The order of Melchizedek

  Hebrews 5:1-14; 5/1/2022; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

  Introduction

To fully understand Melchizedek itself is an impossible mission.  Melchizedek and patriarch Abraham first met after Abraham defeated Chedorlaomer and his three allies.  Melchizedek came out with bread and wine to meet Abraham and his 318 servants,  expressing God’s grace and friendship with him.  He even blessed Abraham in the name of the Most High,  praising God for the victory (Genesis 14:18-20).  So, who is he? What is his rank?  Let’s look at the first point:

 The priesthood

Speaking of the order of Melchizedek,  the name Melchizedek itself means “the king of righteousness or righteousness,” the king of Salem (Jerusalem) and the priest of the Most High God (Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6-11; 6:20-7:28).  What does the order of Melchizedek have to do with Christ? First, the wonder of the dual nature of God and man. The wonder of the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ is beyond Satan’s understanding.  Of course, those who belong to the party of Satan have no way of understanding the Trinity of God.   Paul said that Jesus Christ “He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. (Hebrews 5:2)” The Bible records that Jesus was tired, hungry, weeping, and even wanted to give up the mission the Father had given him in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Therefore, there is hope for your weakness today!  Can you understand?  Weakness does not matter, the key is to turn back.   If you make a mistake this time, there is still grace for repentance!  Love our Lord, He knows our struggles and how hard it is to walk in heavenly path.

Second, the sole honor of the priest.  The duty of the priest is to “make sacrifices for the people and for himself.”  Do you understand what that means? It is not difficult to offer sacrifices to atone for one’s sins.  The sacrifice, at best, is a ram as a burnt offering.  The sin offerings for the people are different!  Usually only the high priest enters the Holy of Holies once a year to intercede for the people.  In order to prevent the high priest from being killed by God because of his guilt, a rope was tied around his body, just in case.  The high priest can have moral superiority because he enters the Holy of Holies and is killed by God,   but the function of pardoning the sins of the people is only one time. Of course, this is already very honorable. In contrast, let us see that Christ offered Himself, not by chance, but willingly.  This honor belongs only to Him!

Finally, Aaron, called by God.  When it comes to the priesthood,   it’s hard to skip Aaron,Moses’ brother.   Tribally, he belonged to the tribe of Levi.  In terms of the establishment of the priesthood,  Aaron was the first priest in history and the first high priest.  Henceforth, all priests can be called descendants of Aaron.  The meaning derived from Aaron is the meaning of being called and chosen by God.  I really want to serve God, and God calls me to serve God are two very different concepts.  This is also the first point I often encourage students of theology or those who are ready to serve God: Recognize God’s calling!  Those who are called cannot escape if they want to; those who are not called by God cannot get in even if they want to.  Especially those who try to solve residence and immigration by means of studying theology will be exposed sooner or later!  The way to serve God full-time is not easy.  Unless you are sure of God’s call,  don’t rely on your own feelings!  Be sure from the start that everything is of God, especially a calling!  Let’s look at the second point:

 Forever priest

Paul uses Melchizedek here to identify Jesus Christ as the eternal priest, perhaps the only source in the Bible.  First, outrank Aaron’s order.  God’s revelation to us through Paul is amazing when he says: “because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor. (Hebrews 7:10)”  Paul makes a contrast here, showing that Melchizedek was before Aaron.  And Aaron’s order is flawed!  Paul’s method is a method that transcends the purely conceptual comparison of time and space.  It is amazing!  It stands to reason that it is difficult to compare Moses and Aaron in time and space after Abraham.  However, our God is a God that transcends time and space.  For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.   Paul went on to explain, saying:  “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? (Hebrews 7:11)”

Second, the order born of God.  Christ was born of God, but not created.  This sentence alone is enough to make people feel mysterious. Quoted by Paul, “You are my son; today I have become your father.”   It is the sentence from the seventh verse of the second Psalm.  On the one hand, the Triune God is a God of the same quality, glory, and honor; on the other hand,   the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father.   Being born and being created are not the same thing, and cannot be confused.  God went on to reveal to Paul,  speaking of Melchizedek:  “Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.”  This sentence should be the revelation of the Bible about Melchizedek, reaching its peak.

In the end, surpassing the order of creation.  Judging from the origin of Christ,  the birth of Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  The conception of the Holy Spirit guarantees the transcendence of being born of God,  and the birth of a virgin avoids the contamination of sin.  The seed of the woman retains the weakness of man; without Joseph, it confirms the holiness as the Son of God. Paul said: “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. (Hebrews 5:7)”  This is talking about the struggle and suffering of Christ while he was praying in Gethsemane, remember?  This is actually giving us hope and grace to stand up again in our weakness!  Plus, Christ’s superiority over creation shows that He has the power to save us!  Let’s look at the third point:

 

 Noble priest

Noble is not pride, and noble priests do not offer sacrifices that are “higher in value”,  but “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek!”  First, to obey is better than sacrifice.   Remember when King Saul snatched the priesthood and the sacrificial office?  “But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)”  What Paul means is that Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, still learned obedience because of what he suffered, let alone us?  Shouldn’t we learn to obey?  We may have a misunderstanding that obedience is weakness.  But Jesus Christ, made perfect, became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Second, growth is better than following rules.  The revelation of Melchizedek, we may spend our entire lives, but not the full picture!  Perhaps we have become accustomed to “following the rules” and following various regulations as the standard.  I must first emphasize that obeying God’s statutes is pleasing to God.  However, God is not pleased that we have been eating spiritual milk and refusing to eat solid food!  Just like a baby is born,  parents raise the baby, and they must hold the hope that the child will gradually grow up.   Otherwise, the child will stay in the situation of breastfeeding after birth.  The child is very good every day, and also drinks milk well, sleeps after eating, and eats after sleeping, what a shame!

Lastly, awe surpasses knowledge.  The whole message of Melchizedek is full of awe,  full of mystery!   We may have a desire to figure out every detail, which is good.  But at the same time, we must also face the objective reality that a person’s profound knowledge is still a primary school in the world in the face of God’s vast and profound wisdom.  With regard to Melchizedek in particular, there are not many traces and rational evidence of biblical revelation, and it is especially necessary for His people to receive it with awe.  The key to unlocking the mystery of God’s revelation is Jesus Christ, the answer to everything in life.

 Conclusion

Well, dear brothers and sisters, the order of Melchizedek is the historical origin of the priesthood, the divine transcendence of the eternal priesthood, and the fulfillment of the life of the noble priesthood.

 

Let us pray……

Hebrews 5:1-14

1 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 

2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 

3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 

4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.”

6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 

8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 

9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 

10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 

12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 

13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 

14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.