When a writer for a Christian magazine asked N.T. Wright which books were the most important in his thinking and work, he told them it was the reference works that he always keeps near his desk. He noted how the dictionaries and encyclopedias, especially those dealing with the original languages, help bring the darkness of another world to light.
I probably would not have answered that way, but I think he makes a great point. I might miss those reference works more than anything else when studying God’s Word because they take the whole counsel of God’s revelation about a particular person or topic and distill it into a few summary insights.
Wright: “Again and again I am rewarded for my efforts as the text springs to life. What started off as a small puzzle in the middle of my work has turned into a lighthouse sending rays of light flashing over the rest of the subject.”
As you turn to Hebrews 7, you might see how the author is drawing our attention to a proper understanding of Melchizedek. However, in this case, there are only two references to him in all of the Old Testament. The author takes what many considered an obscure reference to an insignificant figure, and shows us just how significant he is—and it magnifies our appreciation for Jesus Christ.
In other words, he’s following the example of Jesus who taught us to read all the Scriptures as pointing to himself (Lk 24:27). The author of Hebrews has already referred to Melchizedek in the previous two chapters (Heb 5:6, 10; 6:20). It’s apparent that his audience needed to gain a greater appreciation for the typology of this particular OT figure.
It’s been several weeks since we were last in Hebrews so let me begin with a brief summary of where we are in this letter/sermon.
• Jesus is superior to angels (chs 1-2). > Listen to him!
• Jesus is superior to Moses (chs 3-4). > Rest in him!
• Jesus is our great high priest (ch 5). > Go to him!
• Warning followed by hopeful encouragement (ch 6). > Learn from him!
Now, the author of Hebrews returns to the subject of Jesus as our great high priest (ch 7). The Greek word occurs 17 times throughout Hebrews, making this one of the central themes of the letter.
This author argues that the shadow of Melchizedek proves that Christ is from a superior order of priesthood. Over the next several chapters we will see that Christ’s sacrifice is of a superior sufficiency—able to actually take away our sin (Heb 10:4). So Christ’s priestly office as well as his sacrifice is superior to that of the Levitical system.
There’s another warning implied by this text: We can become so intrigued by the Old Testament shadows that we never take refuge in the substance. Jesus taught us a better way to understand Scripture (Lk 24). Every Old Testament shadow is meant to enrich the communion we have with our Redeemer.
Pray & Read Hebrews 7:1-10.
The Preface to Melchizedek (Hebrews 1-6)
We have already learned that Jesus was made like us in order to become our faithful high priest (Heb 2:14-18). Jesus is an apostle and high priest of our confession who is worthy of more glory than Moses (Heb 3:1-3). Jesus is a high priest who came from the true holy of holies — having “passed through the heavens” — and entered into humanity that he might “sympathize with our weaknesses” (Heb 4:14-16).
In Hebrews 5:1-4, the author noted four aspects of high priestly ministry:
1. Mediates — “act on behalf of men in relation to God”
2. Sacrifices — “offer gifts and sacrifices for sins”
3. Counsels — “deal gently with the wayward”
4. Appointed — “called by God”
In the previous section, Jesus is the one who serves as an anchor of the soul, enters into the inner place behind the curtain, and becomes our high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Heb 6:19-20).
Here in chapter seven, the author will show that Melchizedek is superior to Abraham. If that is true, then he’s also superior to the Levites who descended from Abraham. And yet, Melchizedek is merely a shadow of Christ — who is supreme over all typical OT figures.
The point the author just made regarding Melchizedek (Heb 6:20) had to do with providing believers with the assurance of their hope that Christ has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven in his glorified humanity. So that now, we have One — clothed in flesh — who is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf, as our great high priest.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: “To make it quite practical I have a very simple test. After I have explained the way of Christ to somebody I say “Now, are you ready to say that you are a Christian?” And they hesitate. And then I say, “What’s the matter? Why are you hesitating?” And so often people say, “I don’t feel like I’m good enough yet. I don’t think I’m ready to say I’m a Christian now.” And at once I know that I have been wasting my breath. They are still thinking in terms of themselves…The very essence of the Christian faith is to say that He is good enough and I am in Him…How can I put it plainly? It doesn’t matter if you have almost entered into the depths of hell. It does not matter if you are guilty of murder as well as every other vile sin. It does not matter from the standpoint of being justified before God at all. You are no more hopeless than the most moral and respectable person in the world.”
When the assurance of your faith is fleeting — is the priestly ministry of Christ enough to sustain you?
The problem with the Levitical priesthood was that they had their own sinful weaknesses. They had to offer sacrifices for themselves before they could mediate for others. But the blood of animals could never satisfy the demands of God’s justice.
Christ became the necessary and final sacrifice for sins. The sacrifice of his own life upon the cross for our sins was what every Old Testament sacrifice pointed to. The shadow of the Levitical priesthood, with all of it’s outward significance, was never meant to be perpetual.
Have you looked to Christ as your great high priest? Are you resting in his sacrificial death on your behalf? There is no better weapon against spiritual depression, what the Puritans called “the dark night of the soul,” than the recognition that—God has placed the treasure of the gospel in jars of clay…why? “to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Cor. 4:7). Paul reflects further,
2 Corinthians 4:8–10 ESV
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
When Satan reminds us of our weakness, God says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 Jn 4:4). You need a great high priest who is continually interceding for you because without it, you would find despair to be a constant companion.
› Now that we see our need for a high priest, let’s consider…
The Character of Melchizedek (1-3)
The previous chapter closed with a reference to Jesus as our forerunner “having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 6:20). Now he elaborates upon that connection. Everything we know about Melchizedek is found in a few brief texts (Gen 14:17-20; Psalm 110:4 — already quoted in three times in Heb 5:6, 10; 6:20). From these two passages the author draws six connections to Christ:
1. Melchizedek is a King-Priest (1a): He was the king of Salem and Moses referred to him as the priest of the Most High God (Gen 14:18). It is in the context of those offices that Melchizedek brought bread and wine, elements that would be instituted by Christ for the Lord’s Supper, and offered to Abraham the blessings of the covenant of grace!
Jonathan Edwards: “Melchizedek’s coming to meet him with such a seal of the covenant of grace, on the occasion of this victory, evinces, that it was a pledge of God’s fulfillment of the same covenant.”
2. Melchizedek Blessed Abraham (1b): This new character assumes the superior role by offering a blessing upon Abraham. Now, what was God’s covenant promise to Abraham? Gen 12:2 “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” God uses Melchizedek to represent the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise.
3. Melchizedek Received a Tithe from Abraham (2a): Abraham acknowledges Melchizedek’s superiority by giving him a tithe (Gen 14:20). We’ll return to this in the next section.
4. Melchizedek is the King of Righteousness (2b): His name is formed by the combination of the Hebrew words for ‘King’ (melek) + ‘Righteousness’ (tsedek).
5. Melchizedek is the King of Peace (2c): Salem, which means peace, is another name for ancient Jerusalem — the city of Shalom (Ps 76:2).
6. Melchizedek is a Priest Forever (3): While some see Melchizedek as a preincarnate Christ, the language implies that he typifies Christ, similar to any other prophet, priest, and king. The fact that the bible never mentions his father or mother, nor records his birth or death, does not mean he was from heaven (as the Qumran sect believed). We simply do not have his genealogy. These are features that make him comparable to Jesus, but not identical. Melchizedek’s character resembles the Son of God who has no beginning or ending. “Resembling” would not be the appropriate word choice if the author was suggesting that Melchizedek was actually the second person of the Trinity.
Typology makes some bible scholars uncomfortable. They will oftentimes find the most ridiculous examples from the past in order to discredit the legitimacy of reading Scripture this way. However, finding connections to Christ from Old Testament characters is part of how Jesus taught us to read the bible (Lk 24:27). It is meant to provide not only a greater perspective on the text we’re reading, but it motivates us to keep searching for him in an appropriate manner.
One of the better resources on this subject is Preaching Christ from the Old Testament by Sidney Greidanus. He notes how critical bible scholars consider typology to be “sheer nonsense.” Then he comments,
“Once the providence of God is rejected, typology must necessarily follow, for it cannot exist without the foundation of God working out his redemptive plan in history.”
The author of Hebrews is driving home the point that Christ is superior to everything we see in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfills the prophets. He is the substance of which the Old Testament characters were mere shadows. If any of his readers were intrigued by temple worship or worldly ambition, this message might give them reason to pause.
The author is providing the rationale for their assurance. It is meant to compliment and solidify the exhortation he gave them in the previous chapter. He expects them to wake up from their sluggish approach to God and persevere in their faith. But they will only do that if they hold fast to an assurance of hope in Christ.
For that to happen, they must recognize how the character of Christ is better than anything else. It is reflected in the Messianic figure Melchizedek.
We cannot go beyond this approach in our own pursuit of God. When we have grown lazy in worship, or when creative modes of worship become a temptation, let us remember that we already possess everything we need in Christ — as he has revealed himself to us through his word. We can meditate upon the fact that the character of Melchizedek reflects a shadow of Christ, so that the study of this biblical figure draws us closer to our Savior.
Keep reading and comparing and highlighting how it fits the redemptive historical narrative. The end result is a practice that continually builds upon the foundations of our faith (Heb 6:1). This is how we mature to solid food (Heb 5:12)! Reading God’s word in this manner requires preparation, patience, and practice. We open the bible with hearts that are ready to receive the truth, depending upon the Lord for his help.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:05 PM April 24, 2023.
The King of Righteousness (Hebrews 7:1-3)
Brad Mills / General
When a writer for a Christian magazine asked N.T. Wright which books were the most important in his thinking and work, he told them it was the reference works that he always keeps near his desk. He noted how the dictionaries and encyclopedias, especially those dealing with the original languages, help bring the darkness of another world to light.
I probably would not have answered that way, but I think he makes a great point. I might miss those reference works more than anything else when studying God’s Word because they take the whole counsel of God’s revelation about a particular person or topic and distill it into a few summary insights.
Wright: “Again and again I am rewarded for my efforts as the text springs to life. What started off as a small puzzle in the middle of my work has turned into a lighthouse sending rays of light flashing over the rest of the subject.”
As you turn to Hebrews 7, you might see how the author is drawing our attention to a proper understanding of Melchizedek. However, in this case, there are only two references to him in all of the Old Testament. The author takes what many considered an obscure reference to an insignificant figure, and shows us just how significant he is—and it magnifies our appreciation for Jesus Christ.
In other words, he’s following the example of Jesus who taught us to read all the Scriptures as pointing to himself (Lk 24:27). The author of Hebrews has already referred to Melchizedek in the previous two chapters (Heb 5:6, 10; 6:20). It’s apparent that his audience needed to gain a greater appreciation for the typology of this particular OT figure.
It’s been several weeks since we were last in Hebrews so let me begin with a brief summary of where we are in this letter/sermon.
• Jesus is superior to angels (chs 1-2). > Listen to him!
• Jesus is superior to Moses (chs 3-4). > Rest in him!
• Jesus is our great high priest (ch 5). > Go to him!
• Warning followed by hopeful encouragement (ch 6). > Learn from him!
Now, the author of Hebrews returns to the subject of Jesus as our great high priest (ch 7). The Greek word occurs 17 times throughout Hebrews, making this one of the central themes of the letter.
This author argues that the shadow of Melchizedek proves that Christ is from a superior order of priesthood. Over the next several chapters we will see that Christ’s sacrifice is of a superior sufficiency—able to actually take away our sin (Heb 10:4). So Christ’s priestly office as well as his sacrifice is superior to that of the Levitical system.
There’s another warning implied by this text: We can become so intrigued by the Old Testament shadows that we never take refuge in the substance. Jesus taught us a better way to understand Scripture (Lk 24). Every Old Testament shadow is meant to enrich the communion we have with our Redeemer.
Pray & Read Hebrews 7:1-10.
The Preface to Melchizedek (Hebrews 1-6)
We have already learned that Jesus was made like us in order to become our faithful high priest (Heb 2:14-18). Jesus is an apostle and high priest of our confession who is worthy of more glory than Moses (Heb 3:1-3). Jesus is a high priest who came from the true holy of holies — having “passed through the heavens” — and entered into humanity that he might “sympathize with our weaknesses” (Heb 4:14-16).
In Hebrews 5:1-4, the author noted four aspects of high priestly ministry:
1. Mediates — “act on behalf of men in relation to God”
2. Sacrifices — “offer gifts and sacrifices for sins”
3. Counsels — “deal gently with the wayward”
4. Appointed — “called by God”
In the previous section, Jesus is the one who serves as an anchor of the soul, enters into the inner place behind the curtain, and becomes our high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Heb 6:19-20).
Here in chapter seven, the author will show that Melchizedek is superior to Abraham. If that is true, then he’s also superior to the Levites who descended from Abraham. And yet, Melchizedek is merely a shadow of Christ — who is supreme over all typical OT figures.
The point the author just made regarding Melchizedek (Heb 6:20) had to do with providing believers with the assurance of their hope that Christ has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven in his glorified humanity. So that now, we have One — clothed in flesh — who is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf, as our great high priest.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: “To make it quite practical I have a very simple test. After I have explained the way of Christ to somebody I say “Now, are you ready to say that you are a Christian?” And they hesitate. And then I say, “What’s the matter? Why are you hesitating?” And so often people say, “I don’t feel like I’m good enough yet. I don’t think I’m ready to say I’m a Christian now.” And at once I know that I have been wasting my breath. They are still thinking in terms of themselves…The very essence of the Christian faith is to say that He is good enough and I am in Him…How can I put it plainly? It doesn’t matter if you have almost entered into the depths of hell. It does not matter if you are guilty of murder as well as every other vile sin. It does not matter from the standpoint of being justified before God at all. You are no more hopeless than the most moral and respectable person in the world.”
When the assurance of your faith is fleeting — is the priestly ministry of Christ enough to sustain you?
The problem with the Levitical priesthood was that they had their own sinful weaknesses. They had to offer sacrifices for themselves before they could mediate for others. But the blood of animals could never satisfy the demands of God’s justice.
Christ became the necessary and final sacrifice for sins. The sacrifice of his own life upon the cross for our sins was what every Old Testament sacrifice pointed to. The shadow of the Levitical priesthood, with all of it’s outward significance, was never meant to be perpetual.
Have you looked to Christ as your great high priest? Are you resting in his sacrificial death on your behalf? There is no better weapon against spiritual depression, what the Puritans called “the dark night of the soul,” than the recognition that—God has placed the treasure of the gospel in jars of clay…why? “to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Cor. 4:7). Paul reflects further,
2 Corinthians 4:8–10 ESV
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
When Satan reminds us of our weakness, God says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 Jn 4:4). You need a great high priest who is continually interceding for you because without it, you would find despair to be a constant companion.
› Now that we see our need for a high priest, let’s consider…
The Character of Melchizedek (1-3)
The previous chapter closed with a reference to Jesus as our forerunner “having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 6:20). Now he elaborates upon that connection. Everything we know about Melchizedek is found in a few brief texts (Gen 14:17-20; Psalm 110:4 — already quoted in three times in Heb 5:6, 10; 6:20). From these two passages the author draws six connections to Christ:
1. Melchizedek is a King-Priest (1a): He was the king of Salem and Moses referred to him as the priest of the Most High God (Gen 14:18). It is in the context of those offices that Melchizedek brought bread and wine, elements that would be instituted by Christ for the Lord’s Supper, and offered to Abraham the blessings of the covenant of grace!
Jonathan Edwards: “Melchizedek’s coming to meet him with such a seal of the covenant of grace, on the occasion of this victory, evinces, that it was a pledge of God’s fulfillment of the same covenant.”
2. Melchizedek Blessed Abraham (1b): This new character assumes the superior role by offering a blessing upon Abraham. Now, what was God’s covenant promise to Abraham? Gen 12:2 “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” God uses Melchizedek to represent the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise.
3. Melchizedek Received a Tithe from Abraham (2a): Abraham acknowledges Melchizedek’s superiority by giving him a tithe (Gen 14:20). We’ll return to this in the next section.
4. Melchizedek is the King of Righteousness (2b): His name is formed by the combination of the Hebrew words for ‘King’ (melek) + ‘Righteousness’ (tsedek).
5. Melchizedek is the King of Peace (2c): Salem, which means peace, is another name for ancient Jerusalem — the city of Shalom (Ps 76:2).
6. Melchizedek is a Priest Forever (3): While some see Melchizedek as a preincarnate Christ, the language implies that he typifies Christ, similar to any other prophet, priest, and king. The fact that the bible never mentions his father or mother, nor records his birth or death, does not mean he was from heaven (as the Qumran sect believed). We simply do not have his genealogy. These are features that make him comparable to Jesus, but not identical. Melchizedek’s character resembles the Son of God who has no beginning or ending. “Resembling” would not be the appropriate word choice if the author was suggesting that Melchizedek was actually the second person of the Trinity.
Typology makes some bible scholars uncomfortable. They will oftentimes find the most ridiculous examples from the past in order to discredit the legitimacy of reading Scripture this way. However, finding connections to Christ from Old Testament characters is part of how Jesus taught us to read the bible (Lk 24:27). It is meant to provide not only a greater perspective on the text we’re reading, but it motivates us to keep searching for him in an appropriate manner.
One of the better resources on this subject is Preaching Christ from the Old Testament by Sidney Greidanus. He notes how critical bible scholars consider typology to be “sheer nonsense.” Then he comments,
“Once the providence of God is rejected, typology must necessarily follow, for it cannot exist without the foundation of God working out his redemptive plan in history.”
The author of Hebrews is driving home the point that Christ is superior to everything we see in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfills the prophets. He is the substance of which the Old Testament characters were mere shadows. If any of his readers were intrigued by temple worship or worldly ambition, this message might give them reason to pause.
The author is providing the rationale for their assurance. It is meant to compliment and solidify the exhortation he gave them in the previous chapter. He expects them to wake up from their sluggish approach to God and persevere in their faith. But they will only do that if they hold fast to an assurance of hope in Christ.
For that to happen, they must recognize how the character of Christ is better than anything else. It is reflected in the Messianic figure Melchizedek.
We cannot go beyond this approach in our own pursuit of God. When we have grown lazy in worship, or when creative modes of worship become a temptation, let us remember that we already possess everything we need in Christ — as he has revealed himself to us through his word. We can meditate upon the fact that the character of Melchizedek reflects a shadow of Christ, so that the study of this biblical figure draws us closer to our Savior.
Keep reading and comparing and highlighting how it fits the redemptive historical narrative. The end result is a practice that continually builds upon the foundations of our faith (Heb 6:1). This is how we mature to solid food (Heb 5:12)! Reading God’s word in this manner requires preparation, patience, and practice. We open the bible with hearts that are ready to receive the truth, depending upon the Lord for his help.