Hebrews 7:1-9 Melchizedek & Christ

Introduction

As we look into our text for today, the author of Hebrews will once again pick up a point he began back at the end of chapter 5. Hebrews 5:7–10 “In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. 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.” So chapter 5 began the topic of Jesus being our Great High Priest who was chosen by God, who is like His fellow man, and is able to offer sacrifices on behalf of humanity, yet unlike the High Priest of Israel, Jesus did so without sin. For Jesus is both 100% man, yet He is also 100% God’s eternal Son. Thus Jesus is greater than the Aaronic High Priests, for He is not from the tribe of Levi but rather He is a High Priest like Melchizedek. Here is where the author of Hebrews needed to run down a rabbit trail because the listeners were being spiritually immature. They should have been ready to know more, yet the author of Hebrews had to challenge them to grow. Such was their spiritual immaturity that it called into question whether their salvation was actually genuine or if they were in danger of apostasy/falling away. However, the author ends with a note of encouragement that even in their immaturity, there love for the brethren was an evidence of the genuineness of their faith. So he calls them to NOT be sluggish but rather be earnest imitators of those who have faithfully gone before. In that I encouraged you to look around at the grey heads who are spiritually mature around you. Yet perhaps not all the grey heads are as spiritually mature as they ought be. Regardless, the author of Hebrews brings up Abraham, the great patriarch and progenitor of the Faith. He tells of how God made a promise to Abraham (that promise being that God would make of him a great nation) and then God confirmed that Promise with an Oath/Covenant. Last week we looked at the promise which is simply God’s word, that alone was enough for Abraham, and then God made a legal covenant to reinforce the strength of His word. Both of these were based upon the impossibility of God to lie. Yet God desired to one up Himself for those who are in Christ, the heirs of this Promise. How did He do this? God swore back in Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Then God makes a greater covenant/oath to confirm this promise in the blood of His own sin. With Abraham, the covenant was sealed in the blood of a heifer, goat, ram, turtledove, and pigeon. With the heirs of Promise/us, the covenant is sealed with the blood of God’s own Son Jesus. And it is in this same resurrected Jesus that you and I have an anchor for our souls that cannot be moved. We ended with simply reading the end of chapter 6 which says, Hebrews 6:19–20 “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Thus we return to the topic of Jesus our Great High Priest who is after the order of Melchizedek. Follow along as I read our text for today… 7:1-9

Text Read

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Heb 6:19-20) For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. 4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 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. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Text Explained

Now the author of Hebrews is continuing to make a single point. Jesus is Greater Than… We have seen already how Jesus is greater than angels (chp1) and He is Greater than Moses (chp 3) and now we see how Jesus is Greater than the High Priests of Israel and the author of Hebrews will use the Old Testament example of Melchizedek to do so. So who is Melchizedek?

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. Genealogies were a BIG deal. They were your resume. Melchizedek had no genealogy that the Jews knew of.

Who is Melchizedek? Comparing Melchizedekian Priesthood to Aaronic/Levitical Priesthood

4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 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. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Aaronic High Priest

Descendants of Abraham thus inferior to Abraham

Genealogy is required

Limited Time of Priestly Service

Certain age before they can begin

Required to cease the position after a certain time

Melchizedek High Priest

Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek thus Levitical Priest gave tithes to Melchizedek

Lesser is blessed by greater, thus Melchizedek is Greater than Abraham & descendants

No genealogy

King & Priest from birth means Lifelong Service