This passage refers to the time when Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against many kings. Four kings in Abraham’s region had united and had conquered Sodom and other neighboring cities. Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family lived in Sodom. When Abraham heard that Lot and his family had been captured, Abraham mobilized 318 men for battle. With a surprise attack, Abraham and his tiny band of men liberated Lot and the others who had been captured (Genesis 14:12-16).After defeating the four kings, Abraham became the greatest power in the land, and Melchizedek met him and blessed him. Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had won in the battle and gave it to Melchizedek because Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High. By giving the tithe to Melchizedek, Abraham was giving the gift to God’s representative.
Although these two men were strangers to each other, they shared a most important characteristic: Both worshiped and served the one God who made heaven and earth. This was a great moment of triumph for Abraham. He had just defeated an army and had freed a large group of captives. If he had any doubt in his mind about who had gained the victory, Melchizedek set the record straight (Genesis 14:20). Abraham recognized that he and this man worshiped the same God.
The original readers of Hebrews would have known that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham because he was able to receive tithes and give a blessing. This argument may not carry the same logical forcefulness for readers today as it did then, but these early Jewish believers understood the argument.
One of the reasons why Melchizedek is so significant is that his name means “king of justice” (the suffix of his name, “zedek,” means justice.) He is also the “king of peace” because Salem means “peace.” (“Salem” can be translated peace.) In Melchizedek’s name and position, justice and peace come together. Therefore, Melchizedek represents the same character traits as the Messiah, Jesus, who revealed God’s justice and peace.
Who was Melchizedek? Through the years, many have believed that he was Christ himself appearing in human form to Abraham—technically called a “Christophany” (an appearance of Christ in the Old Testament). This seems unlikely because Melchizedek is said to resemble Christ. Ancient Jewish interpretation said he was an angelic being, but there is no evidence in Genesis, Psalm 110:4, or Hebrews to support this theory. The best interpretation is that Melchizedek was a non-Jewish, historical priest-king who lived in ancient times and was a symbol and type of Christ.
The Bible does not provide a genealogy for Melchizedek nor a record of his death. While the Bible does not supply details of Melchizedek’s life, most likely Melchizedek was a human king and priest who really did have parents, and thus was born and eventually died. Because the text records no beginning or end to his life, it is as though Melchizedek never was born or died. The contrast is being made between Melchizedek and Aaron’s priestly line, which depended entirely on genealogy. Priests in Aaron’s family succeeded upon the death of the prior priest, making the date of death extremely important. None of the apparatus of the Aaronic priesthood (Exodus 39) applied to Melchizedek, except God’s appointment. In this way, Melchizedek foreshadows Jesus, God’s special emissary. With no record of beginning or end, Melchizedek remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God .
Centuries after Melchizedek, the psalmist predicted that the Messiah would be a priest in the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4). More than one thousand years later, the author of Hebrews quoted the psalmist. Melchizedek was not the final priest. Neither was Aaron. Christ became the perfect, final priest.
He is the one who allows us to follow him as he enters God’s presence. Old Testament priests were vital to the spiritual life of Israel, but they were imperfect and temporary. Only one priest could fulfill God’s plan. The writer explained about this different priest who has now come. By being in the line of Melchizedek, Jesus Christ was both priest and king.
The historian Josephus estimated that eighty-three high priests served Israel from the first high priest, Aaron, to the fall of the second Temple in a.d. 70. Each served in his job, and each eventually died. But Jesus remains a priest forever. Every high priest would hand off his job to his successor. Not Christ; his priesthood will never end. Only Jesus is qualified to become a permanent priest for the entire human race.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
I know this passage is a bit lengthy and a bit esoteric. Yet the deep truth found here is so foundational to our faith. Unlike Buddha or Joesph Smith or Mohammad or any other religious leader, Jesus sets Himself apart by the work He did on the cross and the work He continues to do as our High Priest.
He battles for us. He prays for us. He seeks to bless us and protect us and make a way for us. He is constantly working on our behalf, even though we may not see it or recognize it.
What should be our response? Five words.
The first thing you look for is an attitude of penitence toward sin, repentance toward sin, disdain for sin. You cannot continue in sin, 1 John says, and call yourself God's child. You're going to be like Paul, you're going to see sin in your life but you're not going to like it. Romans 7 Paul said, "I see things in my life I hate." You're going to confess your sin, you're going to acknowledge your sin. There's going to be an attitude of penitence.
Secondly, righteousness. You're going to be characterized not only by penitence but by righteousness. Remember when Jesus said you're never going to be in My Kingdom unless your righteousness exceeds that of...whom?...the scribes and the Pharisees. Now theirs was purely external righteousness, they just went through external ceremonial things, external moral and social things. But the kind of righteousness that the Lord looks for, the kind that belongs to people in His Kingdom is not an external righteousness, but an internal one. And what that means is the love of doing what is right. If you're truly Christ's you love righteousness, you love what's right. It's far more than the superficial righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. It's doing what is right from the heart. You long to do what's right.
The third key word is submission. You eagerly, gladly, joyfully, happily submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ. You count the cost, you pay the price, you yield up your life, you give all you have if need be, the opposite of what the rich young ruler was willing to do. You count the cost. You make whatever sacrifice because nothing...nothing is as valuable as the lordship of Christ in your life. You gladly proclaim Him your sovereign and joyfully follow Him whatever He asks. That's your heart cry, even though you sometimes aren't willing as you ought, that's your deepest longing.
The fourth word is obedience. The truth of God's Word is compelling to you and you're not just a hearer of it, you're a doer of it. You say, "Oh how I love Your law," Scripture compels you, you love to be obedient to it. Penitence, righteousness, submission, obedience and the fifth word is love. Your life is marked by love for God and love for God's people...love to the Lord and love to other people who are in Christ.
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