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INTRODUCTION: WHO WAS MELCHIZEDEK?
MELCHIZEDEK IS DESCRIBED AS KING AND HIGH PRIEST OF SALEM. AS KING OF SALEM, HE WAS KING OF PEACE; AS HIGH PRIEST HE WAS THE SPIRITUAL MEDIATOR FOR THE KINGDOM OF PEACE. HIS TITLE OF KING OF PEACE SHOWED HIS RELATIONSHIP TO THE PEOPLE AS LAWGIVER; HIGH PRIEST SHOWED HIS RELATIONSHIP TO THE PEOPLE AS INTERCESSOR BETWEEN THEM AND GOD. (DURING A DAY WHEN NATIONS WERE TURNING TO PAGANISM, IT IS INTERESTING TO OBSERVE THAT GOD SENT ABRAHAM TO THE ONLY AREA WE KNOW OF WHERE HE COULD HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHERS OF LIKE CONVICTION. HOWEVER, IN CONTRAST, IT WAS IN THIS SAME LAND THAT ISRAEL WOULD INHERIT, THERE WERE CITIES SO CORRUPT THAT GOD DESTROYED THEM WITH FIRE FROM HEAVEN.)
HE WAS KING OF SALEM WHEN ABRAHAM PURSUED THE KINGS TO REDEEM HIS NEPHEW LOT. WHEN ABRAHAM AND HIS SERVANTS STOPPED IN SALEM, MELCHIZEDEK BROUGHT OUT TO ABRAHAM BREAD AND WINE. (GENESIS 14:18) THIS WAS INTENDED TO BE A COMMUNAL WITH GOD, AN EXTENDING OF BLESSINGS UPON ABRAHAM, AND AN ENDORSEMENT OF ABRAHAM'S FAITH AND ACTIONS IN RECOVERING HIS NEPHEW LOT. (IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT MELCHIZEDEK IS CALLED KING OF PEACE, YET HE ENDORSED THIS WAR.)
BEING KING AND HIGH PRIEST SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THE CITY STATE OF SALEM SUGGESTS THAT HIS DUTIES AS EITHER EXTENDED ONLY TO THE TERRITORY THE OTHER WOULD COVER. PERHAPS THIS IS TRUE PARTIALLY BECAUSE NO OTHER KNOWN CITY OR NATION RECOGNIZED HIS RELIGION AS BEING THE ONLY TRUE RELIGION AND HIS GOD AS BEING THE ONLY TRUE GOD. NO OTHER RECOGNIZED HIS AUTHORITY AND POWER. HE WAS KING OF THE CITY OF PEACE. HIS DUTIES AS HIGH PRIEST EXTENDED ONLY TO THOSE WHO EITHER DWELLED IN OR WERE INFLUENCED BY THE CITY OF PEACE. ABRAHAM CAME WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THAT INFLUENCE.
(1)RELATIONSHIP OF MELCHIZEDEK TO ABRAHAM.
IN JEWISH HISTORY NO ONE IS REGARDED AS GREATER THAN ABRAHAM, THE FATHER OF ALL ISRAEL, THE ONE TO WHOM GOD GAVE AN IMMUTABLE PROMISE AND INHERITANCE. (cf. HEBREWS 6:13-17.) YET, IN THE STORY OF ABRAHAM ONE IS PRESENTED AS GREATER THAN THIS PATRIARCH , i.e. MELCHIZEDEK.
HEBREWS 7: 7, MELCHIZEDEK GREATER THAN ABRAHAM
HEBREWS 7: 10, LEVI (THE TRIBE OF THE PRIESTLY FAMILY, DESCENDANTS OF LEVI, SON OF JACOB, SON OF ISAAC).
HEBREWS 7:11, PERFECTION NOT POSSIBLE THROUGH LEVI.THEREFORE, JESUS MUST BE PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF SOMEONE OTHER THAN LEVI. HE IS NOT JUST A PRIEST, BUT A HIGH PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.
(2)LESSONS FROM MELCHIZEDEK ABOUT JESUS
PSALM 110:4, THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT RELENT, YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. (QUOTED IN HEBREWS 5:6).
HEBREWS 5:10, CALLED BY GOD AS HIGH PRIEST ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.
AS THE HIGH PRIEST IN HIS SERVICE WOULD GO BEHIND THE VEIL FOR SERVICE, EVEN SO JESUS AS HIGH PRIEST HAD TO DO ALSO. WHERE HE GOES OUR HOPE GOES.
HEBREWS 6:18, PROMISE OFFERS STRONG CONSOLATION, REFUGE AND HOPE.
HEBREWS 6:19, THIS HOPE GOES BEHIND THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE.
HEBREWS 6:20, JESUS HAS ENTERED BEHIND THE VEIL AS OUR HIGH PRIEST AND AS FORERUNNER, "HAVING BECOME A HIGH PRIEST FOREVER FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."
HEBREWS 7:2, MELCHIZEDEK WAS KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND KING OF PEACE. (A SHADOW OF JESUS WORK AS KING AND HIGH PRIEST IN HIS KINGDOM OF PEACE - NOT PEACE FROM WAR, BUT INWARD PEACE, FREEDOM FROM SIN AND ITS WAGES.)
HEBREWS 7:3, WITHOUT FATHER, MOTHER, OR GENEALOGY; HAVING NEITHER BEGINNING OF DAYS OR END OF LIFE, BUT MADE LIKE THE SON OF MAN...." HIS GENEALOGY DID NOT MATTER. HIS SERVICE DID.
NOTE: WHO WAS MADE LIKE WHOM? IF MELCHIZEDEK WAS MADE LIKE JESUS, THEN JESUS EXISTED FIRST. IN THIS PRE-FLESHLY STATE HE WAS WITHOUT BEGINNING AND DID NOT OWE HIS EXISTENCE TO BIRTH OR CREATION! JESUS IS ETERNAL. MELCHIZEDEK WAS LIKE CHRIST. HE WAS NOT THE CHRIST. "LIKE" IS A FIGURE OF SPEECH CALLED A SIMILE INDICATING "LIKENESS" NOT "SAMENESS."
HEBREWS 7: 11, JESUS COULD HAVE PERFECTION IN HIS PRIESTHOOD ONLY THROUGH A DIFFERENT ORDER. JESUS' PERFECT PRIESTHOOD DEMANDED HE BE HIGH PRIEST AND KING AND HAVE A BETTER PROMNISE, HOPE, NAME, COVENANT, SACRIFICES, POSSESSION, COUNTRY, RESURRECTION, KINGDOM AND CITIZENS. (cf. HEBREWS 1: 4; 6: 9; 7: 7, 19, 22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34; 11:16, 35, 40.)
THAT WHICH IS PERFECTED INCLUDES JESUS, TABERNACLE, FOLLOWERS, ot FAITHFUL, WORKS, WORSHIP (cf. 2: 10; 5: 9; 6:1, 9: 11; 10: 1; 11: 40; 13: 21).
HEBREWS 7:15, IN THE LIKENESS OF MELCHIZEDEK (SHADOW).
HEBREWS 7:16, HE CAME WITH POWER AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. HIS POWER IS THE POWER OF ENDLESS LIFE.
ORDER = ARRANGEMENT. JESUS DID NOT SUCCEED MELCHIZEDEK IN THIS PRIESTLY LINE, BUT ESTABLISHED HIS OWN AFTER THE SAME FORM. THAT FORM WAS THAT HE WOULD BE PRIEST AND KING SIMULTANEOUSLY (cf. ZECHARIAH 6: 12-13).
HEBREWS 7:17, JESUS IS A PRIEST FOREVER. ONLY IN THIS WAY COULD HE BE OF BENEFIT TO BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES FULFILLING THE ABRAHAMIC PROMISE AND BRINGING THE BLESSING OF GOD.
HEBREWS 7:20-8:1, WE HAVE A HIGH PRIEST WHO CAN BE TOUCHED WITH OUR INFIRMITIES.
(1) HE IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE. (NOTE: TO SIT AT THE RIGHT HAND REFERS TO ONE BEING IN POWER. THEREFORE, THIS STATEMENT SAYS, "HE IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF THE THRONE OF POWER AND IS NOW IN FULL POWER.) (2) HE IS NOW HIGH PRIEST; (3) HE IS NOW KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND KING OF PEACE AND REIGNS IN FULL POWER!
HEBREWS 7:21, HE IS PRIEST WITH AN OATH AND WAS CALLED TO THAT OATH. NO ONE WAS PRIEST UNTIL THEY HAD BEEN DULY APPOINTED. JESUS APPOINTMENT WAS BY AN OATH.
NOTICE THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND MELCHIZEDEK
HEBREWS 7: 1, ABRAHAM BLESSED BY MELCHIZEDEK
HEBREWS 7:2, ABRAHAM PAID TITHES TO MELCHIZEDEK
HEBREWS 7: 4, MELCHIZEDEK GREATER THAN ABRAHAM
HEBREWS 7:5, MELCHIZEDEK GREATER THAN LEVI
HEBREWS 7:6, ABRAHAM BLESSED BY MELCHIZEDEK
HEBREWS 7:9, ABRAHAM LESSER THAN MELCHIZEDEK
EVEN THOUGH THE PROMISE CAME THROUGH ABRAHAM AND WAS FULFILLED IN JESUS, JESUS IS PRESENTED IN ABRAHAM AS THE ANTITYPE OF MELCHIZEDEK. THIS DEMONSTRATES THE INTRICACY OF THE SUBJECT OF THE PROMISE AS IT WEAVES THROUGH ALL THE STORIES AND LESSONS OF THE BIBLE.
NOTES:
OATH: An oath is "a self-curse (or obligation - lkh) made in conditional form that went into effect if the condition was fulfilled." Read: Numbers 5: 12-22; Nehemiah 5: 12-13; 1 Samuel 30: 15; 2 Samuel 3: 35; Judges 21: 18; Genesis 24: 8, 41; Isaiah 65: 16. (An oath is not a word, but a statement, a conditional contract or affirmation. -lkh)
Invocation of God, Genesis 42: 15; 2 Samuel 15: 21; Leviticus 19: 12; Exodus 20: 7; Psalm 16: 4; 24: 4; 50: 16; Joshua 23: 7; et. al. (The oath may invoke God as witness. -lkh)
Dramatized by raising of hand: Genesis 14: 22; Daniel 12: 7. (The raising of the hand appealed to God and the heavenly host as witness. -lkh)
Considered a covenant: Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-23; cf. 2 Chronicles 15: 12-15; Nehemiah 10: 30. (The oath was binding. A swear word is not binding; there must be a statement. It must be accepted by both parties as conditional and obligatory. -lkh)
An oath was acceptable only in Judicial cases. It was not accepted in criminal cases. (The oath, when accepted, was considered the end of the matter. -lkh)
(Encyclopedia Judaica, vol. 12, copyright 1971, Keter Publishing House, Inc., columns 1295-1298.)
The Hebrew words that were used interchangeably are: alah and shebu'ah. (The Jewish Encyclopedia, p. 365).
"A sacred, unbreakable promise made as conclusive evidence that a person will or will not do a certain thing. An oath (1) was taken by witnesses in court cases, committing them to tell the truth (EX. 22: 11); (2) was given as a pledge of loyalty (Neh.6: 18); (3) was made to God in the form of a vow to perform specific acts (Josh. 2: 17, 20)."
(The Revell Bible Dictionary, Fleming H. Revell Company, Old Tappan, New Jersey, 1990, page 742, "Oath.")
According to the history offered by the above sources, it would seem that the promise to Abraham and the oath to Abraham are one and the same. Let's continue by examining the definition of the Greek words.
DEFINITIONS:
Promise: (Gk. "epangelia"), "1. announcement; 2. promise; b. by meton. a promised good or blessing...the blessing promised by my Father, Lk. 24: 49; Acts 1: 4; Hebrews 10: 36; 11: 13, 33; 6: 12, 17." (Thayer, page 226-227)
Oath: (Gk. "orkos"), "(fr. ergo, eirgo; i.q. erkos an enclosure, confinement; hence Lat. orcus), [fro. Hom. down], Sept. for (Hebrew), an oath: Mt. 14: 7, 9; 26: 72; Mk. 6: 26; Lk. 1: 73...Acts 2: 30; Heb. 6: 16; James 5: 12; by meton. that which has been pledged or promised with an oath; plur. vows, Mt. 5: 33...." (Thayer, page 453.)
Swear: (Gk. "homnuo"), "(Mt. 23: 20 sq.; 26: 74; Heb. 6: 16; James 5: 12; Mk. 14: 41; to swear; to affirm, promise, threaten, with an oath: absol., foll. by direct discourse, Matt. 26: 74; Mk. 14: 41; Heb. 7: 21; foll. by ei, Heb. 3: 11; 4: 3; ...Heb. 6: 13, 16, (Gen. 22: 16; 31: 54; 1 Sam. 28: 10; Isa. 45: 23; 62: 8; Amos 4: 2...." (Thayer, page 444-445.)
NOTE: Not all oaths are preceeded by swearing, and swearing did not happen the same way in the Bible that it does now. In the modern era, to swear is to use foul or offensive language. In the Bible days, to swear was to assert something by the power, witness or presence of someone or something. For example, "As God lives, I will go into this or that city." or "As the sun rises, I will help you tomorrow." or "On my mother's grave, I assure you I am telling the truth." Though these examples are simplistic, they illustrate the practice.
In Hebrews 6 a clear Bible example is seen. Read verses 13 -14, "For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, 'Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." (From verses 13-16 the promise is spoken of in three terms: 1. promise, 2. swore, 3. oath.)
In order to obtain God's promise, Abraham had to be faithful, as expressed in verse 15 (this is the conditional part of the oath). When Abraham fulfilled his part of the covenant, God was obligated to fulfill His. It was His oath.
The oath given in Hebrews 6 is introduced by the word, "Surely." God did not swear by the heaven, or by the earth, or even by the throne. Nothing is greater than God. God's oath is introduced simply by this one word. Hebrews 6: 13-14 presents the oath as being the entire statement, not just the one word. This statement is what we call the promise. Hebrews calls it the oath.
This is in keeping with the definitions and history noted above. There is the conditional statement and the affirmation of truth or action. The entire statement becomes the promise and the oath.
The promise given to Abraham is seen, then, in all God has said (as has been illustrated in the entirety of this lesson on God's promise to Abraham). God's promise was first expressed in His counsel (verse 17), then affirmed in the oath.
The lesson in verse 18 is that man can trust God in His word. It is not necessary for Him to swear. God's counsel is all that is necessary. God gave an oath for man's benefit. The oath was a verbal contract or covenant between individuals; likewise between man and God. The oath was God's covenant, and still is.
In order for man to be a recipient of the blessings of the covenant, there are conditions even for modern man.
An additional lesson to be gained in Hebrews 6: 17 in the statement, "the immutability of His counsel," is that God's word cannot be changed. This immediately, in the context, refers to the Abrahamic promise. In a broader context it says that God's word, whatever He may say, is immutable. That includes the promises to the Patriarchs, the Mosaic covenant and the Gospel of Christ. They are immutable.
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS:
A COMPARISON COULD BE MADE WITH THE BREAD AND WINE WHICH MELCHIZEDEK GAVE TO ABRAHAM AND THE BREAD AND JUICE WHICH CHRIST ORDAINED AS PART OF THE LORD'S SUPPER (READ GENESIS 14:18). IS THERE AN ELEMENT OF PROPHECY IN THIS ACTION?
IN CONSIDERING THE MEN HISTORICALLY INVOLVED - ABRAHAM, ISAAC, DAVID AND MELCHIZEDEK - ABRAHAM IS THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS NOT A SHADOW OF CHRIST.
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