June 18, 2023 Jesus: like Melchizedek Hebrews 7:1-8:6

Today we are continuing our series based on the book of Hebrews and will be reflecting on Hebrews 7-8:6 Jesus – Like Melchizedek. We start to see the priestly influence of the writer in this part of the letter. The writer connects Jesus to Melchizedek, a king and priest who shows up out of nowhere in the Bible. Yet Abraham treats him as a superior. He even offers this previously unknown king 10% of the spoils of the battle he’s fought in order to save his nephew Lot and Lot’s family. Aaron, Moses’ brother is the head of the line of priests in Israel, but Melchizedek comes way before Aaron. His is a much older line. The writer connects Jesus to this older priestly line that comes out of the power of an indestructible life. This is another interesting thought the writer introduces. 

Transcript

Jesus Like Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:1-8:6

Melchizedek’s a king during the time of Abraham of what later became known as Jerusalem. We know about him through only three verses in Genesis, but he becomes a picture of what kind of Messiah is coming. Abraham is a powerful force in Canaan. He’s just beaten a coalition of four kings who had captured his nephew Lot and Lot’s family. He shows the other people in the area that you don’t fool around with the people Abraham protects. Abraham heads back to his camp and he meets Melchizedek who offers Abraham bread, a sign of hospitality and friendship. 

Then comes a strange act, Melchizedek blesses Abraham because he’s a priest of the Most-High God and Abraham gives this king 10% of what he has. This was a king’s part of the spoils of war and a sign that Abraham recognises Melchizedek as a king from God, but also points to Melchizedek as a priest of God. This echoes forward to what Israel was called to give to the high priest at Mount Sinai after the Levites were chosen as the tribe of priests. In Numbers 18 we find a call to support the priesthood, but especially Aaron, the first high priest, “In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.”

The writer to the Hebrews sees this as very important. Priests come from the tribe of Levi, but Melchizedek doesn’t since he came before the Levites, making him a different kind of priest, a priest who is appointed by God, not just through family. During their journey in the wilderness led by Moses, the Israelites commit a grave sin by building a golden calf and worshipping it. The Levites were the only tribe who did not worship the calf. So, when Moses called on those faithful to the Lord, Exodus tells us the Levites eagerly rallied to him and took up their swords and killed many of those who worshipped the golden calf. God makes them priests to defend his honor through the rituals and sacrifices God gives Israel. In Numbers 3:12-13, God says, “The Levites are now to be mine. When I killed all the first-born of the Egyptians, I consecrated as my own the oldest son of each Israelite family and the first-born of every animal. Now, instead of having the first-born sons of Israel as my own, I have the Levites; they will belong to me. I am the Lord.” 

The Levites become God’s specially chosen children and Israel’s spiritual leaders. Later, Jesus as our priest, engages in a battle against the idols and gods of our day that lead us into idolatry. Jesus doesn’t take the blood of his enemies, but offers his life blood to defeat Satan and wash us clean of our sin guilt in worshipping the idols of our time. Jesus brings salvation. The priests call us to confession and to repentance, to change our way and to walk Jesus’ way; this is the core of Jesus’ message, to repent and to believe in him. The priests call the people back to right living according to God’s way; it’s the same today as Jesus calls us to follow him, to walk in his way. Rene Padilla talks about biblical ethics, calling us to engage the world as followers of Jesus. He writes, “without ethics, biblical ethics, there is no real repentance,” and that “biblical ethics includes social engagement in the world we live in.” 

Melchizedek appears out of nowhere in the Bible and knows God in a place where no one else seems to. Melchizedek means king of righteousness and he’s king of Salem, which means peace. Abraham, a man of war, humbles himself before Melchizedek and receives a blessing from him. This foreshadows Jesus as our king of righteousness and peace who comes into the violence of our sin to bring peace with God and call us to walk his path, the way of righteousness. God reveals himself to Melchizedek about the time he chooses Abraham; working through various people. Jesus later comes from the line of kings, from and he’s a priest forever. At the time of Hebrews, Psalm 110 was read as a vision of the kingdom of God, and foreshadows Jesus is the ultimate spiritual leader of God’s people. The emphasis here again is how Jesus is superior to Melchizedek, as he’s superior to angels, Moses, and all others. Jesus is superior because he faced all temptation and remained true to God, Jesus suffered and remained committed to following God’s will, Jesus understands the people as he appears in the presence of God, holy and pure. 

Priests play a key role in the life of Israel. Louis Berkhof, a Reformed theologian, writes, “while a prophet represented God among the people, a priest represented the people before God. Both were teachers, but while the former taught the moral, the later taught the ceremonial law. Moreover, the priests had the special privilege of approach to God, and of speaking and acting in behalf of the people…. a priest is taken from among men to be their representative, is appointed by God, is active before God in the interests of men, and offers gifts and sacrifices for sins. He also makes intercession for the people.”

The Heidelberg Catechism, in question and answer 31 teaches, “Jesus has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be… our only high priest who has delivered us by the one sacrifice of his body, and who continually pleads our cause with the Father….” Jesus is different from all other priests. Jesus stands in the place between us and God; he’s the guarantee of the better covenant because he’s the sacrifice, the perfect and last sacrifice. “Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” 

The language of this section of the letter points us to how Israel was shaped by the laws and rituals God gave Israel at Mount Sinai after he saved them from slavery to the Egyptians. God shows his desire for a relationship with his people through making different covenants with them. There were many covenants in the Old Testament; one made with Noah to never flood the earth again, one with Abraham to bless Abraham and the nations of the world through Abraham, one with Moses to be Israel’s God and they his people, but it was a conditional covenant; we read in Exodus 19:5–6, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” This covenant would only be in effect if Israel obeyed God, and if they did, they would be priests, interceding for the nations of the world before God, revealing God to the nations! There’s the covenant with David that a king would come from his line to rule over his kingdom forever, pointing ahead to Jesus. This is why Melchizedek is so fascinating because he’s both king and priest, pointing straight to Jesus. Today, it’s not through the old covenants and law that we come to God; it’s through Jesus and a new covenant, with Jesus the priest of this covenant. 

The new covenant was already promised in Jeremiah. It says, “I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” This covenant moves inside of us, into our hearts, the place where Jesus’ Spirit makes his home. The Spirit reveals himself to us and helps us to see Jesus and who he is as our saviour and redeemer. The law written on the heart is the law as Jesus taught us, the law of loving God and each other.

The foundation of the new covenant doesn’t change. God is our God and we are his people. This is the great promise and the great comfort. Hebrews tells us we come close to God through Jesus because he’s always there to intercede for us. This means that when we mess up, Jesus is standing right beside his Father, pleading our case for us, admitting that we’re messed up people who don’t deserve to be forgiven by God, but since we’ve come to Jesus, Jesus covers us with his purity, his blood on the cross removes our offences in God’s eyes.

We are called to live as his people wherever he places us, revealing Jesus to our communities, working to bring the peace of Jesus into the places we live, work, study, and play. We’re called to imitate Jesus, to be priest like in our communities, calling them to follow Jesus who calls us to repent and believe, to live his way and follow his commands. In Peter’s first letter, he tells us that “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Peter likely had God’s call to Israel at Mount Sinai in mind when God said, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” This was a reminder to Israel that in following God’s way, they will be a blessing to the nations by revealing to the nations through their obedience who God is, and in response they will be treasured by God. We’re called to approach God to pray for our communities, to pray for the Spirit to work in their hearts and draw them to Jesus so they can know forgiveness and grace, moved to believe in Jesus and repent and walk the way of Jesus.