2. The second essential qualification of a high-priest was authority to act for men in things pertaining to God, and in His name to absolve the penitent sinner. Prayer was free to all God’s people and even to the stranger that came out of a far country for the sake of the God of Israel’s name. But guilt, by its very nature, involves the need, not merely of reconciling the sinner, but primarily of reconciling God. Hence the necessity of a Divine appointment. For how can man bring his sacrifice to God or know that God has accepted it unless God Himself appoints the mediator and through him pronounces the sinner absolved? It is true, if man only is to be reconciled, a Divinely appointed prophet will be enough, who will declare God’s fatherly love and so remove the sinner’s unbelief and slay his enmity. But the Epistle to the Hebrews teaches that God appoints a high-priest. This of itself is fatal to the theory that God needs not to be reconciled. In the sense of having this Divine authorization, the priestly office is here said to be an honour, which no man takes upon himself, but accepts when called thereunto by God.[79] How does this apply to the great High-priest Who has passed through the heavens? He also glorified not Himself to become High-priest. The Apostle has changed the word.[80] To Aaron it was an honour to be high-priest. He was authorized to act for God and for men. But to Christ it was more than an honour, more than an external authority conferred upon Him. It was part of the glory inseparable from His Sonship. He Who said to Him, “Thou art My Son,” made Him thereby potentially High-priest. His office springs from His personality, and is not, as in the case of Aaron, a prerogative superadded. The author has cited the second Psalm in a previous passage[81] to prove the kingly greatness of the Son, and here again he cites the same words to describe His priestly character. His priesthood is not “from men,” and, therefore, does not pass away from Him to others; and this eternal, independent priesthood of Christ is typified in the king-priest Melchizedek. Before He began to act in His priestly office God said to Him, “Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” When He has been perfected and learned His obedience[82] by the things which He suffered, God still addresses Him as a High-priest according to the order of Melchizedek. FOOTNOTES: [64] Chap. viii. 4. [65] Chap. ix. 24. [66] Cf. chap. x. 21. [67] Chap. iv. 15. [68] εὔκαιρον (iv. 16). [69] Chap. v. 1, 2. [70] μετριοπαθεῖν. [71] Lev. xvi. 6. [72] Chap. vii. 26. [73] Chap. vii. 28. [74] Chap. v. 10, 11. [75] Chap. v. 7. [76] Luke xxii. 44. The genuineness of the verse is not quite certain. [77] Cf. John x. 18. [78] ἀπὸ τῆς εὐλαβείας (v. 7). [79] Chap. v. 4. [80] τιμήν (v. 4); ἐδόξασεν (v. 5). [81] Chap. i. 5. [82] τὴν ὑπακοήν (v. 8). CHAPTER V. _THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF RENEWAL._