God's Word for You (Monday, Dec 19, 2011)

A Daily Devotion by Pastor Tim Smith

Hebrews 7:1-3

For the past few years, we have turned to chapters of Hebrews during Holy Week and at Christmastime. We will return to 1 Kings after the New Year.

Melchizedek the Priest
7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. (NIV)

The Melchizedek story takes place in Genesis 14. Before the birth of Ishmael and long before the birth of Isaac, not long after Abraham (still called Abram) moved to Canaan, there was a war, perhaps partly brought on by the famine that briefly drove Abraham and Sarah into Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20). During the war, Abraham’s nephew Lot was captured when the King of Sodom (Lot’s home town) fled into the hills south of the Dead Sea. Abraham took his own men, 318 trained soldiers (the equivalent of a small battalion in today’s terms), and attacked the marching victors, defeating them and restoring Lot and the rest of the people of Sodom together with their possessions (Genesis 14:16).

It is at this point that our writer picks up references to the story. Although the king of Sodom went out to congratulate him (and “give” him a reward from the booty), Abraham wouldn’t accept anything he offered. But then Abraham fell over himself paying respect to the priest-king of Salem, Melchizedek.

This man, whose name and title mean “King of righteousness” and “King of peace,” is used by our writer to teach us about the superiority of Jesus even over the Levitical priesthood of the Jews. This Melchizedek “resembled” the Son of God (verse 3). How did he resemble Christ?

  1. He was the King of righteousness (the meaning of “Melchizedek,” verse 2). This was also a title given to Christ by the prophet Jeremiah: “I will raise up from David’s line a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land” (Jeremiah 23:5).
  2. He was the King of peace (the meaning of “King of Salem,” verse 2). This was also a title given to Christ by the prophet Isaiah (the “Prince of Peace,” Isaiah 9:6). “Peace” and “King” were also some of the things the crowds shouted as Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38).
  3. He appeared to have an eternal existence (he was “without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life” verse 3). The man Melchizedek undoubtedly had a father and mother and ancestors, but the Bible nor any other document records his genealogy, so the writer to the Hebrews calls him agenealogitos, “without genealogy.” A genealogy was crucial for a Levitical priest, because if he couldn’t prove his ancestry he couldn’t serve (Ezra 2:61-63). Melchizedek is a type of Christ; a picture of what Christ would be: A priest who did not trace his lineage to Levi, yet acknowledged by all as a (The) great high priest. Abraham didn’t know Melchizedek’s lineage, but he tithed to him. Christ is not descended from Levi, yet his sacrifice was acceptable to God once, for all sins. No Levitical priest could ever have made such a sacrifice.
  4. He met Abraham; Abraham didn’t go to find him (verse 1). We do not choose to find Christ; Christ comes to us in the Gospel and meets us where we are in life.
  5. He blessed Abraham (verse 1), and through Abraham, he blessed Levi (Abraham’s descendant and the ancestor of the Levitical priesthood).
  6. He was a priest “forever” (verse 3). This is tied to the idea of Melchizedek being “without genealogy.” Every Levitical priest finally died, and his priesthood ended. Aaron himself was no longer the high priest after his death on Mount Hor (Numbers 20:22-29), but his son Eleazar became the high priest. But Christ is a priest forever, because his sacrifice is acceptable forever. There is no priest who must come after Christ, to sacrifice anything ever again. This is why Lutheran ministers are not called “priests,” because we do not offer sacrifices to atone for sins. The sacrifice offered by Christ was perfect and complete, and stands completed and accepted by God forever.
  7. Abraham tithed to him (verse 2). This last point is very important. Abraham wouldn’t give the King of Sodom the time of day, and yet he gave a tenth of the rescued treasure to Melchizedek. The recipient of a tithe is always greater than the one who gives the gift.

Christ is superior, and his sacrifice is superior. Because of Jesus our Great High Priest, we have forgiveness and eternal life.

Pastor Tim SmithPastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. His wife, Kathryn, attended Chapel from 1987-1990 while studying Secondary Education (Theater and Math) at UW-Madison. Kathryn’s father, John Meyer, was also the first man to serve as a Vicar at Chapel.


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