Daily Bread
Hebrews 7
Melchizedek the Priest
1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.
4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
Observation:
Again in chapter 7 we are introduced to Melchizedek, who was both a priest (mediator between God and man) and a king (ruler over man). It is unclear whether this is a real figure or a spiritual metaphor foreshadowing the role Jesus would play. If he is a literal person, he would be one of the first persons who never died, which is doubtful, given the resurrection hadn’t happened yet.
But all that being said, his importance is for teaching the Jewish Christians, or Hebrews, the transition from the old covenant, where priests made atonement for sins to make people right with God, to Jesus who is a priest forever. As an eternal priest he does not need to be replaced, and continues even now interceding (or praying) for us night and day. Because he is pure and sinless, he does not have to offer sacrifices each day, but has been sacrificed once and for all on the cross.
Application:
Even sometimes today we operate under the old covenant thinking, where we have make sacrifices for our sins when we commit them. There are various ways we do this, as in doing good things to make up for the bad things we have done. But when we buy into this mode of thinking, we miss the point of the once and for all sacrifice Jesus has made for us.
As we operate in the mode of the law, which is if I do this I have to make up for it by doing that, we set ourselves up for failure. But if we truly understand this new Promise, this new Covenant which was sealed in Jesus’ blood, we will see that we are truly free from the demands of the law.
When Abraham realized how great the king/priest Melchizedek was, he offered him a tenth of all of his plunder. It was the natural outcome of coming to grips with someone who was so much greater than the Law. As you consider Jesus, your priest and your king, and realize that He has secured your place in heaven because of the once and for all sacrifice he has made for you, it will be natural to offer back to him in response for this great gift!
Prayer: God we thank you for Jesus, or priest and our king. We thank you that he continues to pray and intercede for us in heaven. As we meet him may we offer our best back to him in preparation for the worship we will offer in heaven someday when we meet him face to face. In His name we pray, Amen.
Melchizedek the Priest
1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.
4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
Observation:
Again in chapter 7 we are introduced to Melchizedek, who was both a priest (mediator between God and man) and a king (ruler over man). It is unclear whether this is a real figure or a spiritual metaphor foreshadowing the role Jesus would play. If he is a literal person, he would be one of the first persons who never died, which is doubtful, given the resurrection hadn’t happened yet.
But all that being said, his importance is for teaching the Jewish Christians, or Hebrews, the transition from the old covenant, where priests made atonement for sins to make people right with God, to Jesus who is a priest forever. As an eternal priest he does not need to be replaced, and continues even now interceding (or praying) for us night and day. Because he is pure and sinless, he does not have to offer sacrifices each day, but has been sacrificed once and for all on the cross.
Application:
Even sometimes today we operate under the old covenant thinking, where we have make sacrifices for our sins when we commit them. There are various ways we do this, as in doing good things to make up for the bad things we have done. But when we buy into this mode of thinking, we miss the point of the once and for all sacrifice Jesus has made for us.
As we operate in the mode of the law, which is if I do this I have to make up for it by doing that, we set ourselves up for failure. But if we truly understand this new Promise, this new Covenant which was sealed in Jesus’ blood, we will see that we are truly free from the demands of the law.
When Abraham realized how great the king/priest Melchizedek was, he offered him a tenth of all of his plunder. It was the natural outcome of coming to grips with someone who was so much greater than the Law. As you consider Jesus, your priest and your king, and realize that He has secured your place in heaven because of the once and for all sacrifice he has made for you, it will be natural to offer back to him in response for this great gift!
Prayer: God we thank you for Jesus, or priest and our king. We thank you that he continues to pray and intercede for us in heaven. As we meet him may we offer our best back to him in preparation for the worship we will offer in heaven someday when we meet him face to face. In His name we pray, Amen.
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