The High Priest Thread
A
couple months ago I decided to read the Bible beginning to end. I got
through Genesis 3. Rapid reading through the Bible is not something I
do well. Getting stuck in details, cross referencing, and
Greek/Hebrew
meanings makes it nearly impossible for me.
Let’s back up a year. Last summer I took a class on the Millennial sacrifices found in Ezekiel 40-48. Very fascinating and I agree with most of what the teacher said—I think. However the teacher emphasized the priestly role of Adam in the Garden. In fact he made the priestly role of Adam the intent of Moses/God penning Creation in Genesis. He said that Creation is not mostly about the beginning of the earth and how it was created, rather it’s about why it was created. Furthermore, the accounting of Creation was to mainly show Adam’s high priestly role in the Garden, and therefore mankind’s high priestly role on the earth—God’s intent for man since the beginning. His emphasis got my head shaking and angered my husband, in fact he wouldn’t continue listening. I mulled this teacher’s message for over a year, again listened to his series, and then wrote him a response. My position is that Genesis (which means the origin or coming into being of something (Merriam-Webster)) is the historical record from beginning to end concerning (including, but not limited to) God, the God/man relationship, the earth, sin, judgment, faith, and Israel. If there is a high priest in the Garden then it is God, not Adam.
My purpose in writing this blog is to lead the reader to see that Jesus is likely the High Priest in the Garden and the One who walked in its cool of the day. Some of what I write will be conjecture—reasonable conjecture— and something I hope interests you as it does me.
Let’s discuss the High Priest. Hebrews is clear that Jesus is THE Eternal High Priest. Hebrews reveals that the earthly tabernacle was only a shadow of what is in Heaven. (8:5, 9:23-25) Jesus is the High Priest of Heaven and He serves a Temple in Heaven that is real—the original—the eternal—not made with hands, that is, not of this creation (9:11). Everything on Earth done through the Old Testament priests was only to vaguely reflect the reality in Heaven. These heavenly reflections on Earth are called “shadows.” Just as natural objects cast shadows when light stands behind them, so too do the Heavenly realities cast shadows on earth when the Light of God shines behind the real in Heaven. Jesus ONCE FOR ALL did what earthly priests’ sacrifices could never do, though offered year after year. Jesus ONCE FOR ALL entered the Heavenly temple with His own blood. He accomplished what their sacrifices could never do by taking away sin; their sacrifices only covered sin. Hebrews 9:11-12
In our Bible study home group we are studying Hebrews, my very favorite book in the Bible. As stated above, Hebrews clearly reveals Jesus as the High Priest, Who ONCE FOR ALL was sacrificed for us. His blood did what the blood of bull and goats, or the ashes of the heifer could never do. It is through His blood we have forgiveness of sin. He also ever lives to make intersession for us. The job of a Levitical priest was to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people for their sins—to cover their sins, but not to do away with their sins. Ephesians 1:7 states the Jesus fully pardons, having made full payment for our sin. Jesus is of a different order than the Levitical Priesthood of Aaron—Jesus is of the priestly order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek, Priest of God Most High, just shows up one day and Abraham was so blown away that he just gave him stuff. (I still wonder what Melchizedek did with all Abraham’s offerings.)
The first blood ever shed on Earth was by God. God killed an animal to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness. Think about that for a moment. God killed one of His own creation—the first death ever(!)— the first blood ever shed(!)—was by God to cover nakedness resulting from sin. He then made garments for Adam and Eve. He didn’t just snap His finger and have cloths appear—He made them. It’s all actually very sad. This sacrifice for sin was a foreshadowing of what God would do in the future. Jesus, our High Priest shed His blood not to cover for sin, but to fully forgive sin.
Something in Genesis startled me this time as I read, and it is where I got stuck. Genesis 3:8. It states: They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. They didn’t just hear the sound of God, they heard Him walking. This means that He had substance. He wasn’t just a wind that was heard, like you’d hear wind blowing in the trees—Whoever this manifestation of the Godhead was He had substance. Furthermore, He was walking, not hovering, not blowing, not just a presence manifesting—no He was walking in the Garden. He could be heard and what was heard was defined as walking. I propose that this is none other than Jesus. God walked on the earth in the Person of Jesus.
What else leads me to believe that it was Jesus in the Garden is that Jesus is Creator God. When I say this I don’t set aside all the points in Scripture that talk about the Three-in-One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the biblical thread they were all involved in Creation. However, the New Testament clearly states: 1. Jesus is God (John 1); 2. Jesus created all things (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16-17). The Bible begins in Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… And although the Scriptures express the whole Godhead’s involvement in Creation, the New Testament is not shy to proclaim Jesus as Creator. Jesus told the Jews in John 8:58: “before Abraham was born, I am" equating Himself with the I AM of Exodus 3:14. We know from John 1 and Colossians 3:16 that Jesus Christ created all things—He is Creator God. I don’t believe that as He walked on Earth 2000 years ago it was for the first time. I believe it was Jesus Adam heard walking in the Garden in the cool of the day. And that when the blood of the first animal was shed to cover for sin it was Jesus, the High Priest of Heaven, Who shed that blood as a first fruits, so to speak, of what was to come.
Could the reason God rested on the 7th day point to the humanity of Christ? We know God doesn’t get tired and doesn’t need to rest. Creating things didn’t wear Him out and yet God rested. Why?
