3/2/08 – Look Up
Melchizedek
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Genesis 14:18-20
This is all that we know about this Melchizedek. The only other mention in the Old Testament is found in Psalm 110:4. This verse is the text used several times in the New Testament book of Hebrews. This Psalm is one of the Royal or Messianic Psalms. It reads: “The LORD has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Remember, the author of Hebrews was writing to Jewish believers to encourage them to go on with Jesus and not go back to the Old Testament legal system. In this section he is revealing the superiority of Jesus as our great high priest over the Levitical priesthood.
In our study we’ve been using several different metaphors to illustrate the idea that Jesus is the best choice for life. We started with the Best Buy metaphor; thousands of choices – Get the best. We’re using the Meijers metaphor as we close out this section of Hebrews; Higher Standards – Less Sin. Next week we’ll open the third section of Hebrews focusing on Jesus’ sacrifice using the Target metaphor; Expect More – Get Perfection and we’ll be closing out Hebrews with a metaphor from Wal-mart; Great Hope – Always!
Today we’re going to look closely at a person named Melchizedek and learn that it’s not really about him at all. It’s all about Jesus and what that means to you and I today. What we’ll see is that Jesus is the source of our blessings and the object of our offerings.
Back in the 17th century, the Dutch artist Rembrandt painted two portraits of a famous Roman heroine named Lucretia. One portrait was painted the 1664. Two years later, he painted a second portrait of Lucretia in a different pose. For over 300 years, the two paintings were never seen together. Different private collectors owned one or the other of the paintings.
They were two paintings of the same person, painted by the same master, but no one was aware of their connection … until 1991. At last, the two paintings were displayed side by side where they could be compared.
In a similar way, the portraits of Melchizedek and Jesus Christ had never been compared until the 7th chapter of Hebrews. Ever since Abraham encountered the mysterious Priest called Melchizedek, his name was held as a masterpiece of God.
Over 2000 years later, another masterpiece appeared in the form of Jesus Christ. In Hebrews chapter 7, the two portraits are finally displayed together and we see an amazing similarity.
Melchizedek – King of Righteousness
This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”
Hebrews 7:1-2
Melchizedek is not so much a name as it is a title or designation of honor. It is a position or office that has to be filled by a worthy candidate.
The term is a transliteration of two Hebrew words, melek and tsedeq. The Hebrew melek means king and tsedeq means righteousness. Therefore, the term "melchizedek" means literally, "king of righteousness."
Melek = King
Tsedeq = Righteousness
Jeremiah the prophet wrote: “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Because a king is always preeminent in his jurisdiction, whoever Melchizedek was, he had to be preeminent in righteousness. He was the "king" of righteousness.
Melchizedek was also the king of Salem. This may be a reference to Jerusalem. But the meaning of the term “king of Salem” is “king of peace.”
Jesus of course is our peace. He paid the price of peace. He gives us peace. There can be no real peace apart from Christ.
Isaiah called Jesus, “Prince of Peace.
A group of academics and historians has compiled this startling information: since 3600 B. C., the world has known only 292 years of peace! During this period there have been 14,351 wars large and small, in which 3,640,000,000 people have been killed. The
value of the property destroyed is equal to a golden belt around the world 97.2 miles wide and 33 feet thick. Since 650 B. C., there have also been 1,656 arms races, only 16 of which have not ended in war. The remainder ended in the economic collapse of the countries involved.
Over 3,000 American Servicemen and Servicewomen to date have perished in the War in Iraq. World peace continues to elude us. Is there any hope it will ever become a reality?
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow felt the same hopeless despair during Christmas of 1863 when our Nation was in the midst of Civil War and he penned his poem that became our Christmas Carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” He laments in stanza three: And in despair I bowed my head: “There is no peace on earth,” I said, “For hate is strong, and mocks the song Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.”
But his despair quickly turns to hope as he receives divine assurance in stanza four: Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, goodwill to men.”
My brothers and sisters, Jesus is coming again! This time He is not coming to be born in a manger, not to be despised and rejected by men, not to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. No! He is coming to bring lasting “peace on earth, good will toward men.”
Melchizedek – Priest of God Most High
This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”
Hebrews 7:1-2
Remember, this is not about Melchizedek, but about Jesus. Jesus, our great high priest could not serve as a priest after the order of Levi, because he was of the tribe of Judah. Melchizedek was a priest of a different order long before the Old Testament Law was given.
Melchizedek is a “type” of Jesus Christ. He prefigures the priestly ministry of Jesus. So as we examine this man Melchizedek, don’t fail to see Jesus in Him. Let’s examine his identity and his greatness.
Melchizedek is both a priest and a king.
None of the levitical priests could serve as a king under the Law. Nor could a king usurp the role of a priest. King Saul did and lost his kingdom. King Uzziah did and God gave him leprosy. While the priest influenced the king and the king the priests, their roles were different.
First, we note that Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High (El Elyon). The role of the priest is to represent man to God and God to man. Melchizedek was the first priest to be mentioned in the Bible.
This of course was long before the giving of the Law and the Levitical priesthood.
Jesus also was a priest and a king.
In the New Testament, Jesus is now the one mediator between God and man. He is our perfect high priest.
My first assignment 35 years ago was to an inner city parish in Wshington,D.C. Money was stolen from my room; the garage mechanic said my gas tank may have been sabotaged, destroying my engine; one weekend we had 34 windows broken in the school. When a new pastor was sent,the parish held a party and some teenagers left and started a rumble. The civil disturbance unit of the Metropolitan Police had to be called out. One of my priest classmates going to the hospital to visit a sick parishioner, had his car stoned at a stop sign. A group of us in the parish realized that we were either going to make the church into a fortress - more bars on the windows, etc. - or we were going to reach out and try to change the lives of the young people who lived around the church. So we announced a retreat weekend in the country. It was going to be free to any teenager who wanted to attend. The announcement was an a stepping our in faith on our part, since we actually had no money for this event. We simply trusted God would provide the means. Our hearts were touched by the generous response of people. A bus company donated transportation. A priest classmate donated some funds. A group of monks gave us food, etc. The retreat team meanwhile was praying and studying together. We each wrote and reviewed witness talks. The big weekend came and we all found ourselves at this beautiful church camp on a wide river. We enjoyed dinner together; had recreation; a witness talk, prayer session and then "bed time". I fell sound asleep. Many of the teens got up and created chaos. They raided the kitchen and had raw hamburger figts. They threw heads of lettuce at each other. They flooded the bathrooms and broke out screens. The boys raided the girls cabin at 2:00 AM. Next morning the adults were devastated; and a lot of the teens upset. We decided we would have to call the bus back immediately and leave before the place was burned down. Then one man said, "Let’s separate the boys and girls into their cabins and talk to them. It was the only positive suggestion. I will never forget the look of the boys when I walked into their cabin with a parishioner. Their faces looked like hardened steel. They had lived with violence and heard every kind of reprimand. They were ready for anything. At a loss for words, I said the most intelligent thing I may ever have said. I turned to the layman who made the suggestion and said, "Go ahead, Bob." He looked at me, the priest, puzzled; but then he spoke. "You men did a lot of horrible things last night. You upset the women and the girls. You destroyed food shared with us by poor people. You destroyed property that good people trusted us with. You created a mess. But there is one thing you didn’t do and one thing you can’t do." This got their attention. They wondered what they hadn’t and couldn’t do. He continued, "No matter how badly you act, no matter how much grief you cause, you can’t make me stop loving you. I care about you. When you need me I will be there. Nothing will change that." The boys expressions changed completely. They had no defense against this unconditional love. They begged to stay. They promised to be good. We gave them another chance. They spent the afternoon working with the maintenance man. We had no more problems with conduct. We received complete cooperation. The retreat turned out to be very grace filled - all because one man knew what it was like to love others as God loves us!
Msgr.Paul M. Dudziak
Melchizedek – Without a Beginning or an Ending
3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.
Hebrews 7:3
It is interesting, that though Melchizedek was both a priest and a king, we have no record of his linage.
Just as Melchizedek was both a priest and a king, so Jesus his become our great High Priest and our eternal king. Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would be both a priest and a king.
Melchizedek was a Priest/King “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.”
Melchizedek suddenly appeared on the scene. While we know a much more about Jesus, He had no human father. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He has always existed. He is the Eternal Christ.
Genealogies were very important to the Old Testament and to the Jewish people. Yet there is no genealogy of Melchizedek; no record of his birth or of his death. How did he die? When did he die, or did he die? Is he as some teach a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ? Silence speaks volumes. When the Levitical priests died, their priesthood ended.
There is no record of the beginning of his days. This was not true of Levitical Priests and of Aaron. Aaron was the son of Amram and Jocobed. He was the great, grandson of Levi.
Jesus is eternal. Oh yes, we know about his birth, but the fact is, He has existed from eternity. We know about his death on the cross. But we also know about his resurrection from the dead. He ascended, and is now exalted above the heavens. He now serves as our great High Priest in the Heavenly Holy of Holies.
Moreover, when Christ went to the cross the Old Testament priesthood ended. Just a few short years after the book of Hebrews was written, the Jerusalem and the Temple were completely destroyed by the invading Roman armies. The Old Testament sacrifices ended. The Levitical priesthood ended.
Yet the priesthood of Jesus is forever. Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, but he rose again from the dead, triumphant over death and the grave. We see in Jesus the power of an endless life, therefore he has an eternal priesthood.
Jesus – the Object of our Offerings
4 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though their brothers are descended from Abraham.
Hebrews 7:4-5
Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham. Special note: Many argue that tithing is not for today because we are no longer under the law. That argument doesn’t hold water. Faithful Abraham practiced tithing long before the Law was given.
The returning of a tithe as an offering is a principle in life that we see in every aspect our existence from the beginning of Genesis to the final page of Revelation and from the first person in the Garden of Eden to the last person at the end of time.
The only real question is to whom to you return the tithe? Abraham returned 1/10 of his increase to the King of Righteousness. We are to return 1/10 of our increase to the son of God – Jesus Christ – not as a matter of law but as an act of honor, respect, and ultimately of love.
No one commanded Abraham to give a tenth to Melchizedek – but he did.
One does not tithe to someone lesser but to someone greater. In giving a tithe, Abraham recognized the greatness of Melchizedek.
When we bring our tithes and offerings to the church of Jesus Christ we honor him as the lessor acknowledges the greatness of the one who blesses us.
If you don’t honor Jesus with your tithes – who do you honor with them? Who… or what do you worship above Jesus?
I want to challenge you today to make a decision to become a tither. It’s not about money. It’s about you learning to return to God what is his – to honor him.
Jesus – the Source of our Blessings
6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater.
Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Through Melchizedek God affirmed Abraham and his line. At that time, Levi was still in the loins of Abraham. Yet He was blessed through him.
To bless means “to speak well of, to cause to prosper, to make happy, a benefit bestowed, to eulogize.” The key is that the greater person blesses the lesser (v. 7).
Abraham is considered one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. He is the father of the Hebrew people.
And yet, according to Hebrews, Melchizedek the priest/king is greater than Abraham. Of course, this points out that Jesus is Greater than Abraham. Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” Just as Melchizedek blessed Abraham, so Jesus Christ blesses us.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3
Jesus is the Blesser
Who blesses the lesser
We are the lesser
Who have been blessed by the Blesser
The lesser
responds to the Blesser
Who has blessed the lesser
By giving back to the Blesser.
And as the lesser
Gives back to the Blesser,
The Blesser
Just keeps on blessing the lesser.
Frank Lay © 2004
As Jesus blesses us. We respond in giving back to him. He blesses again, and we respond in giving to him. He blesses. We respond.
Ever been on a great adventure?
A great adventure happens when someone offers a different approach to life. You think their crazy, but try it anyway. The diet you were convinced to try. You were reluctant, You grumbled when you started. You found 3 months later, you had never felt better in your life. Welcome to the great adventure of dieting.
The book you were urged to read. It seemed so long for a book, and turned out to be the longest book you ever read ¡K and the best. Welcome to the great adventure of reading.
The new dish you felt challenged to fix for dinner. The picture looked so good in the cookbook and so challenging in the recipe details, but you fixed it for your guests. They said it was the greatest meal and chocolate dessert they ever had. Welcome to the great adventure of cooking.
The fear you had in calling for a first date. You were nervous. Your palms were sweaty. Your voice was dry. You were tempted to lick your palms, and just dial that number. How glad you are that the first date happened and every moment since. Welcome to the great adventure of dating.
The great adventure of pregnancy and parenting features 9 months of anticipation. Weight gain, Lamaze classes. The joy and terror as you hold your first child in your arms and years later walk her down the aisle for another to hold in his arms. Welcome to the great adventure of parenting.
The great adventure of a pastor, who said if you give away 10% of your income, you will not only have more to live on, but a greater sense of satisfaction, faith, expectancy and fulfillment. Welcome to the great tithing adventure. Since 6th grade, I¡¦ve been on the great tithing adventure. I¡¦ve discovered giving God the first 10% of my income is a great adventure that leads me to trust God more, have a higher level of joy, feel a greater sense of satisfaction, and impact eternity. The withholding of the tithe, may be evidence that we have not yet given ourselves completely to Jesus Christ.
Take a look at the card I’ve included in the bulletin this morning and consider making this the day you determine to follow Jesus and to honor him with your tithes and offerings.
