Hebrews: The New Covenant Administration of Christ Max A Forsythe (c) Anno Domini 2002

From the Pulpit at Pilgrim's Rest Presbyterian Church in America

The Historic Melchizedek
For the Lord’s Day:  the 9^th of November 2003

Hebrews 7: 1-3

“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything.  He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.  He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.”

Introduction:  There are three lessons that we must take from this short passage.  The first lesson is the essential theme in this chapter is to show that Melchizedek and his priesthood is and was superior to the priesthood of Aaron.  A second lesson revolves around the precise nature of the person Melchizedek and his likeness to the future Son of God.  Third we must realize that we are talking about a call to priesthood unlike that expected and understood in the Old Covenant economy.  John Brown explains this last point:  “Melchisedec belonged to an order of priesthood where natural descent was not at all regarded – an order of things free from those artificial restrictions which formed a leading feature of the legal economy; and in this way he was a fit figure of our great New Testament High Priest, who did not belong to the family of Aaron or the tribe of Levi.”

So let us begin to explore these assessments of the ancient Apostle whose revealed arguments help us to understand that the New Covenant of Grace under the administration of Christ is indeed practical and also superior to the former Old Covenant Economy known and loved from the time of Moses.

Our first lesson will only be introduced today, so that further arguments from the text may be built upon the solid foundation of the historic realities faithfully reported and recorded from the time of Abraham.  John Brown puts the opening sections of this chapter in perspective:  “The first three verses consist of a statement of facts; and the following seven, of reasoning from these facts to the superiority of Melchisedec to Aaron, and of his order of priesthood to the Levitical order.”

Now, we have to understand that the promise and oath in Psalm One Hundred and Ten is in the mind of the Apostle a seminal event which may only be understood in the context of One greater than Moses:  our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, when the Lord God of all the earth solemnly declares in the fourth verse of that Psalm:  “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek’,” then this proves the essential point being explained.  Brown again helps us here:  “From the ancient oracle he had already proved the reality, now he proceeds to prove the pre-eminence, of our Lord’s priesthood.”

Development: In order to do that, the Apostle gathers and organizes the handful of facts that can be known about this shadowy figure from the dawn of God’s calling His special people, who are numbered from Abraham down to our day.  It would appear that like the equally elusive character of Job, that Melchizedek was one of the elect who knew the Sovereign Lord God and faithfully worshipped Him alone.  Both figures date back to this age of the Patriarchs and as far as we can know, both must have an independent existence apart from the chosen people of Israel.  We should also note that it was to this general area around Salem, that God caused Abraham to leave his father’s home and travel into the region of Palestine.

To establish the facts of our second lesson, let’s go back to the original record in Genesis 14: 17-20:  “After [Abram’s] return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)  And he blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’”

We also read a few verses later that Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe of the spoils of battle in recognition of his office and ministry.  John Owen summarizes nine things that we may know about this great pre-historic priest, if I may use Abraham’s era as coinciding with the beginning of a history of God’s chosen tribe and eventual nation.

“The person spoken about is described in various ways: 

first, by his name, Melchizedek;
second, by his office: he was a king;
third, by the place of his rule, which was Salem, for he was King of Salem;
fourth, by another office: a priest of God Most High;
fifth, by his actions as a priest: he blessed Abraham;
sixth, by the acknowledgment of his office by Abraham, who gave him a tenth of everything;
seventh, by the interpretation of his name: “king of righteousness”;
eighth, the place of his reign: “king of peace”;
 ninth, by his various characteristics: without [parents & family] or beginning of days or end of life.”

Now, while this is the clear teaching of the scriptures, very many commentators over the years have speculated on the precise order of being that Melchizedek was.  John Brown outlines the options of surmise:  “One class of early heretics held that Melchisedec was the Holy Ghost; another, that he was a divine virtue, superior in power to Christ, after whose likeness Christ was formed by God; a third class held an opinion which has still some supporters, that he was the Son of God in human form; a fourth class were of opinion that he was an angel.”

Brown observes that it is only the third likeness that needs any more than a passing notice.  However, he quickly dismisses the option that Melchizedek was an ancient pre-incarnate visitation of the Christ.  There are a handful of places in the Old Testament where such a visitation is probable – but none of my usual commentators sense that here.

Melchizedek, the man who reigned in Salem and served as a priest to the Triune God, is used by the Apostle as a characteristic type for Christ.  Just as Adam, Moses, Joshua, David and Solomon realized certain aspects of our Lord’s person and ministry, so too is Melchizedek to be seen in a similar light.  It is to his standing as a priest worthy of the office that is recognized by Abram and Abram receives in return for his subservience and offering a blessing in accordance with the same announced by God.

The difficult part here to appreciate in following the argument of the Apostle, is to get at the practical superiority that the author is aiming at.  We have the sense from the commentators that because the House of Aaron and that of Levi were still in the loins of Abram – thus their own priesthoods must be lesser than the priesthood of Melchizedek.

Therefore the type of Christ’s priesthood is firmly established in the righteousness and peace highlighted in the titles of Melchizedek.  And Melchizedek is shown to be “like unto the Son of God” and Christ must be demonstrated as in “the order of Melchizedek,” as well.

To this end we must understand the simple meaning of the description in verse three:  “He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.”  His apparent, unrecorded lack of parentage and genealogy only highlights the distinctive nature of his personal calling apart from the far stricter limitations of the Great Covenant whereby Aaron and the sons of Levi are charged with the priestly and teaching responsibilities throughout the Old Covenant economy.  The statement about days and life only indicates that he served as priest as long as he lived and not for the strictly limited time frame outlined in laws of Israel.  His continuation as priest was only during the course of his life and this notation as well as the others, demonstrates a marked difference with the normal pattern of the Aaronical order.

John Brown observes: “it has been said that the want of all record in reference to Melchisadec’s father, and mother, and genealogy – in reference to his birth and his death – were intended to fit him to be an emblem of Jesus Christ, who as God has no mother, and as man no father.”  However pithy and to the point that poetic description may sound, the whole point is that God alone appoints His true priests and they need not in the least be finally limited to lawful regulations.

After all, it should be patently obvious that even in our own time, very much of the Christian Church has missed the boat in its appointment of ministers and prelates!  For every legitimate minister called by God – there appear to be at the very least an equal number who would keep God’s men from their appointed office and duties, in order that a more politically correct crowd be given the “keys of the kingdom” and the rewards for service.  And in the time of Christ it took a particularly special kind of theological pervert to accomplish the sacrifice of God’s own Son who would be appointed to their office forever and ever.

Application:  Now, there is something special being detailed in the last verse of our passage today.  And here is where our third lesson evolves into a revelation that is magnificent in its unfolding.  And that is the revelation of the New Administration of Christ where the absolute grace of God outshines the obvious purposes of the law to make us realize the sin which so easily and continually entangles us day in and day out throughout our whole earthly existence.  You see, one of the offices of any priest is to bless the people of God.  Those blessings and benedictions are really and truly beyond the power and ability of any mere mortal man.

Of this, I have certainly gained a first hand knowledge these last few months in visiting the sick in our area hospitals.  Yes, I spent many hours in encouragement, even crying with you and praying for you.  You don’t know how helpless I felt, standing in the wings – praying for not only the Lord’s will in Christ for you but for your all too human doubts, fears and sufferings.  The very best that I can do for you is like Melchizedek is to bring “bread and wine” and a “blessing” to you – leaving the Lord to work out His final and authoritative will in your regard.  And yet, those are only symbols that point to the all-sufficient Christ and His accomplished ministry on the cross for all of us.  Melchizedek, the man and priest – must only be seen as a foretaste of our Lord Jesus Christ who was, is and always has been the author of grace, mercy and salvation.

The whole purpose of the Great Covenant and the experience of the Old Covenant economy was to demonstrate our need for the greater economy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  May we learn this lesson well?  Amen.

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PREACHING RESOURCES
Brown, John.  A Geneva Series Commentary:  Hebrews.
Owen, John:  Commentary on the Book of Hebrews.
The Holy Bible:  English Standard Version.

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