Hebrews 7:1-10 - The Messiah and Melchizedek - Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
During our last time together, we ended with Jesus being our forerunner. We were told that Jesus went behind the curtain into the Holy of Holies to remove the dividing wall between God and man. By His death on the cross, we can now have access to God through Christ. This is such a life-changing and amazing truth.
However, the author ended verse 20 at the end of Hebrews 6 by saying that Jesus was a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. During our next two sermons, we will be learning about how Jesus our Messiah compares to Melchizedek.
Let’s go ahead and jump in and read our verses for today…
Read Full Scripture:
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
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.
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.
See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!
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.
But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
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.
Prayer
Today we are going to discuss possibly the most mysterious man in the Bible - namely Melchizedek. The author of Hebrews has already warned us that studying this section of the book requires attention and maturity (Hebrews 5:11-6:3). Right after mentioning Melchizedek in Hebrews 5:6 and Hebrews 5:10, the author gives a solemn warning to those who are dull of hearing and those who are immature in the faith - namely those who cannot tolerate solid food but only milk.
After this series of warnings, the author now wades into some of the deep waters of theology.
Melchizedek is a man that is mentioned only briefly in the Old Testament as he passes onto the pages of Scripture and disappears off of them just about as quickly as he appears.
Despite his short-lived Old Testament appearance, the author of Hebrews mentions this man some eight times.
He wants to make a point that Christ is greater than the priests who came through the line of Abraham and eventually through Levi. Jesus is greater - which has been one of the themes throughout this wonderful book. And Melchizedek gives the author a wonderful example of proving this point.
As we traverse these first ten verses of chapter 7 today, we are going to cover two overarching truths about Jesus as we see Him compared to Melchizedek. The first is…
I. Jesus Christ is the Mystery Revealed (1-3)
I. Jesus Christ is the Mystery Revealed (1-3)
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 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. 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.
Many of us love a good mystery. Trying to put all of the pieces together to figure out whodunit is an enjoyable task. The author of Hebrews is going to use the mystery of Melchizedek to explain the mystery of Christ.
The author of Hebrews is assuming that his readers recall the account regarding Melchizedek in Genesis 14.
Since it might not be as fresh in your mind, I’m going to give a quick summary of this incredible chapter.
Genesis 14 starts by describing a great king named Chedorlaomer who joined together with four other kings who represented the major powers of the ancient Near East. There were five Canaanite kings who rebelled against them after serving them for twelve years.
As you can see on the map, Chedorlaomer and his allies came down with force upon each of these cities that had rebelled until they finally reached Sodom.
If you recall, Lot (Abraham’s nephew) had gone and lived in Sodom when they parted ways as seen in Genesis 13 while Abraham went and dwelled by the Oaks of Mamre.
During this battle of the kings in Sodom, Lot and his family were captured.
In the midst of the battle however, someone escaped and told Abraham what had happened. Abraham at that time was living by the Oaks of Mamre and had a large and powerful group of fighting men numbering 318. Abraham took these fighting men and overtook Lot’s captors at Dan and defeated them pursuing them all of the way to Hobah. Abraham brought back everything and everyone including his kinsman Lot along with Lot’s family.
After Abraham’s return from defeating Chedorlaomer and his fellow allies, he was greeted by the King of Sodom who thanked him and offered him all of the possessions. Abraham refused to take these possessions from the King of Sodom (one could understand why when seeing the evil done in Sodom as seen Genesis 18-19.
However, he instead gave a tenth of everything to the King of Salem (or Melchizedek) who appears on the pages of Scripture in a quick and fleeting passage. He returns the rest of the possessions back to the King of Sodom and some of the other men who had fought along side him.
In the middle of this incredible celebration of victory Melchizedek brings out bread and wine and is called the Priest of the God Most High. This priest blesses Abraham and praises God for the victory that has occurred (Gen 14:19b-20).
I hope that this account has gotten you primed and ready to start your Bible reading plan for next year! The Old Testament can be action-packed!
Hebrews 7:1-3 functions as a summary of this account in Genesis 14. The author is going to use Melchizedek as a foreshadowing or type of Christ. You may hear pastors and theologians speak of types of Christ. When they say this, they are referring to Old Testament persons, things, and institutions that foreshadow aspects of Jesus Christ.
There is only one Christ. So the word type can sometimes confuse new believers. I tend to use the word ‘foreshadow’ which seems more clear in describing these wonderful pictures of Jesus.
Some other examples of types or foreshadowings of Christ include:
The Bronze Serpent (Numbers 21:6-9, John 3:14)
The Passover Lamb (Exodus 12, John 1:29)
The Spiritual Rock ( Exodus 17:6, 1 Corinthians 10:4)
Moses the Deliverer, Mediator, and Leader (Multiple References)
There are many, many other examples that we could describe as well! Each of these foreshadowings are partial pictures of Jesus. This is another reason for why the Old Testament is so important. Each of these accounts paints a part of the canvas of Who Christ is. We start by seeing Jesus in Genesis 3:15 as the promised Messiah Who will redeem His people. The Old Testament continues to bring a more full picture into view of Jesus throughout the Old Testament until He is ultimately revealed in the Gospels. These fuzzy pictures are brought into complete focus through the Person of Jesus Christ.
So how is Melchizedek a type of or a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ? They both…
Are Kings of Peace (Salem)
Are Priests of the Most High God
Receive Tithes and Offerings
Are Without Genealogy
Bring Bread and Wine
They both…
Are Kings of Peace - namely Kings of Salem - Salem in Hebrew is shalem (shah-lem) which is the same root word shalom which means peace. This is actually the root word for Jerusalem which leads many to believe Melchizedek was priest and king of Jerusalem at the time of Abraham. Christ, likewise is our Prince of Peace. Christ offers us peace with God.
Are Priests of the Most High God - Just as Melchizedek is listed as a priest of the Most High God (or ‘El ‘Elyon), Christ is our Great High Priest.
Receive Tithes and Offerings - Melchizedek was given a tenth of everything. Likewise, Christ deserves our firstfruits and sacrificial gifts and offerings.
Are Without Genealogy - Melchizedek is stated to be without father or mother or genealogy. This has led some to believe that Melchizedek was an angel or even the preincarnate Christ. However, this seems unlikely as we see in verse three that Melchizedek “resembles” the Son of God and is not stated to be the Son of God. Yet, the argument of the author of Hebrews here is coming from an argument of silence. He is using the absence of information about Melchizedek in the book of Genesis to compare him to Jesus. This is not to raise up Melchizedek to Christ - but instead to magnify Christ in light of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was likely a godly man who was raised up in order to foreshadow and exalt Christ. The author is reminding his readers that Melchizedek was a priest of God despite not coming from the Levitical line. Jesus, likewise, is the greatest High Priest and also did not come from the Levitical line - instead coming through the tribe of Judah. Both were chosen priests of God selected by God, Himself, and not priests according to genealogy or birth.
Bring Bread and Wine - And finally, we see a beautiful picture in Genesis 14:18 of Melchizedek bringing out bread and wine. This seems so random at first glance. Why would Melchizedek bring out bread and wine? There is no Old Testament Law at this point. There are no prescribed offerings given to Moses. In fact, Moses wouldn’t be born until around 500 years later! Yet, we know why he brings this out as we consider Christ. This parallels beautifully with the Lord’s supper where our Great High Priest took the bread and wine and said that it stood for His body and His blood (Luke 22:19-20). Jesus Christ would go on to offer His body as a sacrifice on our behalf in order to take our penalty on the cross. And through this blessed sacrifice, we can have eternal life if only we repent and turn to Christ in faith. Here we see a beautiful foreshadowing of the Gospel through Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18.
Like all types or foreshadowings, Melchizedek does not measure up to Christ. Jesus is greater. Whereas Melchizedek blessed Abraham with an earthly blessing, Jesus offers an eternal one. Whereas Melchizedek offered peace to his earthly kingdom - likely reigning over Jerusalem, Jesus is the Prince of Peace and offers peace with God forever. Whereas Melchizedek does not have a genealogy recorded in the book of Genesis (though he was likely a man and God intentionally did not record it for this comparison), Jesus is eternal and has no beginning or end. Whereas Melchizedek was a man of God, Jesus is the very God-man!
Is there a better time to consider the peace offered by Jesus than December? We are preparing to celebrate the birth of our Savior upon this earth. Jesus, being eternally and fully God, took on human flesh. He humbled Himself and walked upon this sin-riddled earth. He lived the sinless life that we could not live ourselves. As we just discussed moments ago, He then took all of our sins upon Himself on the cross - taking our punishment upon Himself. Yet, three days later He rose from the dead and now offers us eternal peace with God through His sacrificial death on the cross.
Jesus is our King of Peace. He is our King of Righteousness. He is our Great High Priest.
He is the Melchizedekian mystery revealed.
Next we see that…
Scripture References: Hebrews 6, Hebrews 5:11-6:3, Hebrews 5:6, Hebrews 5:10, Genesis 14, Genesis 13, Genesis 18-19, Luke 22:19-20, Genesis 14:18
II. Jesus Christ is Magnificently Revered (4-10)
II. Jesus Christ is Magnificently Revered (4-10)
See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 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. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 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.
Again, we see the continued discussion of Melchizedek in light of Christ. Though Melchizedek did not have a priestly lineage, as stated earlier, he was honored by Abraham. Out of Abraham would come the priesthood through the line of Levi. Though not all Levites would become priests as only those who came through Aaron’s lineage could become priests, it was clear that no one could become a priest unless they were a Levite.
In these verses we see a sort of corporate solidarity with Abraham and his future lineage. It was as if the Levites were actually tithing to Melchizedek through Abraham! And Melchizedek is seen as superior to Abraham because he receives the tithe from Abraham and then blesses Abraham. The superior blesses the inferior.
The author uses verse 8 to remind his readers that the Levites were mortal. They received tithes from the people but were mortal men. Yet, Melchizedek does not have a birthday or death day recorded in the Scriptures. The absence of Melchizedek’s genealogy in the book of Genesis is used to remind readers that Christ is eternal and that Christ is superior. Though Melchizedek was most likely a man, One came after him - namely Jesus - Who is eternal.
One other interesting aspect of this to note is that Melchizedek also shows his superiority again over the line of Levi by being both a priest and king. The Levites were excluded from ever being king of Israel.
The author has brought up Melchizedek as a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ as shown in Hebrews 6:20. So how does this exaltation of Melchizedek over Abraham exalt and glorify Christ?
Before answering this based on today’s Scripture, let’s look at the beautiful opening of this great book again…
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
In today’s passage, we have seen that Christ, like Melchizedek, is both priest and King. However, when looking at it in light of the first three verses of Hebrews we see that…
Christ is actually Prophet, Priest, and King.
Christ is actually Prophet, Priest, and King.
Christ should be magnificently revered as He is infinitely greater than Melchizedek. He deserves all the honor, praise and glory.
Jesus rules the world as King, He not only brings the Word as prophet but He is the Word as seen in John 1:1, and He leads His people and intercedes for them as Priest. He is the complete package. He is everything we could ever need. He fulfills each of these roles perfectly.
There is no one higher and no one greater than Jesus Christ. After seeing these wonderful comparisons of Melchizedek and Jesus, we need to ask ourselves an important question.
How do we revere Christ?
How do we revere Christ?
To Biblically revere Christ means to have a deep awe and respect as one worships Him. It involves understanding His holiness and sovereignty and authority.
There are many ways we can revere Christ. We read and obey His Word. We serve Him wholeheartedly. We seek His daily Presence through consistent prayer. We honor Him by staying plugged into His bride - the local church.
Revering Jesus means putting feet to our faith. It involves action.
And one of these actions that we see mentioned some six times in these ten verses of the book of Hebrews is the concept of tithing.
And one of these actions that we see mentioned some six times in these ten verses of the book of Hebrews is the concept of tithing.
Unfortunately, often we get so bogged down in arguing about who Melchizedek was that we forget that the main thrust of this passage is that we exalt and revere Jesus Christ.
And in revering Christ, we are given this recurrent theme of tithing in this section. If something is mentioned six times, we probably should take some time to study it further!
We should clearly note here that the reference of Abraham giving a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek in Genesis 14:20 predates the Law given to Moses. Many argue against the tithe being considered within the New Testament church because they see it as a part of the Law. However, here we see Abraham give a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek - who is a foreshadowing of the high priesthood and royal kingship of Christ.
Although we don’t want to take this too far to require a definite tithe for the Church today, we also don’t want to miss the important truth taught here as well.
Why does Abraham do this?
Why does he give a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek?
He gives it sacrificially as an act of worship to God.
He gives it freely and without any Law requirement.
Though the New Testament does not specify an exact amount that we should give, we should give because we are devoted to the Lord and because we love Him.
We give freely because we have been given freedom in Christ.
Giving to the Lord, or tithing, is an act of worship. Worship doesn’t just involve singing or listening to the preached Word. It also involves our giving.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
In fact, worship involves our entire self! We are to give of every part of us to the Lord as an act of worship.
Talking about tithing and giving is often an uncomfortable topic for pastors to address. Few people really enjoy talking about money - especially when it comes to encouraging people to give! However, Jesus loved talking about money and possessions. Some commentators state that He taught on money and possessions an average of one out of every 6 verses in the Gospels!
I think that the enemy knows that money is likely the number one competitor with God in our society. And because of this, he has intimidated the church to keep us from speaking out on this important topic. Money has become one of those areas that we would consider ‘don’t ask don’t tell.’ You manage your money, and I’ll manage mine. But stay out of my business.
Yet, we all need accountability in how we manage God’s money.
If I, as your pastor came to you and asked how you were doing on Bible reading this past week, you probably wouldn’t be very offended. You would consider my question pastoral in nature and consider that I care about your spiritual health.
However, if I or someone else in the church came up and asked how you were doing with your giving, your response might be more hostile. Possible a statement like - that is none of your business!
Why is our response different to these two questions? I think our response may point to greater heart issue that we would like to admit to.
Usually when we catch ourselves getting defensive or offended when someone asks something - it is because there is an insecurity within us about that particular topic. So if we catch ourselves bristling at the thought of someone asking us an accountability question regarding giving, we need to go to the Lord and ask for some clarity.
As we consider this topic, there is an important theological truth we must grasp first and foremost.
We must always remember that we truly have nothing that is ours alone. Everything is the Lord’s. We are just managers or stewards of His money.
In fact, even the Psalmist asserts that everything is God’s…
The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,
With that in mind, let’s see how the modern church is doing on stewarding God’s resources by taking a quick look at some statistics on church giving. This was from 2019 and is a few years out of date. Sadly, the data may even be worse today.
According to Church Giving Statistics on Pushpay.com (from 2019) we see the following staggering findings:
Only 10-25 percent of any given congregation tithes.
On average Christians give 2.5% of their income to the church. Some may argue that times are tough today. Inflation is high. Things are expensive. However, that doesn’t seem to hold water as we see that during the Great Depression this number was 3.3%.
Of families that make over $75,000 per year, only 1% donated 10% of their income. According to this article, those with a salary of $20,000 or less are eight times more likely to give than someone who makes $75,000 or more.
The Greatest Generation (1900-1927), The Silent Generation (1928-1945), and The Baby Boomers (1946-1964) make up around 80% of church giving today. In contrast they only make up 30% of the entire US population.
These are sobering statistics. This isn’t even speaking of those outside the church. This is speaking of those within the church!
We are blessed with many who give regularly here at CrossPointe, and I am so thankful for each of you.
I am not pressing in on tithing to guilt anyone or shame anyone. I am trying to faithfully preach on something that the Lord has obviously seen as important in this section of Scripture by stating in six different times.
And the reason that this is so important is because it isn’t a matter of your money, my friends, it is a matter of the heart.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
As you prepare for this Christmas season, where is your treasure? Where is your heart?
Are you considering the local church? Are you considering ministries that are centered around the Gospel? Are you planning on how you can revere Christ and make His name and renown known?
Or are you focused on how you can be happy and get what you want? Is your main focus on the things of this world?
Looking back at Hebrews7:6, we see that Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek after giving the tithe. There is a great truth here in being blessed for being obedient to Christ. Ask anyone who faithfully gives to the Lord and they will let you know that God blesses them abundantly. However, that blessing is not always in the financial realm. Sometimes it is much greater than financial.
We must beware of false prosperity theology. There are those who like to take a verse like this and teach that if you give then God will multiply your gift and make you rich.
James clearly warns us against such distorted and heretical thinking…
… You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
When we give in order to gain wealth in order to spend it on our passions - on ourselves - we miss the point. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10).
However, we also do not want to acknowledge that God does bless His children.
As Melchizedek blesses Abraham, we know that God blesses His people. We aren’t told that Melchizedek blesses Abraham with wealth here. In fact, if you recall - Abraham refused to take all of the possessions offered to him from the King of Sodom! Yet, we are shown that Melchizedek blessed Abraham with favor. He acknowledges the favor of God upon Abraham.
We obey Christ through giving of our time, talent, and treasure because we love Him. And He promises to faithfully bless those who are obedient Him. Many of those blessings will be experienced in eternity - but those are the best kinds of return on your investments! They are the investments that moth and rust cannot destroy (Matthew 6:19-21)!
Why does our giving matter? Because Christ is King. He is majestically reigning. And because He is King, He deserves all of our glory and honor. We should revere Him through giving of our talents, time, and treasure.
We prioritize what we value. How are you doing in prioritizing King Jesus?
Scripture References: Hebrews 6:20, Hebrews 1:1-3, John 1:1, Genesis 14:20, Romans 12:1, Psalm 24, Matthew 6:21, Hebrews 7:6, James 4:2-3, 1 Timothy 6:10, Matthew 6:19-21
Conclusion:
As we come to a close, we have seen a beautiful foreshadowing of Jesus through Melchizedek. Christ is our Priestly King. He is our Prince of Peace. He is our righteousness.
And because He is all of these things, we should revere Him by being wholly devoted to Him. May we make sure that nothing eclipses our love and worship for Him in our lives. May all of the idols that compete for our affections be cast down. And may He be what we prioritize and value most.
As we continue through this Christmas season - stay focused on King Jesus.
