CHRIST TYPIFIED IN MELCHIZEDEK (2)
GENESIS 14:18-20; HEBREWS 7

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Melchizedek is one of the most obscure yet most important persons in Holy Scriptures. As for his obscurity, he appears in only one brief instance, meeting Abram (later renamed Abraham) returning from delivering Lot from captivity (Genesis 14:18-20): “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed [Abram] and said: ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’ And [Abram] have him a tithe of all.”

As for his importance, Messiah was prophesied to be “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’” (Psalm 110:4). Mankind had to wait 1000 years to learn what that meant. At that time it was declared that Melchizedek is a type of Christ, “made like the Son of God” (Hebrews 7:3), and that the priesthood of Christ replaced that of Aaron (Hebrews 7-10).

We here focus on the typology of Melchizedek to Christ presented in Hebrews 7. It was observed in the preceding message that Melchizedek and Christ are both a “king of righteousness” and “king of peace”; and are a “priest of the Most High God”; and outrank Aaron with regard to person. We here continue.

IV. Both Melchizedek and Christ outrank Aaron with regard to priesthood. This is true in various ways.

1. The priesthood of Aaron was temporary and transferable. His priesthood ceased upon his death (v.23), at which time it was transferred to his son (Deuteronomy 10:6).

But the priesthood of Melchizedek and Christ is eternal and nontransferable. The priesthood of Melchizedek is figuratively eternal and nontransferable. Being a mortal, his life had both a beginning and an ending. However, Scriptures present him as a living priest only, without any reference to his birth and death. He therefore is figuratively “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, [and] remains a priest continually” (v.3). Being figuratively “without genealogy” (v.3), his priesthood was neither inherited nor transferred.

The priesthood of Christ is literally eternal and nontransferable. He is a “priest ... according to the power of an endless life” (vv.15f) and therefore “a priest forever” (v.17). “He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them” (vv.24f). Children of God therefore do not resort to the pseudo-priests of Romanism or Mormonism or any other cult.

2. The priesthood of Aaron was national only. He was an Israelite who ministered only to fellow-Israelites (Exodus 28:1; Numbers 15:25), not to Gentiles unassociated with that nation.

But the priesthood of Melchizedek and Christ is international. Melchizedek was a Canaanite who crossed national lines in order to minister to the father of the Israelite nation.

Christ also is an international Priest, ministering salvation to all who obey His exhortation to “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth” (Isaiah 45:22; see also Revelation 7:9).

3. The priesthood of Aaron was priestly only. The priesthood belonged to Aaron’s tribe of Levi (Deuteronomy 18:1-5). Royalty belonged to the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).

But the priesthood of Melchizedek and Christ is royal also. Both are a priest-king by virtue of being “priest of the Most High God” and “king of righteousness” (vv.1f).

And Christ is furthermore expressly identified as “a High Priest ... seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1) -- “a priest on His throne” (Zechariah 6:13). As King, Christ is the law-giver. And as Priest of God’s people, Christ has sympathy for them when they transgress His law (Hebrews 4:15), and obtains their redemption (Hebrews 9:11f), and “ever lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).