Hebrews 7 - Melchizedek

It’s one of those names that makes you glad you’re not on the reading rota this week. Melchizedek.

The writer of Hebrews has already mentioned him three times up ‘til this point – telling us again and again that Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek.

And we know what priests do – they represent us to God and God to us – they intercede for us and make atonement on our behalf.

But who was Melchizedek, and why is this such an important issue for the writer, and the readers of this letter? And does it have anything to say to us, sitting here at the tail end of 2016, when all this talk about priests and sacrifices feels very far removed from our experience.

Well we need to back up a little to begin to answer those questions.

The writer of Hebrews may be making a big deal out of Melchizedek, but the rest of the Bible certainly doesn’t. He’s only mentioned twice outside this letter, once in Genesis 14 and once in Psalm 110

And some of you will know the Genesis story very well, because I preached on it three years ago and you’ll doubtless remember it word for word, but for the sake of those who’ve forgotten, the author of Hebrews actually gives us a good summary of what went on.

A handful of kings from nations in the east tried to invade Caanan, but Abraham and his men managed to fight them off and recover everything that they’d stolen. When they returned, Melchizedek the king of Salem, who was also described as a Priest of God Most High, came out to meet him, bringing bread and wine to celebrate and speaking a blessing over them. Abraham sensed he’d found a kindred spirit, and in gratitude, gave him a tenth of everything he’d recovered from the invaders.

Now there are a few things to note there right away. Firstly, Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, the glorified ancestor of Isaac, Jacob, Moses and all Israel, payed tribute to this man. That tells us immediately that he was a person of substance.

Secondly, it’s worth noting that Melchizedek was both a King and a Priest. That’s an unusual combination and we’ll say more about that later.

But thirdly, other than what’s in this short little story, we know next to nothing about him. Where did he come from? How did he end up believing in Abraham’s God if he had no connection with Abraham’s people? What was his ancestry?

We don’t have answers to those questions. The author of Hebrews says he was “without father and mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life” and I don’t think he means that literally, I think he’s just saying – we don’t know anything about him! We just know that he was a man of substance. A king and a priest at one and the same time.

Now why was that significant?

Well, it’s time for a wee bit of family history. (IMAGE)

There’s Jacob – his father was Isaac and his Father was Abraham.

Jacob was given the name Israel, father of 12 sons, twelve tribes.

And one of those tribes, descendants of Levi, were the priestly caste. All the priests in Israel came from his line.

The kings, on the other hand, came from Judah’s line.

So you could be a King, or you could be a Priest. But never both. Different lines.

But this is where Psalm 110 comes in.

Psalm 110 is a Messianic Psalm – it was looking forward to the day when God would raise up a King to right the world’s wrongs and bring in the Kingdom of God. This is what people were longing for in Jesus’ day because of the Roman occupation. Messianic expections were sky high.

And Psalm 110 talks about this coming king -

“The Lord will extend your mighty sceptre from Zion: you will rule in the midst of your enemies” the Psalmist says.

But then intriguingly, he goes on to say this – “The Lord has sworn, and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

The Messiah, when he comes, will be both King and priest. But not a priest from Levi’s line. A priest who has more in common with Melchizedek.

And by now, I hope you’re beginning to see where all of this is going.

All along, the writer of Hebrews has been trying to remind his readers that Jesus is the real deal. A better hope, a better sacrifice, a better advocate for us. The word ‘better’ is used more times in Hebrews than in the rest of the NT put together.

The earlier chapters made it clear that Jesus is superior to angels; more than human; greater than Moses. And now the writer’s telling us that Jesus is the definitive High Priest.

“How can that be?” say his readers. “He’s not even a Levite!”

“I know”, says the writer. “He’s from a better line of priests – the line of Melchizedek; which isn’t about genealogy or parentage. It’s about your standing before God. It’s about the quality of the person who acts in that capacity, not their bloodline.”

And what he’s going to spell out over the next couple of chapters, is that Jesus’ priesthood, and his self-offering, are going to put an end to the old ways of the Levitical priesthood. And that means no more temple; no more sacrifices. It’s all been fulfilled in him.

In the face of the pressure they’re feeling to conform, the Hebrews are being tempted to go back to their old faith and leave this Jesus stuff behind. “Don’t do it!” the writer’ telling them. “That system’s coming to an end and the Jesus we worship is a better High Priest than any earthly figure could ever be.”

But better how?

Well the writer spells that out in the last few verses of the chapter.

Firstly, Jesus’ priesthood is a permanent one. The regular priests all serve their time and pass away. But Christ’s priesthood in heaven is eternal. He always lives to intercede for us, as the writer puts it.

As I was thinking about that, my mind flitted to the images of former ministers that are up around the church here. Some served for five years, others more than 50.

Now imagine a minister who could defy the ageing process and see you through from the cradle to the grave, so that the hands that held you at your baptism are the same hands raised in benediction at your funeral. Someone who was there at every key point in your life’s journey. What a thing to be known like that.

Now imagine that connection stretching back further still. To your father’s time, and your grandfather’s time and his grandfather’s time.  Imagine the continuity, the knowing, of the pastor who spanned those ages but was untouched by them. Imagine the stories that he or she could tell!

And imagine that that pastor was able to give his or her entire focus to the people, because he or she was selflessly grounded in God and had no other concerns to see to.  You really couldn’t be better looked after than that.

This is what we have in Jesus, the writer is telling us – a High Priest who knows us better than we know ourselves and is our constant friend and advocate in heaven.

And though he’s fully human, and sympathises with our weaknesses, he doesn’t share those weaknesses.

“He is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners’ says the writer. And if that last part sounds a little strange, just remember how the High Priests in Jesus’ day used to collude with the powers to get their own way. Do you remember Caiaphas and Annas and the roles they played in Jesus’ trial? Manipulating the crowd, staging trials.  Painting Pontius Pilate into a corner so he had little choice but to have Jesus executed?

That’s not Christ’s kind of priesthood, the writer’s saying. He’d never dirty his hands in that way.

Unlike other priests he makes no offering for his own sin, because he doesn’t need to. But for our sin, he offers his own self, as a perfect, once for all sacrifice. And nothing more beyond that is necessary.

So to sum up the writer’s thinking in this chapter – we have a better hope, a better sacrifice and a better High Priest in Christ.

But what difference does that make in practice?

Well, let me and a couple of friends try and show you.

(Sketch)

I know that these parts of Hebrews are deep waters, and a lot of the terminology and arguments sound strange to our ears.

But if you only take one thing away from this morning, make it this-

In Christ, our Great High Priest, we already have God’s love, and we already have his forgiveness. The only question that remains is whether we’re going to believe it and start living out of that incredible good news.

Amen and thanks be to God.