If you will, take your Bibles
and turn back with me to Hebrews chapter 7. One of my points in last week's
message seemed to generate some interest, and those points had to do with
this priest, Melchizedek. But as I listen to the comments,
it become obvious to me that I might have left some of you
in a little bit of fog concerning this man Melchizedek. Who is Melchizedek? I want to try to deal with that
this morning. And also, what does Melchizedek
have to do with my faith in Christ? Why would Paul spend so much
time under the influence of the Holy Ghost in the book of Hebrews? And if you'll go back, you'll
find that he starts talking about Melchizedek way back in chapter
five. And everything from that point
on that he has to talk about concerning the priesthood has
to do with Melchizedek. Why would he spend so much time
in this chapter that's dealing with types and figures? He's
writing to the Hebrew people. They knew what all these things
were. They were all given under the law, all these ceremonies.
One time a year was the Day of Atonement and the high priest
would come and he'd take the blood from the sacrifice and
he'd go in. He was the only one who could.
But he'd enter in that tabernacle and he'd go beyond that veil
into the Holy of Holies, it was called. And he'd take that blood
and he'd pour it out on the mercy seat over the Ark of the Testament,
over the covenant. And he'd pour that blood out
and he'd make this. And that's what this priesthood
is all about, the priesthood As a ceremony given to Israel,
that high priest would make intercession for the people. He'd do that
through sacrifices, he'd do that through certain washings, he'd
do that through all kinds of ways, but his principal job was
to make intercession for the people of Israel, God's children.
And now Paul's writing to them with a gospel knowledge, not
just a knowledge of the law, but a gospel knowledge. And he's
going to tell them that this just told what the priest did. This had nothing to do with who
the priest was. The priest was not going to be
a son of Aaron, as were all the other priests. But this priest
is a priest who was made priest from the beginning. He's always
been priest. There never was a time when he
wasn't priest. This Melchizedek. So let's begin
with this question, who is Melchizedek? Who is he? He's first mentioned in Genesis
chapter 14. You remember the story of Abraham
and his nephew lot that was down in Sodom and these kings, old
Chedaleo Omar, he had come in there and he just, he killed
these kings, he did battle, he spoiled, he took all their riches,
and this evidently was a very rich city. This was the well-watered
plains and all the money, the commerce, everything went on
down there. And they come in and spoiled
and took all the money, but they made a mistake. They took Abraham's
nephew with them. And Abraham armed 318 of his
servants that was born and raised in his own house, faithful men,
took them with him. And he pursued this king. And when night had overtaken
him, Abraham and those 318 men went into that camp and killed
them all and took back the spoils. And he was on his way back. And
I'm sure all of those things point to Christ and the salvation
of God's elect. Everything that went on there
does. But I don't wanna get into that
this morning. But on his way back here, he's got the spoils,
he's got his nephew, he's on his way back. And God sent his
priest to meet him in the way with bread and wine. Isn't that
something? He sends his priest to us, who
are the called according to his purpose, with bread and wine. Huh? Doesn't he? Well, that's what he did with
Abraham. He brought unto him the bread and the wine. And I
don't know how much of this Abraham understood, but Melchizedek was
the bread, and he was the wine. himself. And Abraham, recognizing
him, gave him a tenth of all the spoils, whatever that was. No telling how many millions
of dollars that would be worth today, but he gave him a tenth
of all the spoils. And then along comes the old
king of Sodom and he says, you just keep the money. That's nice of him to tell Abraham
he could keep what was his. But Abraham said, no, I don't
want any of it, lest you go home and tell everybody you made Abraham
rich. God gave me this victory, and
to him be the glory. I don't want any of it. I'm going
to pay my men for the time that they missed in their wages, and
that's all I'm taking out of this, and the tithing that he
gave to God. Melchizedek, that's his first
appearance in the scripture. He just comes on the scene. Now
Abraham is the father of the faithful, so this is connected
with our faith. And this is what he's showing
us here in this story. This priest met him. Met him. After this victory that God had
accomplished. And he met him with the bread
and the wine. Now, you don't read any more
about Melchizedek. He just disappears. He come on
the scene there in chapter 14, he disappears. You don't read
anything else about him till Psalm 110. And David begins to sing about
Melchizedek. Jeremiah didn't have anything
to say about him. Isaiah didn't have anything to say about him.
Job didn't have anything to say about him. But he comes on the
scene and David writes a psalm inspired by the Holy Ghost, and
begins to sing about Melchizedek. And it's a psalm of the kingdom,
and of the priesthood, and of the conquest, and of the victory
of the coming Redeemer. And you simply cannot read this
psalm, Psalm 110, and come away without seeing that the whole
of it is talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to this. The Lord said
unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine
enemies by footstool. Now if you care to read it over
in Acts chapter two and verse 34, he applies this psalm to
Christ. So you can't read this psalm
and come away and think, well, this psalm's talking about somebody
else. No, he's talking about Christ. Talking about Christ. And he also mentions this psalm
being fulfilled in Hebrews chapter 10 verses 12 and 13. But in Psalm 110 verse four,
the Lord hath sworn and will not repent, thou art a priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now here he is again. All these
years have went by. since Melchizedek appeared on
the scene. And now here's David, the sweet
psalmist of Israel, and he's singing about Melchizedek. Who
is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is Christ. This is Christ. Brother Todd
Nyberg dealt with this recently in a message that he brought
about Melchizedek, and I think the title of it, if you'd like
to listen to it, is Who is Melchizedek? But he said in his message, some
will argue that the scripture says in Hebrews 7 verse 3 that
he was made like unto the Son of God. So this proves that he
was not really Christ. Does it? Well, let me ask you
something. Who or what is like unto the
Son of God? Huh? In Isaiah chapter 40, verse 25,
he said, to whom then will you liken me? Or shall I be equal,
saith the Holy One? It's talking about Christ. Isaiah
46 verse 5, to whom will you liken me and make me equal and
compare me that we may be like? Remember the former things of
old, for I am God, there's none else. I am God and now listen,
there's none like me. Who is like unto the Son of God? or just one answer, the Son of
God. Is that right? So when he said
that Melchizedek was like unto the Son of God, he's saying he
is the Son of God. Melchizedek is Christ. But let's
look at a few more scriptures. Hebrews chapter seven, verse
two. He's still talking about Melchizedek. And he's talking about this hope.
I read it to you in chapter six while ago. He's talking about
this hope, whether the forerunner has entered in to heaven itself
with the anchor. And this priest that went beyond
that veil, went into the heaven itself, is a priest after the
order of Melchizedek. Now he's gonna tell us who Melchizedek
is. To whom Abraham gave a tenth
of all, first being by interpretation King of Righteousness, and after
that, King of Salem, which is King of Pete. Now, who else in
all of Scripture, in all of the sons of Adam, or even the angels
in heaven, could take to himself the name King of Righteousness? Huh? Only Christ. Is that right? You see Paul's
arguments here? He's making arguments that you
can't argue with. That's what he's doing. He's
king of righteousness. And who else in all of scripture
could take that title to himself except Christ? He's the only
righteousness there is concerning men. He's the end of the law
for righteousness, if they ever want to believe it. He's called,
his name is the Lord our righteousness. That's his name. Righteousness is His and it's
His to dispense. Through Him a righteousness has
been wrought for His elect and He Himself has it and can give
it to whom He will. He's the King of righteousness.
In Hebrews chapter 1 verse 8, He said, but unto the Son he
saith, thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. A scepter
of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. He's king of
righteousness. His scepter is a scepter of righteousness. Now who else could lay claim
to such a title as that? Melchizedek is Christ. And then listen to this, he's
also king of Salem, which by interpretation is king of peace. Colossians 1.20 says, and having
made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile
all things unto himself. By him, I say, whether they be
things in earth or things in heaven. There's things in heaven
that must be reconciled in order for a believer to be saved, is
that right? God's justice has to be reconciled. Sin has to be paid for. A righteousness must be produced. Things on earth. And by the blood of his cross,
he reconciled all things. Things in heaven, things on earth,
he reconciled everything. He's the king of peace. There's no peace apart from Christ. And the Bible says what religion
is crying out there is peace, peace where there is no peace.
They're saying there's peace in walking down an aisle, there's
peace in kneeling down at an altar, there's peace in signing
a pledge card, there's peace if you can speak in tongues.
No, there's peace in Christ, period, end of story, he's the
king of peace. By his sacrificial death, he
has made our sins, and I want you to hear me, because I took
a little time to write this down. He hath made our sins not to
be. Now he made creation out of nothing,
and he made nothing out of our sins. He made our sins not to
be. He said he can't find them. He can't find them. They're gone. He put sins behind his back. Now, he's God, but he knows he's
talking to men. So what'd you do with my sins?
He said, I put them behind my back. Wherever that is, they're not
anymore. He made our sins not to be. And at the judgment, there are
going to be accusers, the accusers of the brethren. They're going
to come up and say, well, he did this and he did that, and
David killed that man, he committed adultery, he did this, he did
that. No, he didn't. His sins are no longer to be
found. No longer to be found. Christ
put them away. Put them away. He's the king
of people. To be justified means to be proven
not guilty. Can you imagine such a thing?
God himself, who can discern the thoughts and intents of your
heart, We'll look at you one day, Walker, and he'll say, not
guilty. Not guilty. Listen to this, Colossians 1,
verse 21. And you that were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, wicked imaginations, wicked
ideas and concepts about God. You were enemies in your mind
by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of
his flesh through death to present you holy. You think of yourself that way?
Well, that's what he's made you, holy. And listen to this, unblameable and unreprovable. beyond correction,
unreprovable in His sight. Jude 24, he says, faultless before
the presence of His glory. Before the presence of His absolute
perfection, you're faultless. In 1 Corinthians 1.30 it says,
but of him, that is of God, are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God
is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
that according as it is written, he that gloweth, let him glow
in the Lord. He's king of righteousness and
he's king of peace. Who is Melchizedek? He's the
king. and he's the priest. All right,
what does Melchizedek have to do with my faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ? Why is it, why are you preaching
to me again about Melchizedek? Why are you just going on, why
is the apostle chapter after chapter after chapter talking
about Melchizedek? What does Melchizedek have to
do with believing on the Lord Jesus Christ? Why do I need to know who this
Melchizedek is? Because Melchizedek is the priest
of the Most High God. There is no other priest. You won't find anywhere in the
scripture where a man is titled the priest, the priest of the
Most High God. Now Aaron was a priest. but he
wasn't the priest. Melchizedek is the priest, of
which all others were just typical. Well, what does that mean? Well,
that means that his priesthood, we're talking about his connection
with our faith. Why do we need to know who this
Melchizedek is? His priesthood is an eternal
priesthood. There was never a time when he
was made priest. He was priest. When he came on
the scene, he was priest. He didn't become priest when
he met Abraham, he was already priest. And then listen to this, Hebrews
7 verse 3. This is still talking about Melchizedek. Look at it. I want you to see
it and read it for yourself here in the Scripture. Hebrews 7 verse
3, he's without father, without mother. So he's not talking about Christ
after he was born because he had a mother. No, he's without
father, he's without mother, he's without descent. He didn't
descend from Aaron. Paul's real clear in this, in
this chapter. That's why he's going in so much detail, telling
you that he wasn't. These men, there was no oath
involved in them. If you were a son of Aaron, you
were a priest. Aaron died, you become priest. No oath involved,
you was his son. He was the head of the Levitical
priesthood. But not this man. He had no descent. having neither beginning of days nor end of days, end of life
with this priest. Like unto the Son of God, he
abideth a priest continually. How long? From all eternity. Never a time when he wasn't our
priest. Never a time. He's always been
a priest. He was a priest from the beginning.
Thou art a priest forever, he said, after the order of Melchizedek.
We're told in Ephesians 1, 4 that God chose us in Christ before
the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love. In order for these things to
be, in order for us to be blessed of God, we were chosen in an
eternal priest. In Hebrews chapter 5, verse 1,
he tells us that every high priest taken from among men is ordained
for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both
gifts and sacrifices for sins, who can have compassion on the
ignorant, on them that are out of the way, for that he himself
is compassed with infirmity. So also Christ glorified not
himself to be made a high priest, but he that said unto him, Thou
art my son, Today have I begotten thee. That is an eternal begatting. And since our minds can't grasp
that, we talk about, well actually he talks to us about it through
the Holy Ghost, and he uses words like before the foundation of
the world, forever, he uses that kind of a term. I've got no concept
of eternity, do you? I've got no concept of God always
being God forever. Well, when's it going to end?
It ain't going to end. That's eternity. As you say in verse 6, as he
saith in another place, thou art a priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek. Everything concerning this man's
priesthood was given to him of God who made him a priest. God
made him priest. I didn't make him priest. People
run around here today talking about making Jesus your Lord.
You can't make him Lord. He's already Lord. God made him
Lord. You're gonna bow to him. You'll
do it now or you'll do it in eternity, but you're gonna bow
to him. He's Lord. He's not up for election. He
holds the office. He sat down at the right hand
of God. He's expecting to His enemies to be made His footstool.
He's Lord. And you can't make Him priest
either. He's already priest. Everything concerning His priesthood
was given to Him of God who made Him a priest. His priesthood
is eternal. He tells us in Hebrews 7 verse
3 that His priesthood is continual. It never stops. Boy, ain't you
glad it don't? If we sin, we have an advocate.
Jesus Christ the righteous. He ever liveth, he said, to make
intercession for us. His priesthood is continual.
It's continual. He abideth a priest continually. Now let me tell you something.
If this high priest had not been ordained from all eternity, this
human race would have perished in the fall of Adam. If we had no intercessor, if
Adam and Eve had no intercessor in glory, this whole human race,
this whole creation would have been dissolved when Adam fell.
Is that right? The only reason it exists today
is because we had a priest made of God after the order of Melchizedek. Are you starting to see the value
of this priest? That's why Paul's taking so much
time. He's telling us all of our hope rides on this priest. It all hangs on him. Creation, providence, and salvation
would have proved to have been a miscarriage but for this priest. The scripture said he is before
all things and by him all things consist. He stood a priest for
Adam and Abel and so on all the way down the line. David saw
him and sang about him. Abraham met him in the way and
gave him tithes. And here we see him connected, vitally connected
with the faith of God's elect. And then thirdly, he tells us
this about this Melchizedek, his priesthood was before the
law and therefore had nothing to do with the law. Law had nothing to do with Melchizedek. Melchizedek was long before the
law. Hebrew 711, if therefore perfection,
that's what God demands. You thought he just demanded
the best you could do. No, God demands perfection. How good do you have to be to
be saved? You have to be as good as God.
And that's why he tells you there's none good. There's none good. If therefore perfection, and
that's what God demands and that's what God will be satisfied with
and nothing else. If therefore perfection were
by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received
the law, what further need was there of another priest to rise
up? If a man could be made righteous
under that law, if a man could be interceded for under that
law, if a man could be represented under that law, effectually,
then what further need would there be of another priest? But he tells us in Hebrews 10,
he said, the law just had a shadow of good things to come. And that's
why that sacrifice had to be offered every year. Every year
there was a remembrance made of sin, every year, every year,
every year. If that old priesthood was sufficient,
why didn't he speak of another or why did he speak of another
yet to come? And then he tells us this in
verse 13 here in Hebrews chapter seven. He of whom these things
are spoken pertaineth unto another tribe of which no man gave attendance
to the altar. Christ came from the tribe of
Judah. The priest under the law came from the Levitical priesthood. They were descendants of Aaron.
Descendants of Levi. And he said, it's evident that
our Lord sprang out of Judah, which drive Moses didn't speak
anything concerning the priesthood. And it's yet far more evident
for after the melitude of Melchizedek, there rises another priest. He
told us that. And he's made not after the law
of a carnal commandment, but the power of an endless life.
He has eternal life. He is life itself. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. We testify thou art a priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. For there is verily a disannulling
of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness
thereof. That is, that old law was weak
and unprofitable because of sin, because of the flesh, because
of our inabilities. It was weak and unprofitable. Now listen, it's talking again
about our Savior's priesthood, verse 20. And insomuch as not
without an oath, he was made priest. For those priests were
made without an oath, but this was an oath by him that said
unto him, the Lord swear and will not repent. You can read
about that back in chapter five, I think it is. By two immutable things, his
oath and his promise. And his oath was concerning Christ
who was made after the order of Melchizedek. To be a high
priest under the law of Moses, you had to be of the lineage
of Aaron. And there was no swearing in,
no oaths, no pageantry like there is today in the priesthood of
some religions, like the Pope. Man, it's a worldwide event when
he gets re-elected or whatever they call it. But you were just a priest if
you were Levi. When Aaron could no longer fulfill
the office of priest, Levi was the priest. Why? Because he was
his son. And that's how they just, because
of their lineage, they become priests. God ordained that tribe
to the priesthood. But Christ was made an eternal
priest by the oath of the living God to an office of an unchangeable
priesthood. He tells us in verse 24 of Hebrews
7, this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
It never changes. Wherefore he is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them. He has an unchangeable
priesthood. His priesthood never changes.
It never alters. The priest was elected to represent
Israel. the people of God, and we know
the difference now between the nation of Israel and the elect
of God who are spiritual Israel. That's all believers. Christ
was appointed a priest forever, made so by the oath of God to
an unchangeable priesthood for spiritual Israel. Therefore,
he's able to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by him,
seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. That's
the purpose of his priesthood. We have one in heaven appointed
to his priesthood by God who swore him into office with an
oath that he will not reverse or turn away from. He's a perfect
priest, an eternal priest, an all-sufficient priest, a priest
not only revealed but received and seated at God's right hand. And then thirdly, let me just
briefly try to answer this question. Why would the Holy Ghost use
this man Melchizedek so much in this letter to the Hebrews?
And the answer is because he wants us to see the superiority
of Christ to all those things that were just types and symbols,
pictures under the law. He wants us to see the superiority
of it. Religion is turning more and
more and more back to those old ceremonies, back to that old
law. You look at them and they got a special dress on now when
they stand up to pray. You look at them and they have
titles, reverend. Scripture said don't call any
man reverend. They're one who's reverend, that's
Christ. They take to their self names
A priest. My sister used to tell me in
the Lutheran church about her priest. I said I didn't know there was
but one priest. Christ is the only priest I know
anything about. But religion goes more and more
back to that. He wants us to see the superiority
of Christ over those things. Those priests, so-called priests,
they can pray for you. I'll pray for you, my son. He
might say some word, put his hand on your head or whatever
they do. I'll pray for you. My soul, I
have a priest who's seated at the right hand of God who gets
anything he asks. who knows the thoughts and intents
of my heart. He knows when I'm truly suffering. He knows what I truly need, and
He makes intercession for us. He wants us to see the superiority
of Christ to the old priesthood. In Hebrews 9.11 it says, but
Christ being come a high priest of good things to come by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is
to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. He came to
execute, to do and accomplish the redemptive will of God by
the which we were sanctified, the scripture said, through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And then
it says this, every old priest, those priests under the law,
every high priest standeth daily ministering and offering oft
times the same sacrifices which can never take away sin. But
this man, this Melchizedek, this priest of the Most High God,
after he had offered one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down at
the right hand of God. He's not gonna kill another lamb. He is the lamb. There'd be no
need of another. Not gonna kill another goat.
Not gonna kill another heifer. from henceforth expecting till
his enemies be made a footstool for by one offering he hath,
now listen, perfected forever them that he sanctified. Now here's the answer to the
question as to why the Holy Ghost devoted so much attention to
Melchizedek in verse 15 of chapter 10. Wherefore, The Holy Ghost
also is a witness to us. For after that he said before,
this is the covenant that I'll make with them after those days,
saith the Lord. I'll put my laws into their hearts
and in their minds will I write them. That is his law satisfied
by our great priest, our Melchizedek. He satisfied that law. And he says, and their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more. And where remission of
these is, there is no more offering for sin. Your sins are paid for. They're paid for in Christ, if
you be in Christ. Our sins are gone, they're laid
on him, paid for by his blood. And what an insult to God would
it be for the least offering to be offered to him for sin
after he sacrificed his son to put away your sin. By the blood of our Melchizedek,
he goes on to tell us we have boldness to enter into the holiest. Now the common priest, which
is what believers are, they could go into the first part of the
tabernacle. where the showbread was, and
the altar of incense, and all those things, and they could
go in there and they could minister about those things. But nobody
went beyond that veil except the high priest. But by the blood
of our Melchizedek, we have boldness to enter into the holiest, into
that which is reserved for the high priest alone, and that which
is only typified by that old veil, but into heaven itself. And by way of his priesthood
and his blood, we can boldly enter into the holiest by a new
and living way, which he hath consecrated for us by his flesh. Hebrews 10, 21. And having a high priest over the
house of God, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and
our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that is promised. I want to read you two more verses
and I'll close. Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 1. Now of the things which we have
spoken, this is the psalm. This is what I've been telling
you from chapter five all the way through chapter seven. This
is the sum. We have such an high priest who
is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the
heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which
the Lord pitched, and not man. That's the sum of it. That's
why we need to know these things. Melchizedek is our priest. Melchizedek
has entered into the holiest by his own blood. He put away
our sins forever. We're accepted in him who is
our representative. And he's sitting up there right
now, alive, at the right hand of God, making intercession for
us. and securing all that God's promised
in him. He's expecting to his enemies
to be made his footstool. Now, who are his enemies? Any
man who claims to be a priest. Anybody who falls down on their
knees and worships another priest. This is our priest. This is our
hope. What's this have to do with our
faith? Everything, he's our hope. And this priest, our Melchizedek,
he went beyond the veil, like an anchor for our vessel, and
anchored that anchor in heaven itself. And we have a hope, sure
and steadfast. May the Lord give you an understanding
of what I preached here today.