with Elder Elico Manenji
✝️This chapter follows the order of Israel's high priest, taken among men and being of the tribe of Levi, even Aaron who was ordained by God to offer gifts and sacrifices both for himself and for the congregation.
Since he acted on behalf of the people to God, the high priest needed to have a sympathetic nature and an awareness at all times that he too was a sinner who needed God’s forgiveness. So also Christ was taken from.amongst men but having the order of Melchizedeck, who was a priest of God but without father or mother, or without descent.
In His priesthood, Christ did also offer gifts and sacrifices for the people but not for Himself for He was without sin and needed no cleansing. He was God’s Son, appointed by God to an eternal priesthood as He too participated in the normal experiences of earthly life.
In so doing He learnt the full meaning of obedience to His Father’s will even though it led to His suffering and death. Having fulfilled God’s ideal of human perfection, He is completely qualified to carry out His God-given work of saving and helping those who submit to Him in obedience to His sacrifice.
So, even when the author would have wanted to say more about Christ High Priestly office, he
feels his readers will not understand being immature Christians who needed milk rather than strong meat.
They had not made the effort to study and understand the Word and therefore were not able to apply its teachings to life’s problems and make decisions directed by the Word of God.
1️⃣Hebrews 5:1-10: The nature of Christ's High Priestly ministry.
⏹️Christ's participation of our nature, was made possible so He could discharge the office of an High Priest on our behalf being able to sympathize with our infirmities since He Himself took part in the same as a tender and compassionate High Priest.
The Scriptures say, " Why in all things it behooved him to be made like to his brothers, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."(Hebrews 2:17)
⏭️The entrance of sin in the world made it necessary for the establishment of the priesthood as all priests were ordained to offer sacrifices for their sins and for the people. But Christ, though He was ordained from amongst men, did no sin and so needed not to offer sacrifices for Himself but only for the people.
The Apostle Paul says, "Why, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed on all men, for that all have sinned...For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:12, 17)
⏭️This made a difference of His ministry from that of Aaron who was ordained from the tribe of Levi but Christ's priesthood was of the order of Melchizedek.
The Psalmist says, "The LORD has sworn, and will not repent, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
(Psalm 110:4)
⏫His appointment was made of infinite grace and without it all holy intercourse between God and mankind could have ceased to exist. He alone made it possible by partaking our nature so that He could conquer sin in the sinful nature.
The Apostle Paul says, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4)
⏹️So, even when Christ was Son of God in human flesh, He learnt to be obedient through suffering, He was made perfect through suffering so He could become.the author of our salvation, being hailed and an acknowledged high priest to offer the sacrifice of Himself as a sufficient atonement for the sin of the world.
The Apostle says, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8)
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man...For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." (Hebrews 2:9, 14)
2️⃣Hebrews 5:11-14: God's Word requires both study and skill to understand it.
⏹️Though many things about Christ becoming a Redeemer seem strange and hard to understand, it required acquaintance with the Scriptures, the Word of God.
A full knowledge of Scriptures qualify people as instructors and teachers and not babe who need to feed from the milk of the Word.
Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."(John 5:39)
⏹️For every one who uses milk is unskilled and inexperienced in the word of righteousness with respect to the doctrine of how people are saved from sin, disobedience and rebellion by a Redeemer who became like us in nature and suffering.
The Apostle Paul says, "For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
⏭️Those with this knowledge of salvation are like grown up people, mature, to receive the hard and difficult explanations of a Messiah who became like us yet without sin to offer salvation even through the sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.
The Apostle John says, "For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show to you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us."
(1 John 1:2)
"And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." (1 John 3:5)
🅰️ Appeal
The Word of God is food and nourishment to the life of grace, it is wisdom to those who rightly divide the Word of truth and to give to every one their portion, milk to babes, and strong meat to those of full age.
The Word of God is the spiritual eye, it is the spiritual appetite, it is the spiritual taste of the soul and body that had been depraved and lost in sin but recovered by God's grace.
The Apostle Paul says, "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10) Amen!!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704).
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