HEBREWS CHAPTER FIVE EXPOUNDED*
By ROBERT
GOVETT, M.A.
[* This exposition is from chapter three of the authors
book Govett on Hebrews, (pages
125-144).]
-------
Chapter 5: 1.
For every
high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things respecting God, that they may
offer both gifts
and
sacrifices for sins; who can have
compassion in the
ignorant
and erring, since he himself also is
compassed
with infirmity; and because
of
this, he ought, as for the people,
so
also for himself, to offer for sins.
The comparison of our Lord with Aaron began at the fourteenth verse of the last chapter.
Jesus,
as High Priest of men, needed to be, and is, a Son of man. It was fitting it should be so. Take thou to thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from
among the children of
A
priest is one appointed to stand between God and sinners, to bear Gods
communications to men, and to carry mens offerings to God. His especial service is to appease the wrath
of God against sin, and to procure His favour.
He represents men, because they may not come directly to God, even to
present their offerings. The necessity of priesthood, and the peril
of going to God without the priesthood of his choice, is shown impressively in
the rebellion of Korah and his two hundred and fifty princes, who were cut off
by fire under the wrath of Jehovah, because of their presumptuous daring, in
offering incense to Jehovah after setting Aaron aside.
In
the case of the Jewish priests there was a special service of
consecration. But in the Christian
scheme there are no atoning priests.
Christ is the one High Priest who has
brought in perfect peace with
God, through His one offering. But all believers are priests
to God, and are consecrated and welcome to go to God, in the perfect
forgiveness of sins through Christ [Jesus]. The Revised
Version removes, and rightly, the
word ordained; as the Holy Spirit puts here only appointed. The word ordained was used in obedience to King James, to shelter the
idea that Christian ministers need a special service of consecration by men,
before they have any right to preach.
For the Prayer Book speaks of Priests
and Deacons; and hence many imagine, that the
old office of priesthood belongs now to ordained
men. But this is a mistake, arising out
of the evil use of the same word made to signify things quite different. The Gospel owns the service of certain
believing men, called Presbyters (or
elders), watching over the flock. Out of
Presbyter was formed the word priest, which perpetuates the confusion between the Jewish and the Christian
systems.
Let
the reader mark, then, that ALL BELIEVERS
[born again by the Holy Spirit] ARE PRIESTS! Revelation 1:
6; 5: 10; 1 Peter 2:
5, 9) AND THAT NONE BUT BELIEVERS [called and
chosen by God] ARE PRIESTS. Vain, then, is the assumption of the title
of priest by any one of a special class, as if he
had a peculiar nearness to God, arising out of a special consecration to this
office. If the
man be not a [regenerate] believer,
he is no priest in any spiritual sense. And if he imagines that he is consecrated to
draw near to God, in order to offer prayers and sacrifices for the laity, he is denying the foundation-principle of
the Gospel.
The
Old Testament priest was appointed to offer to God gifts. God would not receive anything, save
through His appointed and consecrated servant. He was appointed to offer sacrifices for sins. Sins were
committed by
The
High Priest must have compassion, and sympathy for
sinners; for his office is one of mercy, provided for the benefit of those who
deserve only wrath. Sinners, in this
view, may be classed in two divisions, the ignorant and
the erring. Towards each
of these the High Priest, must be forbearing.
He was to feel compassion, and to exercise forbearance; because, as a
man, he was sensible of his own infirmity, and his need of mercy himself. Our
great High Priest, by His plea on behalf of the ignorance of His murderers, has
prevailed with God to this day (Luke 23: 34).
The
Aaronic high priest was commanded to offer for the sins of the people, and God
would hear. But in the great Day of
Atonement, which was the chief day of his office, he was commanded first to
offer for himself and the priesthood generally.
Aaron
shall offer his bullock of the sin-offering, which is
for himself, and made an atonement [covering] for himself, and for his
house (Leviticus 16: 6). Before he could atone for others, he must be
reminded that he himself was a sinner, who also needed forgiveness through
atoning blood. Had he attempted to draw
near to the God of Israel without this, he would himself have been cut off in
wrath. But our High Priest, as sinless, could present a perfect offering, and
needed no sacrifice for Himself.
4.
And none taketh
this honour to himself, but One called of God, as
was
Aaron. So also
the Christ glorified not Himself to become High
Priest, but He that spake to Him, My Son art Thou, I to-day
begat
Thee. As also
in another place He saith, Thou art
a
priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec.
Beside the requisite fitness through personal
qualities, there must be also an appointment on Gods part. It was the sin of Korah, that he, and his companion thought that they were as fit to draw
near Jehovah, as Aaron and his sons.
They dared to try the matter, by standing before His tabernacle, and
offering incense before God; which was a part of the priests office. The
Most High was so offended with this, and with Dathans refusal of Moses that He
would, but for the intercession of Moses and Aaron, have destroyed the whole
people. And there came out a fire
from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and
fifty men that offered incense (verse 35). High-churchmen
and clergy in our day imagine, that dissenters and
nonconformist ministers of the Gospel are guilty of this sin. In Ballads
by the Rev. J. Neale, you have these words: Why dont you go to Meeting? (The childs answer.)
Oh no! I dare not turn away,
As you would have me do;
I dare not leave Gods House to-day
To go to meeting too.
In Church God always waits, I know,
To hear His peoples prayer;
But in the place that you go to
His presence is not there.
Gods Priest in Church for God doth stand,
And when the prayers begin,
The Lord will give me at his hand
Forgiveness for my sin!
Do not the Holy Scriptures show, -
(We know the story well)
Why Korah once,
and Dathan, too,
Went down alive to hell [Sheol]?
And Sauls sad end might make us wise
Whom God in anger slew,
Because he offered sacrifice
Which only priests might do.
This
supposes that buildings of brick and mortar are Gods
house, while Scripture tells us, that the Most High is not dwelling in
houses made with hands (Acts
7: 48). His house now is a spiritual one, made up
of living stones, and [regenerate] believers are a holy priesthood, to offer
up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2; 4-10). This clergyman
trusted that he was an atoning priest, capable of drawing near to God than
others, and offering the prayers of others to God, because he was a consecrated
priest according to the Prayer Book; and was considered to
be so by the law of England. But he was
no priest towards God, unless he were a [regenerate]
believer. God consecrated Aaron to be
His priest, and owned his priesthood: but the Lord does not own the Prayer Book
and its consecration, as His. So that,
whosoever lifts himself up as an atoning priest like Aaron, is guilty of the very
sin of Korah. [Regenerate] believers now are only Levites, servants of God. And it was the Levites attempt to take the
place of the sacrificing and atoning priest, which God visited in wrath. Whoever regards himself, and acts, as an
atoning priest, now [after] that Christ has, once for all, brought in
forgiveness; and not only brought peace with God, is
guilty of Korahs sin. For he is setting aside the completed work of a greater than Aaron.
Christ
then did not appoint Himself to the Highpriesthood but God did; as truly as He
appointed Aaron. This point the Apostle
proves by two passages. One from the second
psalm: Thou
art My Son, this day I begat Thee. But how
does that passage prove Gods appointment of Christ to the Priesthood? This second generation of Christ by the
Father took place at His rising our Lord [out] from the
dead; after His having accomplished the
sacrifice of Himself,
which the Saviour offered as High Priest elect. He was the
first victim that was raised up, after its atoning blood had been shed. Of a victims resurrection after death the
Law could only give a distinct hint, such as we find in the commandment
concerning the Passover-Lamb; that no
part of it was to be left to corruption, but all that was not eaten was to
be consumed by fire (Exodus
12: 10). Now no
sacrifice however perfect, could be accepted, save at the hand of a
priest. The [out] resurrection
then of Jesus, the Lamb of God, proves Him to be Gods perfect Priest. And that Priest, and that Sacrifice was Gods own [or only
begotten] Son!* Jesus
through His resurrection [out of dead ones (Acts 4: 2. lit.
Gk. trans.)] entered
not only into a new relation to God, but to us also. As the Righteous Jew, He stood, during all
His life, apart from all others, whether Jew or Gentile (John 12.). But, by His rising again, He
becomes a New Man, sin put away. He can
make over to us, by His will and testament, all His merits. He has a higher title, and a larger field
that was given even to Moses. How vast
the difference between My faithful servant, and My Beloved Son!
*These
two points, Jesus is Son, and High Priest, have both been assumed before in chapter 4: 14.
[Page 131]
But
a second passage is adduced by the Apostle as proof, from Psalm 110. This directly states our Lords being constituted Priest by God. Thou art. It is a
present thing. A Priest for ever.* Therefore neither Aaron, nor David, is the person
meant. The priesthood, too, is of
another and a higher order than Aarons.
The priest after Melchizedecs order is higher than the High
Priest of Aarons order. Melchizedec was
both king and priest. Now this union of
office was not allowed under the Law. They
did not meet even in Moses. A king of
[* A Priest for the age, is, in my opinion,
a better translation. It is a Divine
reference to a time yet future, when our Lord Jesus Christ will be manifested
as both King and Priest in His
And
again: From His place (i.e., presumably
the Millennial Temple at Jerusalem) He
shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the Lord,
He shall bear the glory,
and shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne,
and the counsel of peace shall be between them both:
(Zechariah 6: 12,
13).
Christs own throne (as both King and High Priest), will be manifested within His
Messianic and Millennial
But
the Son of God is declared both King of kings, and Gods High priest. Aaron possessed the shadow of resurrection in
the miracle of the flowering of the dry and dead rod. By that sign God would prove that Aaron alone
was His accepted priest: and the broad plates on the altar, made out the
censers of Korah and his company - those sinners against their own soul - were a sign, that none was to venture to offer to God, save through
His appointed priest. But the real
resurrection of Jesus was a far greater miracle [sign]; and His ascent to Gods
Holiest in heaven was a far nobler entry on the tabernacle above, than Aarons
entrance into the tent made my mans hands.
A priest for ever. That must
begin after death. Flesh and
blood are not built for eternity; and only through a violent death could that
shedding of the blood be made, without which is no forgiveness of sins. Moreover, Jesus manifest Priesthood was only
to be enacted in heaven [until He returns to this earth, and claims
His promised inheritance here (Psalm
2: 8), and sits upon His throne
in the
Without
a perfect priesthood, and a perfect sacrifice, all men must be destroyed in
justice, or Gods Law and Word be dishonoured.
But Jesus, our High Priest, slain for sin, but risen [out] from the
dead, and Minister of the true temple above, glorifies God, and saves men.
7. Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and
supplications, with loud outcry of tears, to Him Who was able
to
Save Him out of death, and was delivered from His fear;
though He
was a Son, yet learned He obedience
by
the things which He suffered.
The time of the Saviours life on earth in the
infirmities of the flesh,
contributes to the perfection of His Priesthood. He is exalted, and far above suffering
now. But He remembers His trials and
sufferings while He was a [impeccable] man, in [a body of] fresh and
blood. These sufferings our Lord could
only experience as incarnate. Flesh, and in its days, are the
time of infirmity. All flesh is as grass. He remembered that they were
but flesh
(Isaiah 40: 6;
Psalm 78: 39).
While
on earth, Jesus was the Priest undergoing consecration; not clad in the
garments of beauty and glory, but in the white-linen dress of humiliation. He offered - the priestly
word - even then acceptable gifts and sacrifices to God, in the way of prayers and supplications. These
offerings are past, as the tense of the word offered shows. They
were acceptable to God; as He manifested by an immediate answer: (1) At His baptism. It came to pass that Jesus, having
been immersed, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the
Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape
like a dove, and a voice came from heaven,
which said, Thou art
My Beloved Son, in Thee I am well
pleased (Luke 3: 21). (2)
At His transfiguration. Jesus had
expressed His intention to surrender His soul to death. And as He prayed
[on the mount] the fashion of
His countenance was altered, and His raiment became white and glistering (Luke 9: 29). And the Father
again attested Him as His Beloved Son. (3) Also, when His last hour was close
at hand, as soon as He says, Father, glorify Thy Name, there came a voice out of heaven saying: I have both glorified it,
and will glorify
it again (John 12.).
What
is the difference between prayers and supplications? I do not know, if it be that the latter word signifies prayer for deliverance, as the following context seems to show.
The
prayers of the Saviour were sometimes uttered with loud outcry and tears. This seems to
refer to His prayers in the night of agony in
Instead
of saying that these prayers were directed to God, the Apostle uses a
paraphrase, to bring out the power of the Most High, in the special direction
in which our Lord appealed to Him. He
cried to Him that was able to save Him out of
death (ek).* Jesus must die, and did not pray to be delivered from
suffering death; but He prayed that He might not be left
in Hades, or in the place that is called Death. Thou hast laid Me in the lowest pit,
in darkness, in the
deeps. Thy
wrath lieth hard upon Me, and Thou hast afflicted Me with all Thy waves (Psalm 88: 6). But if once He went down into Death, how
should He get out of it? Let not the deep swallow Me up, and let not the pit
shut her mouth upon Me (Psalm 69: 15).
*
Great is the difference, between being saved from,
and being saved out
of (ek). He who is saved from a pit [i.e., Sheol
= Hades], does not fall into it. But he who is saved
out of one, must first be in it. God raised Jesus [out] from among the dead
(ek [=
out]) (Romans 10: 9). See also Judges 2:
16, 18; 8: 23; Psalm 107: 13; Exodus 36: 29;
Isaiah 20: 6.
And was delivered
from His fear.
The
Established Version here gives: And was heard in that He feared. The margin
has: Was heard
for His piety. The Greek is susceptible of several meanings,
and all give a good sense. But which was
the meaning intended by the Holy Spirit?
1.
He was heard because of [His] piety. If this were
the meaning, we should expect another preposition, and the word His to be added to piety. We should probably have, too,
the word commonly used by Paul for piety.* And in the other passages in which the word here
occurs in this epistle, it signifies fear.
With reverence and godly fear (12: 28. See also Acts 23: 10; Hebrews
11: 7).
*
See
Acts 3: 12; 1 Timothy 2: 2,
&c.
2.
But, even if we translate it fear, there are still two meanings which may be given to
it. It may signify the inward sentiment of fear. Then it will mean the Saviour was oppressed by
the fear of death; which was doubtless true.
He was to suffer death from the hand of the Just Governor, as the penalty of sin. It was to
come on Him as a curse from
God. No wonder that He feared! For then the loving face of His Father was
turned away, as His bitter words on the cross testify. Then we shall understand the sentiment of the
present clause to be: He prayed to be delivered from
this overwhelming feeling
of fear. And He was heard; for His fear was taken
away, and He went boldly to meet the armed men who sought Him, and surrendered
Himself into their hands. This gives a
good sense. But here too we should
expect the His with fear. It is clear that it does not mean, He was saved from
death, as
3.
I doubt not, then, that the true
rendering is: He was
delivered from the object of fear. Fear is taken as the external object causing fear - Death and Hadees. The Greek word for hearing
is one used often by the Septuagint to render the Hebrew was answered.*
See also Psalm 118: 5; Luke 1: 13; Acts 10: 31. Thus we have
here what is called a pregnant construction. He was answered from the fear. The result of His petition was, His deliverance from the object which occasioned fear. Thus, too, we account for the absence of the
pronoun, which would otherwise be added to fear, if it
were considered as an inward feeling of our Lord.
* See Psalm 22: 26; 40: 2.
This,
therefore, signifies the Saviours rescue [out] from among the dead, by [His] resurrection. The absence
of this great truth, on which Paul usually lays
much stress, has been made one of the probabilities against the Epistle being
composed by that Apostle. But here is
the link supposed to be missing. And we
are, by this signification, thrown into connection with Scripture passages
relating to this [resurrection-] redemption of our Lord [as our Forerunner and First-born Son of God out of dead ones (Acts 4: 2, Greek.).] As in
the Crucifixion-Psalm: For He [God] hath not despised nor abhorred the
affliction of the afflicted; neither hath He hid His face from him; but
when He cried to Him He heard (Psalm 22: 24). Then follows a
passage referring to our lord as risen [out of dead ones]. My praise shall be of Thee in the great
congregation. This is entirely parallel with the words
quoted by Paul a little above: I will declare Thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee (verse 22). But the passage most distinctly pointed at is
Psalm 18., composed, as we have seen, by David, when the Lord delivered
Him from the hand of all his enemies,
and from the hand of Saul (Hadees). There we find: The sorrows of Death compassed me, the floods of Belial [margin] made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol [= Gk. Hades] compassed
me about, the snares of Death [the place] prevented
[surrounded] me. Then comes the
prayer: In my
distress I called upon the Lord, and
cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of His
temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His
ears. Then we have the earthquakes, at the Saviours death, and at His
resurrection. Then the earth shook
and trembled: the foundation
also of the hills moved and were shaken, because He was wroth. Then the resurrection: He sent from above [the two angels], He took me, He drew me out of many waters (verses 4-16).
Son though He was, and therefore vastly superior to the dying and sinful
priests of the Law - Son though He was,
He was not kept out of these sore
trials, as we should not have naturally expected from a Fathers love. It is indeed a wonderous contrast, to mark the Creator of all, possessed of every
perfection of glory that can be found in His Father, yet brought low,
distressed even to tears, cries, and bloody sweat, and death, begging for restored
life, and redemption out of death! But thus we learn how sore the weight of
those sins which oppressed Him; and that none but Himself could rescue us. And what will be the horrors of death to him
that suffers for his own sins?
He learned obedience by the things He suffered.
The
Saviour, as Creator and Sustainer of all, ruled, and did not bow to a
superiors command. But, on becoming
man, He learned what it is to obey, especially the difficulties of obedience,
when suffering and death must be endured.
Submission was the new duty entailed on Him from that difficult path;
first, by the baits of the flesh and the world, and then he sought to terrify
Him from the Fathers will, by the suffering that lay before Him. Thus
the Lord Jesus has learned, by experience, the difficulties which man finds in
obeying God.
Unitarians
and others would present to us God as simply benevolence. His creatures,
though offenders against Him and His law, need no atonement; for there is no
wrath in God. The Saviour came to take
away from us the fear of God.
Did He? How, then, was it, that His Perfect Son was so overwhelmed with fear
and anguish, and the hiding of His Fathers face? If God can, without injustice, lay such
woe upon the Sinless One, how terrible He must be to wilful transgressor! And who is not a wilful transgressor (Romans 3: 9-19)? How
comes it, that martyrs have been so much calmer, while suffering unto death,
than the Perfect One? We can
tell! They did not suffer the sting of death!
And being perfected, He became
to all that obey Him the author of eternal [Gk.
aionian i.e.,
in this context age-lasting] salvation.*
[* By an examination of the context, and by looking at a
literal word for word translation from the Greek text of verses 7b-11:-
and having been heard from the [His] piety,
8 though
being a Son, learned,
from what things He suffered; 9
And having been perfected, became a Cause of
salvation age-lasting to all THOSE WHO OBEY Him; 10 having been declared by the
God a high priest, according to the order of
Melchizedek. 11 Concerning Whom
great to us the word and hard to
be explained to say (Rendered: in our discourse we
have much to say, and of difficult
interpretation),
since sluggish ones you have become in the hearing. (Rendered:
since you have become sluggish hearers.)
- the Greek
word aionian, as shown above, must, in this context, be
understood and translated as age-lasting. Ed.]
The
Saviours sufferings over, and Himself being raised out of His lowly lot, and
crowned with glory at the right hand of God His twofold perfection for His office - (1) in Himself,
and (2) in His position and power arrived.
As come out of Death, He is the Rock for
evermore, on which His people build.* His
sufferings and their atonement, procuring salvation for the lost; as the words
which ensure testify. He is the
meritorious cause of their [eternal] salvation. Their
salvation is not of the temporary character of salvation out of the Law. And as derived from oneness with the Second
Adam, it is eternal life in [and after] resurrection.
*Compare
Matthew 16: 18
with Deuteronomy 32: 15. Christ is not yet to
But
the difficulty faces us in the remaining words of this verse; a difficulty
passed by, by nearly every commentator.
Christ is author of eternal aionian salvation TO ALL THEM THAT OBEY
HIM. We should have expected, to all that believe
on Him. And most writers on the
Epistle quietly read it so. He is a High Priest of salvation
to all who believe, says Pridham. But are faith and obedience the same
thing? Did not
10. Saluted by God as High Priest after the order of Melchizedec.
After
the Perfect Son has perfectly glorified the Father, by His obedience unto death,
He is saluted by Him, on his rising [out] from the dead, as High Priest (Psalm 2.). He was, according to Gods
counsels, High Priest before His incarnation and death, but He was formally
saluted as such, after His sacrifice was evidenced to be accepted, in His
resurrection [out of dead ones Acts 4: 2, (Greek.)]. It is related of the first Emperor Napoleon, that on
one occasion, having dropped the reins, his horse ran away with him. A common soldier, stepped out of the ranks,
caught the reins, and presented them to him.
Thank you, Captain, said the
Emperor. That salutation made the private at once an officer. He accepted the word at once, and asked: of what regiment, Sire? Of my own Guards.
[Page 138]
DIGRESSION REBUKE EXHORTATION
11.
Concerning whom
[Melchizedec] we have much to say, and difficult of interpretation, since ye are become
dull of hearing. For when,
in consideration
of the [length of]
time
ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you the
first principles
of the oracles of God, and are become such
as
have
need of milk, and not of solid food.*
* The translation strong meat, has led
astray the thoughts of not a few. They
have supposed it meant some indigestible kind of flesh. But no!
Meat is old English for food. And here it is adults food; the opposite of
milk, the infants.
The
Apostle checks himself. They were unready to listen to his proofs concerning
the [gospel of the] glory of
Christ,* drawn from the history of Abraham. With advancing years they had become slow to
accept deeper views of the Scriptures and their revelations. It was not so once. Once
they listened to the glory of Christ, as reflected in the Old Testament, with
great interest. But they were now,
through persecution and other causes, like their fathers under Pharaoh, when
they heard the promises of deliverance.
Moses spake the promises, as Jehovah commanded: But they
hearkened not to Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage.
[* The reference here is, I believe, what we find
written concerning the gospel (good news) concerning Messiahs future,
manifested,
and millennial
glory, which Satan seeks to keep
hidden from regenerate Christians! But and if our gospel (good news) is veiled,
- (says Paul in his epistle unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in the whole of Achaia 2 Cor. 2: 1, R.V.) - it is veiled to
them that are perishing: in whom the god of this age hath blinded the minds of the
unbelieving, that the light of the gospel (good news) of the glory of
Christ, who is the image of God should not dawn upon them:
(2 Cor. 4: 3-4, R.V.).]
They
had long been Christians; some, probably, for thirty years. They had listened to Christ Himself, and His
Apostles. They had seen their words
backed by deeds of wonder and power. They ought to have so profited as to be
masters of [much more, especially prophetical] Christian
truth, able to impart it to others. Hence
we learn, that, teaching Christian truth under the Gospel does not require
ordination. But, instead of being
teachers of Christ, they had need to be taught the
first principles of the oracles
of God.
Oracles were answers given to those who inquired of the
heathen gods. They were oft dictated by
inspiration. Of
course, not inspiration by the Holy Spirit, but by evil spirits. They were the gods reply to his inquirer.
The
Scriptures are the oracles of the true God, given by inspiration of the Holy
Ghost. In this passage the word seems to
refer principally, if not entirely, to the Old Testament. (1) For Paul is about to expound the history
of Genesis in its application to us. (2) And the expression is certainly applied
to the Old Testament in more than one place of the New. Of Moses it is said: Who received living
oracles to give unto us (Acts 7:
38). (So the Revised Version.) What was
the Jews advantage? Chiefly,
because that unto them were committed the oracles of God (Romans
3: 2). 1 Peter 4: 11 may have
a more general application. But it is
very remarkable, that, while by the time this Epistle was penned of the New
Testament writings of inspiration had been published, there is no appeal to
those writings in this exhortation to the Hebrew Christians.
What
are the first principles of
the oracles of God which the Hebrews
needed to be taught? They are, I
believe, the very same at which British Christians are stumbling now. (1) There is partial unbelief concerning the inspiration of the Bible. (2) There is, consequently, great difficulty in persuading believers
concerning the typical meaning of the Old Testament, and its
application to us. They will not
credit it, that this book differs from all others in being Gods book, and
therefore possessed of powers vastly beyond mans. The style is so
simple. It is; but beneath that simplicity is couched a vast
profundity of meaning. The words
concerning the Serpent and the Woman in
The
Apostle is here teaching us that Holy Scripture has two aspects.
These
are Moses simple words to
We,
see then, the state of the Church at
Instead
of turning to see Christs glory in Moses, they were attendants on the Law and
its sacrifices, its feasts and fasts, from which Christ came to lead them
out. All were zealous of the law, and that was
incompatible with advance in the knowledge of Christ, and the principles and
practice of His truths. The faith
being come, they were to be no longer under the schoolmaster, and students of
the alphabet of truth, but men in Christ.
Ye are
observing days and months, and times and years; I am afraid of you, lest I have
bestowed on you labour in vain.
They
were short-sighted, and unable to see afar off, and had forgotten their purging
from their old sins. Hence the Apostle must teach them Christ in His present Priesthood after the
pattern of Aaron, atoning for sin, and cleansing from it, which lies at the
foundation of Christianity, instead of [focusing
attention upon His coming, (and the numerous Divine promises (see Psalm 2: 8; 110: 1-3; 72. etc,) of] the glory to come, in His Melchizedec* aspect.
[* That
is, in His future role upon this earth, as His Fathers Anointed
King-Priest.]
Let
us then be unlike the men of our day. Learned
Germans will not believe in the truth if inspiration. When they find a Psalm quoted, as written of Christ,
they set themselves to inquire what David meant in penning it.
They then guess, what must have been the occasion which drew forth
the Psalm. And often their guess was
foolish. Take the Crucifixion-Psalm (Psalm 22.).
What event in Davids life was like the scene there depicted? None!
It was inspired David, writing of his Son on the cross. It was Gods hand that guided Davids
pen. Scripture is on no private
interpretation. Holy men of
old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Only by faith
in this truth can we understand and be fed by Gods Word.
Ye have become such as have need of milk,
and not solid food.
The
milk was the simple principle concerning priesthood which
lay upon the surface. The solid food was the deeper truths concerning His Son, which God
had hid under the letter of the Old Testament history of Abraham. To the advanced Christian, firmly grounded in
the earlier doctrines of the faith, Paul could teach deep mysteries of
God. But, to the babe in Christ, he knew it was wise to present only milk. Therefore the proud and philosophic believers
of
13. For every one that partaketh of milk is unskilful in the word
of righteousness; for he is a babe.
What
is the word of righteousness? Some regard
it as the Gospel [of grace]. But no! Paul is staying this course of his argument,
to teach concerning the Old Testament, and
its bearing on Christians. And the Law has for its foundation-principle,
righteousness. Righteousness,
righteousness shalt
thou follow, that thou mayest live, says Moses to
On
the contrary, the Gospel of God is the word of His grace (Acts 14: 3; 13: 43). The ministry, says Paul, which I have received, to
testify the Gospel of the grace of God. I commend you to God, and the word of His grace (Acts 20: 24, 32).
All
then, who go not beyond the letter of the Old Testament, are users of milk, and babes in Christ. Only those find the solid food, suited to the experienced Christian, who will look through the veil
of the letter, and find beneath it the glory of Christ, the Son of God. This requires both strength and skill, but
especially the teaching of the Spirit of God, Who is the Spirit of grace.
Now
here is just the character of the teaching of our day. There is a call foe simple
truth, - which is milk. Most desire any the ABC if Christianity. All beyond is fanciful,
cabalistic, and injudicious. Paul himself does not escape these charges,
where he dares to set upon the board [for examination] some solid food; as when he shows us the lessons accruing to
Christians from the history of Abraham (Galatians 4). Look at the books upon the Christian faith which
sell in are day; they are those which keep close in shore, and refuse to know anything [about Gods
responsibility and accountability truths] but just the way of [initial
and eternal] salvation
by faith [alone]. Hence the
danger of the falling away, or apostacy from Christ, is becoming more and more
imminent.
14. But solid food belongeth unto adults, who by reason of habit have their senses exercised to the
discrimination of good and evil.
The
Hebrew Christians were adult in age, if we reckon the length of time in which
they had been converted. But they had
been going back in knowledge and in grace.
They were still but old babes. Scripture speaks of the inability of the very
young to discriminate between good and evil.
Your
little ones, which ye said should be a
prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil,
they shall go in (Deuteronomy
1: 39;
Isaiah 7: 15;
Romans 9: 11).
Let
us take an example of this deeper truth.
(1) The history of Eliezers mission to
obtain a wife for Isaac, when taken in the letter, may give instruction to one
desirous of finding a [good] wife. But,
taken in its deeper sense, we have in it a picture of the mission of the Holy
Ghost, by the Father and the Son, to lead
[out from amongst the body
of] the
Church as a BRIDE to Christ. (2) The law concerning the leprous house taught
the Jew how to behave himself in that special case, according to the
letter. But, viewed in New Testament
light, it tells of Christs coming into the world, of John the Baptists
preparing the house for Him, and the present day of Gods patience; while it
testifies also concerning the coming millennial day, and the worlds final
destruction (Leviticus 14: 33-45).
On
this topic indeed, - of the senses of Scripture, - there is great need of a
word of caution, lest we should imagine, that, those who talk most about the letter and the spirit must be sure to be well instructed in it. Some years ago, a grocer put out strong
warnings to the public, against the adulteration of tea: but soon after, the
police seized upon a great quantity of sloe leaves, which he was palming off
upon the public, in place of the genuine article.
Swedenborg
talks much of the senses of Scripture, and pities ordinary Christians, as those
who are slaves of the letter. He talks much of the
Science of Correspondences, and of the profound wisdom which lies in
his system of anti-Christianity. But
this is only deceit and folly. Take an
example. Does Scripture so teach? Be ye not as the horse, or as
the mule, which have NO UNDERSTANDING (Psalm 32:
9).
And
the Fathers of the Church, so called, utter
all sorts of extravagances, as their explanation of the deeper meanings of the
Word of God, especially when they would put down heretics;
of which take a specimen from the Commentary on the
Four Gospels, collected out of the works of the Fathers; edited by Puseyites, in their earlier days.
He [Jesus] departed into
That
is said, mark, of Christ!
I
suppose the reader will be quite satisfied with this brief extract.
THE END