JESUS: OUR PRIEST/KING
Hebrews 7:1-10
Jesus Christ is our great High Priest and our everlasting King. His ministry as Priest/King is prefigured in a mysterious character in the Old Testament by the name of Melchizedek. This man briefly appeared to Abraham in Genesis 14:17-20. Let’s read his story.
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And iblessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he jgave him 6a tithe of all.”
Historically, this is all that we know about this man, 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. He does that by presenting his argument to establish the superior priesthood of Jesus Christ in verses 1-3. Then in verses 4-10 he proves his argument.
I. THE PRESENTATION OF HIS ARGUMENT (7:1-3)
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. Jesus also was 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 developed leprosy. While the priest influenced the king and the king the priests, their roles were different. First, we note that Melchizedek was a:
A. PRIEST: Melchizedek was 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.
In the New Testament, Jesus is now the one mediator between God and man. He is our perfect high priest. Next we notice that Melchizedek was a:
B. KING: The name “Melchizedek” means “king of righteousness.”
Jesus is our righteousness. Jeremiah the prophet wrote: “Behold, ethe 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.”
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.”
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.
“Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall Branch out, And He shall build the temple of the LORD; Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”
This prophesy of Zechariah (6:12-13) was fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. Next we note that Melchizedek was a Priest/King of an:
C. ETERNAL ORDER: (7:3) It is interesting, that though Melchizedek was both a priest and a king, we have no record of his linage. He was: “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.”
There is no record of the beginning of his days. This was not true of Levitical Priests. 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.
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.
II. THE PROOF OF HIS ARGUEMENT (7:4-11)
Let’s look again at the Genesis account of Melchizedek: “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him 6a tithe of all.”
A. 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.
B. 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.
One does not tithe to someone lesser but to someone greater. In giving a tithe, Abraham recognized the greatness of Melchizedek. Moreover, Levi as it were, gave tithes through Abraham. Both the giving of the blessing and the receiving of the tithe, is evidence of the greatness of Melchizedek.
Now how does all this apply to us? There are two ways.
1. Christ Blesses Us: Ephesians 1:3-14 is perhaps the longest one sentence in the Bible. In English it appears to be several sentences but in the Greek it is but one. In it Paul recounts how the triune God has blessed us. Listen to these precious words:
3 aBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as bHe chose us in Him cbefore the foundation of the world, that we should dbe holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 ehaving predestined us to fadoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, gaccording to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, hby which He 1made us accepted in ithe Beloved.
7 jIn Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to kthe riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and 2prudence, 9 lhaving made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure mwhich He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of nthe fullness of the times oHe might gather together in one pall things in Christ, 3both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 qIn Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to rthe purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 sthat we twho first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard uthe word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, vyou were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 wwho 4is the 5guarantee of our inheritance xuntil the redemption of ythe purchased possession, zto the praise of His glory.
Jesus blesses us by giving us a better hope, by which we can approach God (18-19). He blesses us by giving us a better covenant. He blesses us by offering a better sacrifice.
2. We give Tithes to Jesus: Now, I believe in and practice tithing. Tithing was practiced by Abraham long before the Law was given. I also believe that “the tithe is the Lord’s.” The other day, I received a phone call from Larry Kennedy who is president of William College asking me to make a pledge to the annual college fund. I pledged to send them a gift but that gift is over and above the tithe. My tithe goes to the Lord through His church.
Tithing acknowledges Jesus’ right to all we are and all we have. The more we get to know Jesus, the more we long to give to him not only the tithes, but the whole of who we are and what we possess. Jesus the greater blesses the lesser. The lesser responds by giving back to the greater.
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.
The withholding of the tithe, may be evidence that we have not yet given ourselves completely to Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION: As I have already said, this passage is not about Melchizedek, but about Jesus. Melchizedek is a “type” of Christ. He prefigured Christ. The Levitical priesthood has ended. The offering of sacrifices by the Old Testament priests no longer has any value. Why is that? Look at Hebrews 7:26-28: “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.”
We are living in a day when all kinds of new religious movements seek to pull us away from the truth as it is in Jesus. Some of these movements teach that we are our own godhead, that we are not sinners. They teach that there are many ways to God other than Christianity. It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.
Still other groups look for further revelations and teach that their revelation supersedes the revelation that we have in Jesus. Thus Jesus is only one way among many ways. Once some Jehovah’s witnesses tried to convince me to forsake may faith in Jesus and to follow their false teaching. My answer was, that in Jesus I have a better hope, better covenant, and better promises. I asked them, “do you have the certainty that if you would die right now you would go to heaven?” Their, answer was “no.” “I hope to be one of the 144,000 or else get to live on the new heaven and new earth.” I asked, “but you aren’t certain that you will be one of the 144,000 are you?” “NO!” “You aren’t certain that you will get to live on a new earth are you?” “NO!” They were asking me to give up a “know so” salvation for a “hope so” salvation.
Jesus is better than anything. He is better than the prophets, better than the angels, better than Moses, better than Joshua, better than Aaron. He is a better high priest for he is eternal. “He ever lives to intercede for us.” Jesus gives us a better hope, based on better promises. The New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant that could never save us. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is better than the sacrifices of the OT that had to be repeated constantly. Jesus’ sacrifice was “once for all”
