What is the meaning of Hebrews 5:3? That is why Hebrews 5:1–2 sets the stage: “Every high priest... is appointed to represent the people in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” The phrase “That is why” points back to two truths just stated: • The high priest is chosen “from among men” (v. 1), meaning he shares human weakness. • He “can deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is beset by weakness” (v. 2). Because the priest shares fallen humanity, a sacrificial response is necessary. Leviticus 16:6 demonstrates this principle when Aaron first offers a bull for his own atonement before ministering for Israel. he is obligated The verb underscores duty, not option. God’s law required a priest to follow an established pattern (Leviticus 4:3–12; 9:7). No priest could improvise or bypass what God commanded. This obligation reminds us that forgiveness never comes through human merit but through God-ordained sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22). to offer sacrifices Sacrifice stands at the heart of priestly ministry: • Blood covers guilt (Leviticus 17:11). • Sacrifice enables continued fellowship between God and His people (Exodus 29:38-46). • It foreshadows the once-for-all offering of Christ (Hebrews 10:1-4, 12). The plurality “sacrifices” reflects the many offerings demanded under the old covenant—daily, weekly, annually—highlighting its incompleteness compared with the single perfect sacrifice of Jesus. for his own sins Human priests shared the same sin nature as those they represented (Romans 3:23). Before approaching God on behalf of others, a priest needed cleansing himself (Leviticus 16:6, 11). This emphasized: • Personal accountability—no one stands exempt. • The inadequacy of any merely human mediator. • The contrast with Christ, the sinless High Priest (Hebrews 7:26-27), who never needed to atone for Himself. as well as The connector links two inseparable tasks. Once purified, the priest’s service expands outward. Leviticus 16:15 shows Aaron moving from his own offering to the people’s, illustrating the flow: cleanse the mediator, then cleanse the nation. for the sins of the people The priest acts representatively, carrying Israel’s guilt before God (Exodus 28:29-30). Key truths emerge: • Sin separates the people from God (Isaiah 59:2). • God, in mercy, provides a substitutionary system so He can dwell among them (Numbers 28:1-8). • The priests’ continual offerings foreshadow Christ, who “entered the Most Holy Place once for all… having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). summary Hebrews 5:3 teaches that every earthly high priest, sharing humanity’s weakness, must first deal with his own sin through God-appointed sacrifices before interceding for others. This requirement exposes the limitations of the Levitical system and prepares us to see the superiority of Jesus, the sinless and eternal High Priest whose single sacrifice perfectly satisfies God for both priest and people. |
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