Melchizedek

Priest King

When Adam and Eve where in the Garden, God gave them some jobs to do.

They were to be fruitful and multiply.

They were to subdue the earth.

They were to have dominion over the earth.

They were to be the original royal priests.

They were to mediate in between God and his creation.

They were to rule and imitate God’s behavior in creating.

They are to work and keep the garden.

They are to expand the garden.

They are to bring heaven to the rest of the earth.

However, Adam and Eve disobeyed God.

They rebelled against God’s command to leave the tree of the knowledge of good and evil alone and not eat the fruit that it bore.

And as a result of their disobedience their roles were both tainted and broken.

But God is on a mission to restore and put man back into right relationship with himself.

And one of the ways that he does that is he sets up a priesthood in Ancient Israel.

But these priests aren’t Royalty, they are servants.

They hold a special relationship to God and to the people.

They served as intermediaries between the two.

They were like a gateway that joined heaven and earth together.

So the Role of Royal Priests or Priest King is eventually splintered into two separate roles and we will talk about that later,

But God desires to unite these two roles and in the texts we are going to look at today we are going to see just that.

Just to give you heads up, we are going to be traveling all over the bible this morning.

I don’t typically do this, but here we are.

If you want to follow along, we are going to start in Ps. 110, move to Genesis 14, and then wrap up in Hebrews 5 and 7.

So ready or not…here we go.

But before we do Let’s Pray

Where we are going to start today is in Ps. 110.

This is an important psalm.

So much so that it is the most quoted psalm in the NT.

Psalm 110 was written as a coronation psalm.

Meaning that it was read at the inauguration of a new king.

But it holds so much more than that.

So let’s look at it.

Psalm 110:1–3 ESV

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.

A Future King

One of the most important things to note is that this psalm was authored by David.

This is important b/c David was seen as the role model and prototype to the coming King.

The Future Messiah.

And here we read that David is looking forward to the reality of this future king showing up.

This king that will come is co-equal with God Almighty.

It’s hard to notice it not in the original language and most translators try to help us out, but the two Lord’s there are completely different words.

Translators help in that with the first Lord it is usually in a different typeset or in all capital letters where the second lord is the same as the text around it.

Anytime a translator or bible publisher uses Lord in all capitals he is highlighting that this word is the name of God.

Yahweh.

The second “lord” in that verse is the title Adonai.

This is a title given to God by his worshippers b/c they didn’t say his name Yahweh.

Adonai can also be referred to one who is superior.

Such as a king.

So here, King David is let in on a Conversation between God and another person who is superior to David.

And as he listens to this conversation there it sounds like God has another king in mind to come and rule over his people.

Not just another king, but one who is superior to David himself.

Meaning that David is looking forward to the Messiah.

This future king is going to sit at the right hand of God.

Meaning that he is going to hold power and prestige.

That he is going to be exalted.

He is going to have honor and rank among all people b/c he sits at God’s Right hand.

And God is going to exalt this future king until all of his enemies are under his foot.

Until they are all subdued.

Til he has conquered all of them through the power of God himself.

God is the one going to make all his enemies a footstool.

This future King is going to be exalted and victorious.

Those who come against this future king are going to be made to submit to him.

All of his enemies. Not one will avoid the coming judgement and submission.

This gives off the vibes that this future king is going to be give authority, power, and victory b/c he was chosen by God to do so.

But at the time of David this was an event that was going to happen, b/c it hadn’t happened yet.

The footstool is specifically used at the base of the throne.

It is where the king would rest from his work of ruling and conquering.

v2. God is going to send forth this King to spread the kingdom to expand and enlarge the influence of the King.

And he is sending this king forth from Zion.

Zion is where the temple is build and the place where God’s presence reigned.

In fact, b/c of God’s presence often times Zion would refer to all of Jerusalem.

So this is showing us that from Jerusalem the Future King will go forth and expand the kingdom of God.

This kingdom is going to expand even into the midst of this king’s enemies.

Again showing that he is going to have power and authority over those that oppose him.

So again and again we see that this Future King is going to be powerful, he is going to overcome, he is going to have authority not only over his people, but over all people even his enemies.

He is going to expand the kingdom and bring judgement to the nations.

We aren’t going to cover it this morning, but read through the rest of the psalm and you can see that God’s judgment on the kings and the rulers of the earth is going to happen through the hands of the this future king.

What I do want us to look at is verse 4

Psalm 110:4 ESV

4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Everlasting Priest

This is a short verse that so much can be said about.

God has sworn and created man to be Priest Kings.

The Anticipation of this Psalm is that God is going to restore this Priest King Office.

But at the time that it was written this isn’t the case.

They were separated offices.

The Kings had their role to rule over God’s People and the Priest’s had their role to mediate between God and man.

They were responsible for offering sacrifices.

For keeping the temple.

For making sure that the holy days and festivals were kept.

So how did they get here?

If God intended for the offices to remain together, how did they get to the point where they are distorted.

Well, it began in the Garden. In rebellion and disobedience.

But we see throughout Genesis, the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were going around and building altars and offering Sacrifices.

They were also rulers over their territory.

They had dominion, they subdued the earth, they mediated between God and man.

So they were the Priest Kings.

But there was something that happened in the History of Israel that caused the chasm.

And it happened in the book of Exodus.

Real quick.

God’s people were enslaved in Egypt for some 400 years.

God heard the cry of their people and raised up a man that would deliver them.

That man’s name is Moses.

This is an overview of Moses story…we will talk more about him in a couple of weeks.

Moses is out tending to his flock of sheep and notices a burning bush.

But this bush isn’t consumed with fire.

The fire is resting in the bush not consuming the bush.

Moses goes to see what’s going on and God reveals himself to Moses.

God tells Moses that he is going to be the one to deliver God’s people from slavery.

But Moses is afraid.

He feels inadequate.

He feels like he can’t accomplish what God wants him to.

So he tells God he has the wrong person.

And he does this multiple times.

Until finally Moses says, Exodus 4:13 “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.””

God then makes a concession.

He allows Moses’ brother, Aaron, to be the mouthpiece for Moses.

Moses will go hear from God, but Aaron will speak to the people.

God then sets up Aaron to be the lineage from which the Priests of Israel descend.

Moses’ disobedience and rebellion cause the office of Priest King to be severed.

So then we get to the last half of Psalm 110:4 “4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.””

Then we have to ask ourselves who is this Melchizedek guy?

Well the truth is there isn’t a lot of biblical material about him.

He is only mentioned twice in the OT and is expanded on in the NT.

But he is a key figure in understanding what the Future Priest King will look like.

The first place he shows up in the biblical story is in Genesis 14.

Abraham has acquired wealth and some land.

His nephew Lot is traveling with him.

But it gets to be too much for the land and resources, so Lot and Abraham split up.

Lot ends up in the midst of a battle between 9 kings.

Abraham goes and rescues him and chases all the kings away.

He does this is a miraculous way, b/c he only has 318 soldiers to fight the battle.

He returns after the battle and we read

Genesis 14:18–20 ESV

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; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Melchizedek

Okay so this man comes out to greet and bless Abraham.

We get a few descriptors about him.

First, He is the King of Salem.

This is the area where Jerusalem would later be.

So he is living in the Land that was promised to Abraham.

This is way before the land is given to God’s people.

In this area, like many of the other areas, we would expect that this Melchizedek would worship a pagan god.

Any other god that isn’t the God Abraham worshipped.

But the author of Genesis gives us information.

He says that Melchizedek worships “God Most High.”

Elyon which is a descriptor and one of the names of Yahweh.

But not only does he worship God, he is a priest of God.

And this is the first time that the word priest is mentioned in the Bible.

There are allusions to it in the story up til now, but this is the first time it is mentioned.

And the biblical authors were intentional.

As they are writing the first time they mention something is usually the most important.

Meaning that this idea is going to set the stage for the future.

So Melchizedek is a Priest King.

He is one who rightly occupies both offices.

And then Melchizedek blesses Abraham.

Genesis 14:19–20 ESV

19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Melchizedek recognizes that God is the Most High and that he is the one that actually won the battle.

Abraham was victorious b/c the God of Heaven and Earth wanted him to be victorious.

And this blessing is a call back to Genesis 12:3 “3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

And out of honor and recognition Abraham gives Melchizedek a tenth of everything from his spoils of war.

This was a foreshadowing of the command by God for the Israelites to give a tenth of Everything to the priests that served them.

So how does this get us to Jesus?

Well Melchizedek is an image of Christ in the OT.

He is a Priest King that brings a blessing to God’s People.

And let’s not overlook the fact that He brings bread and wine for the feast to celebrate Abraham’s victory.

The Book of Hebrews does an incredible Job pointing out how Melchizedek was a picture of Jesus.

We are going to read a big chunk of it but I want you to listen.

I have a whole sermon somewhere over this text.

I’m not going to preach another sermon, but the way this all ties together is simply beautiful and wonderful.

Hebrews 7:1–28 ESV

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. 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.

The Great Priest King

Here the Author of Hebrews doesn’t want us to overlook the fact that Melchizedek’s name and kingship is important.

He is the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace.

But he is also a Priest of the most high God.

He is a mediator between God and Man.

Jesus is the ultimate King of Righteousness and King of Peace not in name and title alone, but in practice and reality.

And what about forever business.

Now the writer of Hebrews isn’t suggesting that there is an immortal man somewhere named Melchizedek, but rather that this obviously special person shows up on the scene and we don’t know anything about his family or history.

In the Torah, genealogies and lineages are a big deal.

Where you come from in many instances dictates where you are going.

But the fact that we don’t have any of that information on Melchizedek is supposed to give us pause.

It is supposed to make us ponder.

Melchizedek was so impressive.

had so much impact.

and was so influential that Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils of War.

This is important b/c Abraham is held in such high esteem.

He is one of the big 3 patriarchs for Jewish People.

And here he is submitting to and offering up a blessing to Melchizedek.

And there is so little that we know about him.

And this is also important b/c it shows us that God can call anyone to be his priests.

They don’t have to come from a certain lineage or ancestry.

In Israel, as God’s concession with Moses only those from the tribe of Levi could be priests.

But here God is showing us that He can also at his will appoint those outside of this tribe and lineage to be priests.

This is radical b/c Jesus is our Priest King.

He was appointed by God to be Priest.

He is not from the priestly line of Levi.

He is from the Kingly line of Judah.

So in Jesus we see the reuniting of the Priest King.

We see God fulfilling his promises.

We see that Jesus is still ruling, reigning, and mediating for us.

And he will continue to do it forever.

And B/c of Jesus and his sacrifice we can become priests.

Access to God has been granted to all those who trust in Jesus as savior.

We no longer have to go through a mediator b/c we have the perfect mediator in Jesus.

Before Jesus’ sacrifice there was only one person in all of Israel who could enter into the Holy of Holies in the temple.

The Holy of Holies was the place where God’s presence dwelt with his people.

And this one person could only go in there one time a year.

So access was limited to one person one day of the year.

But when Jesus Sacrificed himself the Veil to the Holy of Holies was torn in two allowing all of God’s people access.

And because we have access we are all now priests of the most high God.

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

God’s promise has been fulfilled in Jesus and he has reestablished Priest kings in each one of his followers.

That is why our calling is so great and so wonderful.

We can go out into the world and proclaim the excellencies of God.

We can go out into the darkness and bring the light.

We can go and point people to Jesus.

We can boldly approach the throne of Grace and have access to the holy God.

Jesus reversed the curse.

He offers restoration.

He offers healing.

He offers to make us what we are meant to be.

But we have to submit to him.

We have to give ourselves over to him.

And we need to tell others so that they can be set free.

Where are you right now with God?

Are you telling others about the life you have in him?

Are you pointing others to Jesus?

Are you even a part of his family?

Are you for him or against him?

He is calling out to you to be restored will you answer him?