An unexpected Priest

Introduction

Names are important in our world! Your name stands out in a large group of people and it is something that differentiates you from others. Whenever you are in school and you have a substitute teacher, what is one of the things that he or she would always do? They would read the attendance list before class and call everyone’s name to see who was present and who was absent. Some names are easy, especially in the Midwest where there a lot of single syllable names. But other names are much harder to pronounce and it is always interesting to listen to people absolutely butcher names!

Whenever Lindsey and I first went to see her doctor after we found out that she was pregnant, we went to Barnes and Nobel and looked at baby names in a book because we had a couple of hours to kill between appointments. This book was thousands of pages long and filled with all sorts of names and explanations as to what each one meant! As many of you know we settled on Gabriel and several have asked, “Don’t you know that people are just going to call him Gabe?” Of course we know this will likely happen and that’s fine if he chooses to be called that! However, the real question that should be asked is, “Why did you call him Gabriel?” If you check out what Gabriel means in the Hebrew then you would see that it means “God is my strength” or “God is my warrior.” Names have meaning and Biblical names carry a meaning that sometimes is lost on us today.

There are some names that we hear and we automatically associate with the Bible: David, Peter, John, Ruth, Mary, Joseph and others. Whenever we look in the book of Matthew, we immediately notice a genealogy list of Jesus Christ and we see several names that played a huge role in this process. We recognize several names in this list, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, David, Hezekiah and others. We know that these people are important and we study them because their names are associated with the ancestry of Jesus.

There are other names in Scripture that are only found once or twice and they are easily forgotten. Ehud, Hiram, Jeconiah, Jabez, Mordecai. There are lots of obscure names in the Old Testament that are forgotten. One such name that we touched on a couple weeks ago is Melchizedek. His name is found in Genesis 14 and Psalm 110 - that’s it, with the exception of Hebrews. Hebrews 7 is one place that talks in great detail about this mysterious priest-king and we see that he is greater than even Abraham, one of the heroes of the Jews! Not only this, but Melchizedek serves as a type of the perfect priest-king who paid it all on the cross 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ. This passage is dense and loaded with detail. It is not a passage that you’ve probably heard a sermon from (possibly a verse or two in reference to tithing) but it is God’s Word, meaning that it is profitable and inspired. First, let’s look at Hebrews 7:1-10.

Hebrews 7:1–10 NASB95

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. 4 Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. 5 And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. 6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. 9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Who is Melchizedek? (1-3)

These opening 10 verses introduce us to a strange figure, Melchizedek. He is the king-priest of the most high God. We learned this from the Old Testament a couple weeks ago in Genesis 14 as verse 18 says that he is the king of Salem and he blessed Abraham after his victory over Chedorlaomer and several other kings.

Genesis 14:17–18 NASB95

17 Then 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). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.

What is so important about Melchizedek? Several things (8 to be exact):

He is the King of Salem

He is Priest of God Most High

His name means “King of Righteousness”

King of Salem also means King of Peace

He is without Father or Mother

He is without Genealogy

He is without beginning of days or end of life

He remains a priest forever

That’s a lot of stuff to digest and it would take hours to do so. What is the primary point or goal that the preacher of Hebrews is trying to get across by mentioning Melchizedek in this text? To show us that Jesus’ priesthood is superior to that of the Old Testament priesthood. The priests in the Old Testament had a role to play in atoning for the sins of the people, even the king. The king had a role to play in leading the people and following God’s direction. Obviously there was corruption in both groups as you read the Old Testament, but there were two separate groups: priests and kings. However with Melchizedek and Jesus Christ we see that these two are both priests and kings. This was a contradiction in the Old Testament as a priest couldn’t be a king and a king couldn’t be a priest, yet here is Melchizedek as both.

Melchizedek, the king of righteousness/peace, is said to be without father and mother and without genealogy. Some people have taken this to mean that he was an angelic being or another heavenly being. Others have speculated that this person was actually the pre-incarnate Christ! Others say that this person is a Canaanite King-priest. David Allen is helpful here as he notes, “Melchizedek’s origin is stressed by the writer to amplify the concept of the uniqueness of his priesthood.” The Greek term used for “without genealogy” is the word “agenalogetos” and can be defined as either without genealogy or without descent - or unknown. This is not saying that this mysterious priest-king is without father and mother, it is unknown who they were. Further the phrase without beginning of days or end of life has led some to speculate that this person was a divine figure because he never died. The more likely option, though, is that the preacher used this phrase to note the difference between his priesthood and the priesthood of the Levitical priests.

This priesthood is without end as it remains for eternity. How does this work? Your options are that Melchizedek never died and is still a priest today - a human impossibility, or that Melchizedek was a type of the priest that Jesus Christ would be and Jesus is the perfect King-priest. Typologies are found throughout Scripture as key Old Testament figures like Moses, Joshua, David and others serve as a type of the leader, king and Messiah to come. The same idea is found here with Melchizedek being a typology for Jesus Christ.

What is Melchizedek’s impact? (4-10)

Verse 4 tells us that Melchizedek received a tithe from Abraham. Abraham had just won this big battle and he had received the plunder from several other kings. Back in the ancient world whenever you won a battle, you also won all the opposing person’s stuff - gold, livestock and weapons. This would have made Abraham a very wealthy and powerful person, yet he tithes a 10th of the plunder to Melchizedek. Why? Check out verse 6 and 7

Hebrews 7:6–7 NASB95

6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.

The patriarch - the highest level of honor in Jewish life - Abraham felt obligated to give a tenth to this priest of the most high God. This is unexpected because the most famous Jew in history tithed to Melchizedek. Verse 7 notes that Abraham is the lesser of the two - a crazy thing for a Jew to think about!

Abraham paid the tithe to Melchizedek - the one whom God had communicated his covenantal promises in Genesis 12 to bless him and make him into a great and mighty nation is blessed by Melchizedek in verse 7.

Why does all of this matter so much? Why does it matter that Abraham would pay a tithe to this Canaanite priest-king thousands of years ago after winning a decisive battle? Why does the preacher take so much time explaining this out? Because of the significance! He wants to show these Jewish Christians that the Old Testament, Genesis 14, showed that the priesthood was never the best and was inferior.

We don’t find ourselves sacrificing goats and bulls in order to receive forgiveness of sins today, right? Why? Because the old sacrificial system has been made obsolete by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The old way was never meant to be the permanent system - there was always going to be a perfect sacrifice and Jesus is that sacrifice. Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek and through Abraham, the Levitical priests did as well because they were in the “loins” of their father. What on earth does this mean? It means that they were there biologically in the loins of their fathers - there is a sort of corporate identity that we don’t naturally think of but one found throughout the Bible.

Check out Romans 5. Romans 5 shares with us that through the sin of 1 man, Adam, death spread to all men - including us who live thousands and thousands of years after Adam. Why do we have to pay the consequence for Adam’s sin because we didn’t eat the apple ourselves? The idea of corporate headship comes to play here. Adam is our representative head in Romans 5. All humans are in Adam - either biologically or headship wise. If you are a Christian then your head is no longer Adam but Jesus Christ who through His sacrifice on the cross reckons us, sinful humans, righteous. Check out Romans 5:18.

Romans 5:18 NASB95

18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

Again, this is dense, but this is important for us in the 21st century to understand what Jesus Christ did for us and how incredible it is - He did what no one else could do. Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul, Augustine, Chrysostom, Luther, Spurgeon and Billy Graham could never do what Jesus did. He accomplished our salvation in full. Texts like this help us gain an appreciation for what Jesus did what no one else could do as our forerunner and anchor who entered within the veil.

Hebrews 7:11–22 NASB95

11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. 13 For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. 15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is attested of Him, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” 18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. 20 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath 21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, “The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever’ ”); 22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Our Perfect Priest (11-18)

The first few verses in this portion talk about the Priesthood of old and how it was flawed from the start. We are so far removed from the Old Testament world that it is hard for us to fully grasp how important the priesthood was for these Jews. The priesthood was vital to life as a Jew - you could not have your sins forgiven any other way than through the Levitical system. Yet here in verse 11 the preacher says that there was a need for another priest to arise! There was a flaw with the priesthood of Aaron. What is this flaw? The priest was not perfect - he had to make sacrifices for his own sin as Leviticus 4 tells us and he was only able to enter the holy of holies once a year as Leviticus 16 tells us.

These priests of old could not mediate between God and man because of their sin. If the law could lead to perfection then there would be no reason for Jesus to come and be the once and for all sacrifice. If the Old system worked perfectly then there would be no need for Jesus - but we know that Jesus came. We know that the old sacrificial system was defective and this shadow of sorts finds its substance in the priest-king, Jesus Christ.

We find ourselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, we are sinners and we need forgiveness of sins. The world says that many things are the primary problem right now: Covid-19, racism, social justice, wearing a mask, the upcoming election and many other things! These things are important but the most important problem we are facing is how on earth we can be reconciled to a holy God and escape His terrifying wrath and judgment. This is why the priesthood matters so much - the Old Testament system postponed God’s judgment but that’s it… Jesus, meanwhile, satisfies the wrath of God in full because...

Jesus serves as the perfect priest and he doesn’t come from the normal priest tribe - the Levites, as He was from the tribe of Judah. Do you remember being a child and having an argument with a friend? For many children when I was growing up, the ultimate trump card in a conversation or debate was “my parent said...” if a parent said something then they were right and you were wrong, or at least some of the time. As time has gone on, though, that saying has turned into “google says...” therefore it must be right and you’re wrong! For the Jews in the 1st century, there was no google and there wasn’t a New Testament to look at. Because of this, the ultimate trump card you could throw at someone in a debate would be “Moses said...” because Moses held a whole lot of authority in Jewish life. Yet verse 14 tells us that Moses had no idea that a priest would come from the tribe of Judah. This speaks to how Jesus Christ does not follow the traditional lineage of the priests of Israel who were of the tribe of Levi.

Jesus is different. Obviously we know that He is fully-God and fully-man and born of a virgin, but He is from a different tribe than the normal priests. He is of the order of Melchizedek. He is a priest-king. His priesthood is not based upon his lineage, rather it is based upon something deeper - “the power of indestructible life” as verse 16 tells us. To quote Sinclair Ferguson, “My security does not reside in the strength of my faith but in the indestructibility of my Savior!” Isn’t this a glorious hope, friends! Our hope is in Christ alone and that hope stands firm because Christ is our priest forever.

Our human mind cannot comprehend eternity. We talk about eternity a lot in church life and we hear scientists and astronomers sometimes talk about how the universe is several billion years old and that billion number sounds way too hard to comprehend and a billion in the grand scheme of eternity is an ant when compared to a elephant. We cannot comprehend this, yet Jesus Christ is our priest forever! Why is this so important? Because the law, in verse 18, was weak and useless. The law was given by God and God does not make mistakes - does verse 18 mean that God made a mistake because it’s useless? Of course not! The law had a purpose, to show the people of Israel that they could not save themselves and they needed grace! The law does not lead to salvation, only Jesus can do that! Jesus offers salvation but sadly many people believe in a different Jesus than the one found in Scripture!

Church there are many people today who think that laws and regulations will save us. If we just do enough good things then we will be just fine. If I attend church and tithe I will be just fine. As a Christian you are supposed to live as a new creation, you are supposed to attend church and you are supposed to give but those things don’t save you! Only Jesus does that.

Our Perfect Hope (19-22)

He is our perfect hope as He allows us to draw near to God. The law reveals sin and cannot save - but Jesus accomplishes our salvation and He saves! We talked about the promise of God last week and we see another example of that promise here in our text in verses 21-22 as God has sworn that Jesus Christ is a priest forever - this is rooted in the unshakeable promise of almighty God - we can have assurance in this today! The key word in verse 22 is “guarantee” - who initiates this new covenant? Jesus Christ. He has become the guarantor meaning that His work is complete and His offer stands today.

Jeremiah 31 talks about this new covenant that is different than the old

Jeremiah 31:33 NASB95

33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Friends, we can be assured today of our salvation not based upon our works but because of Christ’s work of atonement being applied to us. Why can we be assured of this new covenant? Because our great high priest cannot fail!

Conclusion

Next week we will look at one of the greatest verses in the entire Bible in Hebrews 7:25 as we see that Jesus Christ lives to make intercession for those who draw near to God. Our text this morning is meaty and maybe you’re a little confused or your brain is feeling like it needs an oil change of sorts - if this is you, it’s alright! We see that the Old Covenant could never save, it could merely postpone an upcoming judgment. We see that Jesus Christ is of the order of Melchizedek rather than the order of Aaron and He is a priest-king, something foreign to the Old Testament priest system. We see that there is hope in Jesus Christ because He is the perfect priest who takes away the sins of the world as John 1:29 tells us. He addresses our greatest problem (sin) and reconciles us to God! Church, this is good news - but it is only good news if you know Jesus Christ!

Jesus brings about a new covenant a better covenant, one where the debt has been paid in full, where we are saved from the penalty we owe and one where we have the Holy Spirit to abide in our hearts and guide us each and every step of the way. This is great news, this is a perfect covenant! But, you must accept Jesus. You must repent of your sins and trust in the priest-king, Jesus Christ. Will you trust in Jesus or will you trust in your works? Jesus forgives all! He changes everything. He redeems everything about you! He is our wonderful, merciful Savior. Remind yourself of the grace of God in sending forth His Son who paid it all in full. There is life in Jesus, trust in Him today!