Christ's Ordination Continues (Heb. 5:4-5)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 02-11-03

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Christ’s ordination cont.

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Hebrews 5:4-5

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.  So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’”  (NKJV)  “And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.  So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, ‘THOU ART MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE.’”  (NASB)  “And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor.  He has to be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was.  This is why Christ did not exalt Himself to become High Priest.  No, He was chosen by God, who said to Him, ‘You are my Son.  Today I have become Your Father.  Or Today I reveal You as my Son. Ps. 2:7 (NLT)

            In verse four the writer says that the office of High Priest is not appointed by man, but by God and sites the case of Aaron being called by God.  The next verse the writer is speaking of Christ and as in the case of Aaron, Christ also was called by God to be High Priest.  The writer quotes from Psalm two, verse seven to make this point, “You our My Son, Today I have begotten You.”  Now as I look at this quotation I thought that was referring to the birth of Christ at Bethlehem.  In Dr. Wiersbe’s book on Hebrews he points out that the writer is speaking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave in this quotation and sites where the Apostle Paul uses this verse in Acts 13:33-34 as proof of this.  “God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: `You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.'  "And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: `I will give you the sure mercies of David.’”  Just a thought on this and that is that if Christ were born High Priest then the high priest of the time of His life on earth would not have been high priest at all.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful to God for having such a wonderful High Priest, and for the way the He brought this all about.  I can come to my High Priest knowing full well that He understands all of life’s situations and can be sympathetic to me.  Because He is God He can answer all of my problems in a perfect way.

 

The Word of God was refreshing to me as I read it today.