Jesus- Like Melchizedek - Hebrews 7:1-8:6

                             

Melchizedek’s the king of Jerusalem during the time of Abraham. We know about him through only three verses in Genesis, but he becomes an image pointing to Jesus. Abraham’s 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 people in the area that you don’t fool around with Abraham. He heads back to camp and 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. Abraham gives him 10% of what he’s won. This is a king’s part of the spoils of war. This offering identifies Melchizedek as a king and as a priest of God. There’s an echo forward to Mount Sinai and Israel’s offering to the high priest after the Levites were chosen as the tribe of priests. In Numbers 18 we find the call to support the priesthood, 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, He’s a priest appointed by God, not just through family line. Soon after the Lord saves Israel from slavery, the Israelites build a golden calf and worship it. The Levites are the only tribe who refuse to worship the calf. When Moses calls on those faithful to the Lord, Exodus tells us the Levites eagerly rally to him and take up their swords and kill 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. Hebrews identifies Jesus as the priest who engages the 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. Priests call us to confession and to repentance, to change our way and to walk God’s way; this is the core of Jesus’ message, to repent and believe in him. 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.

Melchizedek appears out of nowhere and yet 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, not just Abraham. Jesus comes from the line of kings, 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 faces all temptation and remains 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. 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 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; this one 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 obeys God; if they do, they will 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, “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.” 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. 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, as our priest, he’s always there to intercede for us. 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 Jesus covers us with his purity; his blood on the cross removes our offences in God’s eyes. When you feel like God isn’t hearing your prayers, our comfort comes from knowing Jesus is right there on our behalf!

As followers of Jesus, we’re also called to be priests, standing between the people and God, interceding for them, calling God to act and send his Spirit to work in their hearts. We’re called to live as his people wherever he places us, revealing Jesus to our communities, working to bring the peace of Jesus, offering sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, offering ourselves to God. We call people to follow Jesus who calls us to repent and believe, to live his way and follow his commands. In Peter’s first letter, he writes “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,” a reminder to Israel that in following God’s way, they will be a blessing to the nations by showing the nations who God is through their obedience. We reveal who Jesus is to our community through following his commands to be a people of blessing and love.

Rene Padilla, talking about biblical ethics, calls 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.” We’re called to approach God to pray for our communities; for the Spirit to work in their hearts and draw them to Jesus so they can know forgiveness and grace. We pray for the Spirit to move them to believe in Jesus as we share the gospel news with them. John Calvin reminds us that “doing good and sharing are called sacrifices that are pleasing to God. Thus the generosity of the Philippians in relieving Paul’s poverty is a fragrant sacrifice; and thus all good works of believers are spiritual sacrifices.” We’re called to defend God’s honour through working to create places of peace that reflects our priest-king of peace and righteousness, being, as Jesus calls us to, salt and light to the community.