The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-01
, t [ JESUS OUR HIGH [ PRIEST IN HEAVEN. 4 runh tiv. 1yJd. od-2al

Introduction.--Form 1t was sup posed that the book of Hebrews was written by Paul, and in most Bibles 1t is credited to him in the title. But of late years as in the early centuries many have been unwilling to assign IL to the Pauline system of thought, ana few scholars even presume to assert anything of its authorship. Fortunate ly. the subject Is not important ThS general purpose of the book, however is well understood by all. It was de- signed to strengthen the faith Of those Hebrews who had. embraced Chris tianity and were in danger of return ing to the religion of their fathers. The very simplicity and freedom of the Gospel, contrasting with the imposing ritual. caused some to think that they had surrendered what was better TOT what was inferior The letter, there- fore. institutes "a comparison between the two dispensations for the purpose of showing that what was valuaple m the old had been retained and expandeo in changed form In the new. our les- son presents Christ as the successor 10 the Jewish High Priest, of whom full account iS given in Levltlcus.
 Ohicial. Yerses II and 13)-Christ came to be q High Priest of the spirit ual blessings of the future. that Is or the Christian diepensation. AS sucn He obtained redemption, not by the blood of goats and calves, as the Jew. ish High Priests did Nev. viii, 2-S). put by His own blood, which was shea TOT the remission of gins (Col. i. 2O). Alter making such sacrifice He passed through a tabernacle more perfect tnah that of Moses, which was made wilh hands, and entered into the holy place. The Leviticai priest ministered in the earthly and temporary tabernacle, but Christ ministers in the heavenly ana spiritual tabernacle Wherefore. ne was greater than Aaron or any or ms successors. No man in renouncing ou- daism and embracing Christianity lost | what he had-but he rather gained that for which the, old priesthood' vas only typical This official description of Christ was a well chosen and power full argument in favor of loyalty 'o Him. and was so intended.
 Efficacious Werses 13 and 1D-There might still be in some minds who ac- | cepted the last statement a question | whether a change of religion were prop CT and wise. Suppose Christ had De- come high priest in the place or those of the old economy, is the service or that priesthood as valuable! livery man who considers the subject of sin at all desires to find some sure remeuy for it. May this be obtained unoer .iie 2 new system as well as under the olu :. The writer answers. The piooo or ouis and goats had been used TOT centuries es for the. purpose of sanctification, or outward cleansing Numb. will. D, ana no one had doubted the result or tnls ceremonial. Through the whole hls- tory of the people they had relied up up. on this with utmost confidence. But | inc blood of Christ was more precious 1T Peter.i, 19). Who would doubt that I if would be efficacious to remove gullI and defilement? And if the former entitled one to enter into the worsnlp of the congregation, why shoulo hoS the blood of Christ purge the conscience from it's sins and prepare for the ser vice of God7 ,,o
 AccomnIished (verse 24)-In the nine l verses following the thirteenth, whicn are omitted from our lesson py tne | committee, the writer to the 1eptews 2 expands the thought that the plooo oi | Christ was the blood of the new cove nant, and that 1t answered the pur, poses more perfectly than tne ploou of the sacrifices under the. ola cove
 nant. The student should carelLns 7
 oonsiday those verses before elifcrine mon the 24th as thereby the force CT inc latter will more readily appear
 Here the thought is that Christ ha actually entered into the heaven-lt IS | not a mere matter Of speculatioh' oi of prediction, or of faith, but an ac- | compllshed feet. Moreover, in dolhe
 this He had really completed what Eao been signified in the sacrlriciai Wor-
 ship of the past ages. The oIlerlhss roa9e were only figures of the true-- | thev renresented Christ. The old were therefore. abolished and laid aside, as
 no longer serviceable. All that was Intended by them had been fully ac- | cornplished and superseded. Men cugh' not any longer to look back to theiI but to look to that which had come In their place.
 Repeated (verses 25.)-It was neces-
 sary to protect the readers against one error to which they were liable on con
 stdering the last sentence. Becaus' Christ came as high priest to make
 atonement by His own blood 1t must
 not be supposed that He would be
 obliged to offer Himself often. Under
 Judaism. the high priest entered into
 the holy place every year. (Ex. xxx:io
 under a statutory requirement. The
 great day of atonement was a time ol
 peculiar and national interest. NVerI
 man was concerned in the proper Cb-
 servance of that occasion, because ms |
 high priest came forth with assurances
 that the ransom of souls had been ac-
 cepted every one rejoiced. Generation
 after generation and century after cen
 tury this annual offering was made
 and God was reconciled thereby. some
 might therefore have inferred tha
 Christ would need frequently to Fer
 form expiatory rites by the sacrlhct
 of Himself, That would, indeed, have
 been a very natural conclusion to one
 who might follow the argument.
 Final. .-(Verse 26.)-But that woulc
 have been a grievous error. resulting
 in serious consequences in thought anG
 faith and practice, and reducing th'
 spiritual power of the Christian sys
 tenn. On the contrary Christ's offerine
 was made once for all. (Heb. vii. 27.
 He came in the end of the world,-ir
 the end of the age or dispensation, anc
 brought the whole sacrifcial system
 to an end so that there should be n(
 more sacrifices. (Heb., K, 26.) He dic
 this to put away sin. that Is, to mak'
 such a provision that the fear anc
 burden of sin might no longer distress
 the people. All through the prior age
 the nations had groaned. knowing nt
 settled and completed method of deliv
 erance, but compelled to renew tn
 appointed offering in order to obtain
 peace for their souls. Christ designed
 by His death to make one way an(
 that always available, so that any on
 anywhere at any time might seek anC
 find. Here, again, the superiority O
 the new over the old appears. Th'
 slain beasts upon thousands of altar