The
American
Wisdom Series
Presents
Pamphlet 1959 Hebrew kc 12-2
Are you one who believes that Christ
was a "Jew", meaning He was only of the tribe of Judah,
when infact He was also half of
the tribe of Levi.
This is only "evident" to those
who have been enriched by the meat of His Word.
Paul now explains the priesthood of Melchisedec and once
again...
if you open your eyes and ears...there is no mystery
here
and you will be able to "discern" just how great this
person is who is called the King of the Just and the King of Peace.
Hebrews
7:1 For this Melchisedec,
king of Salem, priest
of the
most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter
of the kings, and
blessed him;
First of all, understand that the king
was also the priest, united in one, and then go to Gen. 14:18-20
and read where Melchisedec, king of Salem, blessed
Abraham, the one who received the promise.
The question is: "How is it and by whose authority did
this Melchisedec have the power to bless him
who has already been blessed by God?"
Hopefully you already know the answer.
Nevertheless it shall be made quite obvious in the rest
of this chapter.
Paul is now going to repeat and emphasize that Melchisedec
was the King of the Just
and the King of Peace, even the King of kings* and Lord
of lords.
And you know what?
Even those who are fed only "milk" from His Word know
that there is only one who is righteous
and there is only one King of Peace, and even that there
shall be no true peace on earth until He returns.
*Question: Do you know who the kings and priests shall
be when Christ returns?
Rev. 5:10 will give you the answer!
[2]
To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation
King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King
of peace;
It is vitally important to understand that Abraham
gave his tithe to the King of the Just who was also the King of peace!
So what is it that we "see" here?
What is it on a deeper level that Paul is trying to "utter"
to the minds of those who have eaten of the meat of God's Word?
For one thing, we are to see both the King of kings and
Lords of lords dwelling in one, even Christ.
In other words, the eternal kingship and the priesthood
are united in Jesus Christ
and not separated by lineage.
We therefore have but one King and High Priest to whom
all the kings of the earth are made subject
and to whom all the priests are likewise made subject...
and He is eternal, Alpha and Omega,
the first and the last, without beginning and without
end of days!
[3]
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning
of days, nor end of life; but
made like unto the Son of God;
abideth a priest continually.
To abide a priest "continually" means to remain a
priest "forever"!
You see, we just read that Melchisedec had no father and
no mother,
which means he had no genealogy, i.e. he was without
descent!
He had no beginning of days which means he was never a
baby...
a logical statement indeed seeing that he had no earthly
parents.
Nor did he grow old and die but abides a priest
forever, because he was like unto the Son of God!
Do not make this difficult.
He was like unto the Son of God
because he in fact was the Son of God!
He was the LORD who walked in the
cool of the day in the garden of Eden
and He was the one who appeared
with the three children Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedneggo
when they were cast into the fiery
furnace by the king of Babylon.
You see, He has never been far removed
from His people and in knowing that we can take much comfort!
Daniel
3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and
spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into
the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
[25] He answered
and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and
they have no hurt; and the form of the
fourth is like the Son of God.
The fourth one seen walking
in the midst of the fire was the Son of God.
And it was this same one, the great
"I AM that I AM",
which means "I will be whomever
I will be",
who appeared unto our father Abraham,
as evidenced by Christ's own words.
John
8:56-58 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and
was glad.
[57] Then said
the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen
Abraham?
[58] Jesus said
unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before
Abraham was, I am.
That is correct. Christ was there... with our father
Abraham.
Hebrews
7:4 Now consider how great this man was, unto
whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
Now consider ("discern") how great this one was that
Abraham,
whose name means the "father of many nations",
would bring the tenth of the riches of the kings whom
he had smitten and spoiled.
Understand that the law had not yet been given which would
require that the tithe be given unto the priests of Levi,
so there was no Levitical priesthood at this time.
In fact, both the kingship line
(which would come through Judah)
and the priesthood line (which
would come through Levi)
were still in the loins of
Abraham.
This is an important point to our
understanding (discerning) the greatness of Melchisedec
which Paul explains in the next
few verses hence.
[5]
And verily they that are of the
sons of Levi, who receive
the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the
people
according to the law, that is, of their brethren,
though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
Paul is putting this in perspective to show "how
great" Melchisedec was,
to whom Abraham tithed, in comparison to the Levitical
priesthood
of mere mortal men-priests who would come out of the
loins of Abraham.
Again, Melchisedec was present before Aaron and the sons
of Levi were ever born,
but even so, the Levites were subordinate to Abraham
who was subordinate to Melchisedec,
the King of the Zadok and the King of Peace.
Remember again that Melchisedec had no father or mother
and was therefore not descended from man.
In other words, he was neither descended
from the kingship line nor the priesthood line,
although Jesus Christ when He came
to dwell in the flesh,
to continue the priesthood after
the order of Melchisedec,
would be descended from BOTH!
How truly marvelous and wondrous is the plan of God!
[6]
But he whose descent is not counted from them
received tithes
of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
Again, if you have understanding you will "see" that
Melchisedec's priesthood was continued in Jesus Christ,
not a priesthood after the manner of men
or the Levitical priesthood, but an eternal priesthood.
You "see", that is exactly what the promise
and the prophecy of Psalm 110:4 was,
which is why Paul has and continues to quote it so often!
Psalm 110:4 "The LORD hath sworn, and will
not repent,
Thou art a priest for ever after the
order
of Melchizedek."
In other words, Melchisedec was already King of the Just
and High Priest
which is why he was able to both receive tithes
from and bless father Abraham.
[7]
And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
There is no argument that when it comes to divine
authority that the lesser is blessed of the greater.
To wit, all true gifts and blessings come from God (Ja.
1:17), the Creator of all things.
In that same respect that is why God sware to Himself,
because there was no greater to sware by!
Hebrews 6:16 "For men verily swear
by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife."
So here in the person of Melchisedec we have the "greater"
blessing Abraham, the heir of the promised seed,
and in so doing he blessed the Levitical Priesthood that
would come through Abraham's loins
until the fulfillment of Ps. 110:4... which Paul is documenting
has
come to pass!
[8]
And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom
it
is witnessed that he liveth.
Paul is making this so plain and simple that one
would think even "babes" would begin to understand.
He just said that men who receive tithes are mortal and
they DIE, as in they "kick the bucket",
but this one Melchisedec, the greater one who blessed
Abraham,
lives on for he was not mortal...he was immortal.
"It is witnessed" to, Paul said. In other words, "It is
written" and you just read the witness that he lives on! Is there still
any doubt in your mind that Melchisedec was the Son of God?
Here's one more thought for the day:
[9]
And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
[10]
For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
Paul cannot help but add a little meat to the simplicity
of what he is teaching us,
though to some it may still be mystery.
You see, the entire Levitical priesthood, a blessed but
temporal priesthood of mortal men
to come through the loins of Abraham, the heir of the
unbreakable promise (of the seed) and blessings of God,
was also subject to the King of the Zadok and King of
Peace, Melchisedec.
Got it?
Therefore, as Paul expounded concerning Levi who received
tithes according to the law,
in fact the whole family of Levi payed tithes to Melchisedec
through the greater, their father Abraham!
That should surely help you "discern" how great Melchisedec
was!
In our next study we will complete
chapter seven in which Paul will discuss the actual genealogy of Christ,
only part of which, the fact that
He was descended from the tribe of Judah, is "evident" to those who are
"milk fed".
The other half of His genealogy,
the fact that He was also half of the tribe of Levi,
is only "evident" to those who
have been enriched by the meat of His Word.
So if you are one who believes
that Christ was a "Jew", meaning He was only of the tribe of Judah,
then do not miss study #1961
for we will give concrete evidence from the Word of God
as to the perfection of Christ's
lineage, showing us that even in the flesh
the kingship and the priesthood
was united in Jesus Christ!
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits;
to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, you accomplish both.
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