THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST
[p. 315] THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST
Hebrews 4: 11 - 16; 6: 19, 20; 10: 19; Leviticus 8: 22 - 33
JBS Our subject tonight is the priesthood of Christ. The first thing is, He is distinct from Aaron; that we have in Hebrews 6: “the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec”.
Little is known about priesthood practically, because people are so little established in the work of the Saviour, and unless you have, in that sense, done with the Saviour, you cannot touch the priest. I know many take exception to this statement, but I say, If you have sin before you, you have not the Lord as priest before you. As priest He has nothing to do with sin. When you come to the priesthood you come to an entirely new footing. The idea of priesthood in christendom is what you get in Leviticus, but that is not the idea of it in Hebrews. The idea in Hebrews is that Christ is rejected here and exalted to God’s right hand, a priest after the order of Melchisedec. If you accept the one - His rejection, you get the other - His exaltation and priesthood. Christendom ignores the first, and never knows the second. They have no idea of the priest of God, and therefore they put the priest between the congregation and God. You get the true thought in the hymn:
‘In Him we stand, a heav’nly band,
Where He Himself is gone’. (12:2)
Is that clear to you? It is a great thing to get the right idea to start with. The priest’s service on our side has to do with infirmities, not with sin. When you talk of sin you are not with the priest. In Hebrews 1: 3 we get, “when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down”.
Rem Christ is [p. 316] not a priest on earth.
JBS He could not be a priest on earth, He is a priest on high. So the idea of a clergyman being priest is all a mistake.
Ques You think priesthood has to do with infirmity?
JBS There are two parts in priesthood. One is to carry us through difficulties to Himself; the other to bring us according to Himself into the presence of God. The first part terminates at the end of chapter 7; He is able to bear you above every pressure; the second is, that He maintains you in His own blessedness in the presence of God. Many christians know the first part, but few know the second. Chapter 4 is my side, chapter 10 His side. I used to wonder why chapter 4 comes before chapter 10. I found the reason is that I want my side met before I can get to God’s side.
Ques. What is your side?
JBS Infirmities. I want His sympathy. The first part of His priestly ministry is to relieve your spirit of every pressure, even as He is now out from every pressure under which He went in grace for us; the second part is to maintain you before God. Sins are all purged before you touch the priesthood: “He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one” (Hebrews 2: 11) - of one nature with Christ. It is no question of sin on either side; on my side it is infirmity, not sin; on His, He leads me into the holiest, and there can be no sin there. If a man speaks of sin he is not in the holiest. If you brought sin there, it would not be the holiest.
Ques You would not deny that we recollect what He has done for us?
JBS Not before you come, but when you are in the holiest you are beholding the glory of the Lord. If you do not see this, you lose the idea of worship. “We both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2: 18).
Ques But there is something of sins in Hebrews?
JBS Yes, but it is over. We read, “This man,
[p. 317] after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down”. (Hebrews 10: 12). Again, “No more offering for sin”. You may say you do sin, but there is no more offering for sin. The moral idea of the holiest is the blessedness of Christ in the presence of God, not your own salvation. The more I ponder it, the more incomprehensibly great I see it to be. We all have a meagre idea of worship.
Ques Is it in being drawn to Christ in the way you speak of, that we learn what His priesthood is?
JBS Yes, you are drawn to Him in your infirmity. There are three classes of infirmities: (1) the pressure of circumstances; (2) bad health; (3) bereavement. Job went through all three. He lost his possessions, his health, and his family; but though he had sustainment he had not sympathy. The mass of christians are there; they bear up in a way under their trials, but they have not learnt the Lord’s sympathy.
Ques. How is it learnt?
JBS Like Peter in Matthew 14. When he is set on reaching the Lord he finds out his infirmity. He cries, “Lord, save me”. He had wanted to get to the Lord, but now he wants to get out of trouble. Affection was leading him to the Lord, but his own infirmity stopped him. The Lord, instead of quelling the storm, stretched out His hand and drew him to Himself.
Ques Was it failure when Peter began to sink?
JBS Failure of faith - weakness. Happy the man who does not give way under pressure. You cannot get sympathy till you get to Him.
Ques What is sympathy.
JBS You see it in John 11. Martha got His instruction and correction, He talked to her; but Mary got His sympathy, He walked with her. When I get His sympathy I am drawn away to Himself where there is no trouble. I am solaced with Himself, I am in His company, I am perfectly relieved. The common idea of sympathy is comfort; but relief, even sustainment,
[p. 318] is not sympathy. Nothing so affects my heart as that the One who loved me and gave Himself for me is indispensable to me in every sorrow and pressure here.
The effect of what is brought out in Hebrews is that the Lord is so indispensable to me, that my heart is weaned from this place. I then run on to a Person who has endeared Himself to my heart; that is the race of chapter 12. I never knew a man leave the world in heart till he got to know the Person who gave him relief in sorrow. Affliction does not wean one from the earth. We all have sorrow, what we have to learn in the sorrow is His sympathy; Mary learned it in walking with the Lord, and she so learnt it, that to lose Him in death would be a greater loss to her than that of Lazarus, and she says, I will put the costliest thing I have in His death. The Lord says, as it were. I not only love a sinner, but I will make a sinner love Me. Mary buried her greatness with the Lord, and this was called waste! I have seen very few do that. When you are drawn to His side, it is not merely that He solaces you, but He so bears you up that you are like Paul and Silas in prison, but above the pressure.
We get in Hebrews 4:11, “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest”. That is, running on to heaven. Now we have two things to help us on the road - the word and the priesthood. The word is to show us the way we should go. Do you understand that?
Rem I think so.
JBS You might mistake your way, for there are many wrong roads, and only one right one - the road to heaven. You find the Lord has gone that road, and you are sure to get His hand on that road - His sympathy. If you are not on the right road, you will not get His sympathy. Martha is not on the right road, and though He loved her and corrected her, she does not get His sympathy. Correction is to show you that you are not on the heavenly road. When you are on the heavenly road you get His sympathy. Paul and [p. 319] Silas got sympathy, and they sang praises to God in the prison; they were above their circumstances. You go to a meeting pressed down with your trouble, but if you get into His company you are borne above it, so that instead of being a hindrance to the assembly, as you would be if overwhelmed with your sorrow, you are above it, and He leads you into the holiest - His own presence.
Lying here in the night, there is nothing around me to comfort; I look up, there is no improvement in my circumstances, but I get sympathy from a Person who is not here, and I am drawn out of the pressure to Him.
Ques What about the trouble, does it go?
JBS The trouble does not go, but in the presence of the One who is not here I am drawn out of it - solaced; not helped or cured, but solaced in His company. If you lose the company, you lose the solace. Paul and Silas’ backs were sore after the stripes, but they had the sympathy of the Lord and were above it.
Ques How does mercy come in at the end of chapter 4?
JBS Mercy takes you out of your difficulty. “Ye ... have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy”. Many a one is looking for mercy in his trial who is not looking to be borne above it. Paul and Silas got solace when their feet were fast in the stocks, but afterwards mercy came in, they were delivered.
Rem We shall ever want mercy.
JBS Quite so, because we are in a place of need. He is the Father of mercies.
Rem I believe we might so enjoy the Lord in the trouble or difficulty that we might thank Him for it.
JBS I believe so. I said to one who had lost his wife, If you look to this place your sorrow is here, but if you are drawn to Him, the solace is where He is,
[p. 320] and you will get so solaced in His presence that you will be above your sorrow, in perfect tranquillity. People talk of sympathy, but they do not know much about it.
But that is not all. That is your side of the story. Chapter 10 gives you His side. He is on the other side of the water, as we had last night. There I learn what it is to be brought into the blessedness of what He is in the presence of God. Do you think you understand the priesthood on your side and on His side His side is Himself, I suppose.
JBS Yes, Himself in His own place and surroundings. Take an illustration. Supposing I am in great trouble and I have a friend; I know he will help me, and I go to his house. He meets me at the hall door, and says, I know all about it, but come in here to my company and let us have a happy time. The Lord meets you in your trouble, but where does He draw you to? To the holiest of all - to Himself. The holiest of all is morally heaven, where He is. He fulfils it all. The moment He died the veil was rent. We have boldness for entrance into the holiest, but it must be through death: He is the true sanctuary. In Hebrews 9 He enters heaven for us, but when He comes into our midst He brings heaven to us. No one could be in Christ’s company but in the holiest of all; He is crowned with glory and honour, the Son of God.
Ques Is it only when we are gathered together that we know that?
JBS You may have it in a sense at any time if you look to Him; but it is different to know Him thus in your own house and in His house. In your house your affairs are before you, in the assembly His affairs are before you. Which would you rather have?
Rem His affairs are superior to ours.
JBS You might say, I should like both, and that is a good answer. But there is a difference. It is a [p. 321] great thing to be able to say, “The Lord stood with me, and strengthened me” (2 Timothy 4: 17); but when I go to Him in the assembly it is like the queen of Sheba in Solomon’s house. Many who go to the assembly know nothing of the Lord’s presence, It is because we are so far behind the reality of these things that we so little understand them. We have a great high Priest, first to relieve us from pressure, that is our side, then to lead us into the happy circle inside. What is that? The holiest of all, where there is not a stain or soil - nothing to say to sin. We have boldness to enter through the blood of Jesus. You see Aaron’s sons were consecrated with Aaron. In the type they go with him into the tabernacle; we have a great Priest over the house of God, and we go in with Him. Do you understand?
Rem Yes, we go in to the presence of God.
JBS In the tabernacle there was first the altar then the door. In christendom they never get beyond the altar; that is the death of Christ. He finished the work; all was accomplished there in perfection. But it is not only in the perfection of the work that I go in, but in the fragrance of Christ Himself. I am there in all the fragrance of Christ.
Turn to Leviticus 8; you get the sin-offering and the burnt-offering, that is, the death of Christ for sin, and as a sweet savour to God for acceptance; and then the ram of consecration. Christendom, as I have said, only gets as far as the death, and leaves out the consecration ram. Consecration is more than your acceptance; it is now that you actually enter into the tabernacle in all the fragrance of Christ. God has consecrated you; you come in; what are you feeding on? On the perfection of the Person who has made you accepted. He is the Minister of the sanctuary. In Him you come into the holiest of all. Nothing can be more inconceivably great. Why, if christians really knew where they are there would be no understanding them by man,
[p. 322] they would be so independent of everything here. He has gone in and we have gone in with Him.
In Him we stand, a heav’nly band.
Ques What is the difference between sanctification and consecration?
JBS In sanctification you are drawn from the bad to the good. In consecration you are filled with the good. In Leviticus 8: 27 their hands are filled with the consecrations - really Christ.
Ques Will you tell us something about the laver?
JBS It is connected with the priesthood. We get the feet-washing in John 13. To understand that you must know intimacy. If there be not intimacy there can be no sense of reserve. Hundreds have good consciences and no sense of tangible sin, who know nothing of the intimacy which would be conscious of a shade of reserve. It has been said of Peter that in John 20 he had a good conscience, but not till chapter 21 was his heart right. You must have known intimacy in order to know the least shade of distance. Many think John 13 is advocacy, but it is more. Advocacy is for known sin. The feet-washing is to remove all that hinders us from enjoying the Lord. The cause of distance may be negligence. The bride in Song of Songs 5 felt there was distance, though there was no known sin. The Lord says, I am going to a place where you cannot be with Me with the slightest soil; I must wash your feet; there must not be a spot on you, if you would join Me. He does it. He washes our feet because He does not want there to be a shade of distance.
In Hebrews 10: 19 you get another step, you are not only of the consecrated company, but you pass into the holiest. The moment Christ died the veil was rent, I have boldness to enter. The blessedness of Christ occupies me. No passage of Scripture explains being in the holiest so well as 1 John 4: 17,
“As he is, so are we”. We are brought on a moral level with Him; we share with Him. He says, as it were, You believe on Me in the scene of My rejection; you share with Me, not by and by only, but this minute in My exaltation.
Ques What is the thought in “through the veil?”
JBS He opened the door through death; you can go in no other way than through the appropriation of His death. It is a new and living way that He has consecrated. You must go to the other side of the water. He died that you might be brought in. If nothing but His death could open the door, it is not possible that I can go in, in any other way; I cannot go in in the flesh; I must go in the Spirit.
On the day of atonement (Leviticus 16) two goats and a bullock were offered. The goats were for the people, prefiguring the earthly company, and the bullock for Aaron and his house, “whose house are we”. The gospel of the two goats is the limit of the gospel that is preached in christendom; the gospel of the bullock is the gospel of the glory. That takes you inside. In the gospel of the two goats, all your sins are gone here, in the place where they were committed; it ends with forgiveness of sins. The gospel of the bullock brings you to the Person, where the Person is. We get the benefit of both, for both were accomplished in one stroke in the death of Christ. The holiest of all to the gentile is 2 Corinthians 3: 18, “We all, with open face beholding ... the glory of the Lord”. All the high priest was to the Jew is infinitely surpassed now in Him, “whose house are we”.
Ques What is the effect of knowing Christ in the holiest of all?
JBS I have found a home outside this world, and nothing makes the world so bare to me.
Ques In Hebrews 8 the Lord is high Priest and a Minister of the sanctuary?
JBS That is His place and when you know Him [p. 324] He is that to you. The moment the Lord comes into the meeting the atmosphere of heaven is there.
Ques Will you say something on the verse, “Let us go forth to him without the camp?”
JBS You must be inside before you can go outside. I know Him in the brightest place, but I ask what sort of a path had He here? If you are drawn to Him there, you would not seek a place here; it would not be consistent. The last chapter of Hebrews tells what people should know of you. You could not be outside the camp unless you were inside the veil.
Ques What is, “We have an altar?”
JBS That is inside - the holiest. That is the practical result of having come to chapter 10.
Ques I suppose the blood gave them a title to the altar?
JBS The moment He died He opened the door. It was His death, not even His resurrection that opened the door. We could not go in but through death. What a wonderful moment for a person when he sees that he is brought into a scene where everything is perfectly holy, and that he is there, not only in the perfection of the work, but in all the blessedness of Him who did the work. What different meetings we should have if we entered into that! People talk of going to worship. You cannot worship till you get to Him. We must get to Him first.
Rem He has set us for it.
JBS No question but that He desires it. The real way of blessing for souls is to try these things for themselves, to get to know them experimentally. It is the time that you spend with the Lord that is everything to you.