Hebrews 7a

Hebrews 7

Hebrews 7

Shawn Bumpers / General

Hebrews

Introduction

As I hope you remember, the author had begun a discourse on the High Priesthood of Jesus back in chapter 5.

But then he detoured to exhort his readers to move beyond the milk and to the meat of God’s Word in chapter 6.

So, that’s what we talked about last week in chapter 6.

In that discourse, he said that Jesus’ priesthood was greater than that of the Aaronic priesthood.

Psalm 110:4 NKJV

The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 5:10 NKJV

called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”

• The Aaronic Priesthood had a beginning … it began when God instituted the priesthood from among Israel after they had left Egypt and before they entered Canaan.

Under this priesthood, the priests offered sacrifices for the people, but they also had to offer sacrifices for themselves.

• There was another priesthood that pre-dated Israel and pre-dated the giving of the Law of Moses.

We are introduced to this priesthood in Genesis 14.

Genesis 14:18–20 NKJV

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.

The Levitical priesthood had pre-dated the rulership of kings in Israel.

Of course, God was the original King of Israel, but the people desired a king like the other nations had.

John 1:1 NKJV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And whenever a king took it upon himself to perform the duties of priest, scripture testifies to the fact that God judged them.

The name means “King of Righteousness.”

Jesus Christ is our High Priest AND King.

The High Priests according to the law were priests for life, but they all died and the priesthood was then passed down.

The Bible records no beginning for Melchizedek nor the end of his life.

Jesus was born of the seed of David, the tribe of Judah. 

Whereas we touched on it briefly with chapter 5, the writer now pursues this commentary on the High-Priesthood of Jesus with gusto.

v1-3

But then we get to Genesis 14 and discover Melchizedek.

That was Salem … or later Jerusalem.

In Genesis 14, Abraham (Abram) did not set foot in Salem … Melchizedek brought out bread and wine to Abraham.

And these not only long before “Christians” existed, but long before Jews or Israel existed.

In the Bible, names and their meanings are often important.

Sometimes names were given as prophecy and sometimes names were changed due to some critical event or spiritual change.

Joshua 10 tells us that Adoni-Zedek was an enemy of Joshua and Israel, so either something changed over the years or God was doing something more here.

Luke 24:27 NKJV

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Joshua 2:10–11 NKJV

For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

So, one option is that Melchizedek was priest and king of a pre-Israel gentile city where El Elyon, God Most High was worshipped.

The other option is that Melchizedek was priest and king of a Canaanite city where a false god called Tzedek was worshipped.

Of course, if that’s the case, perhaps we run into problems with Abraham’s giving of a tithe to him and receiving bread and wine and a blessing.

Now, Melchizedek was also “king” of Salem, which means “Peace.”

So we have righteousness and peace prominently featured here, but this is not the only place the two are found together.

Isaiah 32:17 NKJV

The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.

Psalm 85:10 NKJV

Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.

Psalm 72:7 NKJV

In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more.

James 3:17–18 NKJV

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Romans 3:10 NKJV

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;

Romans 5:1 NKJV

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Galatians 2:21 NKJV

I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Now, let’s consider the fact that Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes.

We’ll get much more deeply into this in verses 4-10.

Leviticus 27:30–32 NKJV

And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord.

Luke 19:8 NKJV

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

Tithing is mentioned only a few times in the New Testament.

Jesus acknowledged that the Pharisees were very careful about their tithing but criticized the importance they placed on it above mercy, love, justice, and faithfulness.

2 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Melchizedek was “Without father … without mother … WITHOUT GENEALOGY … having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the son of God, remains continually.”

So … Melchizedek is eternal?

It’s the Greek word ἀφομοιόω aphomoioō meaning “to be likened to.”

Melchizedek was likened to Christ, but Melchizedek was not Christ.

He was quite simply a regular man … a king and priest of Salem, pre-Israel who may or may not have worshipped the One true God.

And in this way, he is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God.