Melchizedek

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Here is what Warren Wiersbe has to say about Melchizedek, from Hebrews
7......

I. The Historical Argument: Melchizedek and Abraham (7:1-10)

First, the writer identifies Melchizedek as a type of Christ (vv. 3,
15). He was both king and priest, and so is Jesus. No priest in Aaron’s
line ever sat on a throne. In fact, the Aaronic priests did not sit down
at all (spiritually speaking), for their work was never done. There were
no chairs in the tabernacle or temple! See Heb. 10:11-14. Furthermore,
Melchizedek was king of Salem, which means “peace”; and Jesus is our
King of Peace, our Prince of Peace. The name “Melchizedek” means “king
of righteousness,” a name which certainly applies to Christ, God’s
Righteous King. So, in his name and his offices, Melchizedek is a
beautiful likeness of Christ.

But Melchizedek also resembles Christ in his origin. The Bible contains
no record of his birth or his death. Of course, this does not mean that
Melchizedek had no parents or that he never died. It simply means that
the OT record is silent on these matters. Thus Melchizedek, like Christ,
is “without beginning of days or end of life”—his priesthood is eternal.
His priesthood did not depend on earthly successors, while the Aaronic
priests had to defend their office by family records (see Neh. 7:64).
Every high priest that descended from Aaron died, but Christ, like
Melchizedek, holds His priesthood permanently (vv. 8, 16, 24-25).

Having identified Christ with the order of Melchizedek, the writer now
explains that Melchizedek is superior to Aaron, for Aaron paid tithes to
Melchizedek while yet unborn in the loins of Abraham. And when
Melchizedek blessed Abraham, he was blessing the house of Levi as well;
and certainly “the lesser is blessed by the better” (v. 7). On earth, in
the Jewish temple, the priests received tithes; but in Genesis 14, the
priests (in Abraham’s loins) gave tithes to Melchizedek. This event
clearly showed the inferiority of the Aaronic priesthood.

Here is what Eastons Commentary says about Melchizedek, based on:

Gene 14:18  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine:
and he [was] the priest of the most high God.

Melchizedek king of righteousness, the king of Salem (q.v.). All we know
of him is recorded in 
#Ge 14:18-20
He is subsequently mentioned only once in the Old Testament, in 
#Ps 110:4
The typical significance of his history is set forth in detail in the
Epistle to the Hebrews, ch. 7. The apostle there points out the
superiority of his priesthood to that of Aaron in these several
respects, 
(1 Even Abraham paid him tithes; 
(2 he blessed Abraham; 
(3 he is the type of a Priest who lives for ever; 
(4 Levi, yet unborn, paid him tithes in the person of Abraham; 
(5 the permanence of his priesthood in Christ implied the abrogation of
the Levitical system; 
(6 he was made priest not without an oath; and 
(7 his priesthood can neither be transmitted nor interrupted by death:
"this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." 
The question as to who this mysterious personage was has given rise to a
great deal of modern speculation. It is an old tradition among the Jews
that he was Shem, the son of Noah, who may have survived to this time.
Melchizedek was a Canaanitish prince, a worshipper of the true God, and
in his peculiar history and character an instructive type of our Lord,
the great High Priest 
#Heb 5:6,7 6:20

Here is Scofields Notes on Melchizedek:

[1] Melchizedek, type of Christ the King-Priest. The type strictly
applies to the priestly work of Christ in *resurrection*, since
Melchizedek presents only the *memorials* of sacrifice, bread and
wine. "After the order of Melchizedek"
# Heb 6:20
refers to the royal *authority* and unending *duration* of Christ's
high priesthood
# Heb 7:23,24
The Aaronic priesthood was often interrupted by death.
Christ is a priest after the *order* of Melchizedek, as King of
righteousness, King of peace
# Isa 11:4-9 Heb 7:2
and in the *endlessness* of his priesthood; but the Aaronic priesthood
typifies His priestly *work*
[2] "Most high," or "most high God" (Heb. *El Elyon*). "*Elyon* means
simply "highest."
(1) The first revelation of this name (v. 18) indicates its distinctive
meanings. Abram, returning from his victory over the confederated kings
# Ge 14:1-17
is met by Melchizedek, King of Salem . . . the "priest of
the most high God" (El Elyon), who blesses Abram in the name of El
Elyon, "possessor of heaven and earth." This revelation produced a
remarkable impression upon the patriarch. Not only did he at once
give Melchizedek "tithes of all" the spoil of the battle, but when the
King of Sodom offered other of that spoil to Abram, his answer was;
"I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord [Jehovah], the most high God
[El-Elyon], the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take
from a thread even to a shoelatchet," etc.
# Ge 14:18-23
(a) The Lord (Jehovah) is know to a *Gentile* king (Melchizedek) by
the name "most high god" [El Elyon); (b) a *Gentile* is the priest
of El Elyon and (c) His distinctive *character* as most high God is
"possessor of heaven and earth."
Appropriately to this Gentile knowledge of God by His name "Most
High," we read that "the Most High divided to the nations [i.e.
Gentiles] their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam,"
etc.
# De 32:8
As "*possessor* heaven and earth," it was the
prerogative of the Most High to distribute the earth among the
nations according to whatever principle He chose. That principle is
declared Deu 32.8. To the same purport is the use of the name in
Daniel, the book of Gentile prophecy
# Da 3:26 4:17,24,25,32,34,35 5:18,21
(2) As "possessor of heaven and earth," the most high God has and
exercises authority in both spheres: (a) the heavenly authority of El
Elyon (e.g.
# Da 4:35,37 Isa 14:13,14 Mt 28:18
(b) the earthly authority of El Elyon (e.g).
# De 32:8 Ps 9:2-5 21:7 47:2-4 56:2,3 82:6,8 83:16-18 91:9-12
# 2Sa 22:14,15 Da 5:18

-- 

Pastor J McNair :-)
jmcnair@auracom.com
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/8307/
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