Made High Priest with an Oath

from Google Images

Aaron and his sons were **appointed** by God, i.e. called by God, but neither he nor any of his sons were placed into that office with an oath of God (Hebrews 5:1, 4; Exodus 28:1, 41; 29:9; 30:30). Similarly, the kings of Israel were also appointed by God and anointed with oil, but none, including David, were ever placed into that office with an oath from God (1Samuel 9:16-17; 10:1; 16:1, 13; 2Samuel 7:12, 25-29). Nevertheless, Jesus ascended to his office as Messiah through such an oath by the Lord (Psalm 2:7; 89:3-4; Matthew 1:1; Acts 13:33).

 

What Was the Sin of the Unjust Steward?

from Google Images

In Luke 16:1 we have come to the Parable of the Unjust Steward. In my previous post I identified the unjust steward as the high priest in particular, but in general he could be any one of the Jewish authorities in Jesus’ day. In the parable it doesn’t appear that the rich man immediately deprived his steward of his office (Luke 16:4) and neither was Eli, the high priest when Samuel was a boy (cf. 1Samuel 2:31-33), immediately deprived of his office as. Rather, they would continue, until that faithful priest would come along whom the Lord had chosen (cf. 1Samuel 2:35).

 

Who Might the Unjust Steward Be?

from Google Images

Many scholars understand the Parable of the Unjust Steward to be one that is very difficult to interpret. After all, it is often claimed that Jesus seems to commend the unjust steward for his dishonesty (Luke 16:8-9). Such a thing doesn’t seem to fit the context of Jesus’ character. Nevertheless, if one takes the whole of what Jesus claims, before and after this parable, its true senses seems to unfold. Rather, Jesus pointed to what the unjust steward was able to accomplish by influencing the folks in his generation. In other words, he made his wasted (G1287) life benefit him (Luke 16:1, 4) for goals he had set in this world (cf. Luke 16:8).

 

What Was the Sin of Eli’s Sons?

When Eli was the high priest during the days when Samuel was yet a boy, his sons despised the offerings of the Lord. They did this through a practice of their own devising. The people who came to worship before the Lord brought wave offerings and peace offerings out of which the sons of Aaron were to receive the breast or the shoulder (Exodus 29:27-28; Leviticus 7:34), depending upon the type of offering made before the Lord. However, Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s sons, sent their servants among the Israelites who had come to worship. Their servants would use a large three pronged fork to stick into the boiling pots, and whatever the fork brought out they took for themselves. When Eli’s sons desired raw flesh, their servants went to the Israelite worshipers and demanded it of them even before the fat was offered to the Lord (1Samuel 2:14-15). In this they not only showed they despised what the Lord had given them, but they caused all Israel to despise what was offered to the Lord (1Samuel 2:17).