For such an high priest became us,— "For such an high-priest suited us,—was proper for us,—as was perfectly holy; that is, in a life quite pure; free from all sin, unpolluted."—The high-priest who was polluted in a legal sense under the Mosaic law, could not officiate.—Separate from sinners: our Saviour conversed freely with sinners; Matthew 9:10-13 and he professed it to be his business to bring them to repentance, by instructingthem in the doctrines of his divine religion. But then he did not partake with them in their sins;—he did no sin: 1 Peter 2:22. He kept himself separate from them in all such acts as gave men the denomination of sinners.—Made higher than the heavens, is a sublime expression, which seems to be taken from Psalms 4:6 and implies that our blessed Lord was in his nature infinitely superior to the noblest angels, and consequently an high priest infinitely preferable to the Jewish high-priests; nay, infinitely preferable evento Aaron himself. See ch. Hebrews 8:1. The apostle is speaking of high-priests as acting in the course of the anniversary expiation; and his argument is, that our High-priest being made higher than the heavens, has no occasion continually to offer sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's sins; for this latter he did once for all, when he offered up himself a spotless and acceptable sacrifice to God. The word εφαπαξ, once, or free for all, is clearly set in opposition to once every year; and therefore the construction should seem most natural, that as the high-priest was obliged to repeat every year his oblation, Christ had no occasion to repeat his at all; but he did what was necessary once for all, when he offered up himself. The pronoun, this is not to be extended to the whole of what is said in the former part of this verse, but only to the words for the people's sins;for he himself was without sin, and therefore could not offer for his own sins, as the high-priest was obligedto do. Consider how the apostle's argument stands in these two verses. He here asserts two things, which Christ had no need to do, though they were done by the Jewish high-priests; first, to offer sacrifice from time to time for his own sins,—for he was holy, harmless, &c. and, secondly, to offer sacrifice from time to time for the sins of the people. The reason and evidence of the former he declares in Hebrews 7:28 for the law, &c. The for here must connect this with something that went before, which cannot be the last clause of Hebrews 7:27 it must therefore (as indeed the nature of the argument shews,) relate to his not needing to offer sacrifice for his own sins; for it is an assertion that he had none. The law made thosehigh-priests who have sinful infirmity, and consequently need to offer sacrifice for it; but the word of the oath which was in David's time, and so since the giving of the law, maketh the Son an High-priest, who is perfected for evermore, living for ever in heaven, and who must consequently be for ever free from all infirmities. This connection seems very clear, and the clause for this he did once, when he offered up himself, should be read in a parenthesis; for the apostle designing to treat again of his offering for the sinsof the people, passes it over more slightly: (see ch. Hebrews 9:12 Hebrews 10:10-14.) and when he says, this he did once, This refers entirely to the nearest antecedent;—the offering for the sins of the people. And as the word τετελειωμενον stands opposed to having infirmity, (that is, sinful infirmity, for which there was need to offer sacrifice,) it is much better rendered perfected, as in the margin,—or free from all infirmities; and the expression, in this view, is nervous and strong,—the Son who hath been perfected for ever; that is, "who is and was from all eternity the same divine, perfect, and holy person."
Inferences.—How transcendently excellent is the priesthood of Christ, as it is after the order of Melchisedec, and confirmed for ever by the oath of God himself! Melchisedec, as an extraordinary priest of the most high God, blessed Abraham, who paid tithes to the superior priest. But how much more eminent a Priest, as well as King of righteousness and peace, is the Son of God than Melchisedec! He was only in type what Christ is in reality, without beginning of days or end of life; without an earthly father according to the flesh, and without any mother according to his divine nature; and an eternal High-priest of such perpetual power and complete acceptance with his Heavenly Father, according to the energy of his immortal life, as supersedes the want of any other to make atonement either for believing Jews or Gentiles. And how different from, and incomparably more excellent is his priesthood, than that which was appointed by the law of a carnal commandment! He sprung, not from the tribe of Levi, but of Judah, which never had, by divine institution, any share in the high-priest's office after the order of Aaron, who, and his sons, were merely mortal men, and in their turns died out of their office, and were succeeded by others of their line; and they all had sins of their own to atone for, before they could offer a sacrifice for the sins of Israel. But Christ being holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, could have no occasion to offer any propitiatory sacrifice on his own account. And, as he never died out of his office; so, being made higher than the heavens, he continually and completely exercises it alone by himself, without any predecessor or successor in it. This change of the priesthood naturally brought on an abolition of the law to which it belonged, on account of the insufficiency of that law and priesthood to perfect the worship and happiness of the church; and introduced the gospel-state, which depends upon, and derives the most substantial efficacy from, the priesthood of Christ. What infinitely better grounds of hope have we in him, and in the gospel of the grace of God through him, than ever could have been had by the law! And with what humble confidence, and happy success, may the believing sinner now approach God in Christ! He is the Surety of the new covenant, to undertake with God his Father, that all requirements should be answered in order to a secure accomplishment of its great and precious promises for all his faithful saints; and he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, since he ever lives as a righteous Advocate, to make intercession for them.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, Thrice had the apostle quoted the testimony borne to the Son of God out of the Psalms, as an High-priest after the order of Melchisedec: of this remarkable person he here gives an account, and we may herein trace the resemblance that he bore to his great ante-type.
1. His name was Melchisedec, or king of righteousness, the figure of him on whose shoulders the universal government should rest, who, with the most distinguished rectitude, should administer the affairs of his kingdom, and is the author of everlasting righteousness to his faithful people.
2. He was king of Salem, that is of peace. So Christ is eminently the prince of Peace, having procured it for us by his blood, applying it by his Spirit, and setting up his throne of peace within our hearts.
3. He was said to be a priest of the most high God. So was Jesus consecrated to this office by his Father, and through his sacrifice alone can we obtain reconciliation and acceptance with God.
4. He blessed Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, as his superior. And as Abraham gave him a tenth of all, he must needs be a priest of a higher rank and order than Levi or Aaron who descended from this patriarch; and thus has our incarnate Lord a priesthood infinitely excelling the Aaronical, and of far more extensive influence, ministering in behalf of Gentiles as well as Jews.
5. Melchisedec's original is entirely concealed; no mention is made of his father or mother, of his birth or death, of the beginning or end of his priesthood, that he might more strikingly represent the Son of God, who abideth a priest continually, and everlastingly to exercise his office on the behalf of his faithful peoples, without predecessor, partner, or successor, alone appearing before the throne, and ever living to make intercession for them.
2nd, To guard the Hebrews from their attachment to the abolished priesthood of Levi, and lead them to the great High-priest of their profession, Christ Jesus, he shews his surpassing excellence above Aaron or his sons. (1.) Because they being in Abraham's loins, paid tithes to Melchisedec; and though commissioned afterwards to receive tithes of their brethren, yet virtually now, as included in their father, they paid tithes to this priest of God, and thereby acknowledged him as their superior who was but the type of our Lord. (2.) Because the less is blessed by the greater. And herein therefore Abraham himself, though favoured with such distinguished promises, was inferior to Melchisedec; and how much more must his sons that should descend from him be? and much more excellent still than they, must he then be, of whom Melchisedec was only the representative! (3.) They were all dying men, and the succession and descent of the sons of Levi are well known; but Melchisedec's generation is concealed; we only hear of him that he liveth, as the figure of him who really hath an unchangeable priesthood, and actually lives for ever to intercede on the behalf of his faithful people.
3rdly, Had perfection been by the Levitical priesthood, so that the consciences and hearts of the worshippers had hereby been fully purged from sin; and had the state of the church under the legal dispensation been complete, there could be no need that a new and higher priesthood should afterwards be instituted after the order of Melchisedec, and not after the order of Aaron; and such a change of the priesthood implied a change of the whole ceremonial law, which was inseparably interwoven therewith: both the law and priesthood therefore were to be abolished, in order to introduce another dispensation, more excellent and glorious than the former, even that of the gospel. What such a change of the priesthood is made, is evident,
1. Because our Lord, the priest who should arise after the order of Melchisedec, sprung from the tribe of Judah, not from Levi, and therefore, according to the law, was forbidden to officiate at the altar.
2. The priesthood of Christ was of an entirely different nature from that of the sons of Levi. They were made after the law of a carnal commandment, which settled their succession, and appointed the rites of their consecration; and those who filled the office were dying men; but Christ is made an High-priest of a more excellent kind, after the power of an endless life, acting without either partner or successor, living to discharge his office in the behalf of his faithful people for ever and ever.
3. The efficacy of the gospel priesthood was far superior to that under the law, which was abrogated because of its weakness and unprofitableness, being insufficient to purge the conscience from guilt, or to secure unto the sinner holiness and justification to life, making nothing perfect; and was designed merely to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified and sanctified by faith in him. But Christ has brought in a better hope; his own sacrifice and ever-abiding priesthood give boldness, and access to God, and sure hope of favour and acceptance before him, to every believer.
4. The superior excellence of Christ's priesthood appears in the manner of his consecration: the Levitical priests were made without an oath; but he, with an oath, to denote the immutability, efficacy, and eternity of his sacerdotal character. By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament, or covenant, having undertaken completely to answer all the divine requirements on the behalf of his faithful saints, that he might secure to them the accomplishment of all the promised blessings,—a covenant far better than the Mosaic, both in the clearness of the light which accompanies its administration, and the extensiveness of its efficacy, as reaching to Gentiles as well as Jews.
5. The Aaronical high-priests, as mortal men, were many, succeeding each other, as death removed them from their office; but this glorious Person, whom Melchisedec typified, hath an unchangeable priesthood, that never passes from him, because he liveth for ever to discharge his sacerdotal functions; wherefore we may assuredly conclude that Jesus is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them; and therefore they can be in no circumstances of distress or danger, from which he cannot deliver them; while coming to God by him, they receive pardon, grace, and strength.
6. Christ appears transcendently glorious above all other priests, in his moral qualifications. For such an high-priest became us, and no other could have stood us in any stead, but one who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, both in nature and practice, and made higher than the heavens, in dignity above the angelic hosts, or rather, in purity of nature, excelling them. Who needeth not daily, as those high-priests of the Levitical order, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the people's, on the great day of atonement; for Christ, having no sin of his own to expiate, needed no sacrifice; and as to his faithful people's iniquities, his one sacrifice was completely available: for this he did once, when he offered up himself without spot to God, as their infinitely meritorious propitiation. For the law maketh men high-priests which have [sinful] infirmity, and, being sinners as well as others, must offer for themselves as well as the people; but the word of the oath which was since the law, maketh the Son High-priest, who is consecrated for evermore, or perfected; who being in nature sinless and impeccable, never could need a sacrifice for himself; but, having offered one of eternal efficacy on the behalf of his faithful saints, lives for ever to plead it in the presence of God, that they might reap the unutterably blessed fruits of it to all eternity.