Melchize-who?

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Hebrews 7 (click the link)


KEY PASSAGE:
Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:27-28, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
I must admit that when assigning Greg the difficult topic discussed in chapter 6, I did so with a villainous cackle and a twist of my imaginary mustache. But then my conscience was stricken with guilt and, as an act of penance, I not only assigned myself the chapter discussing a guy named Melchizedek but the chapter about the earthly and heavenly temples (chapter 9). Cursed guilty conscience!

So who is this Melchizedek guy? And what is the author of Hebrews trying to say to us by inserting him into the conversation? After all, he not only has a funny sounding name but he plays a seemingly small and almost insignificant part in the biblical story. (Outside of Hebrews, he's mentioned in a total of five biblical verses—Genesis 14:17-20 and Psalm 110:4).

What seems at first as a very technical, almost bizarre discussion turns out to be quite significant when we understand the full impact of the author's intentions. So, at the danger of getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty details, here goes…

According to Psalm 110:4, the messianic King is appointed by God as "a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." The writer of Hebrews has quoted the passage three times already (5:6, 10; 6:20), so it's obviously extremely important to what he wants us to understand about Jesus.

The writer believes that Jesus has been appointed by God to a position at his right hand, and that he is currently waiting for his kingdom to be complete (Psalm 110:1). But the writer then asked himself a very intriguing question: what exactly did the same psalm mean when it spoke of Jesus' priesthood as being according to "the order of Melchizedek"? What sort of priesthood did Melchizedek have? What clues might there be to help us understand about the priesthood of Jesus?

So, the writer begins by summarizing the Genesis story of Melchizedek and sort of musing about the meaning of Melchizedek's name…

[Hmmm… When translated, Melchizedek's name literally means "king of righteousness" and he just so happens to be the "king of Salem" (that is, Jerusalem), and since salem (or shalom) means "peace," he is also "king of peace." What a kawinkydink! That sounds a lot like Jesus, doesn't it?]

He then zeros in on three unique and important details about Melchizedek's priesthood, which can be summarized as follows:

He was introduced into the biblical story as "priest of God Most High," but there is no mention of where he got his priesthood from. Apparently, he did not inherit his priesthood; instead, it was given to him by appointment from God.

There is no mention of his priesthood starting or finishing with birth or death. So, in a symbolic sort of way, his priesthood is "infinite" or "lasting."  

His priesthood was greater than the Levitical priesthood, because even Abraham offered tithes to him. If Abraham, the chief forefather, paid tithes to Melchizedek, then he is obviously not only superior to Abraham but also to Levi, who was Abraham's great great grandchild.

So, in what ways might Melchizedek's priesthood help us understand the priesthood of Jesus? Here's three points the writer emphasizes: 

According to the law, Jesus would've been disqualified from serving as a priest because he was from the tribe of Judah (the law said priests could only be from the tribe of Levi). However, he was appointed by God to be "a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek." This is a point the writer has already emphasized in 5:5-6 and 5:10. In appointing Jesus as high priest, God was doing a whole new thing.

Similar to Melchizedek, Jesus possesses a priesthood that lasts forever. Levitical priests would serve for a while and then die. However, Jesus rose from the grave and now serves as high priest "on the basis of the power of an indestructible life" (verse 16). 

Just as Melchizedek was superior to Abraham (and Levi), Jesus himself, the Melchizedek-type high priest, is far superior to the Levitical priesthood. This is the main point emphasized throughout verses 11-28. The temple and all that goes with it is now obsolete and we can put complete confidence and trust in Jesus, the true and lasting high priest.

Through God's appointment, Jesus became the "perfect" high priest whose ministry endures forever. Hebrews has a lot to say about "perfection" (2:10; 5:9; 7:11; 7:19; 7:28; 9:11; 10:1; 10:14; 11:40; 12:2; 12:23). The idea of "perfection" talked about so much in this letter could also be translated "completeness" or "full maturity." God is working nonstop to bring the world to perfection and doing whatever is necessary to make it fully complete.

The Jewish people never understood that the Levitical priests and their daily offering of sacrifices were designed by God to point forward to a future "perfection." They were not meant as an end unto themselves; God designed all these things to be shadows or symbols that pointed forward to something—or better, Someone—who was yet to come. 

So, while it may seem quite technical, the thrust of all this is to celebrate the fact that, with the coming and achievement of Jesus, the Melchizedek-type high priest, God has brought into being the "perfection" which up until then had been impossible.

Jesus died in our place, rose from the grave, and ascended to God's right hand. He is alive forever! Because of this, we can trust in the eternal, fully effective priesthood of the Son of God, the Messiah. This is the "better hope," by which we draw near to God (verse 19).

Jesus stands forever in God's presence as our representative and champion. Through the power of his death-conquering life, he is "able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" (verse 25).

He "has been made perfect forever," perfect in his fully qualified and effective priesthood, through which he has offered himself once and for all. The Levitical priests had to keep on offering sacrifices, day after day and year after year. But part of the perfection, the completeness, of Jesus' priesthood is that he achieved in a single great sacrifice that which all the previous sacrifices pointed but which they could never bring to perfection.

Now at last "perfection" is here, and Jesus has achieved it for us. Let us then press on in faith and hope so that we may fully grasp the perfection—the glorious new world—which God has prepared for us.

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom and I really miss my Granddad Ira. He went to be with Jesus last December, and I miss him terribly. He loved the Lord and he loved his family. He was a servant-hearted man whose goal for each day with to bless those around him. He was a living example to me of one who continuously lived with a heart that was open to God (Psalm 139:23-24). I'm thankful for the resurrection of Christ that guarantees I will see my Granddad again.