Hebrews, Day 3
BETTER THAN AARON
HEBREWS 5 – 7
“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” (Hebrews 5:1, ESV).
The high priest was the supreme religious leader of the Israelites. The office was hereditary and was traced from Aaron, the brother of Moses, of the Levite tribe. He had to be “whole” physically (without any physical defects) and holy in his conduct (see (Leviticus 21: 6 – 8).
His most important duty was to conduct the service on the Day of Atonement. One of his other duties was to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself was beset with weakness (Hebrews 5:2). “Deal gently with” means neither indifferent to moral lapses nor harsh.
We see in Hebrews 5:4 that he cannot take this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. Only those whom God chooses can serve in this office. Humility was a must for this office.
Now, in Hebrews 5:5 – 6, we learn that Christ was also appointed as King-Priest by God when He sat down at the right hand of God following His ascension. The title “Christ” (“Anointed One”) stresses our Lord’s humility.1
The apostle Paul provides us an excellent example of Christ’s humility in Philippians 2:5 – 8. Jesus, although He was equal to God, became a servant in the likeness of man, and humbled Himself, right up to his death. “Oh, what a Savior.”
Unlike Aaron, who was a sinner, Jesus was the “sinless” lamb, who gave His life for all mankind.
As the God-Man, Jesus, “in the days of his flesh,” draws attention to the weakness that characterized Jesus’ life during His earthly sojourn.2 He offered prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears. He learned obedience through what He suffered. Hebrews 5:9 states, “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” (ESV).
As you can see, Jesus was far better than Aaron or any other priest that came along after Aaron. We can draw near to the throne of grace with confidence so we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need (Hebrews 4:16, ESV). This is clear proof that we only need to confess our sins to Jesus, and to no earthly priest.
Finally, Jesus is compared to Melchizedek. Who is that, you inquire? His name means, “king of righteousness.” He was a king of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of the Most High God (Genesis 14:18 – 20). Hebrews Chapter 7 provides us with a clear illustration of our High Priest and our Saviour. Jesus has been compared to Melchizedek, but Jesus descended from the tribe of Judah.
We can rest assured that we truly serve the Most High priest that ever lived.
Tom Dye
For more on who Melchizedek was, see, Got Questions.org.
Notes 1, 2: Dr Tom Constable’s Notes on Hebrews.
Got Questions.org was used for reference.