We have seen in our last the priest with Urim. We will now dwell on the further u glory of the Lord” as the Priest raised up with Thummim—perfections. And let us remember, it is only as we thus know Him that we can eat of the most holy things. Neh. 7:6565And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim. (Nehemiah 7:65): “And the Tir-shatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim,”—light and perfection.
As with Urim, so with Thummim; it is all-important to notice the similarity, and the contrast, between the materials of the veil and of the dress of the high priest. “And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.” (Exod. 26:3131And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: (Exodus 26:31).) The same materials compose the dress of the high priest, with the addition of, and first, gold. As we have said, we take gold to be the figure of accomplished divine righteousness. Jesus says, a I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.’ (Rev. 3:1818I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:18).) The glory of the incarnate Christ, His spotless purity, only showed how far man was from God—shut out of His holy, holy presence. That veil—that is to say His flesh—must be rent; He must die, or man be forever shut out. No way to God but through the rent veil. The grain of wheat must die, or remain alone.
Jesus could not be the raised-up priest with Thummim until He had accomplished eternal redemption by His death. Thus we see the wisdom of God in placing the gold first in the dress of the high priest. Oh, how precious to our souls to know that the basis of the Priesthood of Christ is the accomplished righteousness of God! He alone, the fine gold, could pass through the fire of the whole judgment of God on our sins, and sin. Let us, then, now behold the great High Priest passed into the heavens, having first borne our whole judgment in the death of the cross We shall find Thummim—perfection—to be the great subject of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in contrast with the ministration and priesthood of the law, which made nothing perfect. This is a great subject; we can only in a short paper call attention, first, to the perfection of the High Priest of our profession; secondly, to that which He makes perfect. First, then, we see Jesus, “who being the brightness of [his] glory, and express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb. 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3).) What perfect glory there is in this!—the glory of His own eternal, divine Person. Then see that once bleeding sacrifice, having so glorified God, that He can sit down in His glory on high. Thus “we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Heb. 2:9, 109But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:9‑10).) “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.” (Heb. 5:99And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:9).) Let us, then, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. See Him thus seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high, crowned with glory, made perfect, become the Author of eternal salvation. In all these perfections, could He be more perfect? If salvation was not eternal, He would not be perfect—He would be only the Author of an incomplete thing, that might fail to-morrow. Hence the great effort at all times to make the believer doubt that his salvation is eternal. Yes, the first figure in the high priest’s dress is fulfilled—“gold.” God is righteous, through the death of Jesus, in raising Him from the dead as our High Priest with Urim and Thummim. We behold Him in the radiance of the glory of God, having accomplished eternal redemption, and that not merely in an abstract sense, but having accomplished OUR eternal redemption. Can you say, “My eternal redemption”? And being evermore made unto us righteousness, He sits, crowned with glory, the proof that our eternal redemption is, and has been, perfectly accomplished. Could He, or His work, be more complete?
We will now go on to that which He makes perfect. Let us go on unto perfection; not seeking perfection in ceremonies of the law, “For the law made nothing perfect.” We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. (Chap. 8:1.) Now, since He is perfect, His work must be also perfect, in all its effects on and for us. The Holy Ghost this signified, u that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest.” The sacrifices of the law could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience. Now, to us the witness of the Holy Ghost is the exact opposite of this. “For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.” (Compare Heb. 9:8, 98The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: 9Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; (Hebrews 9:8‑9) with 10:14,15.) “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness unto us.”
Is it not important to understand these things—these contrasts? The blood of bullocks or of goats could only be used to point forward to that one infinite sacrifice, and therefore perfect sacrifice. The blood of these had flowed from Abel downwards, and for centuries since the veil shut out man from God; but never could that veil be rent until Jesus bowed His head in death. Every barrier was then removed; the way was opened to the mercy-seat—to the holiest.
Not only so, but as to the conscience also, those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually could not make the comers thereunto perfect. “For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.” (Chap. 10:1, 2.) But it was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. There was the constant burden and remembrance of sins. All the sacrifices of the law could not perfect the conscience; therefore God could not find His satisfaction in those sacrifices which could not give perfect peace to the conscience. “Then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, Ο God.” “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once.”
This is a matter now of great importance to the whole church of God. It was so then especially to the Hebrews, who were in peculiar danger of giving up the eternal efficiency of this one sacrifice, and going back to those repeated sacrifices now set aside, which could never take away sins. But now, has not almost the whole of Christendom, not merely the Hebrews, lost this great truth of the conscience perfected, purged forever, by that one sacrifice? Mark, it is not this one sacrifice continued, or repeated; or He must have died often, or continued dead. But it is the effects of that one sacrifice which continue.
What, then, is this, the conscience perfected? Certainly it is not that the worshipper is not conscious of failure and sins—to say this would be merely self-deception. But, since Jesus is the Author of eternal salvation, eternal redemption, raised up from the dead, and, thus raised, our great High Priest passed through the heavens; our names engraved (so to speak figuratively) on His heart; we thus see our names accepted in all the radiancy and perfections of the glory of God. Since He has first purged our sins, we know that God will no more impute them to us, than He will impute them to Him who bore them in His own body. If the sacrifices offered by the priests, which God ordained under the law, could never give this perfection, how can the unscriptural sacrifice of the altar, without shedding of blood, by the pretended priests of Christendom, make the conscience perfect? How sad and vain all such efforts of the dark mind of man! “Without shedding of blood there is no remission.”
In the last place, that word “continually” gives great comfort. Look at the figure: “And Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart continually.” “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God.” “For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.”
The words, “forever” mean here “continually,” and are so translated in chapter 10:1. Whilst He sits there we are continually without any charge, perfected as to the conscience here. What a truth! “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” What need, then, of men’s pretended sacrifices? “Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.” Beloved reader, do you believe men, or God? Are you shut out still in the darkness of human ritual, or have you “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus”?
May God, by the Holy Ghost, open our eyes to see the Priest raised up with Urim and Thummim. Precious Great High Priest! on Thee shines all the radiance of the glory of God; in Thee is found all perfection; in Thee we have eternal redemption. Soon our eyes shall see Thee, shall be like Thee, and with Thee forever. How soon?—“forever with the Lord.” C. S.