Hebrews 7:1-10 The Mystery of Melchizedek

 

When I was much younger (which was a long time ago) I used to love watching the old Sherlock Holmes movies with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. I would always try to solve the mystery before the end of the movie (which I wasn’t very successful at). The one thing I did learn is to never overlook any character in the story, even the most incidental. If you were asked to name the most important people in the Old Testament, I doubt that Melchizedek’s name would be on your list. He appeared once in Genesis 14:17-24; and he was referred to once more in Psalm 110:4. You could hardly call this “top billing.” But the Holy Spirit reached back into the Old Testament and used those two passages to present a most important truth: the priesthood of Jesus Christ is superior to that of Aaron because “the order of Melchizedek” is superior to “the order of Levi.”

The record of the event of Melchizedek and Abraham is in Genesis 14:17-24, so take the time to read it. The writer of Hebrews wanted us to note several facts about this mysterious man: He was both king and priest (v. 1), Aaron never had that privilege. It’s important to note that Melchizedek was not a “counterfeit” priest: he was the “priest of the Most High God” (Gen. 14:18 & 22). His ministry was legitimate.

His name is significant (v. 2b).In the Bible, names and their meanings are often important. The name of Melchizedek is “king of peace” as well as “king of righteousness.” “Righteousness” and “peace” are often found together in Scripture. True peace can be experienced only on the basis of righteousness. If we want to enjoy “peace with God” we must be “justified [declared righteous] by faith” (Rom. 5:1). Man cannot produce righteousness by keeping the Old Testament Law (Gal. 2:21). It’s only through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross that righteousness and peace could have “kissed each other.”

He received tithes from Abraham (v. 2a). This important fact is explained in verses 4-10. The word “tithe” means one tenth.” Under Jewish Law, the Jews were commanded to give God one tenth of their crops, herds, and flocks (Lev. 27:30-32). Tithing, however, did not originate with Moses. Abraham practiced tithing long before the Law was given. In fact, archeologists have discovered that other nations also tithed in that day.

His family history is different (v. 3). Melchizedek was a man, so he had to of had parents. But there is no record of his genealogy in the Old Testament; and this is significant because most great persons in the Old Testament have their ancestry identified. It was especially important that the priests be able to prove their ancestry. Melchizedek was not an angel or a superhuman creature; nor was he an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ. He was a real man, a real king, and a real priest in a real city. But as far as the record is concerned, he was not born, nor did he die. In this way, he is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. Though Jesus Christ did die, Calvary was not the end; He arose from the dead and today lives in “the power of an endless life (v. 16). The application is clear: neither Aaron nor any of his descendants could claim to be “without genealogy” (v. 3). They could not claim to have and endless ministry or claim to be both kings and priests like Jesus Christ.

He had authority to receive tithes and to bless Abraham (vv. 4-10). The greatness of Melchizedek is seen in the fact that Abraham gave tithes from the loot of a miniwar. Abraham acknowledged the authority of Melchizedek. Furthermore, Melchizedek blessed Abraham in a special way; and “the less is blessed by the better” (v. 7). In giving Melchizedek tithes and in receiving his blessing, Abraham affirmed the greatness of this king-priest. But how does this relate to Aaron? In an interesting way: Aaron and the tribe of Levi were “in the loins” of Abraham, yet unborn. So, when their father, Abraham acknowledged the greatness of Melchizedek, the tribe of Levi was also involved. The paying of the tithes involved not just the patriarch Abraham, but also the unborn generations in his loins. Since Jesus Christ came “of the seed of Abraham” (Heb. 2:16), does this mean that He too was a part of this experience? No, because Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. His identification with Abraham was for “the days of His flesh” (Heb. 5:7). Since Christ existed before Abraham (John 8:58), He could not have been “in Abraham” as were Aaron and his family.

Hebrews 7:1-10 Reflection Question:

What are some O. T. and N.T. examples of using “peace and righteousness” together?

Isaiah 41:1-29 God, His people, and the Nations

 

The fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC tested Israel’s faith more profoundly than any other single event in the entire Old Testament period. But Isaiah, who clearly saw it would happen (39:5-7), never regarded it as calling God’s sovereignty into question. Babylon like Assyria, had a part to play in the drama of history, but it was the Lord, not they, who wrote the script. After they had made their exit God would press other nations, too, into His service. Isaiah sets out to convince Israel of two things. First, events beginning to take shape about them are the Lord’s doing. Secondly, they themselves, as the surviving remnant of Israel, are God’s servant; He has chosen them and will not abandon them.  Therefore they are to see the fear which has gripped them as the irrational baseless thing it is, and not give into it. So how could Isaiah convince Israel that all that was happening to them was the powerful purposeful hand of God?

Isaiah invites them to imagine God summoning the nations before Him to prove, if they can, that they are the ones who shape History (v. 1). But before the bar of God’s judgment throne they have nothing to say. The rapid advance of Cyrus has made them afraid (vv. 2b-3), and it is clear that their idols are powerless to save them, despite their pathetic attempts to pretend that it is otherwise (vv. 5-7). But is it Cyrus himself then, who is the master of the world? “No” says the Lord, “he is merely my instrument. I am the one who has stirred him up” (v. 2a). Verses 1-7 leave us in suspense with the crucial question of evidence that God did orchestrate the events. But in verses 21-29 the Lord takes up this dispute with the proof that He and He alone is Lord of the historical process is that He announces beforehand what will happen, and then brings it to pass, as He has done in the present case, something that no human man-made idol can do. The rise and progress of Cyrus were no accident; they were foretold through Isaiah, and what the nations saw in due course was God putting His powerful Word into effect. More importantly, the exiles from Judah were in a position to see for themselves the correspondence between Isaiah’s inspired predictions and the events unfolding before them, and to know for certain that their God, the God of Israel, was in total command of their world.

But where did this leave them, and what was their response to be in the present circumstances? First, they were to remember who they were. They were collectively God’s servant, just as their ancestors had been before Him (vv. 8-9). As descendants of Abraham, they still shared in his calling to be a blessing to the whole earth. They might feel themselves to be worms (v. 14), to be poor and needy (v. 17), and utterly insignificant (v. 14), and so in a sense they were. Their significance did not reside in themselves however, or in their circumstances, but in the fact that God had chosen them to serve Him (v. 8).

The form that their service would take is indicated by a startling metaphor with verse 15. It is such a contrast to their present weakness that it is laughable. But two things must be kept in mind. First, a threshing-sledge was an instrument in the farmer’s hands. Its effectiveness depended in the last analysis on the power and skill of the one who wielded it. This is much more a statement about what God will make them and what He will do with them than about what they themselves will achieve. Secondly, a threshing-sledge was an instrument for separating the corn from the chaff, for distinguishing between what was to be gathered into the granary and what was to be burned. “Threshing” is a metaphor for judgment.

The surviving remnant of Israel is still the touchstone by which the nations will be judged. In this sense they will fulfill their calling by simply being there, in the world, as the people of God. They are to remember who they are and not give into fear (vv. 10, 14). They had plenty of enemies, and God would deal with these in due course (vv. 11-12). Far more dangerous, however, was the enemy within. That could undermine their whole relationship with God, for it was a denial of everything God had called them to be. So where in their present situation, did they have for trust? Two very good ones. They had God’s promise to strengthen, help and uphold them (v. 10b). They also had the memory of how God had done just that for their ancestors. Verses 17-20 are full of allusions to the exodus from Egypt, when God sustained His people in the wilderness. The implication, of course, is that God’s promises are not idle ones. What He has done before He will do again. The Lord, who was Israel’s Redeemer from Egypt, will also be her Redeemer from Babylon (v. 14).

Isaiah 41:1-29 Reflection Questions:

Are you totally convinced that God is in total control of your personal world?

What are some of your past experiences that confirm God’s sovereignty? Journal on it.

Why is it important to always re-read about and remember God’s control? What is your part to play?

Why is it important to be praying for Israel in today’s world?

Do you see what God has called you to be as a Christian from this study?