What was the biblical role of the high priest?

It is remarkable that this title occurs but seldom in the O.T. Lev. 21:10; Num. 35:25; Joshua 20:6; 2 Kings 12:10; 2 Chr. 24:11, etc. Aaron was constantly called 'the priest;' but as his sons were also called priests, he was necessarily the 'chief' and would correspond to what is called high priest in the N.T. His office is summed up in few words: he "is ordained for men in things pertaining to God" that he might offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He stood for the people to God: he offered up the sacrifices which put the people in relation with God (Lev. 9), also those on the day of atonement (Lev. 16), and he blessed them as from God. He, as taken from among men, was one who could have compassion on, or forbearance toward, the ignorant and the erring; for that he himself was compassed with infirmity. Heb. 5:1-2. Aaron did not take the honour upon himself, nor did Christ. Heb. 5:4-5. Having accomplished redemption by the offering of Himself, He passed through the heavens and sat down on the right hand of God. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, having been Himself tempted as we are, apart from sin. He ever lives to make intercession for us, He is also the minister of the sanctuary — He appears in the presence of God for us, and is the great Priest over the house of God. Heb. 4:14-15; Heb. 8:1, etc. See AARON, AARONIC PRIESTHOOD, MELCHISEDEC.

In Israel's primitive state, and in their constitution generally, as established in the land given to them, priesthood was the basis of their relationship with God; it was that which characterised and maintained it (see Heb. 7:11). The high priest was their head and representative before God, as a nation of worshippers; and in this character (I speak here neither of redemption from Egypt nor of conquests, but of a people before God, and in relationship with Him), on the great day of atonement he confessed their sins over the scape-goat. It was not merely intercession. He stood there as head and representative of the people, who were summed up in him before Jehovah. The people were acknowledged, although faulty. They presented themselves in the person of the high priest, that they might be in connection with a God, who, after all veiled Himself from their eyes. The people presented everything to the priest; the high priest stood before God. This relationship did not imply innocence. An innocent man should have stood himself before God. "Adam, where art thou?" This question brings out his fall.

Still the people were not driven away, though the veil was between them and God; the high priest, who sympathised with the infirmities of the people, being one with them, maintained the relationship with God. They were a very imperfect people, it is true; yet by this means they stood themselves in connection with the Holy One. But Israel was not able to maintain this position; not only was there sin (the high priest could remedy that), but they sinned against Jehovah, they turned away from Him, and that even in their leaders. The priesthood itself, which should have maintained the relationship, wrought for its destruction by dishonouring God and repelling the people from His worship, instead of attracting them to it.

Every high priest was "taken from among men." This would be most inadequate if applied to Christ, but perfectly true of Aaron and his successors. They were but men, though taken from among them. So to speak of the Lord is to forget who He is. The Word was made flesh. He became man, but God He was and is from everlasting to everlasting, the Eternal. An angel had been wholly unsuited, and is only employed in prophetic vision when the object is to express distance without losing the fact of priesthood, as in Rev. 8: But in fact, a high priest was of necessity a man, though taken from among men. He was to represent man before God, and to represent God before men. His appointment was on behalf of men in things relating to God, and more definitely to "offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins." What a meagre statement, if Christ were in view, who gave Himself up for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour! It is, on the contrary, precise and full if the inspired writer were treating only of human high priesthood as distinguished from that of Christ.

Now a high priest was especially appointed for men. They only of God's intelligent creatures needed such an institution; and, needing it, the office was filled on their behalf by one who was himself a man. We say on their behalf, for, appointed in things pertaining to God, when discharging such a service, the high priest's face was turned Godwards, and not manwards. Herein is a difference between ministering in the Word and discharging the office of priesthood. In the former the minister necessarily has his face turned towards men. He ministers to them. In the latter the priest turned to God. He sacrificed for the people, or interceded for them, as the case might be. At the altar the high priest offered both gifts and sacrifices for sins — terms these well understood by the Hebrews. The former — gifts — is the rendering by the Septuagint of the Hebrew word korban, i.e. oblation. The latter — sacrifices for sins — of course speak for themselves. For a people who had sinned he offered these last. Further, as a man compassed with infirmity, he could have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that were out of the way, or erring. Sacrificing then for the guilty, in which at times he would have been included (v. 3), was service appointed him; and compassionating the ignorant and erring was to characterise him.

So far then (5:1-3) we read of the service of the high priests of Aaron's line, as the opening words of the chapter plainly teach. But when we think of the Lord, what a difference between them and Him! Sinners, and encompassed with infirmity, such were they. So any comparison between them and Him must not be drawn without marking the contrasts as well. For Him of course no sin offering was required. And though one turns to the Old Testament ritual for the Day of Atonement to see what then had to be done, it is only in the New Testament that we learn how the Lord did it, offering up himself once for all, and entering into the holiest by His own blood. A contrast indeed this was to Aaron's service! And all this speaks, we must ever remember, of His spotlessness, whilst bringing out in the fullest way that could be the depth of ruin in which we all were, and by consequence the greatness of our need, as well as the marvellous proof of His love.

The first thought in priesthood is that those appointed might minister to the Lord in the priests' office, that they might be a company in nearness to and in communion with the Lord. God had said of Israel that He had brought them to Himself, and redemption had been accomplished; but the people, having placed themselves under law, could not be in nearness, and needed the priesthood to maintain their relations with God, and to help them by the way. The high priest was appointed that he might offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins, and might exercise forbearance towards the ignorant and the erring Heb. 5:1-2. The priest was to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord had spoken. Lev. 10:11. He was the messenger of the Lord of hosts. Malachi 2:7. He offered up the sacrifices, and blessed the people. Lev. 9. He daily offered incense and attended to the lamps of the 'candlestick.' Minute instructions were given by God respecting everything the priest had to do, nothing being left for his own individual devising. Ample provision was made for the priests in portions of the sacrifices being given to them and by the first-fruits. After the death of Nadab and Abihu, Aaron was allowed to enter the holiest of all only once a year, and then not without blood. Lev. 16:1-2. Whenever he officiated in the sanctuary in his garments of glory and beauty, the people were also presented, for in his breastplate and on the shoulder-pieces were the names of the children of Israel. Proper priestly work for the people was not to work out redemption for them, but to maintain their relations with God.See MELCHISEDEC.

On the day of atonement the high priest did everything, carrying in incense, and then the blood within the vail. Nobody could go in but himself, and he did all the work; but he was not there as a go-between, which a priest is, but as a representative. It was not, therefore, properly priestly work, though he did it.

On the day of atonement, the high priest stood, not as priest between man and God, but as representing the whole people.

It is plain that up to chapter 3 we have the introduction; and, the atonement being brought in, we have hence not merely a priest but the high priest introduced. So in the day of atonement the high priest of Israel appears, and none other. This was a very peculiar action on the day of atonement; and it was the only one of the kind. Atonement was done once for the whole year. It thus set forth completeness (as we can now say, for ever), not a continuous process. The action of the priest or high priest otherwise might be going through all the year round; but not the atonement, which was distinct, unique, and absolutely settled for that circle of time. The high priest on this occasion represented the people, and offered that on which Jehovah's lot fell for the sins of the people, bringing its blood within the veil, and doing with that blood as he did with the bullock's, and thus making atonement, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins. After he came out from the most holy place he laid his hands upon the live goat, and confessed over him all their iniquities, and all their transgressions in all their sins. The whole was wound up by sending the goat Azazel into the wilderness, as the figure of sins thus borne away.

All on this day depended upon the High Priest. If he was faithful in his work, atonement would be made for all Israel; if not, of course it could not. And since on no other day in the whole year could it have been made, if the High Priest had failed to do it on that day, it must have remained unaccomplished till the tenth day of the seventh month again came round. And further, since the question to be taken up had especial reference to the claims of God's holiness, and the grounds on which He could righteously act in grace towards a people who had sinned against Him, there could be no room for man's thoughts to come in as to what would be a suited service, nor for man's suggestions as to that which should be done. God must prescribe everything, for God alone knew what would enable Him to act in grace consistently with all that He is. This is manifest on a moment's reflection. All then that was requisite the Lord prescribed, leaving to Aaron only to carry out what He had enjoined.

"And thou shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim ("lights and perfections,") and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually." We learn from various passages of the Word, that the "Urim" stood connected with the communication of the mind of God, in reference to the various questions which arose in the details of Israel's history. Thus, for example, in the appointment of Joshua, we read, "And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him, after the judgment of Urim before the Lord." (Num. 27:21.) "And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim (thy perfections and thy lights) be with thy holy one. … they shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law." (Deut. 33:8-10.) "And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets." (1 Sam. 28:6.) "And Tirshatha said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim." (Ezra 2:63.) Thus we learn that the high priest not only bore the judgment of the congregation before the Lord, but also communicated the judgment of the Lord to the congregation — solemn, weighty, and most precious functions! All this we have, in divine perfectness, in our "great High Priest who has passed through the heavens." He bears the judgment of His people on His heart continually; and He, by the Holy Ghost, communicates to us the counsel of God, in reference to the most minute circumstances of our daily course. We do not want dreams or visions; if only we walk in the Spirit, we shall enjoy all the certainty which the perfect "Urim," on the breast of our High Priest, can afford.