p. 5 | CONSIDER HIM by G. W. Rine

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 3, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 49.

CONSIDER HIM

By G. W. Rine

BY PROF. G. W. RINE

OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST.

The Divinity of the Priest.

The Epistle to the Hebrews has been aptly called an inspired commentary on the Levitical law, showing the typical character of the ritual appertaining to the Mosaic economy. The epistle was obviously written with an immediate view to meeting the needs of converted Jews, by leading them to the right method of interpreting their Scriptures and their ceremonial services, and thereby confirming them in the faith of Christ, and guarding them against the influences tending to draw them away from Christ and back to the old ritual.

From earliest childhood the Jews had been taught that it was impossible to worship God acceptably or to come to Him in prayer, except through the medium of the priestly office, and the consequent offering of sacrifice. It was therefore necessary that they should be taught that Christianity was not a system without a priest, and without an altar, and without a sacrifice, as the teachers of the old faith contended; but that it had the one truly and eternally meritorious Priest, the true altar, and the only true and efficacious Sacrifice. The argument of the epistle lifts the thought of the believer from type to antitype, from shadow to substance, from the temporal to the eternal. It shows that the Gospel scheme required the exercise of priestly functions in the truest and most literal sense—in a sense impossible to any priest but the eternal Son of God, who was “called of God an High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.”

The Holy Spirit first emphasizes the transcendent personal qualification of Jesus the Christ to be the essential and archetypical High Priest. His divinity is asserted in the very beginning of the epistle. By Him were all things not only created, but they are also eternally upheld by the word of His power. He is the effulgence of the Father’s glory, the very impress of the Father’s substance. He is immeasurably superior to the angels, in that the angels were created by Him, and were commanded to worship Him. Addressing the Son, the Father declared, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom.” It was to the Son—but never to any of the angels—that the Father said, “Sit on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.”

The Humanity of the Priest.

In the second chapter the humanity of Jesus is asserted with striking distinctness and force. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same,” and “in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” It is thus shown that our High Priest is one with God and one with men, preeminently qualified to serve as mediator, advocate, priest, and intercessor.

Having introduced the term High Priest as one of the official designations of Christ, the writer of Hebrews might have proceeded at once to that enunciation of the dignity and superiority of Christ’s High Priesthood, which is the central thought of the epistle. But he was addressing Jews who raised Moses to a pinnacle of almost divine eminence.

Hence it was expedient to pause and show that Christ was superior to Moses as well as to the angels. The superiority of Jesus over Moses is shown by the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, while Moses was but the minister or servant of God. In doing this Moses is not in the least disparaged.

“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this Man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” Heb. 3:1-6.

The next step in the argument was to show that the Scriptures contemplated a change of the law of the priesthood, and the raising up of a Priest of a different order from that of Aaron, and who should be superior to Aaron. It was essential that Christian Jews should understand this prediction of their own Scriptures; for if the law of the Aaronic priesthood were to continue forever, the attempt to prove to the Jews that Jesus of Nazareth, of the tribe of Judah, was a lawful Priest, would have been futile; for the reply to such an allegation was always ready, in that Jesus was not of the tribe of Levi, and could not therefore be a Priest under the law. But in a Messianic prophecy of their own Scriptures stood the prognostication, clear and unequivocal, that another Priest should arise, not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek, who should be a Priest forever, and by direct appointment from God. If the law restricting the priestly office to the tribe of Levi should never expire, or could never admit of an exception, this prophecy could mean nothing whatever. At this point the following words by S. M. Merrill are especially apposite:—

When this scripture [the prophecy referred to above] was brought to the mind of thoughtful Hebrews, with its evident intention to characterize the Messiah as a priest of God, it must have had a powerful influence in preparing them to receive other statements concerning the typical and temporary character of the Aaronic priesthood—statements which, in the absence of this prophecy, would not have impressed them in the least. It was, therefore, not only important, but extremely judicious and wise, that the assertion of the necessary change of the law of the priesthood be made in connection with this very peculiar Messianic prophecy. It obviated prejudice, and shed light on what was to them a most perplexing obscurity.

The Hebrew converts could now see that only in adhering to Jesus as the Messiah, and having Him as High Priest, could they carry out the instructions of Moses to their ultimate spiritual import. In other words, they were now enabled to apprehend the real meaning and spiritual significance of what Moses wrote. They saw the force of Jesus’ words: “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me; for he wrote of Me.” Nothing could be clearer to them now than the fact that apart from Christ the Levitic or any other human priesthood could have no significance.

Jesus is revealed as the great High Priest, who has “passed into the heavens.” Heb. 4:14. He fully possessed the two qualifications essential to every high priest. First, by participating with men in their infirmities, by assuming all the limitations and liabilities of sinful flesh, He was tempted in all points as they are, and therefore able to enter into complete sympathy with them, and abundantly succor all that are tempted. Secondly, He was not self-called, but appointed of God. That Christ possesses the latter qualification was proved by a reference to His eternal Sonship (Ps. 2:7), and to the oath and declaration of God, as recorded in Ps. 110:4: “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Inasmuch as both these psalms were universally admitted to be Messianic in character, the Jews could not dispute the cogency of these references. It is thus seen that the Priesthood of Christ is involved in, and implied by, His eternal Sonship. These two estates of our Lord are indissolubly united. The timeless Son of God is the only name in God’s universe whereby we can be saved. Salvation from sin is not possible without the shedding of blood, the yielding up of life. Heb. 9:22. The laying down of life is in its very nature a sacrifice; and where there is a sacrifice of life there is of necessity a priest. And whereas the Son of God voluntarily laid down His life, He was the OFFERER and therefore the Priest; and being alone, He was necessarily a High Priest.

[The next article concludes “Our Great High Priest.”]