Our Eternal High Priest Louis G. Hulsey August 12, 2012 Casa Grande, Arizona

Jesus Our Eternal High Priest Jesus is our eternal prophet, priest, and king. Hebrews 5:5-6, “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 6, As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

Jesus Our Eternal High Priest Jesus did not glorify Himself or exalt Himself to be made a high priest. Isaiah 53:2, “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”

God’s Covenant With Abram Genesis 12:1-3 1, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:” 2, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:” 3, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Genesis 12:4-6 4, “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.” 5, “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.” 6, “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.”

Genesis 12:7-8 7, And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. 8, And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

Abram Was Very Rich. During a famine Abram went into Egypt for a while then returned to Canaan. God gave it to Abram all the land of Canaan. He was the rightful owner of the land. Genesis 13:1-2 1, “And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.” 2, “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.”

God Blessed Abram Abram and Lot separated because their herds were too large to live together. Lot went to a city of the plains called Sodom. Abram lived in Canaan.

Lot Got Carried Away Four kings invaded five of the cities of the plain. Each city had a king. Two of those cities were Sodom and Gomorrah. The four invading kings carried away all the goods, the food, and the people of the five cities, including the household of Lot.

Lot Got Rescued Abram took his trained servants and went after these invaders. Gen 14:14, “And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.” Gen 14:15, “And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.” Gen 14:16, “And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.”

Abram Returns Abram does not make himself a king. He does not take tribute or taxes or soldiers from any city. He is simply a servant of the Most-High God. Abram refused to accept the spoils of war, Genesis 14:23. When Abram returned with the citizens of the cities and with their goods, he was met by the leaders of the region and Melchizedek, Genesis 14:17.

Who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the king of Salem, Jerusalem, and priest of the Most-High God. Salem is Jerusalem. Psalms 76:2, “In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.” The priesthood of Melchizedek came before the priesthood of Aaron. This priest is a mediator between God and man.

Melchizedek Met Abram Genesis 14:18, “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.” No doubt Abram and his men were tired and were refreshed by the bread and wine. There must have been a great deal of bread and wine, maybe about like it was at the marriage in Cana.

The Bread And The Wine Albert Barnes Notes on this passage says: “In after times they were by divine appointment placed on the table of the presence in the tabernacle Exodus 25:29-30. They were the accompaniments of the Paschal lamb Matthew 26:26-27, and they were adopted by the Messiah as the sacred symbols of that heavenly fare, of which, if a man partake, he shall live forever John 6:48-58.”

Barnes Continues: “…the bringing forth of bread and wine was a priestly act, and, accordingly, the crowning part of a sacred feast. The כהן kohen, or priest, who is here mentioned for the first time in Scripture, was one who acted in sacred things on the part of others. He was a mediator between God and man, representing God holding out the hand of mercy, and man reaching forth the hand of faith.”

Melchizedek blessed Abram Genesis 14:19-20, “And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20, And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”

Why did Melchizedek bless Abram? Because he liked him? No. He blessed Abram because of his faith in the Most-high God. Abram had already left Ur and followed God into Canaan. Abram had already been greatly blessed by God because of his faith. Melchizedek had royal authority to bless Abram.

Jesus Is Our High Priest Jesus is our Eternal High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. He shall reign forever from the City of Jerusalem. Revelation 11:15, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

Melchizedek In Hebrews Hebrews 6:20, “Whither [to within the veil] the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” Hebrews 7:1-2 1, “For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2, “To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;”

Hebrews 7:3-6 3, “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” 4, “Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.” 5, “And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:” 6, “But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.”

Hebrews 7:7-10 7, “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.” 8, “And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.” 9, “And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.” 10, “For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.”