Hebrews 7:1-10—Melchizedek,King-Priest (Understanding the Ministry of Melchizedek Helps Us Understand the Ministry of the Messiah)

Introduction (The Effectiveness of Jesus the Priest)

In the book of Hebrews we are encouraged to “hold fast to our confession of Christ and to hold fast to the hope of Christ.”

Today we learn, in a strange way, how Jesus the great high priest makes this possible for us.

Back in Heb 5:9, before the writer dealt with the Hebrews immaturity, we were told that Jesus was a “priest after the order of Melchizedek.” I told you we would get back to it, so here we are.

Today I want to point out the two things about Melchizedek and one thing about the priestly ministry of Jesus to encourage you to hold fast to the end!

1. The Significance of Melchizedek is a foreshadow of the sufficiency of Jesus’ priestly ministry (vv.1-3).

v. 1 — “For this Melchizedek”

Here we are introduced to a person who we know little about.

Throughout the Bible we are given detailed accounts of people like Abraham, Daniel, David, and Paul—but Melchizedek is not like them, but he is just as important, if not more so.

Gen 14:17-20 “After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

Psalm 110:4 “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.””

Heb 5:9 “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.”

Okay, so this is all we know about Melchizedek, but we can’t forget a person we were reminded of last week—Abraham. Our text today can only be understood in light of what we just read in Gen. 14.

God had chose Abraham and promised that he would be the father of many nations. God said “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”

If you are familiar with the story, God does provide for Abraham and through a series of twists and turns we teach our kids to sing, “Father Abraham has many sons and many sons have father Abraham.”

Gen 14—

Abraham trusted God, so he and Lot (his nephew) went up out of Egypt and began living good and blessed lives.

They had so much, they divided the land and Abraham went one way and Lot went the other.

Around 14 years later, the land Lot chose was attacked and Lot and all his people and possessions were taken.

But, one of Lot’s men escaped and came to tell Abraham what happened.

When Abraham found out that his nephew had been taken prisoner, Abraham pursued with 318 men.

There was a great battle, but Abraham and his small group of men were victorious, and they freed Lot, his people, and possessions.

Can you imagine what Abraham this battle? There is no doubt Abraham was exhausted, traumatized, and in need of support—

Gen 14:17-20— Abraham returns and the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the King’s valley, along with “this Melchizedek”

(v.1) “The king of Salem”— This another way of saying Jerusalem.

“Priest of the Most High God” — Melchizedek is a king and a priest of El Elyon, God Most High. The transcendent God who is above all things.

This Melchizedek, the king-priest, met Abraham. Now this may not seem like a big deal, but what the writer of Hebrews wants us to see is the importance, superiority of Melchizedek to the Levitical priesthood, and even to Abraham himself.

We are given a peak into this when the writer shares,Melchizedek in (Heb 7:2 )“is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.”

Melchizedek is an actual historical person who is meant to point us to Jesus—the Prince of Peace who is the King of Kings.

Is. 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Rev. 17:14 ...he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Heb. 7:3—We are given a few important details about Melchizedek.

“He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life...”

Lets take each statement separately.

“without father or mother or genealogy” — this simply means that we don’t have a historical account of Melchizedek’s family. In antiquity it was extremely important to know one’s family. However, Melchizedek was not known because of his family name.

“having neither beginning of days nor end of life” — since Melchizedek didn’t have a family tree, there was no way to document when he was born or when he died.

This doesn’t make him some heavenly being, but simply shows us that God did not intend for Melchizedek’s ministry to be based upon anything but God’s sovereign power and plan.

Due to this lack of documentation, “one might say (v.10)” that Melchizedek “resembles (is like) the son of God he continues as priest forever.”

Here we see that God can raise up workers for his glory wherever he desires.

Though there is a lot of mystery around Melchizedek, Heb. 7:1 “Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings” was blessed by Melchizedek.

Melchizedek met Abraham in the Valley of Kings, in his victory and weariness and ministered to him.

He gave him bread, wine, and a blessing.

By doing so, Melchizedek met his needs and reminded him who God was.

Gen 14:19-20 “And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

The significance of Melchizedek’s kingly-priestly ministry is meant to point us to the sufficient ministry of Jesus as a king and priest, but we aren’t there yet!

2. The Superiority of Melchizedek is a foreshadow of the superiority of Jesus’ priestly ministry (vv.4-10).

As I mentioned, in Gen 14 Melchizedek ministered to Abraham, and then Abraham “the patriarch gives him a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek (Heb. 7:4)”

“Abraham the Patriarch”— this is a reference to the promise of God to Abraham. But it is also a clue to understanding the point the writer of Hebrews is about to make.

Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek the king-priest who was a known descendent of no person.

In Num 18, this role would be given to the descendents of Levi—the Levitical priests.

According to the Law of God, the Levitical priest were set apart by God and this line was preserved through birth.

These men were not special in and of themselves, they were “descendents of Abraham too (v.5).”

The writer is making a connection to show the uniqueness of the ministry of Melchizedek against the priestly ministry of the line of Levi.

1,000 years before Aaron, Melchizedek served as priest—one appointed by God and respected by Abraham.

Heb. 7:6-7 “But this man (Mel) who does not have his descent from them (Levi) received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior (Abraham) is blessed by the superior (Mel).”

The writer is making the argument for the superiority of Jesus yet again! He is even supreme to Abraham, the Father of the people of God, but not just the nation of God—the entire people of God by faith!

He makes this clear by showing Abraham giving an offering to Melchizedek.

This is similar to the what we know about the sin of Adam and Eve. When they sinned, it was as if all of mankind sinned.

Here, with Abraham as the head of the nation of Israel, it was as if all of Israel, even the priestly line of Levi, were giving an offering to Melchizedek.

Heb. 7:8-10 “In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.”

Levi was never in the loins of his ancestor Abraham, but as it were, when Abraham tithed to Melchizedek the king-priest. The mortal priests of Levi’s earthly line tithed to him too.

The earthly priesthood of Levi was not what Jesus came to fulfill, but he came to be a better, greater, priest that transcends the earthly works of man.

3. By Better Understanding the Priestly Ministry of Melchizedek We Can Better Understand the Eternal Priestly Ministry of the Messiah.

As I have said, in our scriptures today Melchizedek is a foreshadow of Jesus, so who do we relate to? I believe Abraham.

In Gen 14, Abraham was called by God, had engaged in war, fighting to save Lot and his people possessions.

Likewise, you and I have been called by God, we are told time and again that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle, and we are to seek to see the lost sheep of God saved.

Eph 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Eph 6:10-11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

You are engaged in a spiritual battle, but you are not alone in the war.

Look at how Melchizedek, the eternal kingly-priest met with Abraham as an example of how Jesus meets with you.

A. He comes out and gives him bread and wine.

Did you notice that Abraham was already victorious, and yet he needed to be ministered to.

Likewise, you are victorious in Christ, yet you are still in need of his priestly mediation on your behalf.

He comes to us through word and sacrament to nourish us.

John 6:53 “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

You will not hunger, never thirst—this is the eternal priestly ministry of God!

B. He blessed him and reminds him of what God has done on his behalf.

Likewise, no doubt, some of you are weary from the spiritual battle of this life. Maybe you are weighed down from the guilt of sin. Today, you too need to be refreshed in the gospel and reminded of the promises of God.

Gen 14:19-20 — Reminded him that he was blessed by God Most High (El Elyon)

Reminded him that he had been delivered by God from his enemies.

We learn about Melchizedek’s ministry so that we can learn about the eternal and priestly ministry of Jesus.

Hold fast to Christ, he mets you in the bread and the wine to nourish your weary soul, and he reminds you that you are blessed and delivered by God!