053 - Melchizedek! The Mystery Man

You pick up your Bible and wonder, is there more here than meets the is there something here for me.

I mean it's just words printed on paper right it may look like just print on the page but it's more than a join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our own. As we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than 80 like mysteries about mystery man who we really people we don't know who the Army thinking has no future present will today in Hebrews looking to guide my probably the biggest stream in the entire time at Melchizedek today on more than make an object and worse. Our dining room table like we all are readily learned to the word of God which you are and so excited to be in Hebrews so excited I get ready for my living room. We come to talk about Abraham and Melchizedek. Just this is just a huge this is an unknown territory for a lot of Christians. They really never heard this before, you know, we live in a Mormon area so people heard the term acoustic all the time probably set every Sunday morning is just difficult. So, I am more mentors but in Christian churches like who saw important to understand who he was and especially from a Jewish context is a fascinating guy.

He has a cameo appearance of a look at it today. Cameo appearance in the Old Testament that spans report to verses and yet he gives us great insight into who Jesus is who he is. Our pride presented a whole ton of stuff so so buckle your seatbelts.

If you're not buckled in right now and were going to go into solid food. As a writer. Hebrews had said now you're all hearing. This is hard to explain right so grow up exercise. Your muscles exercise learn discernment by practicing the Lord Jesus. It is time to put on your thinking Right so if you recall, we left off last time, down, down at the end of chapters 1 of the middle of chapter 6 actually in verse 12 Eddie says he scission after that Person was to press forward to this great thing and engage your mind be in imitator of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. And then the next breath today, starting today. Verse 13.

For when God made a promise to Abraham and were often running right so Abraham is now our example of someone that we need to imitate in terms of the dynamic of his faith and his patients and moving toward the promise of God's promise to God make to Abraham, but let's find out.

Probably your mind is what God promised a son yes but some is big and it's so much big move from nations will come from you nations will come from courses starts with the sun, and the whole premise of fall apart if there was a Sunday start with right so that's the beginning of the outworking of promise. So let's just going to 13 and will just will come to work your way through this all started triggered people they likely. I remember this now. Okay so verse 13. If you were sick so so for when God made a promise to Abraham since he had no one greeted us to buy him to swear he swore by himself saying, surely I'll bless you and multiply you, and thus Abraham having patiently waited, obtained the promise to stop it because he didn't wait so patiently knowing there is a lot of problems in getting is that Hagar thing and lots of bumps in the road, but eventually did mean eventually will you learn patient patient and it was it was 25 years my math right between the promise of Isaac and the beginning of this nation is in the actual arrival of Isaac five years. So just a come to clarify. God makes his promise to Abraham normally in their culture. They would swear by someone higher maximum tire name is will is non-God can invoke it so you swore by himself.

He would think God swear by anybody to say I am telling you right, but he says I I myself have sworn sworn by myself.

I'm God right and #God, I'm telling you that should be good for a pretty good you think so. So based on that knowing he's so Abraham trust that but he goes on, he says, and 60s as you know, for people swear by something greater than themselves. That's what they did they would invoke someone's name by someone greater than themselves in all their disputes and oath is final for confirmation to the section oath.

It ties up thing the promise in that sense, so, so, 17 just is still in the ancient kind of tradition that they do when they make promise to do just contractor will conduct 217 so when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which is impossible for him to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hopes of before soaking that was a lot, but when the two things you know by what two things. I mean he couldn't swear by someone bigger than him while I was certain there's a lot of interpreter I would assert that the two things was his promise and his oath to his his himself, his kindness and his word and his word could be to think so.

So what is basic transceivers got me to promise, and by the way, folks. He's good to his promise got always a promise. This is another way we mentioned last time looking Romans four to get some time remembrance forward going as Paul. Paul is talking about the same thing. Romans four about this promise in Abraham's faith in this promise. Are you willing to trust what God says which the Israelites were not when they decided not to run the promise land. They did not want to trust his promise, as we have lots of experience with broken promises we do. People promise us stuff and then they don't follow through, but when God promises these days is good go to the bank.

He's good for you know he's good to his word we say about people that we trust and that's only thing right here in ancient cents good to his word in Abraham put his trust in that promise mean he really placed himself in that promise. So by two unchangeable things.

It's impossible for God to lie, verse 18 is not a lie about this promising. I can promise you some rest this pastor like places great Shepherd and that he's not can give it to us and laugh about.

It's going to happen. This promise is going to happen. Just like in dealing with Israel if you go back to God.

Promise.

The promise land and water in the desert. They actually said we don't think God will make this promise you know you guys say what they had seen him do that is plenty of evidence. Well, not so with Abraham. Abraham said I believe you I'm in both feet. Here we go, so we hold fast.

We hold fast to the hope that set before us, and that hope is the fulfillment the completion. The TV was of this process that's on bring it to completion.

Hold fast. This is the first time in those letters and fasteners show not getting ripped on right now we say that these daily say right pleasant meeting take hold of reality right so we can have this strong encouragement to take hold of the reality of the whole of God doing what he has said he would do is trustable Windows character.

So that's where we can trust him. I always say that faith is.

Faith is an issue being persuaded and convinced about what's going to happen, but it's pivotal upon whom you place your trust on the pump on the promise. So if God makes a promise all the writer here saying is that God's good fort so you can place your faith well in his promise, because God's got that's character he's not. He's not gonna lie, he's not gonna change his mind. He's good for so so we can be comfortable putting our faith in him because his characters good for faith is based on our knowledge of his character. By the way, if you don't have the knowledge of someone's character. It's hard for you to trust your faith, and on his face on only as good as what it's going on some of my belongings and I don't think you want that person to carry her houseware gone to kind of a flake. It's a character comment that makes you say way I don't have right so the more you understand the character of God, the nature of God, the easier it is to put your faith in that's that's was trying to do through the Bible is tell us what is like for exactly that purpose is good for his promise.

What you believe it, so I know left off.

Actually at the end of verse 18, but let's pick it up. 19 yes I have this picture. Writer says we this is a sure and steadfast anchor anchor fixes you in one place so you can't be dragged around by the types anchor for the sole hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus hasn't gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order amount writer estimates and assumptions that his Jewish readers understand exactly what he's kind of Jewish cats for that's right there mouth that inner place behind the curtain, or more commonly we say behind the veil is holy of holies, where the high priest in Jewish in Jewish history would go only once a year, and only carrying the blind. No one else ever ever ever anyone in any came back out right so it's a place metaphorically speaking, where God is his presence of present.

So what God is saying by this veil. This limited entry is that you can't come here, not quality. One way and it's by the blood of the sacrifice, but here he says we have this hope to enter into that place. Are you kidding me. So now the promise that he was talking about before the promise of this rest. Some has something to do were crack in this mystery has something to do with going past the veil that keeps mankind out of got several ranges from God and brings us into God's presence and our trust in God's promise allows us with confidence to be in his presence and anchor anchor their writing is if it's anchored to a rope right right. Jesus has going there is a forerunner and and placed that anchor and we followed behind him because he opened the way our soul is anchored in this hope that we can indeed enter into presence of fellowship that presents the holy plan I would not taint will test us as we go along that indeed is that €15 that's the end of the promise.

That's the that's the goal is being in God's presence, but since you're a Jew you know that the only person that go into the veil in the presence of God is a high priest is all qualified to do that. That's Jewish law and everyone else dies.

If you click in there. So this is his in a very short amount of time. This is his segue into Jesus is our high priest is not he's tied together. The idea of coming into a place of rest fulfillment of the promises of God. He's tied that into us being behind that veil in the presence of God, which for Jewish minds like no you can't know you can't do that you don't do that. But Jesus, that is our high priest, yeah. And not only that, look at what he had to write in verse 20 Jesus not only can do that we can accept that but he is the forerunner which implies there's there's more to come. Behind them, and remember he introduces that ideas noun about him that I call Capt. He's the first one to go ahead of us.

Right. Well, could it be that what he's saying here is that Jesus himself who is qualified as a high priest bright because all high priest. He actually goes in ahead of us so that we can phone is switched right into the present.

Is that what he's saying here is that the fulfillment of the promise of God, and that's just well I've jumped far ahead. You sure have has hinted just this tiny little sentence images read again before you flip the page. Consider verse 20, where Jesus has gone past tense as a forerunner apply more on our meeting. Those others are slight pleas representing us is Europe is good because he has become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek and now if you do, you're saying I know Melchizedek's name right but he never went to the temple because there was no attempt so let's find out what's going on graded us. This is where the mystery starts to unfold and why is Melchizedek such a great picture for Christ is okay so believer a young believer for a fairly long time before I realized where Melchizedek fits in the historical timeline right Abraham's time, or the law.

Years before my way before for any before any Jewish temple any establishment of the priesthood and before any nation was just an extended family. At this point he was right yet and nation of people. He was a tourist is also currently in Jewish history, this is like prehistory.

This is this is pretty before Abraham get. I mean look at the nearest before Abram hardly gets anything done in this promise land is called to when he leaves he comes out there. He comes with his nephew Lot, their families, they crafted nowhere land of the Canaanites are okay.

You can although we've got press on this what's coming about milk is the deck is so important in the way it points to Jesus. So let's push in a chapter 7 let's do that solid food. Okay, maybe take it okay so this is a DAC king of Salem, priest of the most high God.

Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him hole you gonna have to go clear back to Genesis 14 is that account but when I can elaborate on it now.

So he comes out to me. Abraham verse two, and to him his attack.

Abraham apportioned 1/10 part of everything. So now he's getting described for us to begin to unpack. Melchizedek said this is at the end of verse two he is first by translation of his name, king of righteousness. That's what milky said exit means Nutter as King of righteousness.

And he's also King of Salem that is King of peace or king of shalom shalom sailing the same thing. He is without father or mother or genealogy. Having neither beginning of days nor end-of-life, but resembling the son of God.

He continues priest forever only guess that there so please go read Genesis 14 verse 17 to 20. You'll see. Abraham comes back from a campaign to get his nephew back, but then when he comes back, is greeted by Melchizedek. An interesting thing happens is Melchizedek. Is there anybody blesses Abraham but then Abraham gives him time to give them attentive everything which in Jewish mindset and even today is something that's only given to the priests you give your tip so this Melchizedek must be a priest. Well, it says in verse 18 of Genesis 14 Isa priest of the most high. So Abraham is treating Melchizedek like a priest and he's paying his ties to this priest.

But what's interesting about this is if you're if you have any brain cells run right now you're asking yourself toward the sky come from and what's he doing and where did you go to no record of that and there's absolutely nothing that Jewish history is all about who wet try more is you or your parents who your grandparents trace your genealogy back but so you know that you have a birthright nation but here for Melchizedek. There is no record of his birth is nothing record of his death.

No record of his genealogy. It is so silent it's clearly not one of Abraham's people right. He is from somewhere else sees from somewhere else, but he has these two title distinctions. He's the king of righteousness, and the king of Salem peace the King of righteousness, the king of peace. Now, if you know much about your messianic passages not just as tingling doing all these lights should go off.

I'll just give you one you see every Christmas. Isaiah 9 the Prince of peace, right and in the up these help held in righteousness, so that shows up. Jeremiah 23 has the same thing the Lord our righteousness. Although those two phrases you look at those, especially if you're a Jew but if you're also a follower of Jesus, like we are. You recognize these two titles as being synonymous with titles that are given for Jesus. I write so is milk is Jesus.

I don't know what you like and conjectured is a lot of conjecture. This kind of a funk.

On the one say for certain is that the writer of Hebrews is saying here. Melchizedek was a type picture that represents a reality and incessantly was verse three he resembles Risa Munson so so he's trying to tell us this Melchizedek is cameo appearance with Abraham is telling us something key about Jesus's role as our high priest, and that the fact that the fact that McKissick has no documented past or future. I mean, you won't find anywhere else. The Old Testament, except someone to me that this is it. This is a whole two verses in Genesis 14 when the Jews always interpreted the way they interpreted the Bible is that if there is no history then he had no history, which make some kind of mysterious and no huge sense. Maybe. Maybe since he had no history in time. Maybe he's kind of eternal and so that idea is being laid onto the type of who Jesus is. Maybe Jesus as our high priest does not have beginning and does not have and like Melchizedek. That's the interpretive way you look at Milton's back is in the Old Testament, so he resembles the son of God, but he is the king of righteousness in the king of peace and he's bigger than Abraham, the father of the Jews. So now you get to really crazy character.

We had a move on his ring around the time that this is one thing I want to say that the deck if you go back and read Genesis 14 the right of Hebrews is not comment on this but you will observe that Melchizedek comes out. He takes the initiative to get a train Abraham he brings him offers him bread and wine weight were heard that before. So I can't he's resembles the son of God who takes the initiative and offers I'm the bread of life. This wine is the blood of the new covenant in my let you know that that picture is inescapable when you look back at Melchizedek, through the lens of Jesus and then turn around and look for the other end of the telescope to look at Jesus, take the lens about his attack. There's just so much resemblance there so is push on is just way too much.I know I'm a ticket from so he says time a McKissick Tsosie see how great this man was, to whom Abraham the patriarch gave 1/10 of the spoils and those descendents of Levi, the priests who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people that is from their brothers and though these also are descended from Abraham's was making it he's making it parallel point, Abraham gave his tie to the priest Melchizedek, but the people did you give your time to Levi, who was a descendent of Abraham. And okay, so don't get this mixed up is interesting, verse six, but this man who does not have his dissent from them received hides from Abraham means on descendent of Abraham, but there still giving ties to him and let him who had the promises. Abraham had the promises held out his attack blessed Abraham was there.

The receiver of God's promises promises all also how how is it yeah and you know from a Jewish perspective, they would always claim the preeminent distinction for Jew is that we are sons of Abraham right and the right of Hebrews said yeah but you know what there someone greater than Abraham right Melchizedek and you know Melchizedek REIT represents Jesus the right. Oh, this is John eight when Jesus said, before Abraham was, I they were selling since they pick up stones to to kill it before Abraham father father Abraham so and so 70 kind of ties up this long rank.

So look is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the Sioux. The interior Abraham is is blessed by the superior Melchizedek and in the one case times are received by mortal man definitely gave her tithes to the Levites, but in the other case by one of whom, it's testified that he lives. This is Melchizedek is no record of his diet is still living. So verse nine. So one might even say that Levi himself who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still the loins of his ancestor when the well's logic is impeccable.

You know, the people of Israel gave their tithes to the Levites right which is which should make the Levites above them and Levi was one of the tribes when the sons of Jacob, and Jacob was a descendent of Abram. So there's your kind of your hierarchical thing, but here in this particular case is saying, but Levi himself is actually giving his tithes through his ancestor right Abraham to this other guy. There is a right bigger priest is all he's bigger and different priesthood exactly there is a priests of all priests that actually precedes and is superior to Abraham who has resembles the son of God who resembles the son of God, and he wants us deliberately to start making those connections. How does Melchizedek resemble Jesus and how does the cameo appearance of Melchizedek. In Genesis 14.

Tell something key about Jesus's role as our high priest in bringing us into the presence of God on the other side of the veil that keeps all mankind out. How does that work and how does Melchizedek give us insight that we wouldn't have if he has been right. Well, if you give your brain is scrambled right now our better because were and continue the Melchizedek discussion for quite some time high priest. I didn't need to go back and read Genesis 14.

If you don't even read anymore. Read Genesis 14, 17 to 20. That's always that's the account I know what Abraham was doing what were we talking not read the chapter before this occurs before Hagar by 44. Sarah gets pregnant before God actually makes his company. It's so early because the timing McKissick almost undergirds the entirety of Abraham by the simple to verse cameo in Genesis 14 and he is a priest will remember Yorty tantalize us by telling us that the fruition of God's promised us of rest seems to be about being the presence of God behind the veil that no one is allowed to be behind because of our sinfulness. But Jesus as our forerunner is going to allow us to come in there and complete God's promise of rest in the presence of God because he is our high priest is ROI and by remember high priest of the ones who mediate between man and God that exactly the right rule. So Melchizedek is telling us something about the role that Jesus has as our forerunner as our high priest is one who is actually superior in every way to the father of Israel.

Abraham himself. Jesus. This Jesus talking of righteous and you're right I'm thinking is, exactly. So we are way out of time and we have a thousand more things to talk about will bring up more topics about this comparison because this is a radical Marine warping kind of comparison that for Jew I'm in there walking around the room during their but he's making impeccable trader McKissick is our picture Jesus himself, which means that the role of Jesus in our salvation and coming into rest of God is not an afterthought effort was the original plan from the very beginning. Actually, priests had prefigured it so so come back and continue to talk about this. This is mind blowing stuff from Jim and come back and visit us again on more than Inc. I