Hebrews 5.1

For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

The verse speaks about what every Jew knows about the way that the priesthood works in order to say : You know this about the Levitical priests.. It is no different when it comes to the priesthood of the firstborn, for this is where the Levitical priesthood comes from. It is really the priesthood of the firstborn that the writer is thinking about and that he wants to talk about.

Hebrews 5.2

Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

We come at the exposition of this singular humanity from a different angle.  The humanity of a priest is a special form and case of humanity. It is the most empathetic humanity and it is the most divine humanity, because it is the priest who is chosen and anointed to actively represent humanity to God.

Hebrews 5.3

And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

The priest who is not a Tzaddik must identify with the sinner as a sinner, but is covered by his office from his unworthiness.  For the office justifies him in his service because it is a corporate office and a corporate service, thus can be applicable to the priest as a personal sinner so long as he is repentant and looks to the Tzaddik who justifies the corporate body in the name of God. But how can the Tzaddik identify with the sinner? There is only one Tzaddik who can do so, the one who is the True High Priest, who stands in the position and place of Adam carrying there the responsibility for the sin of Adam and in that for the sin of the world.

Hebrews 5.4

And no man takes this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

That Yehoshua did not take this position by his own will is the truth that silences every anti-Israel theology.

Hebrews 5.5

So also Moshiah did not glorify himself to be made an high priest; but he who said unto him,  You are my son, today have I begotten thee.

Today - This day....

On the day of his resurrection - when all things in him are made new.

To say all things are made new is not to say all things are made over again from nothing, from a perfect erasure of creation and a complete starting again. All agree. The new creation is a redeemed creation. But the Catholic christology does not think this fact through completely. And the Protestant and Anabaptist do not go beyond the Catholic in this. 

First, it is undisputed that the statement, “This day I have begotten you,” is spoken by God to Yehoshua in reference to his resurrection. Our authority is Acts 13:33 -

32  And now we proclaim to you the good news: What God promised our fathers 

33 He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.’ 

The promise did not say simply that it would be revealed on that day but that it would done on that day. What is done?  He fulfilled the covenant in the corporate atonement for Israel for the death and resurrection of Adam, redeeming creation and making it new. He was God’s word of creation. Now he was God’s word of the redemption and re-creation of his creation!

Hebrews 5.6

As he says also in another place, You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

A.

In verse 5 Hebrews referred to the prophecy of the resurrection. Then here in verse 6 Hebrews repeats the argument it is making by referring to the interpretation of Melchizedek’s blessing of Abraham by the prophet in the Psalms. Therefore it is made evident that Melchizedek‘s blessing of Abraham was also referencing the resurrection. How was this so and what did it mean?

The way this works is first through the reference to the resurrection being framed in terms of the office of the firstborn. This day I have begotten you means this day you have become my firstborn. The understanding of this depends on it already being known that the office or position of firstborn in the Torah of God pertains to the inheritance of corporate headship. Virtually everyone knows that the position of firstborn has to do with family inheritance in the case of the death of the parents, that is to say, the heads of the family. But in God’s Torah the office of firstborn pertains not to any generic family so much as to the whole family of Adam and then to the family of Abraham as defined through Isaac and Jacob. God refers to Israel as his firstborn, and he refers to Ephraim as a tribe as his firstborn. When these references are correctly explained it can be seen how they are the background to God’s ultimately calling the Messiah of Israel his firstborn. This occurs when Mashiach fulfills his incarnation of everything that the word of God commands for the redemption and inheritance of the world. 

Melchizedek knows that he holds the position and office of the firstborn of Adam himself and in blessing Abraham with the words he blesses him with he acknowledges that he recognizes that God has corporately judged Adam and has taken from Adam the right of the firstborn and given this corporate right of the inheritance of the world to Abraham and to Abraham’s firstborn. Implicit in Melchizedek’s acknowledgement is the recognition that this involves the carrying out of the sentence of corporate death upon Adam and a corporate resurrection from the dead through one in the office of Abraham’s firstborn.

B.

Just as he was called according to his personal human worthiness to the kingship of Israel, so he was called to stand in the place of Israel’s atonement, according to the order of the testimony to Abraham and his son that was given by Melchizedek.

As the incarnation is the incarnation of the promised seed, son, corporate head of Israel, and so is the incarnation of the fulfillment of the covenant, so it is completed as the incarnation of this son, this word of God, in his atoning death and resurrection. For not in his birth and life alone does he fulfill the promise made to Abraham, but also in his atoning death for the corporate branch of Adam in Abraham, Isaac and Israel claimed by God as his by right, for his purpose of redemption and the justification of life. And not only in his birth and life and atoning death does he fulfill the promise, but also in his resurrection from the dead. Therefore, it is with reference to the resurrection that this prophetic word was spoken:  You art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek! 

For Shem confessed for Adam in the office of Noah that he attached himself to Abraham and to his seed in order that his soul might be saved.

Hebrews 5.7

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> Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Notes on Heb 5:7

 He was heard....in that he feared. His reverence was made perfect in his obedience.  The command given to him by the Father was to fulfill the covenant made with Abraham...  how?  By calling out to him in prayer that every beat of his heart be righteous in the confession of the Justice of of the corporate sentence of death upon all humanity on account of Adam’s transgression. He was appointed to be the corporate head of the body that God had claimed as his own humanity by right as the Creator. Therefore in his confession of the Justice of the sentence of death upon all humanity, he acknowledged and accepted the Justice of his own death and of the death of all Israel, on account of Adam’s transgression.

What is death for Adam? It is to be brought before God in judgment and to be found unworthy of creation and life, so as to be separated from God and to wither away in spirit, just as the body withers away when separated from the soul. This is the end to which Adam would come, and therefore, all who are corporately in Adam, were it not that God loved Adam through his love for one son. 

What son is this? It is one that God had his eye on, whom he saw coming into the world through the seed of the woman, whom God would bring into the world as the son of Abraham and of David.  It was through the seed of Sarah who would be called through Isaac and through Israel; it was through a certain son of the Jews that God loved Adam and therefore added Mercy and resurrection for Adam to his Just sentence of corporate death. God gave this promised son of the Jewish people, God’s own son, his only begotten son, in order that whosoever lifts up the eyes of their heart to him in faith should not perish but have everlasting life.

Hebrews 5.8

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> Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Notes on Heb 5:8

"I have received this commandment from my Father"

### John 10:18

Hebrews 5.9

>  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

He did not only become incarnate in the human body. He was made perfect in that he incarnated the whole word of God spoken to Adam concerning the way of life and then to Noah concerning the hope of life. Then he incarnated the whole word of God to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob concerning the justification of life and the gift of life.

Having incarnated all the word of God for the redemption of all things, he became the author of salvation to those who are conformed to the obedience of his faith.

Hebrews 5.10

 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

What does Hebrews mean by “the order” of Μελχισέδεκ?

וּמַלְכִּי־צֶ֙דֶק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ שָׁלֵ֔ם הוֹצִ֖יא לֶ֣חֶם וָיָ֑יִן וְה֥וּא כֹהֵ֖ן לְאֵ֥ל עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ 

And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High. 

וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר בָּר֤וּךְ אַבְרָם֙ לְאֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן קֹנֵ֖ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃ 

He blessed him, saying,  “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.

וּבָרוּךְ֙ אֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן אֲשֶׁר־מִגֵּ֥ן צָרֶ֖יךָ בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וַיִּתֶּן־ל֥וֹ מַעֲשֵׂ֖ר מִכֹּֽל׃ 

And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your foes into your hand.” And [Abram] gave him a tenth of everything.

Hebrews 5.11

Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing you are dull of hearing.

Dull of hearing...

To whom does Hebrews speak here?  All Israel? All the professed assembly of Jewish believers only? Them with converts, but not All the Jewish People?

The audience of students should be prepared for the lesson of the testimony of Shem about Abraham but they are not.  The true light of the good news is corporate. It is to this that Shem as Melchizedek testifies.  But the majority of those to whom Hebrews speaks are still hearing it only through the conscience of their own sins. And among those there are still those who are convinced that God only helps those who have the pride and self esteem to help themselves. They want to scout the land of this new Messianic world or, in the case of some Greek converts, new Christian world, to see, with God’s help what giants they will have to defeat. Among these, unless they can be corrected ahead of time from the error of mixing self-reliance with faith, will be those explorers who draw back, saying, “ How can God expect us to defeat such great giants?”

Hebrews 5.12

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

You ought all to be disciplined in accordance with the baptism of repentance revealed by Yochanan — the level of the complete generation of the nation entering into the rest of Hashem.

This should not be heard as a rebuke but as the word of encouragement to those who are judged to now be ready to be weaned from milk to solid foods.

Hebrews 5.13

For every one that uses milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is an infant.

Instead, you are still reading the Torah and the Prophets as if they were given to address your private needs. This is the way children think when they are in a state of anxiety. Someone like this can only be taught very carefully.

Hebrews 5.14

But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Only those whose attention comes through faith in their teacher maintain perfect attention when that being taught seems to have gone beyond themselves.