Our world is changing. Not only is it changing, but it is changing at an accelerating pace. The difference between our times and earlier times is not that now the world is changing whereas in earlier ages it wasn't. The world has always been on the go. Customs, institutions, knowledge, have never stood still. Today, however, the changes seem to be more rapid than ever. It is said that until about 1900 human knowledge doubled approximately every century. By the end of World War II knowledge was doubling every 25 years. By today, of course, with the advent of ever more rapid methods of communication, human knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate.
What is true in the world around us is true in the church as well. Christian theology, which is simply the formulated expression which we give to what we believe, has also been always on the move. We can think of the changes brought about by the Reformation in the 1500's, followed by other theories in subsequent years. Classic modernism arose in the mid 1800's and remained dominant until about the 1920's. From about 1930 to 1950 the theology of Karl Barth was in the forefront of theological discussion. Next came the years dominated by the so-called liberalism of Rudolf Bultman, followed by the “God is Dead” movement. Since that time we have seen the rise of liberation theology, fundamentalist theology, feminist theology, radical orthodoxy, and any number of other systems of religious thought.
Amid the rapid changes of our age, both on the secular front and on the religious front, we need an anchor for our souls lest we find ourselves at sea, being swept away in all the confusion. In the epistle to the Hebrews, the “non-Gentiles,” as the author is trying to explain how the life and death of Jesus relates to their history as a chosen people, he writes in chapter 6 of “the hope set before us...as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” He explains this hope by pointing to the fact that Jesus has “become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
What is a high priest? The line of Jewish high priests begins with the appointment of Moses' brother, Aaron, as the first high priest of the newly constructed tabernacle after the Israelites fled the land of Egypt and wandered the desert on their way to the promised land. Aaron was descended from the tribe of Levi, the tribe who were set aside as priests in perpetuity, He was, we could say, the administrator over the rest of the priests. Priests were tasked with care of the tabernacle, and, later, of the temple, and they had various duties having to do with worship and sacrifice. The high priest—Aaron and those who succeeded him in this role—were the only persons allowed to enter the “Holy of Holies” behind the veil and stand before God, and that only once a year on the Day of Atonement. Priests were responsible for receiving from the people, and offering to God, multiple sorts of offerings—animals, grains, olive oil—and for carrying out the rituals associated with these sacrifices, as well as communicating the law and adjudicating legal matters. In all of these ways they functioned as the link between God and the people of Israel.
And who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is a rather strange figure. Strange because, on the one hand, he doesn't seem to belong in the picture, but, on the other hand, is given a place of exceptional importance. He comes on the scene in the Old Testament, way back in the 14th chapter of Genesis, in Abraham's time, before the birth of Isaac, before Jacob, and, thus, before Jacob's twelve sons became the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel. Melchizedek suddenly appears here, seemingly from nowhere, blessing Abram, whose name had not yet been changed to “Abraham,” and receiving from Abram a tithe offering. And then he is gone. He is described as “without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever.” We are told that he was “king of Salem” (later called Jerusalem), and a priest of “God Most High,” the God whom Abram also served. How a priest of the Most High God happened to be also a king in Jerusalem in the time of Abraham we don't know. He simply appears in a story in Genesis for a moment as one greater than Abraham, and then that's all.
And yet, David, speaking prophetically in Psalm 110, writes about the coming Messiah and says of him, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” And now, in the passage of Scripture that is our focus today, the author of the letter to the Hebrews, quoting from David's Psalm, again picks up this thread of divine revelation and emphasizes repeatedly that Jesus Christ is our priest “after the order of Melchizedek.” What does this mean--”after the order of Melchizedek”?
Melchizedek was a king. He was a ruler. A king makes the laws. A king's subjects pay tribute to him and recognize him as their leader. But Melchizedek was also a priest. A priest is not a ruler. The sacrifices that people bring to him are not for his personal use or for his realm, but to be used as offerings to God on behalf of the people, to obtain forgiveness. A priest is an intermediary between God and the people. In Israel it was unheard of for the same person to be both king and priest. Actually, it was impossible under Mosaic Law. No one person was qualified to fill both roles. One person could not both rule from God and represent the people before God.
It appears, then, that Melchizedek was unique in that he fulfilled both roles, both as king and as priest.
We know nothing of how he became a priest, but it is evident that he was called by God. As the author of the letter to the Hebrews explains in an earlier chapter (chapter 5), “every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins....And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ,” he goes on to say, “did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, 'Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee; as he says also in another place, 'Thou are a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.'”
This means, the writer explains to his Hebrew readers, that after Jesus' sacrificial death there is no longer a need for the Levite priests. These priests, he says, “were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office.” These priests had to “offer sacrifices daily, first for [their] own sins and then for those of the people.” In contrast, he explains, Jesus is “a priest forever” and “holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever.” He is, the author says, “holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need...to offer sacrifices daily...; he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”
As we probe further into the meaning of these references to Melchizedek, we see that there is also significance in his name. First,“Melchizedek” means “king of righteousness.” This tells us that the Messianic priest who was to come “after the order of Melchizedek” is to be a righteous king. This further distinguishes him from the Levitic priests. Because they were not altogether holy, their task was to make sacrifices not only for the sins of the people, but also for their own sins. For that very reason they could never bring the people to real righteousness; their sacrifices had to be repeated over and over and over. Second, Melchizedek, king of righteousness, was also king of Salem. “Salem” is the Hebrew word for “peace.” This, too, is meant to typify the Messianic kingly priest. He is the King of Peace. Remember the words from the prophet Isaiah? “[A]nd the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
We live in a world of ongoing change. New programs, new movements, new cultural norms, new philosophies of thought are constantly clamoring for our attention. Which shall we follow? Which are reliable? Whom can we trust? Can we find a sure answer amid all the confusion? In our rapidly changing times, these times of staggering increases of knowledge and technology, we are still seeking peace. All of the changes brought about in our world in the last 10, 20, 100 years have not brought us any closer to peace with our fellow man. And instead of bringing us peace of mind, they bring increased anxiety. Nor have they brought about peace of soul, peace with God; mankind, following human theories and wisdom, old or new, seems more confused than ever about its relationship to God.
But this is the good news: Jesus Christ, the priest after the order of Melchizedek, our mediator, our intercessor, our Savior, our representative before the throne of God, is also King and reigns supreme. Righteousness is the foundation of his throne. He is both priest and king in one person—our high priest, and the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace. And all of this he is forever. He is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Under the old order of the priesthood, when a man died he ceased to be a priest; he could no longer be of any help to anyone. And that is also the problem with human philosophies, and even theologies, in our world. Each one of them has its day, and then is gone. And you can be sure that those movements which are popular today will one day lose favor, be discredited, and die. Is there anywhere a real anchor for our souls, a solid rock that will not be moved? Yes, there is one, but only one. That one is Jesus Christ, who is a priest forever: yesterday, today, and tomorrow—forever. That is why the call of the gospel is good news for modern man. That is why this good news speaks to us today in a rapidly changing world. Even in such a world Jesus Christ, the King of Righteousness, the Prince of Peace, is a priest forever. In him we have peace with God.
We live in troubled times. Though changes occurring in our times appear to hold some promise for good, they hold just as much foreboding of evil. But amid the confusion of rapid change and conflicting claims, we have a Savior who is both king and priest. With him on the throne we can live in a changing world without fear. With Christ as our king and priest we need not fear that the race is to the swift and the battle to the strong, for it is our victorious kingly priest who reigns—our eternal priest, a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
