May the mumbling commence!
Now, here’s a story about kings and high priests. In this story, we have Abraham and Melchizedek and Jesus. Yes, Jesus us my Savior. In a couple of days, we will celebrate his birth and tenting with us. Even so, Melchizedek fascinates me. Sometimes, I wonder if Melchizedek is an example of a theophany (that’s seminary-ease for an appearance of God – and apparently I had to introduce theophany to my Word program because it did not know it). My wonder is magnified by the author of Hebrews. Read a little over half of chapter seven of Hebrews:
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, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.
Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now 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. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come – one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. (Verses 1-16)
Melchizedek, in Hebrew, means literally king of righteousness – Melchi(king)-zedek(righteousness). Who else can the king of righteousness be but the King (no I am not talking about Elvis or Michael Jackson)? Who else but the Lord? And Melchizedek was called the king of Salem, and Salem, in Hebrew, means peace (it is a form of the Hebrew word Shalom that you may have heard about. Yes, righteousness and peace cannot be separated. You cannot have one without the other.
Abraham, our forefather in the faith, gave Melchizedek a tenth of the plunder from when he rescued Lot. Melchizedek blessed Abraham. The author of Hebrews points out that the greater blesses the lesser. Melchizedek is greater than Abraham. The author of Hebrews also points out that Melchizedek had no father or mother or genealogy. Melchizedek was like the Son of God – a priest and a king forever, without a beginning or an ending.
Could Melchizedek be an appearance of God on earth, a precursor to Jesus? Could Melchizedek and Jesus be one and the same person? Neither Jesus nor Melchizedek was a part of the Law that created the priesthood from Levi and his descendant Aaron. This priesthood of Jesus and Melchizedek is a new priesthood that marks something other than the Law. Melchizedek was before and Jesus (in his earthly form) was after. The former Law from the Hebrew Bible is made obsolete by the new priesthood of Jesus and Melchizedek. The Law is now obsolete because it has been perfectly fulfilled by the perfect sacrifice of obedience in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
It is this great High Priest that we celebrate and wait for in this Christmas season. Let us accept this perfect sacrifice that was made for our salvation. In response, let’s make room for Jesus to enter our lives anew so that we can live our lives more closely to the perfect obedience that Jesus modeled for us.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
No comments:
Post a Comment