3 Qualifications for Earthly High Priests – Hebrews 5:1-4
Sep 19, 2025 509
[1] For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. [2] He can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is beset with weakness. [3] Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. [4] And no one takes this honour for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. (ESV)
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Kent Hughes points out three qualifications in these verses – solidarity, sympathy, and selection. Each mattered deeply in Israel’s worship, but each also revealed the need for someone greater.
Solidarity: A Priest From Among Men
A priest couldn’t be an angel or a distant figure. He had to be “from among men” (verse 1) so that he could represent people before God. His solidarity and his representation of the community were foundational to his high priestly work. The priest stood shoulder to shoulder with the people, carrying them into God’s presence.
Kent Hughes highlights this solidarity,
“The ideal high priest was not a man who retired to the sanctum of his priestly mansion, there to commune with God, foregoing contact with humanity except once a year when he emerged in priestly splendor to perform the atoning ritual. Rather, the ideal was a man from among men, one who related to people.” (p. 137, 1993).
Sympathy: Dealing Gently With the Weak
Priests were not above the people. They, too, were weak and sinful, and before they could sacrifice for others, they first needed to sacrifice for themselves (verses 2-3). Their own frailty gave them compassion. As Hughes explains, “In the ideal high priest, this awareness of weakness, coupled with his awareness of sin, produced the ability ‘to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray.’” (p. 138, 1993). The best priests weren’t harsh or detached, but patient and gentle with sinners.
Selection: Appointed by God, Not Man
Finally, priests were not self-appointed. “No one takes this honour for himself” (verse 4). They were called by God, just as Aaron was. Any attempt to grasp the role ended in disaster – think of Korah, Saul, or Uzziah. True priesthood was always a divine calling, which gave the priest humility and seriousness in his work.
Pointing Forward to Jesus
Together, these three qualities highlight the honour and weight of the high priest’s role – but also its limits. Every priest was still a sinner. Every priest grew old and died. Every priest could only ever point forward.
And that’s the point: the priesthood was a shadow, preparing God’s people for Jesus. He has solidarity with us in our humanity. He is full of sympathy toward sinners. And most importantly, he was appointed directly by the Father. Unlike every other priest, Jesus has no sin of his own, and his ministry has no end. He is the one every priest was pointing toward.
Reflection:
Take a moment to thank God that every earthly priest was only a shadow pointing forward. Praise him that in Jesus you have the true High Priest – chosen by God, full of sympathy, and perfectly able to bring you near.
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