Verse 2: "who is able to be dealing gently with those who are ignorant and those who are being led astray, since he himself also is continually subject to weakness;"
The focus of the author or qualifications for priesthood in verse 1 is on his humanity. In verse 2 it is on his compassion.
"Who is able to be dealing gently with those who are ignorant and those who are being led astray, since he himself [that is the priest] also is continually subject to weakness." In other words, he sins too.
"Who is able to be dealing gently." That takes us back to priesthood in Hebrews 4:15: "For we are not having a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things a yet, as we are yet without sin."
verse 3: "and because of it he is under a moral obligation to be offering sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself."
"And because of it [that is, "he is subject to weakness" or he sins too] he is under a moral obligation to be offering sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself." The writer is saying that he needs a sacrifice too for his own sins.
verse 4: "And no one is taking the honor to himself, but when he is called by God [he responds to it], even as also Aaron."
The focus has been on the priest's humanity in verse 1, his compassion in verse 2, and now he is under divine appointment in verse 4.
Saul disobeyed the Lord by giving the command to bring the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings to him because Samuel wasn't there. When he finished the offering Samuel arrived and Saul went out to greet him. "'What have you done?' asked Samuel. Saul replied, 'When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.' 'You acted foolishly,' Samuel said. 'You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time' (l Samuel 13:11-13 NIV).
Our text says "And no one is taking the honor to himself, but when he is called by God [he responds to it, he accepts it], even as also Aaron. There is a high cost to disobedience with regard to the priesthood.
We have been considering in these opening verses of chapter 5, the 3 qualifications for the Aaronic priesthood: (1) humanity; (2) compassion; and (3) divine appointment. You could say from the human standpoint, the priestly system had 2 requirements: (1) one true humanity to represent man and (2) divine appointment to represent God.
God chooses the priest!
