Hebrews 7:1

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, meaning king of peace, 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... For the law appoints as high priest men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever. (Hebrews 7:1–28)

Behind the puzzle of Melchizedek lies one glorious point: Jesus is the better priest we need.

So What Does This Have to Do With Us?

I have been wrestling with this passage for several weeks—not because I don't understand what the author (whom I believe was Timothy) is saying, and not because I don't see how it fits the larger context of Hebrews. The struggle is that teaching every proposition in these twenty-eight verses verse by verse could become incredibly academic. If I were teaching a Bible college class on Hebrews, that's exactly what I would do, taking several weeks and several hours to hit every angle.

But as I prayed and jotted down notes, I kept coming back to a simple question—the kind you'd ask if someone spent forty-five minutes explaining valence electrons or orbital mechanics, and you finally said, "Okay, just one second. So what? What does this have to do with me?" What do these twenty-eight verses about a character named Melchizedek—who appears in only three verses of Genesis 14, with one passing mention in Psalm 110—have to do with us? How does this apply now?

I know some of you here are diligant Bible students, the noble Bereans of Acts 17 who search the Scriptures daily, and I count it a privilege to pastor a church like that. Some of you may be disappointed, because you were hoping for four weeks on this passage and an hour afterward debating under an orange umbrella. I'm sorry to break your heart—kind of. We're not going to dig as deep as you might want.

We will not pursue the theophanic approach—and yes, "theophanic" is a word; it has to do with a visible manifestation of God to humankind. Some within the church believe Melchizedek in Genesis 14 is a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ. There's much debate, with answers on both sides. I will simply say that I do not believe Melchizedek is a pre-appearance of Christ. You can email me about that, but we're not getting into the details of Genesis 14 today.

Why Hebrews Brings Up Melchizedek at All

To understand why the author devotes an entire chapter to Melchizedek, we need to remember—as I've said since we started Hebrews back in February—that this book was written for a very specific purpose. It is a defense of the faith, an apologetic, for a specific group of Christians 2,000 years ago who were coming out of Judaism.

They were born and raised in the Jewish faith—going to the temple in Jerusalem, offering sacrifices, observing the feasts and fasts, living under the system given in the Old Testament, especially the first five books. They left all of that to put their trust in Jesus. No longer were they trusting in the priesthood of Aaron, the laws of the Old Testament, or the works of the temple. And after leaving all that was their life, they were being tempted—told by someone—that they needed to go back: back to the temple, the priesthood, the sacrifices.

So the author writes to defend the primacy and supremacy of Jesus—that Jesus is better than Abraham, than Moses, than the Old Testament law, than the priesthood. This is a defense of the faith for Jewish Christians then and now. Probably none of you came out of Judaism, so a passage like this can feel distant. I hope to show how it still matters for us. But understanding the original audience is vital—Jewish Christians tempted to leave Jesus and go back.

At several points the author seems to say—and many believe he does—that if you leave your trust in Jesus to return to what you formerly trusted, you also forfeit the promise associated with that trust. And what is the promise associated with trust in Jesus? Salvation. In passages like Hebrews 3, 4, 6, and 10, departing from Jesus appears to be an apostasy that forfeits the salvation that comes with that trust. You can see, then, why the author is so committed to preaching the supremacy of Jesus. Jesus is better. That's the whole point of this letter, and the reason I've titled the series exactly that.

The Objection: How Can Jesus Be Our High Priest?

Back in chapter five, the author states that Jesus is our high priest—the one who goes to God on our behalf and comes to us on behalf of God, the mediator between God and man. For a Jewish audience, that raised objections. They knew Jesus did not come from the priestly tribe. Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob's twelve sons became the tribes of Israel. One tribe, Levi, became the priestly tribe by the law God gave. But Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, not Levi. On top of that, to be high priest you had to come from the household of Aaron—and Jesus did not. So how can He be our high priest?

To answer, the author writes in Hebrews 5:5:

So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You." As He also says in another place: "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

He drops the name. He does it again in verse 10—"called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek"—and then says in verse 11, "of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing." He drops the name, then drops the mic. He essentially says, "I'd talk about this, but you can't handle it—you've become sluggish, lazy in your study." So he sets the name aside and moves on.

His point is that Jesus is the rightful high priest, better than the priests of the old covenant. The Old Testament is the old covenant, where Israel came to God through the priesthood, the temple, and the tabernacle. In the New Testament, Jesus establishes a new and better covenant, and He is our high priest. Again the objection comes: He's not of Levi or Aaron. The answer: He belongs to a different priesthood—the priesthood of Melchizedek.

At the end of chapter six the name appears a third time:

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 according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19–20)

Having said it three times, now he must explain it.

Who Was Melchizedek?

So in Hebrews 7:1 he finally circles back to explain who this man was. Melchizedek appears in three verses in Genesis 14. In Genesis 12, God called Abraham to follow Him by faith, promising to bless him, to bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him, and that through him all the nations would be blessed. Abraham left his home in Ur (modern-day Iraq) and moved west to Canaan, taking his wealthy household and his nephew Lot, who was under his care since Lot's father Haran had died.

Both men grew wealthy, and their herdsmen began to quarrel, so Abraham let Lot choose first. Lot chose the well-watered land to the south and pitched his tent near Sodom—a city not known for a good name, later obliterated along with Gomorrah in Genesis 19. In Genesis 14, a king named Chedorlaomer, leading a coalition of kings, invaded the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and took Lot captive as a prisoner of war.

Abraham heard about it and gathered the 400 trained servants of his household for a midnight raid—something like a SEAL team operation. They defeated Chedorlaomer's forces, rescued Lot, and recovered great spoil. On his way home, Abraham stopped at a place called Salem, probably ancient Jerusalem. There we read:

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. (Genesis 14:18–20)

That is the only place Melchizedek appears in the Old Testament narrative—three verses, appearing and disappearing quickly. He is the king of Salem and the priest of God Most High.

His name—it may be a name or a title—is two Hebrew words joined: melech, "king," and tzedek, "righteous." So he is king of righteousness. He is also king of Salem, from shalom, "peace"—king of peace. And he is the priest of God Most High. Notably, he came out with bread and wine. The author of Hebrews doesn't dwell on this, but if you've been a Christian any length of time you recognize the significance: on the night He was betrayed, Jesus took the bread and the cup, saying, "This is My body... this is My blood." There's an interesting connection between Genesis 14 and the Gospels. And when Melchizedek met Abraham, he blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of all as a tithe.

Without Father, Without Mother

Another strange detail the author highlights is in Hebrews 7:3—Melchizedek was "without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God." People read that and imagine something miraculous about him. But what's really being highlighted is that none of these things are recorded in Genesis 14. There is no mention of his genealogy—which is unusual, since significant figures in the Old Testament usually have their fathers, mothers, and lineage noted. From a literary perspective, he simply shows up out of nowhere as priest of God Most High, king of Salem, king of righteousness, and nothing more is said. He is "made like" the Son of God—a foreshadowing of the One who would come to fulfill this priesthood.

Why does this matter? In verses 4–10 the author builds his case: consider how great Melchizedek was, that even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe. The sons of Levi, who received the priesthood, collect tithes from their brethren, though they too came from Abraham. But Melchizedek, whose genealogy is not from the Levites—he preceded them—received tithes from Abraham and blessed him. And "beyond all contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the better." So Melchizedek holds a greater position than Abraham. Verse 8: "Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives." Even Levi, the priestly tribe, paid tithes through their great-grandfather Abraham, "for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him."

It's tempting to deconstruct all of this and spend a great deal of time on the details—and I won't fault you for being a committed Bible student who rightly divides the word of truth. But we must always stay aware of what the passage is actually saying.

Point One: The Priesthood Is More Important Than the Person

Look at the first word of verse 11—"therefore." Put a star next to it. Therefores are important; they tell us why all of this matters.

Therefore, 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? For the priesthood being changed, 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 has officiated at the altar. (Hebrews 7:11–13)

All of this matters for one simple point: Jesus occupies a greater priesthood than the one under the old covenant. That brings us to point one: when it comes to Melchizedek, the priesthood is more important than the person.

We must understand that the identity of the man in Genesis 14—whoever he was—is not the main point. The main point is that Jesus occupies the position of our high priest forever, so that we don't need to go back to another priestly system. The identity of Melchizedek, debated in countless books and conversations, is still interesting and fun to talk about, but it is not the central issue. Jesus is the figure we focus on. He is our high priest, our intercessor and mediator, who pleads for us night and day as the accuser of the brethren comes against us before the Father. For Jewish readers leaving their social standing, family inheritance, and jobs to follow Jesus, this question was urgent: is Jesus a true high priest, or must we return to the priesthood of Aaron and Levi?

For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life... 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... By so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. (Hebrews 7:14–22)

Point Two: A Better Priest, a Better Priesthood, a Better Sacrifice

This is the focus of the passage. The first readers really struggled with this: was the work Jesus did on the cross sufficient to deal with sin, or did they need to return to the temple and offer sacrifices under the Levitical priesthood? Their entire lives had been wrapped around that system. The author answers: you don't need to do that anymore, because Jesus is a better priest.

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. (Hebrews 7:26–28)

That is point two: Jesus is a better priest after a better priesthood who offered a better sacrifice.

Then comes the climactic statement in Hebrews 8:1: "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying." Underline that. Why spend all this time on Melchizedek? Because: "We have such a High Priest, who is seated at 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 erected, and not man."

There was a temple in Jerusalem built by human hands, but it was a replica, a shadow of the true tabernacle in heaven. As Moses was told, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." But now Jesus "has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He also is Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises." Jesus is the only priest holy, harmless, and separate from sinners, able to offer one sacrifice once for all—not needing to offer for His own sins, because He is perfect. So He is able to be our mediator before God.

Application One: There Are Defensible Answers to Our Questions of Faith

How does this apply to us? Point three: there are defensible answers to our questions of faith. This letter was written as a defense for Christians coming out of Judaism. That's probably none of us—but each of us came out of some other worldview or background, and there are defensible answers for our questions of faith.

When a friend says, "I don't believe in God; I'm an atheist; I trust in science"—they are as religious as anyone, and there are answers for their questions. The same is true for someone with a Hindu, Muslim, Jehovah's Witness, or Latter-day Saints background. If God could not answer their questions of faith, then He's not God. It may take twenty-eight verses to answer, but a hard question doesn't mean there's no good answer. And if you don't know it, call a friend, come to the church, talk to one of the pastors, or call Randy Broberg—there are defensible answers.

Application Two: We Need a Mediator with God

Point four: this passage shows that we need a mediator with God—a priest is necessary. Fallen humanity needs someone to go to God on our behalf and come to us on behalf of God. But an earthly priest will not do. Jesus alone is holy, harmless, and separate from sinners. He Himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

An interesting thing happened in Congress this week. A nominee for the Office of Management and Budget, who holds an Orthodox Christian faith, was questioned in his hearing. He had written in a blog post that those who do not put their trust in Jesus are condemned. Senator Bernie Sanders was upset and effectively said he would vote no because of that theological position. In twenty-first-century America—our secular society—a man was being excluded from office for his belief. Fortunately, the Constitution forbids any religious test for public office. But there it was: the offense was believing there is only one priest who can go to God on our behalf. Yet that is exactly what we find. Fallen humanity needs a mediator, and an earthly priest will never do. The old covenant system cannot make us perfect, but Jesus alone is our high priest.

Application Three: Don't Miss the Main Point

Point five: sometimes we get hung up on things that aren't the main point and we miss the message. Are there good and profitable things in discussing who appeared in Genesis 14? Sure. But the main point must always be Jesus. I have had the Melchizedek discussion many times. Yet, as the author says, "Now this is the main point of the things which we are saying: We have such a High Priest." Yes, He didn't come from Aaron or Levi; He occupies a different priesthood entirely—and He is the priest you and I need.

You and I cannot get to God on our own. We cannot build a tower high enough or offer sacrifices great enough. But Jesus, the God-man, the Son of God, came to earth to offer one sacrifice once for all, dealing with our sin completely, and because He ever lives, He ever lives to make intercession for us. There is no other sacrifice you or I need to offer to be made right with God. That's why on the cross He could say, "It is finished."

The priests of the old covenant offered sacrifice after sacrifice for 1,400 years—every single day. Josephus, the great Jewish historian, tells us that on one Passover more than 200,000 sheep were sacrificed in a single day, and it had to be repeated constantly. But Jesus offered one sacrifice once for us, the just for the unjust, to make us right with God. That is good news. Amen?

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You for the good news of this passage—the good news that Jesus, You are our High Priest. You are holy and harmless and separate from sinners, higher than the heavens. There on the cross 2,000 years ago, You offered that one sacrifice once for us, so that we would trust in You and receive the promise of our faith, eternal salvation. You dealt with my sin and the sin of all of us gathered here today, the failings we could never overcome or wipe clean. By Your stripes we are healed; by Your sacrifice we are cleansed. We thank You for the salvation we have in You, Jesus, and praise You for the good work You did on the cross on our behalf. Help us never to forget it, never take it for granted, and always boast about it, sharing it with everyone we meet.

It may be that some here this morning have been trusting in something else—some other way to God, some other priesthood. The Scriptures make clear that Jesus is the only one who deals completely with our failings. Every good work you will ever do will not be enough to overcome your sin. But Jesus calls us to put our trust in Him, and He promised that if we trust in Him and confess Him, He will save us from our sins and forgive us of all unrighteousness.

If you would like to receive that saving grace today, pray this prayer of faith with me: Dear Jesus, I recognize that I need You. I cannot get to You on my own, but I thank You that You came to the earth and died in my place to forgive me of my sin. Help me to trust You and to follow You by faith. Forgive me for my sin. In Jesus' name, amen.