Genesis chapter 14. A couple of weeks ago we looked at verses 1 to 16, so we'll finish the chapter this evening, but I do want to begin reading in chapter 14 at verse 1, because it will help us to review. Beginning in chapter 14, verse 1, And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Ariok, king of Elisar, Kedor Laomer, king of Elam, and title, King of Nations, that they made war with Bera, King of Sodom, Bersha, King of Gomorrah, Shinab, King of Adma, Shemeber, King of Zeboim, and the King of Bela, that is, Zoar. All these joined together in the Valley of Sedum, that is, the Salt Sea.
Twelve years they served Kedor-Leomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. In the fourteenth year, Cador, Laomer, and the kings that were with him, came and attacked Arepham, and Ashteroth, Carname, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh, Kiriatham, and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Peron, which is by the wilderness. Then they turned back and came to En-Mishpat, that is, Kadesh, and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazan-Tamar. And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Adma, the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar, went out and joined together in battle in the valley of Sidim against Kedor-Leomer, king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Ariok king of Elessar, four kings against five.
Now the valley of Siddam was full of asphalt pits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled. Some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner, and they were allies with Abram. Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his 318 trained servants, who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Obah, which is north of Damascus. So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shavuot, that is the king's valley, after his return from the defeat of Kedor Laomer and the kings who were with him. Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.
And he gave him a tithe of all. Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons and take the goods for yourself. But Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have raised my hand to the Lord, God most high, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion.
Amen.
Introduction and Review of Genesis 14
What we've seen with reference to the promise of God given to Abram in Genesis chapter 12, that right on the heels of those promises made, there's already these challenges, there's these difficulties. So essentially, in Genesis 12, 1 to 3, God promised Abram that he would give him a land, and he promised that he would give him seed. Well, the very next scene in Genesis 12 is that there's famine in the land, so Abram goes to Egypt. After he returns from Egypt, he has a family squabble of sorts with Lot over the land of Sodom. or over the land of Canaan, Lot takes the land closest to Sodom.
And now we have this sort of coalition of eastern kings that are basically gobbling up Canaanite geography. And essentially what you had is you had these Canaanite kings that were paying tribute and were subject to these eastern kings. Notice in 14.4, it says, 12 years they served Caedor Laomer, and in the 13th year, they rebelled. So Caedor Laomer is sort of the leader of this coalition of eastern kings.
He's the one that's ultimately sovereign over the land. And they have been paying tribute to him. And they've essentially said, no more. We don't want to part with our hard-earned dough and give it to Caedor Laomer.
So essentially, Caedor Laomer and that alliance of eastern kings gobble up Canaan. They come all the way down Transjordan, they come up and around, and then Abram gets mobilized and he sends them back up into Syria. And the reason why Abram is mobilized is because they take his nephew Lot. Remember that Abram armed his 318 household servants, and then he went in pursuit, and he was able to repel them, and he was able to get rid of them, and they left the land of Canaan.
And now we have this interaction. between Abram and the kings of Sodom and Salem. And you see that, first of all, in verses 17 to 20, and then the interaction specifically with the king of Sodom in verses 21 to 24. But if you notice in verse 17, I think there's a marked contrast between the kings of Sodom and the king of Salem. The king of Salem, Melchizedek, comes and honors and gives good things to Abram.
He gives him bread and wine, But this king of Sodom, verse 17, it says, he went out to meet him at the valley of Sheba, that is, the king's valley, after his return from the defeat of Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. And just a bit of a foreshadowing, notice in verse 21, the king of Sodom said to Abram, give me the persons and take the goods for yourself. He's not a very friendly man and he is indebted to Abram. Abram has done great things in terms of Sodom and this coalition of Canaanite kings.
And yet he doesn't give him that honor, and he doesn't give him that tribute, and he doesn't give him that respect that is fitting. You see that specifically with reference to this king of Salem, Melchizedek, but it's obviously lacking in terms of the king of Sodom. And I think what you're seeing in this particular section is the making good of Genesis chapter 12, verse 3. If you look at Genesis chapter 12 verse 3, God says, I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
You're starting to see that fulfillment played out. Melchizedek recognizes that Abram is a man blessed of God, and he appeals to him on that level. The man of Sodom, rather, the king of Sodom, doesn't show many courtesy or kindness. Ultimately, we know what happens to the king of Sodom and to Gomorrah.
They suffer under the wrath and fury of God Almighty, and probably that's being foreshadowed here, at least to a small degree, in Genesis chapter 14. Because Abram does distance himself from wanting anything to do with this king of Sodom in terms of his proffer of goods. Abram does not want to be beholden to this king whatsoever. But there's this marked contrast between the way the king of Sodom and the way the king of Salem treats him.
Now
Melchizedek: Priest and King
note the king of Salem in verses 18 to 20. You have this man called Melchizedek. Melchizedek is referred to here, he's referred to in Psalm 110, and he's also referred to in Hebrews chapter 6, the very end, and then Hebrews 7 as a whole is dedicated to this man, Melchizedek. And he's a bit of a...
Excuse me, a bit of a man of mystery. There's a lot of suppositions as to who this Melchizedek is. I'm just going to tell you who I think he is. I think he's a man by the name of Melchizedek.
I don't think he's the pre-incarnate Christ. Some have taken that particular position. Some Jewish interpretation taught that he was Shem, the son of Noah. Others have taught that he was a Canaanite king that prefigured or typified the Lord Christ.
And I think that's closer to the mark. When you get to Hebrews chapter 7, again, we'll look at that later on tonight, but there are some enigmatic statements concerning Melchizedek. So it's not the case that this mysterious sort of view or mysterious views have arisen in connection with Melchizedek, because there is a lot of things stated about him that are very mysterious. But I think the most straightforward reading is that in the historical context, in Genesis chapter 14, he really was the king of Salem.
He really was the priest of God Most High. And as a result,
Melchizedek as Type of Christ
he typifies on the one hand Gentile inclusion in the covenant promises of God. But the scripture takes pains to show us how this man Melchizedek really prefigured or really typified the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's primarily seen in the two offices held by this man Melchizedek. Notice that he was the priest of God Most High and that he was the King of Salem.
Now we know that our Lord Jesus is a prophet, priest, and king. And so I think the connection between Melchizedek and our Lord Jesus hinges ultimately on this two-fold office that both of these men occupy. But in this particular instance, we see his expression of thankfulness. Then Melchizedek, King of Salem, brought out bread and wine.
Now again, later interpretation sees Eucharistic overtones here, that as the priest of God Most High, he is serving the sacraments to Abram. Well, I'm not sure that that's what's involved in this particular instance, but he's a far cry nicer and kinder than the king of Sodom. He honors Abram. He refreshes Abram.
It would have been fitting and consistent to simply give him bread and water as a result of his exploits and driving this eastern coalition of kings out of Canaan, but he really honors him and really refreshes him by bread and wine. And then notice he pronounces this blessing, and this is one of the functions of a priest. A priest of God Most High pronounces the blessing of God upon people. You see that ironic blessing in Numbers chapter 6?
Well, you see it here. It says, He blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. Now, he speaks of God Most High, and some have recognized that he uses the language El Elyon, and that is probably a Canaanite deity. But as you go through the text, you see that Abram uses that same language and addresses it to Yahweh, God Most High, Yahweh El Elyon, which indicates that Melchizedek was within the covenant people.
He wasn't a pagan, he wasn't a Canaanite, he wasn't subscribing to this Canaanite deity called El, but it was rather God Most High, the possessor of heaven and earth. So consistent with what we see in Genesis chapter 12 verse 2, God says, I will make you a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. Already on the heels of that, In spite of the trials to Abram's faith, in spite of the difficulties, in spite of affliction, nevertheless Melchizedek comes and says, Blessed be Abram of God most high, possessor of heaven and earth.
And then he says specifically, and blessed be God most high. And then notice, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. Now there's a lot of stuff going on in Genesis chapter 14. There's a lot of stuff that goes before it and a lot of stuff that'll come after it, but I think one of the primary takeaway lessons is that emphasis by Melchizedek that this deliverance has come as a result of God Most High.
It wasn't Abram's 318 men. It wasn't Abram's superior military strategy. It wasn't Abram's ability on the battlefield, but rather it was God Most High who gave him this victory. In fact, Wenham makes this observation.
He says, it is the demonstration of divine support for Abram that is the clearest thrust of this story. The Dead Sea cities are twice defeated by the coalition of Eastern kings. Yet Abram, who has much smaller forces at his disposal, smashes the invaders, expelling them from Canaan, and rescues Lot and the captured women. For those with eyes to see, such as Melchizedek, this is proof that El Elyon, God Most High, has delivered your oppressors into his hand.
And then notice that Abram pays a tithe to the priest of God. The end of verse 20, he gave him a tithe of all. This isn't Melchizedek giving money to Abram, but rather it is Abram paying a tithe to Melchizedek. Waltke says Melchizedek celebrates Abraham as God's warrior and blesses him.
Abraham recognizes Melchizedek as the legitimate priest and king of his God, and therefore he pays this tithe to him of all.
Abram and the King of Sodom
Now notice then this interaction with the king of Sodom in verses 21 to 24. The king of Sodom said to Abram, give me the persons and take the goods for yourself. Again, it's an argument by silence, but it's pretty loud. There's no kindness.
There's no thanksgiving. I mean, I'd like to think that if somebody were to rescue the women and the people that I was responsible for, I'd like to think I'd show a little more gratitude toward them than what this man is demonstrating in this particular instance. Give me the persons and take the goods for yourself. And some have suggested that that was a very courteous offer. on the part of the king of Sodom, but others have suggested, no, Abraham liberated the goods, he was certainly entitled to a large portion of that plunder or of that booty.
And now notice what Abram responds to him. Verse 22, Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have raised my hand to the Lord, to Yahweh, God most high, the possessor of heaven and earth. This is indicative that he's making this oath. This is an oath that he is swearing that he will not take from this king of Sodom the goods that the king of Sodom has offered.
And there's a particular reason for that. Notice in verse 23, it's comprehensive. He says that I will take nothing from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. He's expressing his dependence upon God Most High, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth.
He doesn't need the things that the King of Sodom offers to him. He doesn't want those particular items, he doesn't want the plunder, he doesn't want the booty, he wants sustenance from God Most High, and he's acknowledging his dependence upon God Most High in this very instance. Except, notice in verse 24, and I really appreciate this about Abraham. It's easy to give away other people's money, isn't it?
It's easy to give away other people's goods. But Abram doesn't do that. Abram's not a liberal. Abram's not a democrat.
Abram's not the sort of person that has to make everybody follow in his moral train. For himself, he has sworn this oath to the God of heaven and earth that he won't be beholden to the king of Sodom. But he's not going to make his 318 men, these armed servants that just went out and liberated Lot, and the women, and the people, and the goods, and brought them all back. He's not going to jip them or cheat them.
They're going to get the fruit that is coming to them for their exploits in this battle. And then notice his allies, verse 24, except only what the young man, those are the servants of his household, have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Ashkel, and Mamre, let them take their portion. He's not going to make them suffer because he has this desire to honor God. And he's not going to guilt manipulate them to do likewise with their resources and their stuff.
Again, it's very easy to commit other people's money. It's easy to give away other people's goods. If Abraham wants to do this for himself, praise God for Abraham. But he doesn't inflict this upon others.
He allows them to reap the benefits of the labor they've engaged in. I think that's a beautiful principle that we ought to take to heart. We may be convinced of the rightness of something, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's right for everybody. And I think at times we get a bee in our bonnet, something that is holy and good and godly and righteous, and then we have to make it everybody else's godliness and holiness and righteousness as well.
Brethren, it's up to them before God whether or not they want to give their property. You cannot coerce them, and you cannot make them, and you cannot guilt manipulate them. Abram doesn't do that. Abram doesn't commit other people's money and he doesn't commit other people's goods.
He is not the kind of person that would engage in that sort of bantering. Now, we have a lot of time left, so I thought we'd look at this man of mystery, Melchizedek, because this is a brief section, it's pretty straightforward, but let's look at what the rest of the Bible says, and I mention the two places where he is mentioned.
Psalm 110: The Priest-King
You can turn to Psalm 110. Psalm 110. This basically is where the latter half of Hebrews 7 goes. Hebrews 7 in its explanation of this man Melchizedek starts with the account in Genesis chapter 14 and then moves to Psalm 110.
And the overarching concern there in Hebrews chapter 7 is to show the superiority of Christ's priesthood over the Levitical priesthood. Remember, that's the point of the book of Hebrews. It is to demonstrate the superiority of Jesus Christ over everything that has come before. And the Levitical priesthood, the Aaronic priesthood, was a glorious and a wonderful institution, but it was inferior to what Jesus Christ does in His priestly ministry.
And so Paul, the author of Hebrews, connects Christ's priesthood not to Aaron and the Levites, but rather to this man Melchizedek. And you see, Psalm 110, you see the Messiah as divine king in verses 1 to 3, and then the Messiah as priest in verse 4, and then the Messiah as conqueror, excuse me, in verses 5 to 7. But notice specifically in verse 4, Yahweh the Lord has sworn and will not relent, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. I think this is extremely important for us to understand that at this particular time there was a temple.
There was a priesthood. There was a sacrificial system. All that stuff was in play, and yet under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David is speaking of a greater priest. He's speaking of a greater priesthood.
He's speaking of one who will be appointed by divine oath. He is looking beyond the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood. He's looking beyond that earthly temple to something greater and more glorious that is coming down the pike for God's people. Again, this wasn't a time when there was no priesthood, there was no temple, there was no sacrifice, and David's just longing for such a thing. in Israel.
No, it was all there, but he's speaking of something even more glorious and more excellent, and of course that is the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Lord has sworn and will not relent, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. The New Testament application of this verse, again, is in Hebrews chapter 6 and 7. The reference to the order of Melchizedek, again, I would argue is primarily focused upon the two offices and the one person.
He is both king and he is priest. The prophet Zechariah, while not referring to Melchizedek, sees a person who fits the same bill. A person who is both priest and king. You can turn to Zechariah the prophet, Zechariah chapter 6.
Zechariah is one of the last prophets in the Old Testament. He was a post-exilic prophet. He certainly spoke often of the Lord Jesus. In fact, the prophet Zechariah is very much behind the scenes and over overtly in quoted text in the passion narrative in Matthew's Gospel.
But notice in Zechariah 6, It says, Then speak to him, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is the Branch. Branch is another messianic title for the Lord Jesus Christ. It's used by the prophet Jeremiah and as well by, at least allusion to, by the prophet Isaiah. From his place he shall branch out, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.
Does this mean a physical structure? No, it's the temple of his body. It's the John 2 thing. Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
John tells us he was talking about the temple of his body. He wasn't talking about this physical building. So this temple builder, notice in verse 13, yes, he shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule on his throne.
So he shall be a priest on his throne and the council of peace shall be between them both. So this prophet links this one in 6.12.13, calls him the branch, but he's also that one who occupies these two offices combined in the one person. We know he's a prophet as well, but the emphasis with reference to Melchizedek and with reference to here is on the kingly and on the priestly. Now, if you turn to Matthew chapter 22 for just a moment, Matthew chapter 22, while it does not mention Melchizedek, Jesus mentions this song.
And Jesus interprets this psalm messianically. That means that Psalm 110 was not about David. Psalm 110 was about David's greater son. Psalm 110 is about the Lord Jesus Christ.
And after a series of disputes or debates or confrontation with religious leaders, Jesus now puts a question to them in Matthew 22, 41. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? They said to him, The son of David.
He said to them, How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord? Saying, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. Again, it's not verse 4, it's verse 1. But this much you can conclude, that when a New Testament author cites a particular verse of a psalm, he is including the entirety of the psalm.
It's not just piecemeals, not just bits and pieces. That's how we know that the imprecatory, or one of the reasons we know that imprecatory psalms are for the church today. Because New Testament authors cite portions from imprecatory psalms. They may not cite the actual imprecation where God smashed the teeth of your enemies, but the fact that they cite the psalm indicates the abiding validity of the psalm for the church today.
So Christ refers to this psalm, he treats it as, and interprets it as, messianically. And then he asks them the question in verse 45, if David then calls him Lord, How is he his son? And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question him anymore. You kind of get the gist.
As Jesus moves through these confrontations, these guys are afraid to open their mouths anymore. They cannot best Him when it comes to the interpretation of Scripture. They certainly cannot best Him when it comes to an understanding of Scripture. And so as Jesus asks them about this interpretation, they choose the prudent route, and they remain silent before Him.
Hebrews 6–7: Superiority of Christ's Priesthood
Now turn over to Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. Again, looking at this fellow Melchizedek, The end of Hebrews chapter 6, Melchizedek is introduced. Verse 19, this hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the presence behind the veil.
Where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become high priest forever, notice, according to the order of Melchizedek. So this is the author's point. His priesthood is not connected to Aaron. It is not Levitical in nature.
It is superior to the Levitical order. David recognized there was a superior office or superior priestly office even to the Levitical order when he composed Psalm 110. Again, there was a priesthood, there was a temple, there was sacrifice, and yet David speaks of appointment by the oath of God with reference to Melchizedek. So the author here is essentially doing what David does in Psalm 110, and it shouldn't surprise us that the latter half of chapter 7 is his exposition of, or amplification of or explanation of Psalm 110 as it relates to the priest of the Lord Jesus.
But notice here in chapter 7,
Genesis 14 in Hebrews 7
he specifically deals with the Genesis 14 narrative. He refers to the meeting in verses 1 and 2. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning, I love the way he describes it, from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him. It was the slaughter of the kings.
That's what Abram did when it came to those men in Canaan. He slaughtered them. He sent them packing. There's no more Gator at Laomer and his oppression of the Canaanites.
Notice verse 2, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated king of righteousness, that's what Melchizedek means, and then also king of Salem, meaning king of peace. So those are the names of this man, Melchizedek, king of righteousness, king of peace. Philip Hughes, commenting here, says, our author, it is important to notice, invests Melchizedek not with allegorical, but with typological significance. And there's a big difference there.
We don't have a lot of time to explore that, but just file it in your head or brain and understand that he's right. It's not allegorical, but it's typological. He is content here to draw attention to the messianic significance of the Hebrew names Melchizedek and Salem, the former of which means King of Righteousness and the latter, Peace. Accordingly, as King of Righteousness and King of Peace, Melchizedek is presented as the type of the messianic priest-king, the marks of whose kingdom are Righteousness and Peace.
He functions typologically. It's not the pre-incarnate Christ It's certainly not Shem. It's probably a converted Canaanite king that has confessed God Most High, has come to bless Abram, has received a tithe from Abram's hand, but he is one that ultimately points us forward to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the mystery comes in verse 3.
Notice what it says concerning Melchizedek. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. I grant that is extremely mysterious as it's applied to if he in fact was a Canaanite king that had come over to Israel's God. But it doesn't necessarily have to be understood as a man who was virgin born, or a man that just appeared, or a man that had no connection whatsoever.
The point the apostle is laboring to make is that the priesthood of Aaron comes by succession. The priesthood of Aaron is passed on from generation to generation based on your tribe, based on your blood, based on your ethnic connection, based on where you find yourself in the makeup of Israel. But with reference to Melchizedek, his priesthood isn't owing to his father. It isn't owing to his mother.
His genealogy is not important. It would be important if he was a Levite. It would be important if he wanted to serve in the temple and he had to have that pedigree. He had to have that sort of bloodline to evidence or prove the fact that he was in fact a Levite so that he could serve.
But this Melchizedek doesn't have that. Doesn't have a father. Again, I don't think it means he just popped out of heaven onto earth. It means that his father and his mother and his genealogy are unrelated to his priestly office.
They're unrelated to his place in redemptive history. As the king of God Most High, as the king of Salem, and as the priest of God Most High, it's not dependent on his parentage or his genealogy. And then when it says, you know, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, Again, I don't know that it means that he's always there, or that he's always been there, or that he's some deified figure. The argument later is going to be made that the Levites failed, ultimately, because they died.
They died so they couldn't continue their priestly function. But one of the things unique about Jesus is that he always lives to make intercession. That's where he's connected to Melchizedek. The idea being is that with the Levites, they had beginning of days, they had end of life, and when that occurred, there was no more priesthood.
But made like the Son of God, he remains a priest continually. Now notice, it's not that Jesus is like Melchizedek, it's that Melchizedek is like Jesus. Melchizedek is the type pointing us to Jesus. Jesus isn't the one that says, okay, I'm going to explain for you Melchizedek.
Sometimes people get really caught up in who this Melchizedek is and forget that Melchizedek points us to the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, can I with absolute certainty say that Melchizedek is a Canaanite king? No, but I think that's the best argument on the table. But either way, it doesn't take away from the reality of who Jesus is and what Jesus has accomplished.
And then notice, he speaks of the greatness of Melchizedek in verses 4 to 10. And the way that we see the greatness of Melchizedek is when Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek. Wenham says here the superiority of our Lord's priesthood to the Aaronic priesthood is argued on the basis of Abraham's giving of tithes to Melchizedek. tithe giving implies acknowledgement of superior status. Thus, if Aaron's great ancestor, Abraham, acknowledges Melchizedek's priesthood, so implicitly did Aaron himself.
And so this first section, verses one to 10, the author takes Genesis chapter 14 and says, herein is Christ like Melchizedek. But then he brings it on home in verses 11 to 22, as he expounds, or as he interprets for us, the implications of Psalm 110. Notice in verses 11 and 12 he highlights the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood. Now, it's not because of any other reason And it was always going to be imperfect.
It was a type and a shadow, and it pointed forward to the Lord Christ. It was not designed to fail, but it wasn't designed to succeed in the sense that Christ does. It was temporary. There was a built-in obsolescence, and that's what the author is telling us.
He says in verse 11, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law, what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek and not be called according to the order of Aaron? He's speaking of David, right? Psalm 110, verse 4. present sacrificial system with a present functioning priesthood and a present temple, and David says there's one coming that's going to exceed this. There's one coming that's greater than this.
There's one coming that's connected to Melchizedek. Verse 12, the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. Now, when people read that, they go hot wild against God's law. There's a very narrow application of law in this passage, and I think it has to do with the law of Levitical priests.
The law stipulating who's going to serve and function as a priest in the temple of God. He's not saying the entirety of God's law is now done, or it's over, or we're going to overthrow it. or we're going to, you know, revolt against it. The priesthood being changed, excuse me, for of necessity or of necessity there is also a change of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe from which no man is officiated at the altar.
See, Jesus is the one he's speaking about and he is saying that he is not from the tribe of Levi. You all get that, right? Old Testament, you know, unless you had that blood, you were not a priest. And it didn't necessarily mean you were godly.
It didn't necessarily mean you were righteous. I mean, you think of the sons of Eli. They were wretches. They were terrible human beings.
They didn't know Yahweh according to 1 Samuel. They didn't know the Lord, and as a result of that, they slept with women that came to the temple, and they stole people's sacrifices. But they were Levites! They had a right! to the ministry of the priesthood.
Now again, I'm not suggesting you just let reckless, lawless, godless wretches in there. Eli was deficient, he should have had a better reign on his sons, but the point is, you didn't serve as a priest unless you were a Levite. So here comes Jesus, and the author is telling us he is the great high priest. What do you think everybody in Israel would have said?
But he's not a Levite! Right? They would have all said that. He's not from Aaron.
He doesn't have the blood. He doesn't have the pedigree. He doesn't have the legitimacy for that particular right. That's why the author connects Jesus to Melchizedek.
That's why the author says Melchizedek doesn't have a dad. He doesn't have a mom. He doesn't have a genealogy. Again, not that he fell out of heaven and just started, you know, exercising life, but that that's not important to his priestly activity.
He is unique in the scheme of redemptive history, just like Jesus is unique in the scheme of redemptive history. And Jesus is not owing his priesthood to the Levitical system, but he is owing it to this man Melchizedek. And then notice verse 14, for it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah. Now, what's the tribe of Judah?
It's the royal tribe. You see, the kingly office is certainly befitting this tribe of Judah. But he's not just this king, is he? He's this king-priest, just like Melchizedek, who was a king-priest.
And then notice, he says, it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah. You gotta wonder, again, the apostle heard this many times. Christ is a great high priest, he far exceeds everything. Well, wait a minute, he wasn't a Levite.
Well, we're gonna deal with that. I'm gonna tell you how it all can be. Remember that? enigmatic statement concerning Melchizedek in Psalm 110. Remember that man in Genesis chapter 14?
When you think Jesus and his priesthood, you think Melchizedek. People go, oh yeah, they may not accept everything the apostle has to say here, but it makes sense. It's got tap roots in the sacred page. It's not the case that you had to be a Levite in order to serve in this capacity.
And then he says, and it is far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come. Now listen, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment. That's how I think you need to understand the reference to law in verse 12. For the priesthood being changed of necessity, there is also a change of the law.
Verse 16, who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment. In other words, you got to be a Levite. You got to be born from Aaron. You got to be from that particular tribe in order to serve at the altar.
But according to the power of an endless life. See, there's the connection with Melchizedek. Again, is Melchizedek still alive? Is he in New York?
Is he in Israel? No, he's got no endless life in that regard. The consistency is, is that the way Melchizedek functions is the way that Jesus functions. The Levites didn't have endless lives.
That's what the author is going to go down to say. Verse 23, also there were many priests because they were prevented by death from continuing. But he, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. I don't think you're supposed to come out of Hebrews 7 and think that somehow, somewhere, Melchizedek is still occupying space.
It's not the endless life that we're thinking of in that regard. It's the connection between him and our Lord Jesus. The Levites ended when they breathed their last. Melchizedek's priesthood is ongoing.
It's occupied now by the one appointed to it." And that's verse 17, for he testifies, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. For on the one hand, there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God. And this is, brethren, where I think our Pado-Baptist brethren have some problems when it comes to this section.
The Apostle highlights the betterness of the New Covenant. I see the rub, and I see the emphasis, and I see the need to sort of flatten out and to, you know, show the newness of the New Covenant as not being really that much new and that much greater. To find the continuity, they flatten out the beauty of the New Covenant. But the author here says it's a better hope afforded in a better covenant that's built on better promises.
We can't flatten out Gloria the New Covenant to try to smuggle in patal baptism. We ought to appreciate the newness and the betterness and the superiority of the New Covenant. That's Paul's point in Hebrews 7 and 8. If we come out of this saying, well, the New Covenant is not really that much better, we've missed the point of the book of Hebrews.
That's like saying, well, Jesus isn't much better than the angels. Jesus isn't much better than Moses. Jesus isn't much better. We would never say that.
We'd say Jesus is far more excellent than angels, than Moses, than Aaron and the Levites, and the New Covenant is much more excellent than the old. It's not saying the old is bad and it's wretched and it's terrible, but the issue is the beauties of covenant theology and the glory of the coming of Jesus Christ. That's what's in view in this section. Now notice verse 20.
And inasmuch as he was not made priest without an oath, for they have become priests without an oath, Why? Because they were born Levites. You didn't need an oath. You didn't need pomp.
You didn't need ceremony. You didn't need rigmarole. You didn't need all that because you had the blood. If you were born a Levite, your job was pretty well mapped out for you.
Right? That was what you were going to do. That doesn't mean every single Levite and every single priest functioned in the same capacity. There was a lot of auxiliary position.
There's a lot of support in terms of the tabernacle and the temple. Not every priest was the guy going into the Holy of Holies, you know, the one time of the year. That was the high priest. That was, you know, very unique.
But in terms of Levitical priests, they weren't appointed by oath. Notice, for they have become priests without an oath, but he with an oath by him who said to him, the Lord has sworn and will not relent. You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Now it's really intriguing.
Here in Hebrews 7 and then previous in Hebrews 6, we have God swearing oaths twice. God swearing oaths about the salvation of our wretched souls. He doesn't swear those oaths because of some deficiency in Him. It's a deficiency in us.
The fact that God swears that oath ought to serve doubly to highlight for us the comfort and the encouragement that the one who made this promise is going to make it effective in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has sworn and will not relent. You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. By so much more, Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.
Again, take a step back, look at the author's argument. Christ is superior to the angels, Christ is superior to Moses, Christ is superior to Aaron and the Levites, and here's how he's showing it in terms of Aaron and the Levites. He is connecting him to Melchizedek. He is connecting him to this man in Genesis 14 and Psalm 110.
And then notice in verse 23, also there were many priests because they were prevented by death from continuing. I think the notes, 83 seems to stick into my head. There were 83 high priests up until, you know, the time that the apostle wrote at this particular juncture. There were many priests because they were prevented by death from continuing, but he, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.
Therefore, he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. See what he's doing? He's taking those thoughts, he's taking those concepts, he's taking those ideas and showing us the superiority of Christ and how this holds good for the people in the new covenant. And then I would take verse 26 and follow it.
It's just a description of his character, and again, holding out the blessed benefit to people who know him. For such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens, who does not need daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the people's. For this he did once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints the son who has been perfected forever.
That's the connection with Melchizedek. So whatever you think when you come to Genesis chapter 14, the simplest understanding is that he is indeed a king of Salem. He's a king of peace, he's a king of righteousness, and he's a priest of God Most High. And he comes to Abram in that sort of enigmatic way, but that serves as sort of an introduction to who this Melchizedek is, this reference in Psalm 110 verse 4, and this exposition or explanation in Hebrews chapter 6 and 7.
So while he is indeed a man of mystery, I hope the mystery isn't so huge or overarching now and that when we walk through Hebrews chapter 7, you see the primary emphasis of the author is to connect Jesus to Melchizedek and to tell us that he's been appointed by the oath of Yahweh and that God will not relent, that he is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Well, in conclusion, with reference to Genesis 14, as a whole, we see the faithfulness of Abram. Again, it's not just Genesis 22 where we see Abram tested. It's not just when he's told to go to Mount Moriah and sacrifice Isaac.
From the moment he receives the promises of God, his life is hard. I mean, brethren, that's the way life in Christ is. It's hard. Being a Christian doesn't sort of, you know, mean there's no issues or problems in your lives.
If you haven't learned it yet, the health, wealth and prosperity guys are liars. They are abject liars. That is not the Christian life. In this world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I've overcome the world.
The moment that Abram receives the land promise, there's famine in the land, and he has to go to Egypt. I mean, imagine that, if you were Benny Hinn. You couldn't comport with that in your theology. How do you function as Benny Hinn, coming from Genesis 12, receiving a land promise, and then this land having no food?
You couldn't do it, but Abraham does it. He doesn't do it greatly when he goes into Egypt. He has a Sarite life for him. There's not the best of Abraham's life, but then as soon as he comes back to the land of Canaan, he's got this issue with Lot.
After this issue with Lot, that seems to be settled. Then you've got this coalition of Eastern kings and they abduct Lot. He goes from just this garden variety kindness as the older uncle to now an armed military commander taking his 318 servants to liberate his nephew. And then in Genesis chapter 15, God willing, we'll see that next week, he actually asks God, how do I know this is going to come to pass?
You know, it wasn't the case that the father of the faithful never ever had a struggle, never ever had an issue. I mean, that's the point in Genesis chapter 15 with that ceremony that God enacts for him. It's in answer to or response to Abram's question to God. How do I know what you're saying is true?
How do I know the land is going to be mine and that I'm going to have this great number of descendants? And notice that God doesn't say, you wretched, terrible human being, I can't believe you asked me that question. God says, go get animals and I'll show you. It's a beautiful thing, but nevertheless, Abram is a man of faith.
And that faith is not perfect, but it's faith in God. The recognition, again, that God's control is supreme. Abram need not fear superior armies and insuperable odds. Waltke said concerning that incursion to go defeat those kings, Abraham does not cower before the four victorious kings.
No, I if you were looking at the map here, you can't see it on that map. It's not really really visible. But if you if you if you kind of picture, you know, Israel, OK, you all kind of have that in your head. Well, this coalition comes down.
They stick on the other side of the Jordan, that's all the tribes that are mentioned there, that they're basically gobbling up. They come all the way down here, they go back up to the Dead Sea area, that's where they take Sodom and Gomorrah, and that's where they get lot, and so they're progressing up. That's when Abram goes into action. Think about what they've done.
They've cobbled up a great swath of Canaan. Not just kings, but tribes, peoples, all sorts of things. Abram's got 318 servants. He arms them and he goes after them.
That's faith, brethren. That's faith in a great God. That's what Waltke says. Incredibly, he risks himself and wins against an alliance that has ravaged six tribes, all the way down, and defeated five kings.
This is an encouragement to the people of God, even in the exile. Even powerful nations can be defeated by the faithful and righteous, and that's what we need to appreciate when we read these narratives. Are these men perfect? No, they're not.
But their God is perfect and their faith in that God is what we need to emulate and what we need to imitate. And of course, the typical significance of Melchizedek. There was a 12th century commentator named Herveus. He says, if Melchizedek, who was a sign and shadow, is preferred to Abraham and to all the Levitical priests, how much more Christ, who is the truth and substance?
If a type of Christ is greater than he who has the promise, so if Melchizedek is greater than Abraham, how much more so is Christ himself? I think that's a beautiful statement and a good place for us to end. So let me close in a word of prayer. Our Father, we thank you for your word and we thank you for this section concerning Abraham and Melchizedek.
We thank you for the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ that he's appointed by divine oath. that he's a priest forever, that he always lives to make intercession for his people. And may these things encourage us, and may they strengthen our faith, and may you help us to walk by that faith in the Son of God, who loved us and who gave himself for us. We ask now that you go with us, grant us safety as we travel home, and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.