Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: Now, having given his appeal to unbelievers, the writer of Hebrews returns to the message of Christ and Melchizedek.

Melchizedek functions as a type of Christ.

A type is an Old Testament person, practice, or ceremony, that foreshadows the New Testament.

Types are illustrations and only correspond to the person or thing they are compared to in certain ways.

- sometimes even only one way.

Examples: The bronze serpent and the sacrificial lamb

Melchizedek is in no way the equal of Christ but His unique position and even his name foreshadowed the coming of Christ in a number of ways.

Chapter 7 is the focal point of Hebrews since it talks about the most important part of Judaism - the priesthood.

Obedience was important but sacrifices were even more important and without the priesthood sacrifices could not be made.

The Levitical Priesthood

Before we look into Melchizedek’s priesthood it would be good for us to review the Levitical priesthood with which Melchizedek’s is compared.

The Tribe of Levi was Dedicated by God for Religious Service

The Levites were Subject to the King

The Priestly Sacrifices were not Permanent

The Levitical Priesthood was Hereditary

The Priest’s Service was Temporary

Melchizedek’s Superior Priesthood

Melchizedek’s priesthood was superior to the Levitical priesthood in every way, but in we are given five specific ways it was superior.

Melchizedek’s Priesthood was Universal

In relation to Israel, God revealed Himself as Yahweh.

Yahweh or Jehovah (written often in the English Bible as LORD) is the covenant name of God with Israel.

The Levites were Jehovah’s priests and the Israelites were Jehovah’s people.

The Levitical priests’ ministry was then limited to Israel.

Melchizedek’s ministry, however, was of the Most High God.

אֵל

אֵל

is a more universal name for God which represents God as the possessor of Heaven and earth.

This name of God speaks of God as the God above all without national distinctions.

The Most Hight God is the God over Jew and Gentile and the first mention of this name of God is in relation to Melchizedek in .

The significance is this: Jesus is not just the Messiah of Israel, but is the Messiah of the world.

The priesthood of Jesus is universal just as Melchizedek’s was universal.

The Jews considered the only legitimate priesthood to be the Levitical priesthood, but In order to strengthen the faith of the weak believing Jews the writer Hebrews reminds them, “Even your own Scriptures recognize a priesthood that is completely apart from the Levitical priesthood and existed long before Aaron was even born.”

Melchizedek’s Priesthood was Royal

Melchizedek was Himself a king.

Levitical rulership was a totally foreign idea to the Levitical priesthood.

Melchizedek’s universal, royal priesthood typified or foreshadowed Jesus as both savior and lord.

Jesus was not just the perfect priest but He is also the perfect King.

The fact that the Messiah would be the perfect priest-king was predicted by the prophets.

Zechariah

,

Because Melchizedek was the king of Salem (the old name for location of Jerusalem) he ruled over God’s holy city.

We do not know when God first considered Jerusalem to be His holy city, but even in the days of Abraham he had a faithful king who was a faithful priest.

Hundreds of years before Israel’s priests existed or Israel’s kings ruled God had a presence in Jerusalem.

The Jews recognized God as the Creator and Sovereign, but they had a difficult time recognizing Him as the Savior of the world.

God was the Creator and Sustainer of the world but as far as Savior and Lord goes He was theirs alone.

They couldn’t even imagine another covenant besides the Old one that would benefit the entire world.

They couldn’t even imagine another priesthood, especially one that was better and more superior to theirs, but they writer of Hebrews reminds them that even in their own Scriptures that the New Covenant is not really New .

The New Covenant is not only better than the Old, but it was in place before Abraham even had any children or Israel ever existed.

Melchizedek’s Priesthood was Righteous and Peaceful

Melchizedek’s Priesthood was Personal, Not Hereditary

Melchizedek’s Priesthood is Eternal

Melchizedek’s Superiority Proved

Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek

Melchizedek Blessed Abraham

Melchizedek’s Priesthood is Eternal

Conclusion: Melchizedek was a type of Christ who foreshadowed the ministry of Christ, but Jesus is the reality.

Jesus is the only priest who is alive forever.

He is greater than all priests because He is alive, and He is superior because He is the only priest who can bring men to God and offer true righteousness and peace.