1 Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is subject to weakness.

3 That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

— Hebrews 5:1-3

Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.

— Hebrews 7:27

11 Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12 But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.

— Hebrews 10:11-12

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

God propelled Ezra into leadership during the reign of the Persian King Artaxerxes. Ezra was from a priest family. His priestly lineage traced back to Aaron, Israel’s first high priest and Moses’s brother. God’s law dictated that priests descend from Aaron. Yet this privileged calling did not imply an elevated worthiness before God. Aaron, Ezra, and all who physically qualified as Israel’s priests needed God’s redemption along with the people they led. The preservation of the Aaronic priesthood through the exile period marks God’s faithfulness to provide spiritual leaders for His people and uphold the Mosaic law.

God charted the course for His people and raised up the right leaders for the right tasks at the right time. The people’s return to reinhabit the promised land after their exile demonstrates God’s faithfulness to His promises and sovereign plan. Throughout history, God has always desired heartfelt worship by His people, not merely external compliance to rules. Ezra called the people to obedience but also recognized God as worthy of their wholehearted worship and focus.