(WRITE INTRO) IN HEBREWS 1, PAUL REVEALED THE ETERNAL SONSHIP IMAGE AND DEITY OF YAHUSHA MESSIAH. IN HEBREWS 2, HE BRINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE THE INCARNATION OF THE FATHER-IMAGE (META-MORPHING INTO THE SON YAHUSHA) - DEITY TAKING UPON HIMSELF HUMANITY IN ORDER TO REDEEM AND DELIVER HIS CHOSEN BRIDE FROM DEATH. THEN IN HEBREWS 3:1 AND HERE IN HEBREWS 4:14 PAUL TAKES UP THE FACT OF YAHUSHA’S ETERNAL PRIESTHOOD. ALL OF THESE OFFICES REVEAL WHAT HE WAS IN ETERNITY, AND NOW IN HIS ETERNAL INCARNATION AND METAMORPHOSIS AS ALAHIM, BUT NOW HE IS LITERALLY ALAHIM MANIFEST IN THE FLESH AND A NEW FIRSTFRUIT SPECIE OF CREATION ...
ALL FOR DELIVERANCE AS OUR HIGH PRIEST!
H E B R E W S . 5
1 For every High Priest taken from among men is appointed to help draw the people closer to Alahim, by offering both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2 Through his own experiences, he can have compassion and a measure of feeling for the ignorant (those not knowing the true way) who are being led astray, for he himself is also surrounded by weakness.
3 So because of this, he has to make offerings for sins (not just for himself, but for the people too).
4 And no one can take this honour for themselves, but only those who are called by Alahim (just as Aaron was).
5 Likewise, the Messiah did not lift Himself up to become a High Priest either - but remember it was said, 'You are My Son, and today have I brought you forth’.
6 And also it says (in another place), ‘You area priest forever after the order of Melchizedek’.
7 Who in the days of His flesh (while anticipating death) offered up prayers and requests with strong crying and tears, to Him Who was able to deliver Him from death, and was heard because of His reverent fear.
8 Though He was a Son, He learned obedience by the things which he suffered.
9 Then (having been perfected), He became the author and cause for Eternal Deliverance, for all those who obey Him,
10 having been called by Alahim, a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
11 Now we have many things to say about Him, but it’s often hard to explain, because you’ve all become so dull of hearing and won't listen!
12 For by now you should all be teachers, yet you still need someone to teach you about the first principles of Alahim over and over again. You’ve fallen into such a state that you still need milk and not solid foods.
13 For everyone drinking the milk is inexperienced in the Word of righteousness, and remains a babe.
14 But solid food is for those who are mature and whose senses have been trained and exercised to discern both good and evil.
1 For every High Priest taken from among men is appointed to help draw the people closer to Alahim, by offering both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
CHOSEN HIGH PRIEST
NO ONE COULD BE A HIGH PRIEST (OR EVEN A PRIEST) UNLESS THEY WERE CALLED OR CHOSEN OF ALAHIM TO THIS PRIESTLY MINISTRY. ONE MUST BE BORN A PRIEST (OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI) IN ORDER TO BE IN PRIESTLY MINISTRY. AND ONE MUST BE BORN OF AARON'S LINE IN ORDER TO BE A HIGH PRIEST. THE WHOLE TRIBE OF LEVI WAS GIVEN TO AARON FOR PRIESTLY MINISTRY. NONE OF THE OTHER TRIBES OF ISRAEL WERE GIVEN THIS PRIESTLY PRIVILEGE TO BE WORKING SO CLOSELY WITH THE TABERNACLE PORTAL OF YAHUAH.
YAHUAH ALAHIM ORIGINALLY GAVE THIS CALLING TO THE WHOLE NATION OF YISHARAL, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES, FOR HE WANTED THEM TO BE “A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS”, BUT BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF, FEAR AND DISOBEDIENCE, THEY FELL FROM FAVOUR, AND SO YAHUAH INTRODUCED THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD AND THE LEVITICAL TRIBE TO BE THE PRIESTLY MINISTRY, TO SERVE WITH HIM AND HIS ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. SO THE PRIESTLY MINISTRY WAS TAKEN FROM THE TWELVE TRIBES AND GIVEN TO THE ONE TRIBE, AND NO TRIBE DARED TRY TO ASSUME OR PRESUME INTO THIS PRIESTLY OFFICE UNDER PAIN OF JUDGMENT BEFORE ALAHIM.
THE REBELLION OF KORAH AND HIS COMPANY, AND THOSE OF THE TRIBE OF REUBEN, WAS OVER THIS VERY THING. MOSES CHALLENGED THEM AS SUCH: “DO YOU ALSO SEEK THE PRIESTHOOD?” (NUMBERS.16) ALAHIM SETTLED THE WHOLE MATTER OF HIS CHOSEN AND ORDAINED HIGH PRIEST BEING AARON IN NUM.17. THERE THE SIGN OF THE FRUITFUL BUDDING ROD BELONGING TO AARON WAS MANIFESTED TO ALL, CONFIRMING THAT HE WAS THE APPOINTED AND ANOINTED HIGH PRIEST IN ISRAEL, AND NONE OTHER.
AARON AS THE HIGH PRIEST WAS TAKEN FROM AMONG MEN. AARON WAS SEPARATED TO THE PRIESTLY OFFICE BY YAHUAH ALAHIM HIMSELF, THROUGH HIS SERVANT MOSES. SO AGAIN, THE HIGH PRIEST MUST BE TAKEN FROM AMONG MEN, BECAUSE HIS MINISTRY IS ON BEHALF OF MEN. SO HERE IS THE PRECIOUS TRUTH: THAT YAHUAH'S METAMORPHOSIS INTO FLESH IS ONCE AGAIN CONFIRMED HERE, FOR HE HAD TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO A MAN HIMSELF IN ORDER TO BE OF SERVICE AND APPOINTED FOR MANKIND !
THE VERY PURPOSE OF ALAHIM HAVING A HIGH PRIEST IN ISRAEL WAS TO TEACH ALL THE NATION, AND EVENTUALLY ALL MANKIND, SINCE NO MAN COULD COME TO ALAHIM DIRECTLY. NONE COULD APPROACH ALAHIM HIMSELF, BUT ALL MUST COME THE WAY YAHUAH ESTABLISHED - THAT IS THROUGH A MEDIATOR, THROUGH HIS CHOSEN HIGH PRIEST.
IT WAS A REVELATION OF THE NECESSITY OF A PRIEST, A MEDIATOR, A GO-BETWEEN, BETWEEN YAHUAH AND MANKIND! THIS WAS THE REASON FOR THE EXISTENCE OF THE HIGH PRIEST, AND THE TRUTH STILL STANDS APPLICABLE TODAY. MANKIND COULD NOT COME TO ALAHIM DIRECTLY BUT THROUGH HIM BECOMING A NEW CREATION AND DYING FOR US, HE HAS BECOME THE APPOINTED AND CHOSEN HIGH PRIEST AND HAS MADE CONNECTION POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN.
AS ALAHIM CHOSE AND ORDAINED AARON TO BE HIGH PRIEST FOR ISRAEL, SO ALAHIM CHOSE TO BE REBORN INTO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON TO BE ESTABLISHED AS THE HIGH PRIEST FOR THE ALL BRIDAL BELIEVERS! THERE IS NO WAY TO ALAHIM BUT THROUGH YAHUSHA HIMSELF … SINCE HE IS ALAHIM! IT MAY BE A STRONG STATEMENT, BUT IT IS TRUE. NO ONE, NOT EVEN A BELIEVER, COULD GO TO THE DIVINE ALAHIM DIRECTLY FOR THEY WOULD BE FRACKLED UP. ONE MUST APPROACH ALAHIM THROUGH THE WORK AND IMAGE OF YAHUSHA HIMSELF, WHO EVEN SAID IN JOHN 14 "I AM THE WAY ... THE TRUTH ... AND THE LIFE ... NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME!” SO, JUST AS AARON WAS CHOSEN FROM AMONG MEN, AND ORDAINED FOR MEN, SO WAS YAHUSHA MESSIAH.
1 For every High Priest taken from among men is appointed to help draw the people closer to Alahim, by offering both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
GIFTS & SACRIFICES
NO ISRAELITE COULD OFFER GIFTS AND SACRIFICES TO ALAHIM OF HIS OWN ACCORD, OR IN ANY PLACE HE CHOSE. THE ONLY OFFERING MUST BE AT THE TABERNACLE, UPON THE BRAZEN ALTAR, AND THIS WAS TO BE DONE THROUGH THE MEDIATIONS OF THE HIGH PRIEST, AARON. SACRIFICES ESPECIALLY REFER TO ANIMAL OR BLOOD SACRIFICES. GIFTS MAY INCLUDE SUCH OR OTHER ALAHIM-APPOINTED THINGS. THERE ARE BOTH LEGAL AND VOLUNTARY THINGS INVOLVED, SUCH AS TITHES, OFFERINGS, FIRST-FRUITS, THANK
OFFERINGS AND SO FORTH.
2 Through his own experiences, he can have compassion and a measure of feeling for the ignorant (those not knowing the true way) who are being led astray, for he himself is also surrounded by weakness.
COMPASSION FOR IGNORANCE
COMPASSION POINTS TO A PERSON WHO CAN 'REASONABLY BEAR WITH, FEEL LENIENTLY TOWARD, MAKE ALLOWANCE FOR, ONE WHO IS ABLE TO EXERCISE GENTLENESS AND FORBEARANCE'. THERE WAS NO HIGH PRIEST AS COMPASSIONATE AS YAHUSHA MESSIAH, WHO WAS CONTINUALLY “MOVED WITH COMPASSION”, WHILE THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS, THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES WERE MOVED WITH ENVY AND INDIGNATION.
AND THE HIGH PRIESTS, ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS WERE CRUEL PRIESTS. THE GOOD SAMARITAN, IN COMPARISON (WITH THE PRIEST AND THE LEVITE WHO PASSED BY THE MAN OVERTAKEN BY THIEVES) REVEALED THE PRIESTHOOD CHARACTER — COMPASSION ! ONE OF THE QUALIFICATIONS OF PRIESTHOOD INCLUDES THE QUALITY OF COMPASSION.
THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO SINNED THROUGH IGNORANCE AGAINST ANY OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF YAHUAH. PAUL SPEAKS TO THE ASSEMBLIES AS SUCH: “I DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE IGNORANT...” WHAT IGNORANCE PREVAILS TODAY AMONGST YAHUSHA’S PEOPLE! THE BLOOD OF ATONEMENT COVERS SUCH IGNORANCE, UNTIL IT IS ENLIGHTENED BY THE WORD OF ALAHIM, AND THEN IT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT THROUGH TO CLEANSING. THE TEACHING OF THE WORD COMES, AND THEIR IGNORANCE IS ENLIGHTENED AND THEY MUST WALK IN THE LIGHT OF OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD FROM THEN ON.
HOW MANY GENUINE BELIEVERS ARE BEING LED-ASTRAY BY CARPET-BAGGERS STANDING IN THE DOORWAY OF DELIVERANCE?
SURROUNDED BY WEAKNESS
THE HIGH PRIEST, RECOGNISING HIS OWN WEAKNESSES AND INFIRMITIES WILL THUS BE COMPASSIONATE TO THOSE FOR WHO HE IS CALLED BY ALAHIM TO MINISTER TO. 'INFIRMITY MEANS THE MORAL WEAKNESS THAT IS SINFUL, AND MAKES MEN CAPABLE OF SIN, AND THUS NEEDING SACRIFICE AND ATONEMENT'. MORAL WEAKNESS AND PHYSICAL INFIRMITY.
HERE IS WHERE YAHUSHA MESSIAH (OUR HIGH PRIEST) EXCELS. HE WAS WITHOUT THE WEAKNESS OF SIN, THOUGH HE HAD WEARINESS, HUNGER, THIRST AND HUMAN LIMITATIONS (KIND OF). AARON THE HIGH PRIEST HAD MANY WEAKNESSES AND WAS A SINNER ALSO WHO NEEDED A SACRIFICE. THE ISRAELITES KNEW THEIR HIGH PRIEST HAD SUCH INFIRMITY AND COULD BE TEMPTED AS THEY WERE, AND SO HE COULD BE SYMPATHETIC TO THEM WHEN MAKING THE ATONEMENT.
3 So because of this, he has to make offerings for sins (not just for himself, but for the people too). 4 And no one can take this honour for themselves, but only those who are called by Alahim (as Aaron was).
ATONEMENT FOR SINS
AARON MADE ATONEMENT FOR HIMSELF FIRST. THE THOUGHT HERE IS THAT THE HIGH PRIEST MUST BE WITHOUT SIN, CLEANSED FROM ALL SIN, BEFORE HE COULD OFFER FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE. MOSES WAS AS ALAHIM TO AARON AND SO AARON WAS ATONED FOR, SACRIFICING FOR HIMSELF, FOR HIS OWN SINS.
BUT HERE IS THE SON OF ALAHIM: GREATER THAN AARON IN PRIESTLY OFFICE — BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS:
YAHUSHA MESSIAH AS OUR HIGH PRIEST HAD NO NEED TO OFFER SACRIFICE FOR HIS OWN SINS, FOR HE WAS SINLESS, SEPARATE FROM SINNERS - PERFECT. “WHO NEEDED NOT DAILY, AS THOSE HIGH PRIESTS, TO OFFER UP SACRIFICES FIRST FOR HIS OWN SINS...” FOR HE HAD NO SIN (HEB 7:26-28). ALAHIM THE SON (AS OUR HIGH PRIEST) IS GREATER THAN AARON, AS ISRAEL’S HIGH PRIEST.
BUT HE MUST HAVE A SACRIFICE TO OFFER FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE, THE SINS OF FALLEN MANKIND. HE CAME TO REDEEM. “...TO OFFER SACRIFICE ... THEN FOR THE PEOPLE'S (SINS): FOR THIS HE DID ONCE, WHEN HE OFFERED UP HIMSELF.”
NO ONE TAKES THIS HONOUR
NO ONE COULD BE HIGH PRIEST JUST BECAUSE HE WANTED TO. NO ONE COULD JUST CALL THEMSELVES INTO THIS MINISTRY. NO ONE COULD APPOINT ANOTHER FOR THIS OFFICE. NONE COULD APPROPRIATE THIS PRIESTLY MINISTRY TO THEMSELVES. IT MUST BE BY THE CALL OF ALAHIM AND RECEIVED BY HIM. AARON DID NOT APPOINT HIMSELF TO OFFICE, NOR CALL HIMSELF INTO THIS MINISTRY.
THE REBELLION OF KORAH AGAINST AARON WAS ON THE GROUND THAT AARON HAD APPOINTED HIMSELF, OR BEEN APPOINTED BY MOSES TO THIS OFFICE, BUT YAHUAH SETTLED THE MATTER IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS OF JUDGEMENT. AND FOR ANY ISRAELITE WHO WOULD BY-PASS AARON, ALAHIM'S ANOINTED AND APPOINTED HIGH PRIEST, ALAHIM'S CALLED HIGH PRIEST - FOR THEM IT MEANT CERTAIN WRATH AND JUDGEMENT.
AARON WAS A MAN, TAKEN FROM AMONG MEN, ORDAINED FOR MEN, CALLED OF ALAHIM. IT IS WORTHY TO NOTE THAT AARON WAS PROPHET IN EGYPT BUT WAS CALLED TO BE PRIEST IN THE ASSEMBLY IN THE WILDERNESS! ALL THIS IS SIGNIFICANT SHADOW OF YAHUSHA ALSO, WHO WAS INDEED APOSTLE (AS MOSES WAS) AND PROPHET (AS AARON WAS) IN THE EGYPT OF THIS WORLD, BUT IN HEAVENLY MINISTRY AND IN THE ASSEMBLY, HE IS THE HIGH PRIEST (AS AARON, THE MEDIATOR OF ISRAEL).
PAUL IS ESPECIALLY DEALING HERE WITH THE HIGH PRIEST HIMSELF, RATHER THAN THE PRIESTLY TRIBE; BUT ALL PERSONS SERVING IN THIS PRIESTLY MINISTRY HAD TO BE BORN PRIESTS AND OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI TO BE IN THIS CALLING.
When the people who wrote the Scriptures pondered the mystery of Alahim, they consistently described His character in this way. "Compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, overflowing with loyal love and faithfulness." The very first word used in this description of Alahim is 'compassionate,' or in Hebrew, 'rakhum.' This word also appears as a noun, 'rakhamim', or 'compassion'. And what's fascinating is that both of these words are related to the Hebrew word for womb, 'rekhem. So compassion in the Hebrew Scripture is centered in a person's core, and the word invites us to imagine a mother's tender feelings for her vulnerable infant, which conveys intense emotion.
But compassion also involves action. And surprisingly, the word is used most often to describe Yahuah's actions motivated by His emotions. Like when Yisharal is suffering and oppressed in Egypt, Alahim hears their cries and is 'compelled by His compassion' to rescue them. Then, as Yisharal travels through the dangerous wilderness, they're hungry and thirsty and Yahuah is `rakhum', caring for them as his own child. He provides everything they need, food, water and clothing, as He personally guides them.
So it's no surprise that when Yahuah reveals His character to the Israelites in the wilderness, He begins by saying He's 'compassionate'. But despite Yahuah's continual compassion, Yisharal turns away from Him time and time again. They reject His compassion and instead give their allegiance to other deites. And rather than showing compassion to each other, they have violent behaviour. And their rebellion results in divorce, exile, and they're cut off and scattered among the nations.
Then while this is all happening we come to the book of Isaiah, where Alahim compares Himself to a mother full of compassion toward her baby. He says, "Can a mother forget her nursing child, or have no compassion," on "the child of her womb?" "Even if she forgets, I will not forget you!" Yahuah is full of motherly compassion, and He will rescue His people. And as you read further in Isaiah, you realise that Yahuah is going to do this by entering into the suffering of humanity Himself.
This of course points forward to Him metamorphing into flesh, taking His Divine Blood into the virgin-conception within Mary. He became Yahusha, the deep loving-compassion of Alahim in human form.
And as Yahusha embraces the sick and cares for the outcast, He's 'deeply moved by human suffering'. He even compares Himself to a mother hen using her wings to shield her chicks from danger as He gathers people into His embrace. And in this ultimate expression, Yahusha is moved by compassion to enter into humanity's suffering, into death itself, to rescue and connect, restore and deliver us to in again, into the fullness of relationship- experience (once lost in Eden, yet intended since Creation).
This is same life of compassion that Yahusha calls His Bridal Followers to imitate, 'allowing ourselves to be moved by the pain of others, to embrace the hurting of those Yahusha is drawing to us, and to participate in relieving suffering in Yahusha's Body'. And in this way, we too, can embody the compassion of Yahusha, or in His words, "Be compassionate just as your Father in Heaven is compassionate." Now you can see how fitting it is that 'compassionate' is the first word Alahim uses to describe Himself. So, when we're in pain or see others suffering, we can be certain that Yahusha is deeply moved to respond and that He's there to meet us with his deep compassion as our Great High Priest ...
"Through His own experiences, He can have compassion and a measure of feeling for the ignorant (those not knowing the true way) who are being led astray, for He Himself is also surrounded by weakness!"