Sermon Tone Analysis

B.B. Warfield wrote, “we cannot afford to lose either the God in the man or the man in the God; our hearts cry out for the complete God-man whom the Scriptures offer us.”

Christianity in its entirety hung upon this biblical picture: “Because he is man he is able to pour out his blood, and because he is God his blood is of infinite value to save…it is only because he is both God and Man in one person, that we can speak of God purchasing His Church with his own blood…And unless God has purchased his Church with his own blood, in what shall his Church find a ground for its hope?”

Ø 1.

They were taken from men, for they could not be angels or anything else.

Ø 2. They did not act on their behalf but for the whole of people.

Ø 3. they were not to come empty handed to appease God, but furnished with sacrifices;

Ø 4. that they were not to be exempt from human infirmities, that they might more readily to give support during hardship.

Ø 5. lastly, that they were not presumptuously to rush into this office, and that then only was the honor legitimate when they were chosen and approved by God.

I.

The High Priest had to be human.

“For every high priest taken from among men”

Anselm wrote, “I do not attempt, O Lord, to penetrate Thy profundity (great depth of knowledge), for I desire to understand in some degree Thy truth, which my heart believes and loves.

For I do not seek to understand, in order that I may believe; but I believe that I may understand.

For I believe too, that unless I believed, I should not understand.”

Anselm would write one of the great works on the atonement “Why did God become human?”

Hence, that the Son of God has a nature in common with us, does not diminish his dignity, but commends it the more to us; for he is fitted to reconcile us to God, because he is man.

It was necessary that he should be one who could have sympathy with men, else, even if he could succeed Godward, he would fail to be a link between God and man, from want of tenderness and sympathy with those whom he sought to bring nigh to JEHOVAH

II.

They did not act on their behalf but for the whole of people

2. They did not act on their behalf but for the whole of people

men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God,

THE MAIN POINT: had in view is the same, namely, that we have no relationship with God, except there be a priest; for, as we are unholy, what have we to do with holy things?

We are in a word alienated from God and his service until a priest takes up our cause

Spurgeon: The sons and daughters of affliction were those who mostly sought the divine oracle, and desired to have communion with God, hence the high priest needed not only to be a man, but a man of tender and gentle spirit.

It was necessary that he should be one with whom those with broken hearts, and those who were groaning under a sense of sin, would like to speak

III.

“they were not to come empty handed to appease God, but furnished with sacrifices”

in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins

1. Gifts in Burnt Offerings ()

2. Grain Offerings ()

3. Fellowship Offerings (3:1-17)

4. Thanksgiving Offerings (, ; )

IV. “that they were not to be exempt from human infirmities, that they might more readily to give support during hardship.”

he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness”

Spurgeon: men and women how were conscious of sin, and longing for pardon…felt evil darkening their conscience within, would draw near to him; men and women who had lost the countenance, and who came longing to have it back again, because they could not live without.

16 :3and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself

Moses then said to Aaron, “Come near to the altar and aoffer your sin offering and your burnt offering, that you may make atonement for yourself and for the people; then make the offering for the people, that you may make atonement for them, just as the Lord has commanded.”

Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household.

Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself.

Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.

· The Main Point: The high priest identifies with the people, for he transgresses just as they do and must offer sacrifices for his sin.

Calvin: · The Main Point: The high priest identifies with the people, for he transgresses just as they do and must offer sacrifices for his sin.

3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.

4 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.”

Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”

5 Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.”

So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.

6 And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying,

7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.

8 ‘Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the bBranch.

9 ‘For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes.

Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

“I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’

So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

5. lastly, that they were not presumptuously to rush into this office, and that then only was the honor legitimate when they were chosen and approved by God.

And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.

“Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

It is hence evident that Aaron’s priesthood was temporary, for it was to cease.

We see the object of the Apostle; it was to defend the right of Christ’s priesthood; and he did this by shewing that God was its author.

But this would not have been sufficient, unless it was made evident that an end was to be put to the old in order that a room might be obtained for this.

And this point he proves by directing our attention to the terms on which Aaron was appointed, for we are not to extend them further than God’s decree;