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V. 1 – Every high-priest – they were chosen from among men. The tribe of Levi was not special of their own merit. He actually committed murder. However, they were chosen as the priestly tribe. They needed to come from common man so that they could serve as an advocate/understand what people were facing.

They were appointed for a specific purpose. They had a function. They were not wild-west sheriffs doing whatever they wanted. They acted on behalf of man in the things related to God.

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Note that he specifically separates gifts and sacrifices. There are many different sacrifices prescribed in Scripture. Some are for sins others were given as expressions of gratitude. Then there were also freewill offerings and just general gifts that people could give to the Temple for a variety of reasons.

V. 2 – The word gently here is that for compassion. He can have compassion for those who do not know better (ignorant), but also on those who have deliberately wandered away from the truth.

Beset with weakness – he struggles. This literally has the idea of he is bound with/hanged about with weakness or infirmity.

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V. 3 – Because he is also feeble, he sins as well. He has to offer sacrifices for his own sins. That was always the first step for the high priest. He was not separate from the people. He was chosen from among them, but he was still one of them. In chapter seven the author says that Jesus was separate from sinners because even though he was fully human, he never committed a sin nor did he have a sin nature. This is a vital distinction between the human HP and Jesus.

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Once the HPs own sin was covered, he then offered sacrifices for the sins of the people. The Levitical tribe was the only one authorized to offer sins for the people. When others tried it resulted in severe judgment from God. Even if the offending party had been appointed to a different important office, if they were not from the tribe of Levi and one of the approved divisions they could not offer sacrifices for the people.

V. 4 – Originally, the priesthood was hereditary from Aaron>. However, the priesthood eventually devolved to more of a political office. By the time you get to Jesus’ life, as a way to control the people, Rome took over the appointment of priests (after 63 BC).

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True priests were called by God. Consider the (seemingly) complete randomness of choosing Aaron. Levi was not a powerful tribe. They were not the largest, oldest, wisest, most powerful tribe. However, God chose them. From a human perspective (not God’s), it is almost like God chose Moses to lead his people and didn’t want Moses to have unlimited power in his functions so God appointed Aaron (who was far from perfect). Remember, I threw in the jewelry and out came a calf? Still, Aaron eventually changed to become an effective leader who stood by Moses’ side and served in his chosen office well.

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V. 5 – Christ didn’t appoint himself as priest. The Father selected him to that office. Prophet, priest, king – the Messiah was a multifaceted role and Christ was the only one who qualified for the position. This is a quote again from Ps. 2:7

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V. 6 – Quote from Ps. 110:4 - incidentally a Psalm of David, the forefather of Jesus. The author of Hebrews is going to talk about why Melchizedek. Still, David was probably like he’s a what? Melchizedek was incredibly random and definitely wasn’t related to David. He wasn’t even a Jew much less a Levite. David would have been so aware that only Levites were to serve before the altar. He wanted to build God a temple. He watched someone drop dead because they touched the Ark of the Covenant. David would have known that there were specific rules about the priesthood. He also knew that the coming Messiah was supposed to be his descendent. He’s writing this prophetically and David was probably like, “Really…the dude that met Abraham…that person that gets a few lines in Scripture?” The way God works seemingly random events together for his eternal purpose is remarkable.

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V. 7 – Days of his flesh – while he was on earth he prayed all the time. Not only did he specifically withdraw for devoted times of prayer but he was in constant communion or rest with God. In the garden he definitely cried and literally sweat drops of blood.

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Now listen to what this says – he knew God could save him from death and it says he was heard. He was heard and yet he still died. What does that mean? A few things:

1. He was getting ready to face his first ever separation from the Father. He was beseeching God that he would resurrect him both physically and spiritually.​ ​Can you imagine the agony of sinless perfection who had always existed in perfect harmony/relationship knowing that he was going to feel the weight of all of the shame, guilt, anger, malice…and that those sins he was getting ready to bear would create division for the first time in all of eternity.

2. In Matthew 27:45, we are told that there was darkness for three hours – the Father turned his back on the Son. Jesus asked the question, “Why have you forsaken me?” Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record a similar account and record very specifically that the veil was torn in two at the end. However, John adds to the account and says one more thing – after he was offered wine (which the other authors record), Jesus said, “It is finished” Jn. 19:30 and then he gave up his spirit. No one took it from him. However, redemption had been completed. Before Jesus died physically on the cross, the separation – the propitiation for our sins was completed. He did not die with the weight of the separation between he and the Father. Jesus’ physical resurrection was proof that the Father was pleased with his sacrifice and in embodied demonstration of what it means to live with resurrection life. The work of atoning for sins was completed by Christ’s work on the cross.

   • I was even thinking about this in terms of if redemption was completed right then would he have needed to die? The simple answer is still yes, all Passover lambs died. They didn’t just shed some blood. The wages of sin is death. There had to be a death so that we could live. I believe you can argue that the separation was when Jesus took on the acts of sin we committed – that is what the sacrifices covered. Then, the death of his body actually addressed our sinful nature.​

     • Eph. 1:7- redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins

     • Eph. 2:13-22 – we are bought near by his blood, he has removed the division with his flesh – it was the death of his body that addressed our sinful natures and the ultimate cause of our hostility with God.

3. Can you imagine all of the OT saints watching with bated breath as he suffered for their acts of sin, but then waiting to see if his death – his body would actually deal with the very core issue that kept them from immediately going to heaven when they died? He defeated guilt, shame, bitterness, sins, the nature we inherited from Adam, and death so that we could experience resurrection life. It’s no wonder that Paul would say things like “Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.” (2 Cor. 9:15). We received so much through his death and resurrection that to say the cross produced salvation seems both magnificent and almost a terrible understatement

   1. Rom. 7:4, Col. 2:22

4. Remember, he also needed to die because he had to defeat death. Death was not part of God’s original plan. Death was introduced to the world because of sin. In 1 Cor. 15 we are treated to the best trash talking expose on death – God took the greatest tool of the enemy and triumphed over it.

5. Separation is the very essence of spiritual death. That is what immediately happened to Adam and Eve in the garden when they sinned. Intimate fellowship was disrupted

I also want us to see the importance here that he was heard – but he still died. He was resurrected, physically and spiritually (in the restoration of his separation from the Father). However, that did not remove the trial. It didn’t remove the cross. It didn’t deliver him from physical death, but it did resurrect him.

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He was heard because of reverence. This has the idea of godly fear. However, it can also carry the idea of a task well done. If you drill farther into the root word here, this is comes from the same word “eu” that we find in Matthew 25:23 – where the servants are told, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” He had accomplished the task he was sent for and the Father demonstrated his satisfaction by raising him from the dead

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V. 8 – He learned – also perfectly valid to say he understood obedience or surrender through what he suffered. He was not wayward, but in his humanity he surrendered the independent use of his attributes and submitted himself to what the Father called him to endure. If he hadn’t suffered or endured hardship then he could not have been our merciful and faithful high priest. He would not need to have entrusted himself to the Father because he could have dealt with it all on his own. What he already knew, he experienced

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V. 9 – Made perfect – the idea is fulfilling what he was sent/came for. Having been perfectly equipped for his purpose or goal – he finished the calling of the Father on his life and became the author – he became the pioneer or initiator. He was the first to pierce the veil and pass into the heavens. He is now the source that we are baptized into and made to share in his death. Notice he doesn’t say that he is the source of salvation to those who pray and say the right words. He is the source for those who obey. Surrender is the fruit of a life that has been redeemed.

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V. 11 – And that is where the author finds himself – we have so much to say! There is so much doctrine here other than just basic redemption from sins (though that is excellent too). Getting rid of your sins is just the beginning of the Christina life. God has so much in store on this spiritual journey as we walk on earth. Spiritual maturity is not salvation>endurance>heaven. The in-between is meant to be a progressive revelation and understanding of his nature. Don’t become dull, or lazy/slothful in your hearing. The instruction is for obedience today – rest today. However, these believers wanted to do things their own way. They had replaced spiritual perception and wisdom with earthly understanding and desires. Their spiritual understanding had dulled because they were not listening to the voice of the Spirit and being led in truth.

 

V. 12 – By this season of your spiritual journey, you should be able to teach. Now I want us to see that when it says you ought to be – this caries with it the idea of moral obligation, you are indebted to be, you owe it to be. However, on the positive side, it can mean it profits you. God is clear that teaching – the office of a teacher, is a spiritual gift. Not everyone if gifted to be a pastor or a teacher, just as not everyone is gifted with prophecy or mercy in the sense that those are supernatural empowerments of the Spirit to accomplish a specific task/role we have been called to. However, as people progress through their spiritual journey, everyone should be growing and maturing in the Word/obedience to the Spirit that allows us to teach the principles of God to another person. We should be able to demonstrate Godly wisdom as we give counsel and pray for those around us. This is not about putting us under law. Rather, that as we mature part of what God has called us to spiritually is to share his truth with others. He has commissioned us to go into all the world. We should desire to obey. We should desire to teach others also what has been entrusted to us. We don’t have to lecture a whole host of people. However, we should absolutely be able to explain truth to others.

 

However, these believers were living in fear and it was stunting their spiritual journey to maturity. Think about it, when we aren’t walking in obedience one of the first things that suffers is our prayer life – our communion with God and then normally our study of Scripture. We don’t want to be convicted so we avoid encountering our living/convicting God as much as possible. They might not have thought this was a big deal, but it was having significant negative impacts on their journey to spiritual maturity and intimacy with the Father. They couldn’t experience the rest he is talking about because as we already shared, rest only comes from intimacy with God the Father as we mature in our spiritual journey.

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They needed to be reminded of the basic principles of salvation – of milk – of deliverance from Egypt/salvation instead of moving on to the meat of spiritual warfare/Canaan rest, or Sabbath rest as God ultimately wanted them to experience.

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V. 13 – Notice that he says he who lives on milk – we can still rejoice in the truth of salvation and redemption. Milk isn’t bad. However, we can’t live on that – we can’t mature on that. We don’t bat an eye at a baby that drinks his mother’s milk. We would be horrified if a grown adult only subsisted on milk. We would know that something had gone wrong. What are we chewing on? Where is our spiritual maturity? Now I’m not saying that you have to leave here and find the biggest thorniest debate in Christendom and try to solve it. However, I am saying that moving on to studying/understanding our identity, the way the body of Christ works together, spiritual warfare, pursuing knowing him better that is where we need to dig into our pursuit. Never forgetting the truth found in the milk 😊

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V. 14 – Solid food – the hard doctrines – the ability to discern truth from lies, but also good from best. Look at how this is cultivated – by constant practice. We are going to be given many opportunities – more than we would like probably, to exercise discernment, to surrender when we don’t feel like it, to go to the Word and run hard circumstances through unchanging truth and then to decide how we will live. Not just what we will theoretically believe on a Tuesday at noon when everything is going well. No, how will we live when our world is falling apart, when we are facing persecution, when we are facing stress and the unknown.

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Last thought here, this word “exercised” is kinda strange. It has the idea of training which you might expect. However, it is very specific, and don’t laugh…naked training. Like literally, that is a significant portion of the meaning. I think this is important for two reasons – none of which advocate for literal nudity

1. In chapter four, we’ve already talked about approaching boldly and that part of that boldness is transparency/honesty about our motives, circumstances, desires, and sin. So in the training, in the exercise of discernment, keep the openness and honesty. As you gain knowledge and understanding, don’t withdraw from the world and fellow believers. If anything, be bolder and more vulnerable.

2. Probably more relevant for this specific argument, in a few chapters, the author is getting ready to instruct his readers to lay aside every weight (12:1). Peter said to gird up the loins of your mind, (1 Peter 1:13). Paul talked about running the race (1 Cor. 9:24). These believers would have been very aware of the training that gladiators went through. We tend to think of gladiators as a Roman thing, and they largely were. However, there were arenas all over the place, including Israel (mainly the coast). The schools that trained these men, the Ludi would have been common knowledge. Beyond that though, and specifically in relation to nudity, the Greek gymnasiums were special. They were a place of exercise, but they also became cultural hubs where people studied and most relevant here, they were the site of nude wrestling. Why they wrestled nude, I do not know. However, the word picture for the author’s audience would have been very vivid. This was hand to hand intensive combat. It was both physical and philosophical. It was for a crown. It was against a well-trained opponent. It was something you had to practice if you wanted to improve.
    

So when temptation comes, when rest is elusive, when we don’t want to put in the effort to discern good from evil – or good from best…thank God for the opportunity to practice. Not by ourselves, after all those gymnasiums were normally run by highly respected, well-trained teachers who instructed those who attended. We haven’t been left to figure it out on our own. He is our faithful high priest. He suffered and overcame. His resurrection life lives in us. He took care of the guilt and shame for our acts of sin and our sin nature and as the author is getting ready to remind these people in the next chapter, God is faithful. He keeps his word. So practice discernment and view spiritual warfare as a path to know God better, to rely on him more, and to move on in spiritual maturity.