The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 207

\\•ith the morally corrnpt and degraned wit.bout contracting even the slightest moral defilt>rnent. Row sublime is our grc,llt High Priest in thn perfection of his character I Of nil the sons of men, of him alone can it be said that he was " holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners." How immeasttrably superior is he to Aaron and every other Jewish high priest I Their perfection was only ceremonial aud symholic:il; they were "men having infirmity;" they were liable to sin; they were subject to death, and t.o the termination of their priesthood. But our Saviour had no moml infirmity. In his character and conduct, in bis person and office, he was gloriously perfect. He is now "perfected for evermore." II. HE IS PERFECT IN ms POSITION. "And made higher than the heavens." This exalted position which our great Representative occupies bas already engaged our atten• tion (see on eh. i. 3; ii. 9; and cf. eh. viii. 1; Phil. ii. 9; Rev, v. 12). III. HE IS PERFECT IN ms SACRIFICE. "He needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices," etc. 1. The value of the offering. "He offered up him- ~elf." Alford has pointed out that" this is the first place in the Epistle where mention is made of Christ's having offered himself. Henceforward it becomes more and more familiar to the reader: ' once struck, the note sounds on ever louder and louder' (De!itzscb)." The value of this offoring is seen in two things: (1) 'l'he sacrifice which was offered-" himself." Not a thing, but a person; not a sinful person, but the" holy, harm- less, undefiled" One-the richest, most beneficent, and most blessed personal life. (2) The spirit in which this sacrifice was offered. Our Saviour was both the Sacrifice aad the Priest ; both the Offering and the Offerer. And his sacrifice was a voluntary one. He freely" gave himself a ransom for all" (cf. John x. 17, 18). 2. The finality of the offering. "This he did once for all, when he offered up himself." His sacrifice will never be repeated. (1) Its repetition is not necessary. The Jewish sacrifices had to be repeated day after day and year after year, because they were imperfect. But the sacrifice of our great High Priest is complete, gloriously and perpetually efficacious, and needs no repetition, and admits of neither improvement nor addition. (2) Its repetition is not possible. When Christ appears again it will be, not in humiliation, but in glory; not as the great Sacrifice, but as the supreme Sovereign.-W. J. Vers. 1-10.-C'hrist a Priest after the order of Melchizedek. The writer now returns from the digression. So far he has established from their Scriptures the priest~ hood of Christ. But that is not enough; that is no reason why he should be preferred to Aaron. He proceeds, then, to show that, however great Aaron was, Christ was greater. But on what gronnds can he establish this to the satisfaction of a. Hebrew? He rests his proof entirely on those Scriptures which the Hebrew accepted as authori- tative, and two pasages (Ps. ex. and Gen. xiv.) supply him with all he needs. The first states that Christ was the 1:'riest after the order of Melchizedek; the secoad that Abraham, from whom all Israel, Aaron included, derived their greatness, did homage to Melchizedek; and thus the point was proved, for Aaron, in the person of Abraham, acknowledged Melchizedek's superiority. That is the argument. Subjcct:-Olirist a P1-iest after the oroer of Melchizedek. I. THE OBJECT HERE IS TO S'HOW THE BUPEBIOBITY OF CnmsT'S PRIBSTHOOD TO THAT OF AARON. 1. We have the story of Melchizedek, the priest of Salem, to whom Abra- ham gave a tenth. 2. This stwy shows that Melchizedek was greater than .Aaron. Abraham, the head of their nation, recognized Melchizedek as a divinely appointed priest-one who had a right to tithes from him, and the J>ower to bless him. The reception of tithes by the Jewish priests was "the acknowledged symbol of their supremacy over their brethren" (Dale). But here was one who received tithes from Abraham himself! •• And without contradiction the less is blessed by the greater." So that in Abraham kneeling before the righteou8 Kiug of Salem, the whole Mosaic priesthood practically affirmed its inferiority to that of Mclchizedek. 3. But Melc!iize- Jclc is declared to be a type of Ghrist. (Note: Stranire that for a thousand years this ,rffirmation 6hould have lain nnnoticed in their sacred books till the inspirea apostle throws this won<lrou8 light upon it! How much is hidden in the Word of God to be rvl'P.aled yet, to our surprise!) -:J. O!18EBVE THE l'0JNTS IN WHICH, AS SEEN IN THE PRmSTH0OD OF MELOHIZEDEIC, 'fUE tiUPElllOllITY OF Cm.:rnT'S I'lUESTH0OD 'l'0 THAT OF AARON C0NSJ~'l'B, Cbri8t was OH, VU, 1-28.] TUE EPISTLE TO THE IrnBREWS. l!l'.l