The Book of Hebrews: A Superior Priest

Hebrews 7:1-10

Genesis 14:18-20 – “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

Hebrews 7:1-2 – “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most-High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything.”

1. The Meaning of His Name

Melchizedek: “King of Righteousness”

• melek: “king”
• malki: “my king or king of”
• ṣedeq: “righteousness or justice”

Literally: “Righteousness, my king” or “King of Righteousness” (Jer. 23:5-6; Is. 9:6-7; 1 Jn. 2:1; 1 Cor. 1:30)

2. The Meaning of His Title

King of Salem: “King of Peace” (Is. 9:6-7; Jn. 14:27; Eph. 2:14)

Romans 12:18 – “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with everyone.”

Salem: “Jerusalem”

Psalm 76:2 – “His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.”

Hebrews 7:3 – “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 a priest forever.”

Hebrews 7:4 – “See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!”

Hebrews 7:5-6 – “And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man, who does not have his descent from them, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.”

Hebrews 7:7 – “It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.”

Hebrews 7:8 – “In the one case, tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.”

Hebrews 7:9 – “One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,”

Hebrews 7:10 – “…for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.”

Takeaways

1. Inferiority by the world’s standards is often superiority by God’s standards.

Philippians 3:4-8 – “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

2. God can use you regardless of your past.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 – “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

Communion

1. This is a practice for believers (1 Cor. 11:33-34)
2. This is a practice that demands self-examination (1 Cor. 11:27-29)

a. The Bread

1 Corinthians 11:23-24 – “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”

b. The Cup

1 Corinthians 11:25-26 – “In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”