israel as their high priest.
Hebrews 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.
them that are out of the way – those
who have gone astray or been led aside from the right way; those led into error
or away from the truth or virtue; sinners; heretics.
infirmity – as per “infirmities” in Hebrews
4:15. The high priest taken from among men was, as one of them, compassed
(surrounded by and thus not ignorant of) their weaknesses.
A genuine high priest, as one of and with the people he
serves, must have an intimate understanding of the weaknesses of the people he
serves. In this way he may have compassion on those who may not understand as
he does, and upon those who have gone astray because their weaknesses. He must
be able to relate to their weaknesses as one who has experienced the same
weaknesses, yet hopefully has overcome many of such.
Hebrews 5:3 – And by reason hereof he ought, as
for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
by reason – the ground or reason by which
something is or is not done; by reason of; on account of; because of or for
this reason; therefore; on this account.
Thus the high priest, as one of the people he was called
to serve, had to offer gifts and sacrifices (Vs 1) not only for the people, but
for himself also, he being inflicted with the same infirmities (weaknesses,
sins) as his brethren, his people. That is, not only for the people he served,
but also for himself, must he offer sacrifices for sins. That is, because the
high priest is also compassed with infirmity, he also has to seek God’s mercy
for himself as well as for the people he serves.
Note the requirements of a pastor:
1 Timothy 3:2-7 – 2 A bishop
then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good
behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to
wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not
covetous; 4 One
that ruleth well his own house, having his children
in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how
to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not
a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the
devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which
are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
It assumes that it is possible for a pastor to fall into
sin; however, he must take steps to avoid such weakness.
Hebrews 5:4 – And no man taketh this honour unto
himself, but he that is called of God, as [was] Aaron.
called – to call; to invite; to call by name; to give or receive
a name; to be called to bear a name or title among men (Eg
position of authority).
No man is entitled to take the honour of being high priest because he desires
it for himself (on his own account). As Aaron was the one called by God, so
must those who take up the honour of intercessor and priest (especially high
priest) for his people.
No man may take this on his own
account, but must be called just as Aaron was called. Note the calling of God
for Aaron as high priest.
Numbers 17:1-11 – 1 And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of
every one of them a rod according to the house of [their] fathers, of
all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write
thou every man’s name upon his rod. 3 And thou shalt write
Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod [shall be] for the head
of the house of their fathers. 4 And thou shalt lay them up
in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet
with you. 5 And it shall come to pass, [that] the
man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me
the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. 6
And Moses spake unto the children of
Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince
one, according to their fathers’ houses, [even] twelve rods: and the rod
of Aaron [was] among their rods. 7 And Moses laid up
the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. 8 And
it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness;
and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought
forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 9 And
Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of
Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. 10 And
the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be
kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their
murmurings from me, that they die not. 11 And Moses did [so]:
as the Lord commanded him, so did he.
Thus, we get to the point of all of this, in Hebrews 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.
That is, just as the high priests
of the Old Testament were called to serve God, the “better” High Priest, Jesus
Christ, has been called by His Father God to serve Him as our great High Priest
in the heavens. That is, Christ didn’t give Himself the glory of being High Priest;
He was obedient to His Father God who called the Son to be His High Priest. That
is, Christ is the “better” High Priest called by God to be our Intercessor in
heaven, after the order of Melchisedec – “better”
than those called after the order of Aaron.
Jesus Christ was taken from among
men, experienced their infirmities, understood their needs, offering Himself
for their sins, having been called by God to this ministry. Thus Jesus prayed:
not My will but Thine.
More on this next week when we
look at the calling of our great High Priest after the order of Melchisedec.
It’s a pity that churches today
prefer to choose the men (and women) they like to lead their ministries, rather
than seeking God’s leading on such important matters. A ministry would do well
to spend time (including in prayer) seeking God’s will before appointing a
person to lead that ministry.
If a person is not called by God
to lead a ministry, then he shouldn’t be appointed, no matter how excellent his
earthly credentials are; if he is appointed, the ministry will not be blessed.
That ministry cannot afford to have such a person.
On the other hand, if a person is
called by God to lead a ministry, then, as long as his qualifications are
suitable, he should be appointed; the ministry will be blessed (as long as that
person does not go astray). That ministry cannot afford not to have such
a person.
1 Samuel 16:7 – But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the
height of his stature; because I have refused him: for {the Lord seeth} not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
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