¹ For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins …

Christ is a high priest vastly superior to the Levitical priesthood. That is the theme of this section extending through chapter 8, with a brief hiatus in chapter 6. But in order to make that comparison, the writer first explains some things about the Jewish priest.

The priests were people like all other Jews. We refer to the “Levitical priesthood” because all priests in Israel were to be descendants of Levi, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The high priest was to be taken from the direct descendants of Aaron, himself a Levite, and also Moses’ brother. The priest’s role was to represent the people to God. He was like their agent. Often when an actor or sports figure negotiates his contract, he will use an agent who will represent his side in regard to compensation or working conditions. That agent is to represent the best interest of his client. The priest’s role was similar.

Instead of every Jew going into the presence of God, they would bring their offerings to the priests, who would then make the sacrifice in their place. But the “high” priest had the distinct role as the sole individual to enter the “Holy of Holies”, that innermost part of the tabernacle or temple, to bring the yearly sacrifice of atonement for the people. In the Jewish mind, you simply did not get that close to God unless you were the high priest.

At its core, the priesthood was all about offering “gifts and sacrifices for sins.” A “gift” would not be a wrapped up present, but an offering of animals or grain for the express purpose of giving something to God out of a worshipping heart, for example the “Thank” offerings or the “Peace” offerings (1 Chro 6:1-2). These were intended, in a sense, to simply maintain a good relationship with God. The sacrifices for sins were, on the other hand, the “Sin” offerings and the “Burnt” offerings, which were specifically designed to deal with the sin of the people. However, the writer seems to be using these two designations simply as a reference to the main function of the priest in making sacrifices to God on behalf of the people.

The Levitical sacrificial system was irremovably intertwined in the Jewish religious psyche. In order to approach God, one must go through the priests. To deal with their sin properly and acceptably before the Lord, they must have a priest go to God on their behalf. From the youngest to the oldest, this was life for them.