Last week i told a story about a Porsche 911 that I had my eye on. And that story was intended to illustrate a truth about Biblical faith, as opposed to name it and claim it faith. But that story also illustrated another truth; that is, of all the things I spoke of in my message, the predominant thing most people remember is the story of the Porsche 911. The rest of the sermon was quickly forgotten. That’s why I rarely tell stories. And if I tell stories, I tend to use Biblical illustrations.
But stories or illustrations do serve a purpose. And the author here, in endeavoring to teach us some of the meatier doctrines of the gospel, uses an illustration to teach us about the nature and ministry of Christ. And the illustration he gives us is about a man named Melchizedek, and his relationship with Abraham.
Now this man Melchizedek is an extraordinary man, as we shall see in a moment. But what is also extraordinary, is that the story of Melchizedek is only presented in three verses in Genesis 14, and then 1 verses in the Psalms 110. And yet the writer of Hebrews manages to extract so much doctrine from it. Another interesting thing, is that he spends as much time on what was not said in those verses, as he does on what was said. And so if nothing else, it teaches us the value that he places on every word of scripture, and the importance that we should give to scripture as the inspired word of God.
I believe it was the great 19th century English preacher Charles Spurgeon who said, “For my part, I am far more afraid of making too little of the Word than of seeing too much in it.” The apostle Paul says in Romans 15:4 that “whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” And so we will look carefully at this section today, which is admittedly a difficult subject matter for so early in the morning, but I hope that you have come today to learn what the Lord thinks is important for us to learn, things that are beyond the elementary principles of the word, in hope that it will aid you as you grow into spiritual maturity.
Now the author launches into the illustration of Melchizedek, presuming that he was a familiar figure to the Hebrew Christians who were the primary recipients of his epistle. However, I realize that not all of you know who Melchizedek is, so I would like to look at the story about him in Genesis chapter 14 and quickly review that, to bring you up to speed.
The story begins actually near the kingdom of Sodom where Abraham’s nephew Lot was living. You will remember that Abraham and Lot had separated and went in opposite directions because their flocks and families were too much for the land to be traveling and living together. And Lot looked towards the land which was good and well watered, and he chose to live near Sodom and Gomorrah.
Eventually, there was a rebellion by the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as three other kings in that region, and they were rebelling against another king by the name of Chedorlaomer. Chedorlaomer had three kings allied with him, and they fought in the Valley of Siddim. And Chedorlaomer and his forces conquered the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and their allies, and so they took the citizens and possessions of that area as trophies and spoils of war. And Lot, Abraham’s nephew, along with his wives and children were taken captive.
However, a fugitive escaped the battle and came to Abraham who was living quite some distance away and reported to him the outcome of the battle and that Lot had been taken captive. So Genesis tells us that Abraham led out his own trained men, 318, and it would seem he recruited some of his neighbors to help, and he pursued the armies of the four kings led by Chedolaomer and when he found them, he divided up his forces at night and attacked them, and defeated them. So Abraham and his small, homegrown force defeated 4 kings and their well trained army.
Now as the saying goes, “to the victor go the spoils.” So Abraham got the spoils of the battle, which was all the people and property of the five kings that Chedoloamer defeated, plus the spoils from Chedoloamer and his three kings. And of course that included Lot and all of his family and all their belongings.
Then in vs17 it says, that as Abraham was returning, he was met by the King of Sodom and also another previously unmentioned king, who was the King of Salem. And it says in vs 18 that Melchizedek, King of Salem brought out bread and wine, and he was a priest of God Most High. And Melchizedek blessed Abraham, and Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the spoils of war.
Then the King of Sodom approached Abraham, and he said you can keep all the spoils of war, but give the people to me, referring I presume to the people of Sodom. And Abraham said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread of a sandal thong or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’”
Now in all of that story, there is very little mention of Melchizedek, just three short verses, and yet Hebrews makes much of what is said, and much of what is not said. There is a lot that can be learned from this story, there are many good applications to be made, and yet the writer of Hebrews focus our attention on just a few attributes of Melchizedek which are for our encouragement and edification.
So let’s consider Melchizedek, King of Salem in light of our text in Hebrews. The author tells us that his name is important, because the name Melchizedek means king of righteousness. And furthermore, his title is important, because he is king of Salem, which is an ancient name of Jerusalem, and the meaning of the name Salem is peace, which is derived from the word “shalom.” So he is king of righteousness and king of peace.
And this order illustrates an important principle, that righteousness always comes before peace. Righteousness is the only true path to peace. People look for that peace in escape, in evasion, in drugs or alcohol, but they will only find true peace in righteousness. And righteousness is a gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Spurgeon said that “Peace without righteousness is like the smooth surface of the stream before it takes its awful Niagara plunge.” Lot’s of things in this world promise peace, but they don’t deliver lasting peace. The most important peace is first peace with God, and that is made possible only when we become children of God through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Righteousness results in life, as opposed to death by sin, and peace is the fruit of righteousness. And a fruitful life is the mark of maturity.
It’s interesting to note also that in the Mosaic covenant, there was a separation between the office of priest and king. A person could not hold both offices. Melchizedek precedes the Mosaic covenant, of course, and he holds a dual office of priest and king. And in so doing, he very aptly pictures the ministry of Jesus Christ, who is offspring of the royal line of David, the Messiah, thus the King of Kings, but also is declared by God to be of the order of Melchizedek, as our the Great High Priest in Psalm 110 vs 4.
Secondly, in vs 3 it says, Melchizedek was “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.” Now some commentators have taken this to mean that Melchizedek was a preincarnate visitation of Jesus Christ. And we know that happened in other places in the scriptures, like with Abraham and the three visitors, or with Joshua and the Captain of the Lord of Hosts.
But I would point to the text in vs 3 which says that he was “made like the Son of God.” Notice that it doesn’t say he was the Son of God, but “made like” the Son of God. And the point isn’t that Jesus has Melchizedek’s kind of priesthood. Instead, Melchizedek has Jesus’ kind of priesthood. Melchizedek is a type of Christ, just as the Passover Lamb was a type of Christ. The fulfillment of the type is found in Jesus.
So I think that Melchizedek is a man, as it says in verse 7, “observe how great this man was.” Spurgeon, whom I seem to be quoting from a bit more than usual today, wrote a great message where he reiterates that phrase over and over again, “Consider how great this man was.” He was referring to Jesus, but I would emphasize that Melchizedek was a man, albeit a great man.
The text then says, “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days or end of life” I believe this is not a reference to immortality, but a commentary on the silence of scripture. Genesis is a book of genealogy. And invariably it records the birth and death of the people of God, generation after generation. But of Melchizedek there is no previous mention, there is no genealogy, no mention of who he descended from. And from that silence of scripture, from what the scripture does not say, the writer of Hebrews uses to illustrate the typology of Jesus Christ.
Jesus, as the Son of Man, had a mother, though not an earthly father. But as the Son of God, He was in the beginning with God, without a beginning, and without an end. And Melchizedek, holding the office of priest and king, from the silence of scripture regarding his heritage typifies the eternal office of Jesus Christ as our priest and king.
Next the greatness of Melchizedek in comparison to Abraham is shown according to our text, by Abraham giving a tithe to Melchizedek. Notice that Melchizedek blessed Abraham, and Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek. This illustrates the principle of submission. Submission is a bad word today in our culture. And yet through submission to God, represented by the priest of God, Abraham received a blessing. We all must submit to someone, but in so doing we ultimately submit to God. Paul said in Romans 13:1 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” God has established certain authorities in society that we are to submit to. And when we do not, then we bear the consequences of that rebellion. So whether we submit to parents, or to our husband, or to our government, or to the church, we submit ultimately to God.
And that is what the tithe represents. A tenth or the tithe was practically a universal means of showing respect or submission to the governing authority in the ancient eastern world. At this time there was not any Mosaic law written concerning tithing. Yet Abraham, when he met the priest of the Most High God, recognizes him as God’s representative, and submits to him by giving him a tenth, showing that he recognized that ultimately all that he had acquired as the spoils of war came from the blessings of God and so all that he had belonged to God. The tithe just showed that he recognized God owned all of his wealth, because God’s blessings gave him the victory.
There is another principle that is presented in Genesis which I feel I want to point out here, though the author of Hebrews is not concerned with it at this point. And that is this; Abram has a choice; to receive the blessings of material things from the king of Sodom, or to receive the blessings of spiritual life from Melchizedek, king of Salem. Abram rejects the offer of riches from the king of Sodom, and instead chooses the blessing of Melchizedek, and as a testament to his commitment, he gives him his tithe. And this is an important principle for us as Christians in this world. The world offers the enticement of riches for our allegiance and subjection to the lusts of this world, but we choose instead the blessings of life which come from God.
In Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter, we see many examples of men of God who forsook the pleasures and riches of this world for the sake of being God’s people. For instance, Moses, it says in vs 26 considered “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.”
Notice also that Melchizedek meets Abraham with bread and wine. Many theologians see in this a reference to the Lord’s Supper, which may be so. But at the very least, it is symbolic. And I think the bread and wine are symbolic of life, and of sacrifice. And in that respect they are a precursor of communion, in that it represents that by our Lord’s sacrifice we are given life. And then the blessing of Melchizedek upon Abraham represents the blessing of spiritual life from God which comes to us on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Now the author has a lot to say about the tithe of Abraham, and how the Levitical priesthood, which descended from Abraham, means that even the Levitical priests who came many generations later, had paid tithes to Melchizedek. The point being, that the Levitical priesthood submitted to the superiority of Melchizedek, through Abraham. And in return, Melchizedek blessed Abraham, which illustrates according to vs 7 the principle that “the lesser is blessed by the greater.”
Now all of that has been said to illustrate the superiority of Jesus Christ as our great High Priest. But not only the superiority, but also the necessity for a better High Priest. And so to do that, he shows us another priestly order, one that precedes that of the Levitical priesthood, and one that continues on forever far after the Levitical priesthood was done away with. As he says in vs. 11, “if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron?”
Well to answer that question, the need arises because the first priesthood was only intended to be temporary, it was insufficient, as it was only a picture or a type of the perfect which was to come. It amazes me, and I think it was disconcerting to the apostles as well, that so many people want to go back to the rituals or ceremonies of the first covenant. There are denominations today that say you must go back and keep the ceremonies and rituals and the sabbaths of Judaism.
Yet right here, as well as in many other places, it says in vs 12, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.”
Who is he speaking of? Well, it’s true of both Melchizedek and Christ. Neither came from the tribe of Levi. Melchizedek proceeded the Levites by several generations. And Jesus came from the tribe of Judah of which there is no mention of priesthood. And this principle of a greater priesthood, a new priesthood is made even more clear by the fact that Jesus is declared to be our priest, not on the basis of His earthly pedigree, but on the basis of an indestructible, immortal life. So this new priesthood, which is not according to the law, must then have a new law, or a new covenant, to support the new priesthood.
As God said in Psalm 110, vs 4, “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” This quote is the only other mention of Melchizedek, by the way in the Old Testament. Such a brief testament, and yet such great doctrine is to be learned from it. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, prophesied and promised of God that His priesthood would be an eternal priesthood that would never end.
Now I’m going to summarize part of this text in the interest of time, but notice four things he says are true concerning this new priesthood and the ensuing new covenant. First, there is a setting aside of the commandment because he says, the law never made anything perfect, in fact it is weak and useless. In other words, the law could never achieve righteousness on it’s own. It could merely point us to Him that was righteous. Paul said the law was a tutor, to lead us to Christ. It merely points out our worthlessness, and points us to Christ.
Secondly, it ushers in a better hope. A better hope is simply a more sure hope. We have hope made sure in the advocacy of Jesus Christ, and in His atonement, which is much greater than the blood of bulls and goats. Heb. 6:19 “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a [hope] both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.” Our hope is more sure because Jesus has entered into heaven for us, within the veil, as the forerunner of the saints. And because He is there, we can be confident that we will one day be with Him.
Thirdly, we have the sworn promise of God. God has sworn and will not change His mind, Jesus is a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. And fourthly, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. He is the deposit, the guarantee, that where He is, there will we be. That as He overcame death, so death cannot touch us. That as His blood was the complete atonement, we that were sinners have become righteous through faith in Him. His resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God is our guarantee that His sacrifice was sufficient, our debt is paid in full, and His righteousness is applied to our account.
Then once again, the author emphasizes the eternality of Jesus’s priesthood, because it is the basis of the better hope of our salvation. He says the earthly priests were great in number because they were prevented by their eventual death from continuing in that ministry. But Jesus, because He is immortal, holds his office of priest permanently. Though we perish in the body, His ministry never ends, and so He is able to guarantee that we will never die.
These poor people that are having their bodies frozen when they die in hope that they will one day be thawed out and live again, are putting their hope in other finite men who will also die, in hope they will be their deliverers from the ice. What folly that is, to put your trust in finite men, who will die, who will forget, who will not have any memory of who you were. I have things in my freezer that I have no idea what it is anymore. But we put our trust in the living God, who has written our names upon his hands, who has said that nothing, not even death, shall separate us from the love of God.
Rom. 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Vs. 25 “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” What a magnificent promise! What a blessed covenant that God has made with us. He has sworn that He would not change His mind, He has sworn an oath that Jesus would be our eternal High Priest, continually making intercession for the saints, forever! And He has sealed His covenant in the blood of His precious Son Jesus Christ, that we might have a more sure hope and have encouragement in the truth.
So the author says it was fitting, that means it was proper, it was good, that this new covenant would be certified and guaranteed by a greater High Priest than those priests of the old covenant. Because those priests were weak, they were human, and they sinned themselves and thus needed to have forgiveness for their own sins before they could help us with ours.
But in the new covenant, we have a Greater High Priest, who is innocent, undefiled, holy, separate from sinners, and exalted in the heavens and His sacrifice is sufficient once for all time and all people who trust in Him. And by His perfect offering, He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
I hope that you have committed to draw near to God today through faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Great High Priest. You can have the blessings of life, even as Abraham did, when you submit your life to Him and trust Him as your Lord and Savior. Jesus’s sacrifice is sufficient to bring you to God, to the source of life, even eternal life, if you will just believe and trust in Him as your Savior, Lord, and Priest. You can have peace with God, through the righteousness of Jesus Christ applied to your account. Won’t you bow down to Him today?
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