Hebrews 7

Hebrews 7:1

Maybe you remember June 27, 1976, when the world was stunned as El Al Air, Israel’s national airline, was boarded by hijackers who took the plane and its one hundred thirteen passengers into Idi Amin’s Uganda. And maybe you recall that after Israeli soldiers loaded themselves into three C-3 cargo planes, landed at Entebbe, snuck into the airport, and rescued one hundred ten of the one hundred thirteen hostages, it was considered to be the greatest covert military operation in history. But there was a greater one. In Genesis 14, Chedorlaomer, Tidal, and a couple other kings invaded the area around Sodom and Gomorrah, conquering five city-states in the process. Four kings whipped five and carried away hosts of hostages and all kinds of goods. One who happened to be swept up in Chedorlaomer’s attack was a man named Lot, Abraham’s nephew. So Abraham trained his three hundred eighteen servants to rescue Lotthree hundred eighteen vs. the combined armies of four kings. Yet Scripture records that not only did Abraham’s men rescue every single personthey also reclaimed all of the material goods. In so doing, Abraham made the raid at Entebbe look like child’s play. On his way back home, Abraham was met by a mysterious person named Melchizedek… Melchizedek was king of “Salem"or Jerusalem. Jerusalem is called the city of the Great King. Thus, Melchizedek was King of the Great King. Melchizedek was also priest of the Most High God. “How could that be?” the Jew would ask, since Jewish law forbids any one man to be both king and priest… There was a man in 2 Chronicles 26 who tried ita good man named Uzziah. After being blessed by God, after ushering in revival, after expanding the borders of Israel, he said, “I’m going into the temple to burn incense unto the Lord.” Now, a man could be a king and a prophetlike David. Or a priest and a prophetlike Aaron. But he could not be a king and a priest. “I don’t think that applies to me,” Uzziah said as he went into the temple, only to be smitten immediately with leprosy. God does not want the priesthood involved in politics. I look at good men who have been eaten up trying to mix ministry and politics. Jerry Falwell has gone on record saying, “I regret the years I spent activating people politically when I was called to preach the gospel in simplicity.” I’ve heard Billy Graham in an interview say that his mistake that stands out most clearly was his close involvement with the Nixon Administration. It is a dangerous thing to mix politics and preaching. It will eat you up. Ask Uzziah. But Melchizedek is an entirely different case. He’s the priest of the Most High, and he’s also the King of Salem. Who is Melchizedek? According to this passage, he doesn’t have a father or a mother; he doesn’t have a beginning or an end. He is like the Son of God, abiding a priest continually. Thus, I personally believe Melchizedek of Genesis 14 is none other than Jesus Christa Christophany, an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament before He appeared as Jesus of Nazareth. Others say, “No, this idea of not having a father or mother simply means that there’s no genealogical record of his parents.” I don’t argue that point, but I take this literally, for, in addition to his unique genealogy, I see Abraham bowing before Melchizedek and giving tithes to him. There’s only One who truly can be called King of Peacethat is the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. And there’s only One whose name shall be called the Lord our Righteousness (Jer_23:6)Jesus Christ. Note that He is first called the King of Righteousness before He is called the King of Salem, or Peace, because there cannot be peace until there is rightness. You cannot have peace by compromiseonly by consecration. You cannot have peace by working deals with your enemy, for there is no peace with the wicked (Isa_48:22). One must have righteousness before one can have true peacebe it internally or internationally.

Hebrews 7:4

“I don’t believe in tithing,” people say, “because it’s part of the law.” No, Abraham was on the scene well before the law was givenand yet he intuitively knew that the tithe of all he had that day belonged to Melchizedek. Tithing precedes the law, is talked about in the law, and was in effect after the law as seen by Jesus’ words when He said, “Don’t be like the Pharisees who tithe their mint and cumin and all their spices, but ignore the weightier matters of justice and righteousness and mercy” (see Mat_23:23). I recently read that to figure out your financial needs, the rule of thumb is to add ten percent to your income. In the tithe, God is essentially saying, “Add up all your income and give Me ten percent"which, according to the financial rule of thumb doesn’t make sense. But I suggest this is precisely the reason the only time God ever says to test Him is when He says, “Bring Me the tithe and see if I will not bless you so much that you’ll need added barns to contain the blessings that will come your way” (see Mal_3:10).

Hebrews 7:5

Not only did Abraham pay tithes to Melchizedek, but, Abraham being the father of the nation of Israel, the entire Levitical priesthood did as wellfurther proof that Melchizedek was, indeed, worthy of great honor.

Hebrews 7:11

After Abraham bowed and worshiped him, nothing is heard of Melchizedek for another thousand yearsuntil Psalms 110, where we read a priest would come not from Aaron and the Levites but from the order of Melchizedek (verse Heb_7:4).

Hebrews 7:12

If there’s now a new priesthood on the scene greater than Aaron and the Levites, then there must be a change of the law as well, reasons the author of Hebrews. In other words, the rules of the entire game are changing.

Hebrews 7:13

Neither Melchizedek nor Jesus was of the tribe of Levi. Yet the Father, talking to the Son in Psalms 110, identified Jesus as a Priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:18

The only thing the law makes perfect is the understanding that no one can keep it. Therefore, Aaron and the Levites were part of a system unable to make you, me, or anyone perfect. The better Hope, the Anchor who makes us perfect is Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 7:20

In the Levitical system, there was no swearing-in ceremony. One became a priest by being born into the tribe of Levi and a high priest by being born into the direct line of Aaron. Unlike the Levitical priesthood, Jesus had a “swearing-in ceremony,” recorded in Psalms 110, as the Father “swears in” the Son after the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:22

Because every priest died, the Levitical priesthood was constantly changing.

Hebrews 7:24

According to the Talmud, there were eighteen high priests before the destruction of the first temple and three hundred-plus before the destruction of the second. In the Levitical system, there was a bunch of priests. In the Melchizedekian order, there was only One.

Hebrews 7:25

The implication in the Greek language is that He is able to save continually. When most people think of intercession, here’s what they picture: I sinned again. And Jesus, my Intercessor pleads my case before the Father. “Okay, I hear Your presentation, Son,” the Father says. “So because You are the Intercessor, the charges against Jon are dropped.” But wait. That’s not what happens. In chapter 1, we saw that after He purged our sins, Jesus went to the right hand of the throne of God and sat down. Therefore, although Romans 8 declares He’s at the right hand of the Father making intercession, He’s doing so not with His words, but with His wounds. Both Johnnie Cochran and Marcia Clark stood when they made their cases in the O. J. Simpson trial because they were trying to persuade a jury. Neither side felt their case was secure enough to sit. On the other hand, if you walked into the home of another football legend, Jim Plunkett, and heard him say, “I was a great quarterback,” there would be no discussion, no debate, no argument. The Heismann trophy on his mantel would be absolute evidence of the fact that Jim Plunkett was a great football player. So, too, Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, and the wounds in His hands and feet, the scars on His brow, the hole in His side settle the issue. Jesus isn’t talking the Father into being merciful to me. He’s not asking the Father to be lenient with me. His scars alone are sufficient. That’s why when Thomas finally saw Jesus, Jesus didn’t say to him, “Let’s talk doctrine. He said, “Touch My wounds” (see Joh_20:27).

Hebrews 7:26

The author makes a case saying the Levitical priesthood was flawed. The Levites had infirmities physically, problems spiritually, and they kicked the bucket eventually. The fact that the Aaronic priesthood was flawed does not diminish the fact that in chapter 5, when the author discussed the priesthood of Aaron, he listed three characteristics that point to Jesus… First, He’s chosen from among men. For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins…Heb_5:1 (a) Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.Heb_2:17 Second, He offered sacrifice for sins. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.Heb_5:3 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.Heb_7:27 Third, He attained the position through lineage. And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.Heb_5:4 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.Heb_5:5 Thus, Jesus completely fulfills the picture and the type of Aaron’s priesthood. But He is represented more fully in the Melchizedekian order. Why is this important? Because every one of you is relating to Jesus in one of those two ways… Many people relate to Jesus only as the fulfillment of the Aaronic priesthood. And what they see is this: a Man who became like us, who laid down His life for us, who did not choose that position for Himself but only sought to glorify the Father and to obtain our salvation through His sacrifice for us. And for them, that’s as far as it goes. They do not understand that Jesus is not only the fulfillment of the Aaronic priesthood, but that He is Melchizedek. Melchizedek’s ministry is not to obtain salvation. It is to maintain salvation. That is why Jesus ever lives to make intercession (Heb_7:25). The Melchizedekian order is a ministry of maintaining my salvation based upon His woundsand it’s a done deal. That means that as I drive home tonight, and I have something I need to pray about or a promise I wish I could claim, I don’t have to say, “I can’t claim this promise because I haven’t prayed with the kind of intensity I should,” or, “I can’t pray now because I haven’t read my Bible in three months.” No, I can simply say, “Jesus continues to save me because His ministry is intercession based upon what He once offered, upon the wounds He now has. There’s no discussion about my worthiness. I am free. I am completely and totally free.” Aaron’s line was always busy working, always pleading, always sacrificing. In the Melchizedekian order, however, there’s nothing more to be said, nothing more to do. It was done once and for evermore when our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, offered Himself as a sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary.