CHAPTER 5

Yeshua is Made a High Priest

​The primary theme we see in chapter five is that high priests under the Melchizedek Priesthood are proxy saviors. The concept of human proxy salvation should not be completely foreign to Judah since we see Moses offering his life to make atonement for Israel at the golden calf incident in Exodus 32. The chapter opens by drawing parallels between high priests in the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods and then we see how Yeshua fulfills the conditions to be a high priest in the Melchizedek Priesthood as a proxy savior but His sacrifice redeems humanity from eternal death.

High Priests Make Sacrifice for Sin
In verses one to three, we see that high priests in the Aaronic Priesthood are chosen from among men to make sacrifice for sin – they make offerings for sin v.1,3, they understand the relationship between weakness and sin v.2. In the Aaronic Priesthood, we see animal sacrifice for sin. These same points apply to high priests in the Melchizedek Priesthood but the sacrifice for sin here are human proxies.

HIGH PRIESTS MAKE SACRIFICE FOR SIN

Aaronic Priesthood	Melchizedek Priesthood
Animal Sacrifice	Human Sacrifice

​High Priests are Called of God
In verses four through nine we see that a high priest must be called of God as was Aaron. Aaron was the firstborn of the Levites who obtain the priesthood through their righteousness.
 
Dr. Gileadi –
When the Israelites make a golden calf at Mount Sinai and worship it, the tribe of Levi rallies to God’s side and avenges him of the evildoers (Exodus 32:19–28). Later, when the Israelites fornicate with the daughters of Midian, Aaron’s grandson Phinehas avenges God of the evil (Numbers 25:1–18). Because of their righteous zeal God chooses the tribe of Levi to be his priests and teachers to the rest of Israel’s tribes. The Levites are consecrated to God’s service to minister in the Tabernacle during Israel’s wandering in the wilderness, and later in Solomon’s temple at Jerusalem (Numbers 1:50–53; 8:6–26; Deuteronomy 18:1–7; 1 Chronicles 9:14–34).
The special relationship the Levites have with Israel’s God crystallizes into a covenant of life and peace: “‘You know I sent this commandment to you that my covenant might be with Levi,’ says Jehovah of Hosts. ‘My covenant with him was of life and peace, and these I gave him on account of the fear with which he feared me and his fear of my presence. The law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity wasn’t found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and equity and turned many away from transgression. For the priest’s lips should harbor knowledge that they should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of Jehovah of Hosts’” (Malachi 2:4–7).
 
Covenantal Relationships
We saw in an earlier post that Yeshua’s covenantal relationship with God became the controlling aspect of his relationship with God His Father. Yeshua only did what he saw his father do, and in so doing he received all that the Father hath. From these covenantal relationships, we see these concepts apply to the priesthood as well.
 
Melchizedek was a king of righteousness and a king of peace and obtained a higher priesthood that qualified him as a proxy savior. We also see promises of life and peace in the Melchizedek Priesthood but without the sacrifice of animals. Moreover, high priests in the Melchizedek Priesthood become a firstborn of God.

HIGH PRIESTS ARE CALLED OF GOD

Aaronic Priesthood	Melchizedek Priesthood
A Covenant of Life and Peace with Animal Sacrifice based on righteousness.	A Covenant of Life and Peace through Human Sacrifice based on righteousness.
Firstborn of the Levites	A Firstborn of God

​​Moreover, covenants made unconditional on earth get extended into the forever through Yeshua’s triumph over death as God’s Son.

High Priests and Righteousness
In verse nine and ten, we see the concept of perfection introduced as a qualifying aspect of human proxy salvation. As a suitable sacrifice for sin, human proxies must reach a level of blamelessness or perfection. This concept will later be called “just men made perfect” in chapter twelve. Whereas high priests in the Aaronic Priesthood only reached the level of righteousness as “just men”.

HIGH PRIESTS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

Aaronic Priesthood	Melchizedek Priesthood
Just Men	Just Men Made Perfect

Melchizedek Priesthood is a Higher Reality
The closing verses of chapter five introduce us to the concept of milk as opposed to solid food.  In verse twelve we see that milk is connected to the first elements/elementary principles of God’s Word. Whereas the Melchizedek Priesthood are the more advanced elements/principles of God’s Word and a higher reality.  The concepts here in chapter five of milk and solid food are used in a summary sense.

MILK First Elements/Principles	SOLID FOOD (MEAT) Advanced Elements/Principles
Aaronic Priesthood	Melchizedek Priesthood
Animal Sacrifice	Human Sacrifice
A Covenant of Life and Peace with Animal Sacrifice based on righteousness.	A Covenant of Life and Peace through Human Sacrifice based on righteousness.
Firstborn of the Levites	A Firstborn of God
Just Men	Just Men Made Perfect

Israel’s Tabernacle and the Melchizedek Priesthood
We can now take these concepts of high priests in the Melchizedek Priesthood and apply them to the Tabernacle.
 
Moreover, since now the sons of Israel are Born Again and keep God’s law and word, they are “just men” and can be priests over their families – Exodus 19:6, 1 Peter 2:9.

ISRAEL'S TABERNACLE AS A MODEL OF HEAVEN

Inner Court	Holy Place	Holy of Holies
The Spirit	House of the Son	House of the Father
"Saved"	Everlasting Life	Eternal Life
No Priesthood	Priests over families	High Priests over Groups/Communities of families.
The Unjust	Just Men	Just Men Made Perfect