Homework

Our pastor gave us homework in our Wednesday night Bible Study last week. I figured I might as well put my questions and answers here. That way when I get to Bible Study on Wednesday night I can just refer to my notes on my blog.

We are in Genesis 14. We’ve been studying about Abram and how God grew his faith. During the war between a number of ancient city-states in Canaan and Mesopotamia, Abraham's nephew Lot had been captured. He and his family and goods were carted off. One of the prisoners escaped and went back and gave Abram the news. Abram armed 318 of his own servants and pursued the captures to Dan and beyond. Abraham rescued Lot and his family and returned safely.

On his return some kings came out to congratulate him. One of those kings was Melchizedek, King of Salem. He brought Abram bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High and he blessed Abram.

Question: Who was Melchizedek?

Some have speculated that Melchizedek is Yeshua (Jesus), or the archangel Michael, or Shem the son of Noah, or just an ordinary human, or even another divine being as a type of Christ? There is little said about him in the Bible, but we are given several clues.

Hebrews 7:2 gives us some help.

“First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.””

Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 5:6-10 also talk about Melchizedek

“You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

In Hebrews 7:3 we are told that Melchizedek was "without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever".

This means that his position as a priest did not depend on his parents or his genealogy. (unlike the Levitical priests) His priesthood was a different kind. Scripture says nothing about his birth or death (unlike the patriarchs, who are carefully chronicled). He did not create a dynasty of priests, each dying and passing the priesthood to a son.

Psalm 110 predicted that the Lord would be a priest in the same way: not according to genealogy, but by special appointment. This order of priests was significant in several ways: 1) it was more important than the Levitical priesthood, 2) it implied that the Levitical priesthood was temporary and 3) the new priesthood was permanent.

We know that Melchizedek was important because Abram gave him 10% of his spoils of war. The old covenant required the Israelites to give 10% to the Levites, but Abram gave 10% to Melchizedek who was not a Levite. This demonstrates priestly honors before priests even existed. (Levi wasn’t born yet.)

Hebrews 7:11 identifies a new priesthood. It states "if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?" (v. 11)

The law and the priesthood went hand in hand but neither could bring the people to perfection. That is why Psalm 110 spoke of another priesthood. The descendants of Aaron would be replaced by a better priesthood, a better priest—and that has enormous consequences: "For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law" (v. 12). What law is changed? The law that said only Levites could be priests. Which law said that? The old covenant.

As we continue through Hebrews 7, we read: "He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe" (v. 13). We are speaking about Jesus, of whom it is said that he is a priest after the order of Melchizedek—but Jesus was not a Levite. He belonged to the tribe of Judah, and no one from that tribe was ever a priest, and Moses did not authorize anyone from Judah to be a priest (v. 14). And so the law had to be changed. (vs 18-19)

Jesus was appointed as a priest not by a law that focused on genealogy, but because he lives forever at God's right hand. From this fact alone, we can see that the Law of Moses is no longer in force.

As a high priest, Jesus presented a sacrifice for sins. Jesus Christ was the high priest who opened the way for people to approach the throne of grace (the Mercy Seat) with confidence so that they “may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

By saying that Jesus became a priest after the order of Melchizedek, Hebrews is emphasizing that Jesus “became a priest, not according to a legal requirement concerning bodily descent” (Hebrews 7:16-17), but because of the promise made to David that he and his descendants would become priests forever after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4)

So to wrap this up, let’s take the focus off of who was Melchizedek and put the focus on the only identity that counts for eternity. Who was Jesus Christ?

He was the sinless Son of God who was sent to the earth to die for me and you. He willingly allowed himself to be nailed to the cross. He suffered, bled, and died in order to wipe away our sin. Then he defeated Satan and death and rose from the grave. Today he sits at the right hand of God the Father. He loves you with an everlasting love and desires for you to come to repentance and enter into an eternal relationship with Him. All he requires is that you confess your sins and He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. You simply accept His payment on the cross for your sin and then you will forever be a child of God.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

John 1:12 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”