(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: (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. (3) And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. (4) And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. (5) So also Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee.
This is a very blessed Chapter. Every verse, more or less, is big with importance. It opens with shewing the nature and office of an High Priest. The very name implies somewhat of mediation. And, when considered with an eye to solemn transactions between God and Man, it is eminently so. The first feature described of his Person, who is an High Priest, is, that he must be taken from among men. He, that hath to mediate between God and men, must himself be a man, and not an angel; for an angel could not enter into the feelings of men; and therefore, could not be properly interested for those, in whose name he acted. Secondly, Not only must he be a man, who can, from his own feelings, judge how to act for man, and one of a nature like himself, but he must be able to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. Gifts, if needful, to obtain favor; and sacrifices, to do away the guilt of sin, in the way of God's appointment. I need not tell the Reader, that in all this, there is an allusion to the law. Indeed, all this is beautifully represented, as what the law required, and which was typical of Christ; in order to shew, how God the Holy Ghost, under the gifts and sacrifices under the law, shadowed forth Christ; and how Christ, in the Gospel, hath fully become himself the whole substance of the law. If the Reader will turn to the law concerning gifts and sacrifices, he will discover how graciously the Lord the Holy Ghost appointed those things in his Church, by way of preaching Christ in figure; until He, to whom the whole referred, came in Person, to do away sin, by the sacrifice of himself, Hebrews 11:26
The priest, that was anointed to minister in holy things, was to form his judgment concerning sins done through ignorance by any of the people, and appoint a suitable sacrifice accordingly. The Reader will find a large account of this, Leviticus 4:1 throughout, for both priest and people. And again, Numbers 15:24-29. And, in like manner, concerning presumptuous sins, Leviticus 6:1 and Numbers 15:30. Now, upon all those occasions, the High Priest was supposed to enter into the feelings of the people, and to make, in some measure, their interest his own. So that none could be fit for an High Priest, but one taken from among men; and even among men, none but he who had a feeling heart, and who, from a consciousness that he himself was compassed with infirmities, could have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way. And, after all these qualifications, still no man had an authority to take the office of High Priest upon him, uncalled of God. Aaron was specially called of God. And so much so, that the daring presumption of Korah, and his company, who sought the priesthood, uncalled, was punished with an awful death. See Numbers 16:1-35. Reader! if such a tremendous judgment, under the law, followed the unhallowed attempt of men to minister in holy things before the Lord, what may be ultimately expected to follow those, who, under the Gospel, run unsent, uncalled, and not only rush, like the unthinking horse to the battle, into the sacred department of the ministry, but profess to be moved by the Holy Ghost, albeit everything seems to speak concerning them, as in that Scripture: I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied, Jeremiah 23:21
Reader! I need not, I should hope, call upon you to observe, what is in itself so very plain; that all that is here said, in these verses, concerning the High Priest, taken from among men, with those qualifications, and appointed of God, is here said, expressly to shew how Christ was taken from among men; how suited he was to such an office of mercy, and how fully authorized, and called of God to the appointment? But, Reader! though this was the evident intention of God the Holy Ghost in this Scripture; and though, at first view, in reading what is here said of the great Jewish High Priest, Aaron; every child of God, who is taught of God, cannot but be immediately led, to contemplate the unequalled suitableness of our Almighty Aaron; the Lord Jesus Christ; as the One, and the only One, capable in all its departments to the performance of this high office: yet, I should be unpardonably remiss, in a work of this kind, to pass away from so interesting a subject, without first offering an observation or two upon it. The thoughts which arise out of it, are indeed very plain and striking; but they are not on that account the less beautiful and important. Let us look at a few of them.
And, first. As every High Priest was taken from among men, so the Son of God took upon him our nature for this express purpose, so that he also was taken from among men. For we are told, that in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest, in things pertaining unto God, Hebrews 2:17. And hence, when, in the counsel of peace, between the Persons of the Godhead, the Lord Jehovah is represented in Scripture as speaking in vision to his Holy One, these are the words which were spoken, I have laid help upon One that is mighty; I have exalted One chosen out of the people, Psalms 89:19. And as Jesus, our great High Priest, was taken from among men, so was he ordained for men. For there would have needed no High Priest, nor sacrifice, had there been no sinners. But, as Christ's Church, Christ's people, his spouse, whom he betrothed to himself before all worlds, had fallen into sin; the Son of God came to redeem her from all sin, by the sacrifice of himself. And, as God the Father, first gave her to his dear Son, so God the Father ordained Christ from among men, to be an High Priest, to act the part of an High Priest, to redeem her to himself, and to present her to himself a glorious Church; not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but to be without blame before him in love, Ephesians 5:26-27
Secondly. As no man, among men, would have suited the office of an High Priest, according to what this blessed Chapter saith, but such as could have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; so the great feature of character, in our dear Lord, to constitute him High Priest, was eminently his great meekness and tenderness of heart. God the Father's account of him was this by the Prophet. Meek and lowly, Isaiah 42:1-4, compared with Matthew 2:23 and Matthew 12:17-21. And, although in point of holiness, Christ was holy, harmless, and undefiled: and, in point of power, made higher than the heavens: and, in point of understanding, in him were hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; yet, though all these were indeed requisites for the high office of the Priesthood, it was the infinite compassions of his heart, which made him so peculiarly suited for our High Priest, and more immediately hath endeared him to the affections of his people, Hebrews 7:26; Colossians 2:3; Hebrews 4:14-16
Thirdly. Our great High Priest, as in Person and qualifications, so in gifts and sacrifices, hath infinitely transcended all the offerings made by mere men. The priest taken from among men, who had a tender heart, and who, upon due consideration of the sinner's offence, when he came to him, knew how to distinguish, and to make an offering accordingly, between sins of ignorance, and sins of presumption, acted in a very suitable manner, as the law appointed (see Leviticus 4:1 and Numbers 16:1), but the gifts and offerings of Jesus, were himself, which not only included an all-sufficient ransom for all sins, both of omission and commission, but carried with it such an over-value, resulting from the dignity of his Person, and the preciousness of the offering, as can never be fully recompensed to the Church of God, to all eternity. Reader! think of this! Such is the efficacy of Christ's merits and sacrifice, that the remuneration to the Lord's body, the Church, can never be made, so as to say, there is nothing more to be received, in a way of acknowledgment, to all eternity!
Fourthly. One very blessed view meets us in this subject, of a similarity in the cases of the Jewish High Priest, to that of our Almighty Lord, only here also, as in all other comparisons with an infinite superiority on the part of Jesus; I mean, in that it is said, the High Priest taken from among men, must have been one that could have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that were out of the way, in that he himself also was compassed with infirmity. Here opens a most precious view of Jesus. Though in himself he knew no sin, yet he personally knew all the sinless infirmities of our nature. Though none of our sins was put in him, yet the Lord laid on him the iniquities of all his people, Isaiah 53:6. Though, in himself, temptations had no power, yet, temptations, in all the varieties of being tempted, he knew; and was in all points tempted as we are. And, though no guile was found in his mouth, yet, surely, in the years he lived in our world, all the sin he beheld in his people, became so many wounds to his heart. If the filthy conversation of the wicked vexed the soul of Lot day by day; what must the holy Jesus have felt, when he endured such a contradiction of sinners against himself? 2 Peter 2:8; Hebrews 12:3. Reader! here again contemplate the suitableness of the Lord Jesus, in his High Priestly Office, for the boundless compassion of his heart, and for the compassion he must still feel for the ignorant of his people, and all their infirmities, seeing he himself was compassed with all of them; though in himself without sin, and liable to none of them in the possibility of error.
Fifthly. we must not overlook one feature more belonging to our Lord, as our great High Priest, to which the Jewish high priest could bear no comparison. I mean, that the interests of Christ are blended with the interests of the people. He that acted as an high priest in the Jewish church for men, and was taken from among men, might have had, and no doubt he had being from the Lord's appointment, a feeling heart. But he could go no further. If he succeeded not when he had made his offering, he might indeed lament in secret, as holy men of old did, over the sins of the people. But, with our High Priest, there can be no failure. His Church is his body. Her concerns are his. The glory of Christ is more than all the events to his people. That glory ensures his Church's interest. Hence, she must succeed in all her members. Jesus must see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied, Isaiah 53:11. And, hence that blessed intercession of Christ, as our High Priest: Father! I will! that they also whom thou host given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold any glory, John 17:24
Lastly: and as the crown of all. As no man presumed to act as an High Priest, in the Church of God, uncalled of God, so sweetly are we told, in this blessed Scripture, that Christ, though Son of God, and equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost, in his divine nature, yet, when taking upon him our nature, glorified not himself to be made an High Priest, but was called to it; yea, and sworn into it, (different from all other priests, Hebrews 7:21) and consecrated in it, an High Priest forever, in an unchangeable priesthood, after the order of Melchizedeck! This is a grand point ever to be kept in view, in our remembrance of the priesthood of Christ. This gives validity and efficacy to all. Here is the warrant to faith to believe the record which God gives of his dear Son. Hence, every child of God, coming to the mercy-seat of God in Christ, finds confidence and boldness in the double view, that Jehovah's authority, and his name, is in Christ; and, therefore, in the efficacy of Christ's blood and righteousness, he cannot but meet with a most gracious reception, Hebrews 10:19-23. Reader! I must not trespass any longer. The subject indeed is in itself endless. Oh! for grace to have it always in view! Jesus is my High Priest. He was, and is, and ever must be, One with the Father over all God blessed forever, Amen. He was also, in his human nature, taken from among men. He can have compassion, yea, boundless compassion. Not simply by taking our nature only, but by having known that nature compassed with infirmities. And now in heaven he wears that nature still. And he cannot but recollect his former exercises, when on earth, and which hath everlastingly suited him, by past experiences, for sympathy, and fellow-feeling for his people here below. Precious High Priest of thy people! surely, all thy redeemed upon earth are as dear to thee, and as much watched over by thee, and loved and regarded by thee, as thy redeemed in heaven, Isaiah 27:3.