A high priest who knows and loves us

In Exodus 28:29, “Whenever Aaron the high priest enters the Holy Place he bears the names of the sons of Israel over his heart.” The names were on a square breastplate with twelve precious stones mounted in gold settings, “each engraved with the name of one of the twelve tribes” (16-21). Also in “the breastplate over Aaron’s heart,” verse 30, were “the Urim and Thummim, the means by which decisions for the Israelites were made.”

On each of his shoulders the high priest had an onyx stone engraved with the names of the Israelite tribes, also set in gold, six names on each shoulder (9-12). Imagine, therefore, being an Israelite, and watching this man, with your clan name represented by its very own precious jewel, enter the one place on earth where God was present – and the crucial reason for it happening being you. 

And God made sure the high priest understood that, not only by having him carry the names of all your Israelite clans over his heart, but also in the onyx stones on his shoulders carrying all your burdens into God’s presence too. He carried the Urim and Thummim over his heart as well, which God had provided to reveal his will and wisdom to the high priest in critical matters affecting the nation (Numbers 27:21, 1 Samuel 14:41, 28:6). 

In the high priest, therefore, the Israelites could see that God knew them and loved them – in his wish to guide them through difficult times, carry their burdens, meet their needs, and view them like precious jewels. Which is exactly what God wants us to see as well, because as Hebrews 8:1 points out, “We have such a high priest” too, “Jesus the Son of God” (4:14), who right now is “at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven” (8:1) to “meet our need” (7:26). 

And what a high priest he is too, because God in his love for us has given Jesus the ability “to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (7:25). We have a high priest, then, who has us over his heart too when he enters God’s presence because, having “shared in our humanity” (2:14) and “been tempted in every way, just as we are” (4:15), he not only “sympathizes with our weaknesses” (4:15), he can also “help” us when we’re weak and being tempted (2:18). But what does “Jesus saves completely”mean?….(next blog)