The superiority of Jesus Christ over all things is the theme of the book of Hebrews. Jesus Christ is superior, from the beginning of the book, primarily because He is the Apostle of God (Hebrews 3:1) which refers to Him having been sent by God for a specific purpose. The purpose of Jesus Christ is nothing less than the salvation of sinners. This salvation is our heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1; cf. Hebrews 2:11) which is indicated by the reality of being called ‘brethren’ by the Father (Hebrews 2:11). This calling can only be done if in fact sin has been done away with. That is, Jesus is not ashamed to call these people brethren since they are sanctified from the Father (2:11). However, if they were still in their sins, then He would actually be ashamed to call them brethren and they would not be from the Father. Therefore, those who are chosen by the Father to inherit eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9; 9:12) are called sons and have had their sins removed from the ‘books’ (Revelation 20:11-15) through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
However, there are some details here that need to be developed. First of all, when God was ordaining Moses to build the tabernacle so that the people might worship Him, He commanded Moses that all things be done according to His pattern, the one which He Himself will show Moses (Exodus 25:8-9). Second, according to this pattern, the priests would offer a sacrifice for the people because of their sins which separated them from the God who redeemed them from Egypt (Exodus 29:42-46) and it was to be that way forever (Exodus 28:43). Yet, Jesus was not a Levite. He was from the tribe of Judah, and Moses was told that one from the tribe of Levi would be priest forever (Hebrews 7:14). Thus, if all things were to be done according to the pattern that YHWH showed Moses, and that pattern was also to become the pattern that Jesus fulfilled in His priestly office, then how do we traverse this “problem” of a non-Levite serving as high priest?
Only a God who has absolute control of history and time could accomplish the resolution. There was a man in Genesis 14:18 introduced to the reader whose name is Melchizedek, which means “king of righteousness” (Hebrews 7:2). This man was a real, historical man of whom there really is nothing mentioned beyond Genesis 14:18-20. He was, apparently, a king of the town or region of Salem (‘peace’). As king, he was responsible for managing this region and looking over the affairs for the service and protection of the citizens. Salem would have been outside of the area that king Chedorlaomar and his allies attempted to invade, but the way in which Abram returned after rescuing Lot from them (Genesis 14:15-17). When Abram arrived in the area, King’s Valley, he was met by this Melchizedek. Interestingly, Melchizedek brings out bread and wine for Abram and offers a blessing of Abram and a prayer. Abram’s response is important. He gave him a tenth of all that he recovered as a token of his devotion to God (vv.22-23). Afer this, there is no more information about Melchizedek. What is going on here? Who was he? Why did Abraham give him a tenth of his spoils?
It is important that we read the text for what it is, at face value, as written in Genesis 14 first. This is before the Mosaic tabernacle, the Exodus and even before the twelve tribes of Israel were in existence. This is Abram (Abraham) who was a pagan idolater and later became a man who followed YHWH (Genesis 15:6). He is on his way back from rescuing his nephew, Lot. A king, who is also acting (in reality) as priest, meets him and imparts to him a blessing. In response to Melchizedek’s blessing (the bread and the wine-I would take that as more than simply nourishment. Abram had an army with him. If he were to meet him with a feast, that would have been more along the lines of refreshment. However, the bread and wine must have been symbolic, or figurative, of some other thing. Historically, bringing out the bread and wine to Abram would have been a token of a sacrifice from the priest himself to Abram. So, the blessing of the bread and wine (Psalm 104:15) probably was meant as a blessing to Abram more than anything) Abram offers a tenth of his best spoils back to the king.
What does all this mean? In summary fashion, here is the significance. God, in His soveriegnty, created Melchizedek and established him as a king in Salem for just a time as when he met Abram. The king performed the offices of both king and priest. Thus, He governed men and performed services to God on behalf of men as well. Abram, being blessed by God (Genesis 12:1-3) was unique and ordained, as it were, as God’s chosen man. Thus, in order to show solidarity with God’s purposes, Melchizedek, as priest, came to bless Abram (Genesis 12:3a). Abram receives the blessing as such and in response gives the best of what he has back to God in consecration. Now, the writer of Hebrews tells us much more about this incident as it relates to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is also King and Priest. He is eternal King (Acts 2:36), but He is also eternal High Priest. Remember, the pattern of the earthly tabernacle was supposed to be according to what God had shown, which demanded a Levite as a priest forever. But, Jesus is not a Levite. He is a Judahite. What is going on here? Simple, says the writer of Hebrews, Levi was in the loins of Abram that day when he offered his spoils to the priest Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:9-10) and as such, the lesser offered sacrifices to the greater (Hebrews 7:7). The Levitical priesthood, based upon a covenant that would one day become obsolete, was subject to a greater priesthood, namely the Melchizedek priesthood, which had no origin nor termination. In this way, Jesus, according to the Melchizedekian priesthood, supercedes the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 8:6)! Thus, what Jesus accomplished on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, was actually by order of Melchizedek and not through the order of the Levitical priesthood. Thus, Jesus’ sacrifice was qualitatively superior to any and all the sacrifices of Aaron or his sons or any other priest after him.
No comments:
Post a Comment