Matthew Henry Commentary Hebrews 5
Matthew Henry Commentary
Hebrews 5
Matthew Henry Commentary
Hebrews 5
"For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can bear gently with the ignorant and erring, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity; and by reason thereof is bound, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh the honor unto himself, but when he is called of God, even as was Aaron. So Christ also glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but he that spake unto him, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee: as he saith also in another [place,] Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek. Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear, though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation; named of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek." — Hebrews 5:1-10 (ASV)
The High Priest must be a man, a partaker of our nature. This shows that man had sinned, for God would not allow sinful man to come to him alone. But everyone is welcome to God who comes to him by this High Priest; and as we value acceptance with God and pardon, we must apply by faith to this our great High Priest, Christ Jesus, who can intercede for those who are out of the way of truth, duty, and happiness; one who has tenderness to lead them back from the by-paths of error, sin, and misery.
Only those who are called by God can expect assistance from God, and acceptance with him, and his presence and blessing on them and their services. This is applied to Christ. In the days of his flesh, Christ made himself subject to death: he hungered; he was a tempted, suffering, dying Jesus. Christ set an example, not only to pray, but to be fervent in prayer. How many dry prayers, how few wetted with tears, do we offer up to God!
He was strengthened to support the immense weight of suffering laid upon him. There is no real deliverance from death except to be carried through it. He was raised and exalted, and to him was given the power of saving all sinners to the uttermost who come to God through him. Christ has left us an example that we should learn humble obedience to the will of God through all our afflictions.
We need affliction to teach us submission. His obedience in our nature encourages our attempts to obey and to expect support and comfort under all the temptations and sufferings to which we are exposed. Being made perfect for this great work, he has become the Author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. But are we of that number?
"Of whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing. For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. But solid food is for fullgrown men, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil." — Hebrews 5:11-14 (ASV)
Dull hearers make the preaching of the gospel difficult, and even those who have some faith may be dull hearers and slow to believe. Much is expected from those to whom much is given. To be unskilled denotes a lack of experience in the things of the gospel. Christian experience is a spiritual sense, taste, or relish of the goodness, sweetness, and excellence of the truths of the gospel. And no tongue can express the satisfaction which the soul receives from a sense of Divine goodness, grace, and love to it in Christ.
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