Great Melchizedek
Hebrews • Sermon • Submitted
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· 20 viewslooking at the symbols of Melchizedek as both king and high priest as it relates to Jesus
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King AND Priest - 7:1-3
King AND Priest - 7:1-3
Melchizedek blesses Abraham and receives from Abraham a tithe of what Abraham had taken in battle (even though Abraham will not keep any of the remainder, but return it to the king of Sodom) - Gen 14:20-24
and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”
Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of Most High God, his name means king of righteousness and his title is king of peace - Gen 14:18
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)
Melchizedek has no recorded priestly lineage (not that his creation was miraculous, but he did not inherit the priesthood), nor is there any record of his ending or replacement; Hebrew author argues from silence that his priesthood is perpetual
Significance of King and Priest
Significance of King and Priest
Two lines of authority under Law of Moses - civil (king) and spiritual (priest)
They were always separate from each other - 1 Sam 13:8-14; 2 Chron 26:3-5; 16-19
He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.
But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense.
The only two exceptions are Melchizedek, who precedes the Law, and Joshua, who is a symbol of the Messiah - Zech 6:9-15
And the word of the Lord came to me: “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’ And the crown shall be in the temple of the Lord as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. “And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
Uniting the king and priest together brings the two authorities together in one
This strengthens the sovereignty of Jesus over His kingdom, regardless of the governments of men - Phil 3:18-21
For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
This complete subjection to the will of God results in righteousness and peace for His people
Melchizedek, greater than Levi - 7:4-10
Melchizedek, greater than Levi - 7:4-10
Author calls Melchizedek great, even though he is only mentioned in two OT passages - Gen 14 & Psa 110
By Abraham giving a tithe to Melchizedek, he submits to him as the greater
The sons of Levi collected tithes from the descendents of Abraham
But the one who is not from Abraham (Melchizedek) collected the tithe from Abraham and blessed him
The greater always blesses the lesser
The sons of Levi were mortal (subject to death), but the one who “lives on” (his priesthood did not end in death) collected from Abraham
So Levi, in the loins of Abraham, who receives tithes, also paid them to one greater - Gen 25:23; 35:11; Mal 1:2-4
And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”
And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.
“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’ ”
Questions for Next Week:
Questions for Next Week:
3- What is so important about the tribe from which Jesus is born?
4- How is Jesus qualified to be our High Priest?
5- Which is better - many or one?