Hebrews 7
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1 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.
In order for us to understand the significance of Melchizedek, we first have to understand a little bit about how we are to read the bible, and how God reveals truth and meaning through the bible.
Revelation in the Bible
General Revelation -
Special Revelation -
*Read Belgic Confession Articles 3 and 4
Historic Creeds and Confessions Article II
ARTICLE II
By What Means God Is Made Known unto Us
We know Him by two means: First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe; which is before our eyes as a most elegant book, wherein all creatures, great and small, are as so many characters leading us to see clearly the invisible things of God, even his everlasting power and divinity, as the apostle Paul says (Rom. 1:20). All which things are sufficient to convince men and leave them without excuse. Second, He makes Himself more clearly and fully known to us by His holy and divine Word, that is to say, as far as is necessary for us to know in this life, to His glory and our salvation.
ARTICLE III
The Written Word of God
We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of man, but that men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit, as the apostle Peter says; and that afterwards God, from a special care which He has for us and our salvation, commanded His servants, the prophets and apostles, to commit His revealed word to writing; and He Himself wrote with His own finger the two tables of the law. Therefore we call such writings holy and divine Scriptures.
When it comes to special revelation, there are differing views on HOW the bible reveals to us the triune God and his purposes.
Author Intention
Author Intention
those which insist that meaning resides in authorial intention; those which locate meaning in the text itself; and those in which meaning is to be found in the response of the reader
The Bible is a record of revelation
Readers Response
“This is what it means to me”
“if I read and that helps me be a bette
Text itself
The text, is God’s revelation, not merely the events which the text records.
God communicates perfectly, through divinely-ordained events recorded by divinely-inspired writers using divinely-ordained language.
Our focus should not be only on the human authors intended meaning, but the divinely intended meaning also.
The Bible Interprets the Bible
Not only the events recorded, but also how the Bible itself is written.
Examples
Is there meaning in the way the Bible is laid out?
Is there meaning in the fact that the 8th commandment (You shall not steal) is the 8th commandment and not the 4th?
Is there meaning in the fact that Matthew Chapter 2 follows Matthew chapter 1?
tells the story of Jesus’ birth through the sermon on the mount.
But it also tells us another story
The people of God were under a harsh ruler
He found out that a Jewish baby would threaten his throne, so he committed genecide in having all the baby boys 2 years and under put to death.
God’s chosen child was saved because a group of friends deceived the king in order to protect the child.
We then see the chosen one of God go into water and come out.
He then spends a time in the wilderness
and then comes to a mountain where the law of God is given.
What story does this tell? Exodus.
And the meaning of this passage is not just in the historical events, but in the way the events were written down for us.
How about another one
There was a famine in the land so the people of God left their home and went to Egypt to find food
While in Egypt Pharaoh treated the people of God poorly
Therefore God sent plagues on Pharaoh and his house
Pharaoh eventually said, take your people and go.
And the people of God left Egypt with more than they came in with.
Abraham and Sarah in .
And this exodus story of Abraham and Sarah is just one part of a larger story.
plays out the history of Israel in the life of Abraham.
We see the exodus story in 12
in we see The people of God (Abraham and Lot) entered the promised land, they mark it out, and then after a conflict they split and go separate ways.
The kingdoms split into north and south, Israel and Judah in 1 Kings 12
You then have a the battle of the kings where lot is taken captive,
this is the exile, and then he is returned.
Now, in biblical history what is the next main event to take place after the exile? The coming of Christ. And his is where Melchizedek shows up in the Abraham narrative.
So even in the location of the Abraham story Melchizedek foreshadows the coming of Christ.
So lets look at
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)
19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Genesis 14.18
20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Now this is the story that the author of Hebrews is referencing as he begins to tell us about Melchizedek, and how he is a type of Christ.
Lets look at verse 1 again
.
1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
So we see Melchizedek operating in two offices
King - of Salem (Jerusalem)
Priest - of the Most High God
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.
Abraham tithed to Melchizedek - this is a big deal to hebrews which we will look at in the following verses
He then talks about his name, his status
King of Righteousness
Jesus is our righteousness
King of peace
Jesus is our peace
King of Jerusalem
Jesus is our King - ,
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 2
9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,
11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
Jesus is our 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.
Here is where people begin to think that Melchizedek may be a theophany of the preincarnate Christ.
without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life - thus eternal?
without genealogy - thus
But resembling the son of God
Resembling is refers to something that is like or similar, not the same.
4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!
Here he comes back tot he tithe
And this idea of the tithe now becomes his main argument for showing how great this man Melchizedek really is.
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.
Heb 7.87
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.
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.
General Revelation -
Special Revelation -
*Read Belgic Confession Articles 3 and 4
When it comes to special revelation, there are differing views on HOW the bible reveals to us the triune God and his purposes.
Author Intention
The Bible is a record of revelation
Readers Response
“This is what it means to me”
“if I read and that helps me be a bette
Text itself
The text, is God’s revelation, not merely the events which the text records.
God communicates perfectly, through divinely-ordained events recorded by divinely-inspired writers using divinely-ordained language.
Our focus should not be only on the human authors intended meaning, but the divinely intended meaning also.
The Bible Interprets the Bible
Not only the events recorded, but also how the Bible itself is written.
11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?
12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.
13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,
16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.
17 For it is witnessed of him,
“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness
19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath,
21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:
“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’ ”
22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office,
24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
Heb 7.2