Jesus As Our Example: Spiritual Maturity Series 2, Part UNO Hebrews 7:1-10 (Genesis 14:18-20)

Hebrews: Background Theme: The superiority and preeminence of Christ Theme: The superiority and preeminence of Christ Audience: Major portion devoted to Hebrew Christians who are persecuted by non- Christians (either Jews or Romans) Audience: Major portion devoted to Hebrew Christians who are persecuted by non- Christians (either Jews or Romans) Purpose: Admonish their Spiritual immaturity and warned them to avoid apostasy (5:12,6:44) Purpose: Admonish their Spiritual immaturity and warned them to avoid apostasy (5:12,6:44)

Hebrews: Main Focus Part I: The superiority of the Christian Faith (Heb.1:1-10:18) Part II: Exhortations (Heb.10:19-13:25)

Hebrews: The Superiority of the Christian Faith (1:1-10:18) 1:1-4 Christ’s Superior Revelation (NIV) 1:1-4 Christ’s Superior Revelation (NIV) 1:15-2:18 Superiority of the Son to angels 1:15-2:18 Superiority of the Son to angels 3:1-19 Superiority of Jesus to Moses 3:1-19 Superiority of Jesus to Moses 4:1-13 Superiority of Jesus to Joshua 4:1-13 Superiority of Jesus to Joshua 4:14-9:14 A Superior High Priest (Guthrie) 4:14-9:14 A Superior High Priest (Guthrie) 8:1-10:39 Superior Sacrifice (NIV) 8:1-10:39 Superior Sacrifice (NIV)

Hebrews 7:1-3 1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.

What Happened Before… (Ge.14) Four kings, headed by King Kedorlaomer, kidnapped Abraham’s nephew Lot. (Ge.14:5-12) Abraham recruited his own men to rescue Lot. King Kedorlaomer was defeated and Abraham got back tons of booty. On the way back, Abraham encountered a mysterious figure..

What Happens Now? (Ge.14) The mysterious figure, Melchizedek, who is both a King and a Priest of God, blesses Abraham. Abraham, without further details, tithed 10% of what he got.. ????? For the next one thousand years the name Melchizedek was never mentioned again, until…

David Says… “ You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek..” Read Psalm 110:1-4 Then, for the next 1000 years, nothing again… until now.

WHO IS MELCHIZEDEK??? Previously, we have looked at Isaac as the prefiguration of Christ in the Old Testament- a foreshadow to His mission on the cross. There are many other foreshadowing in the Bible. We will see today how Melchizedek was fulfilled in the priesthood of Christ. We need to realize that Jesus is the fulfillment of David’s prophecy- that He is both our King and our Priest.

v.1-3 The Significance of Melchizedek (Hughes) 1.Mel foreshadows Christ’s Character in Kingship 2.Mel foreshadows Christ’s Qualifications as our ultimate High Priest.

Foreshadow of Christ’s Characters: Kingship 1.King of Righteousness 2.King of Peace Isaiah 9:6-7, 1Jn.2:1, Rm.3:21-22, Jn.14:27)

Foreshadow of Christ’s Qualification: High Priest 1.No priestly genealogy: while Jesus’ royal blood could be traced to Judah, he had no priestly genealogy 2.No beginning and End: “Mel’s sudden appearance and disappearance from recorded history awakens within a sensitive… notion of eternity.”

Fulfillment of the Priestly-King Mel’s character regarding righteousness and peace as both a King and a Priest was fulfilled in Christ. The continuous priesthood for Mel that foreshadows Christ’s continuous and complete intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:4-7 4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people–that is, their brothers–even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater.

Hebrews 4:8-10 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

Proof of Superiority of Christ Over Abraham and Aaron 1.Shown in Abraham’s Tithing 2.Shown in Mel’s Blessing to Abraham

Superiority of Christ “In the ancient world, paying tithes to another was recognition of the other’s superiority and a sign of subjection to that person.” And Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, which would signify…

Superiority of Christ Also, in “Biblical blessing the superior always blesses the inferior”. Abraham was the person that God says, through whom, “all peoples on earth will be blessed..” (Ge.12:3). And yet, Abraham receives blessings from Melchizedek. This would signify, again….

Superiority of Christ But an Israelite would argue that the Aaronic priest also collects tithes and pronounces blessings. Here, Hebrews points out, 1. that the Levitical priesthood was established through the Law and not by any innate superiority of the Levites. Levites, after all, were still part of the Israel, collects from their brothers- and they are sinners themselves.

Superiority of Christ Jesus, however, does not trace his Priesthood from Aaron, and He is without sin. 2. The Aaronic priesthood ends when the priest dies. But Jesus’ priesthood, like Melchizedek’s, has no end.

Superiority of Christ 3. Hebrews “appeals to the common belief that an ancestor contains all his descendants within himself.” The Levitical priesthood therefore also tithed to Melchizedek through Abraham. This signifies that the Aaronic priests also acknowledges the superiority of Melchizedek’s priesthood.

Okay… What do you think about the passage we just read? Why does the Author of Hebrews include this passage and gives this to a struggling Hebrew Church? What relevance do you think this passage is to your life?

Until Next Time.. Read Hebrews 5-6 Or Galatians 4:21-30

Ephesians 4: to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.