Jesus....Aaron and Melchizedek

From Hebrews 5:1-11 and Hebrews 7 (Long post)

In Chapter 5 the writer of Hebrews points out that Jesus is like Aaron in that He was not self appointed. He did not assume this position. That's the sense of verse 5 -6. The same one that proclaimed that Jesus to be The Son of God is the same one that has appointed Him forever a High Priest forever like Melchizedek.


Heb 5:5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you";
Heb 5:6 as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek."

Some confusion has come from this verse:

Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

Notice it says "being made perfect"?. This does not mean that Jesus was lacking any virtue in Himself or that He was not perfect. It means that due to own sufferings (verse 8) He is now the perfect High Priest. A High Priest is one that can deal gently with the people of God because he knows what its like to be in need himself.

So with Jesus... apart from a life of suffering and dependence upon God He would not have been a sympathetic High Priest. But now in His suffering and he has been made the perfect High Priest because He knows what its like to suffer. Therefore He can deal gently with us.

Melchizedek:

We need a High Priest to always intercede for us. So we need a priesthood better than Aaron and one more like Melchizedek. Jesus is like Aaron in His appointment but His Priesthood is like that of Melchizedek. Little is known of this Melchizedek. He was the Priest that met with Abraham on his way home from the battle back in Genesis.


Gen 14:17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)
Gen 14:19 And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Gen 14:20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Hebrews says of him:

Heb 7:3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

Heb 7:5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham.
Heb 7:6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

I admit this text can be a bit boggling. But I don't think that he is insisting that Melchizedek was never born nor has he ever died. Nor that he has no mother or father. What I think he is saying is this. In view of the fact that we have no record of any genealogy or birth or death....his Priesthood is independent of any earthly or Mosaic obligation. Melchizedek's priesthood is based on one thing....God! He had no predecessors and no successors. He did not assume a priesthood based on his father's inheritance. I think Melchizedek was a type of the priesthood of Jesus. Completely independent of any earthly or Mosaic obligation. Melchizedek was a priest because God appointed him .... so was Jesus. In type Melchizedek lives on.... so does Jesus. In the Aaronic priesthood there were many priests due to their deaths. Not with Jesus... He lives on (verse7:23)

Draw near....

Chapter 6 and 7 of Hebrews and in fact 6 times in Hebrews we see the phrase "draw near"


(Heb 4:16) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(Heb 7:19) (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
(Heb 7:25) Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
(Heb 10:1) For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.
(Heb 10:22) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
(Heb 11:6) And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
(Jas 4:8) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.


To fully appreciate this concept we must consider this OT concept. Starting with Moses at the bush he was told by God not to come near:

Exo 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

And then at the mountain the people were told:

Exo 24:1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
Exo 24:2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.

And most of all the Tabernacle worshipers were commanded not to come into the Holy Place. Only the High Priest could come in there. It was a well known truth that those people could NOT DRAW NEAR !!

Now!!! We are told that because of JESUS we can draw near !!!

Thank you Lord that in Jesus your Son we can now draw near to you.
GCC Sunday School Class