A sad event took place in the U.S. yesterday. The former president of the U.S., Donald Trump was shot and wounded. This was an assassination attempt against a very popular man by some and a very hated man by others. He is not a Christian man. He is a vile man who needs to be saved. God obviously saw fit to spare his life at this time. We, those who are saved, need to be in prayer for that country as well as our own. We are in big trouble because of the rejection of the God of heaven. He cannot and He is not blessing us because we have chosen to defy Him. True local churches need to be careful and be sure that we are honouring God in our activities and in our hearts.
In chapter 7 of our text, God directed the writer to speak further about Melchisedec. Melchisedec was a man who appeared on the scene in Genesis 14 as a prominent leader of that time. It is also interesting to note that he was not the one who led the attack against the kings in that account. It was Abraham who led the attack with a few hundred men. Abraham was successful in the attack because God planned it to be so. Abraham was directed to save Lot’s life and also to recover the goods that had been taken in that war. After the battle, Melchisedec came out to meet Abraham and to bless him for his faithfulness and his valour. He is described there as well as the king of Salem and the priest of the most high God. He is a unique character. Some have suggested that he is what is called a “Christophany”, which is a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are certainly aspects of this person that relate to Jesus Christ.
In our text he is described as king of Salem. Salem later became known as Jerusalem. It was the city in Israel that God chose as His capital city and where He would have the Temple located. Jerusalem was the centre of trade in that area for many, many years. More importantly, it was to be the place where the Word of God would shine forth throughout that entire region. Jerusalem is still an important city in Israel. It is the capital city of that nation, although most nations refuse to recognize it as the capital. It is also a very divided city with the Arabs controlling a portion of it. It will one day be united under the kingship of King Jesus and It will be the capital city of the world.
We are also told that Melchisedec was the priest of the most high God. This was no ordinary king. This king is exalted by God. He is not someone who elevated himself. He was given high credentials by God. He met Abraham after the slaughter of the kings that had captured his nephew Lot. Lot is called his brother in Genesis 14.
This king blessed Abraham. He recognized the great work that Abraham did in going against those kings with just a few hundred men. Obviously God had helped Abraham in fighting against these kings and beating them.
In verse 2 we are given further information on this mysterious king. Abraham gave him the tenth of all the spoils that he took from his enemies. We are also told that Melchisedec was “King of righteousness.” He was given a description here that is akin to that of God. It is quite obvious that this king was not just an ordinary king.
Melchisedec is also declared to be King of Salem which is King of peace. He was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is declared to be “Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9. He also declared that He would give a peace to the disciples and other saints that was not of this world. It was a peace that the world could not know because it refused to know Him.
In verse 3 we are told that He had no father, no mother, no descent and no beginning of days or end of life. He was made like unto the Son of God. He abideth a priest continually. Jesus Christ has a father — God. However, He does not have a human father. His Father is not a Father as fathers on this earth are. We as fathers become fathers when we are directly involved in having children. God the Father did not create Jesus. God the Son, Jesus Christ, is the eternal Son of God. God the Father was involved in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. God the Holy Spirit was also directly involved in that event in that He worked in Mary’s body to cause conception of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man.
As Son of God, Jesus Christ has no mother. As Son of Man, He has a mother. He is of the lineage of David as Son of Man, but as the Son of God He did not come from any earthly family. He did not come “from” God the Father either as God the Son. He is the eternal Son of God Who was there at Creation week and He is the Creator of all things. John 1:3 makes that clear.
He has no beginning of days. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He also has no end of life. Jesus Christ as the Son of Man died on the cross and was taken off that cross dead. He shed His blood on that cross for our sins. He was laid in a tomb and His body lay there for three days and three nights. He rose again, demonstrating His deity and His place as the Redeemer of mankind. He alone can take away our sins. His shed blood was necessary for the forgiveness of sin. His death was also necessary.
In our text we are further told to note how great this man, Melchisedec was. The patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils to this man. Melchisedec was not previously known as the king of Abraham. He is first mentioned after Abraham came back from a successful battle against some enemies in the land where he was living. He was moved to go into battle to save his brother/nephew, Lot. In Bible times the terms were interchanged at times.
Abraham obviously understood that Melchisedec was an important king. He knew he was the priest of the most high God. He also knew he was the king of Salem. God gave Abraham understanding of the importance of this king who certainly is described as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In our text God chose to remind us of this king and to use him as a type of Jesus Christ and to show the greatness of Jesus Christ Who alone is the Saviour and Lord of mankind. A king has authority to rule. Jesus Christ certainly has authority to rule. He has authority to set the standard by which His subjects must live. He also has the authority and the means to enforce His rules. As we will see in the book of Hebrews God chastens those who are His children. He expects and He demands that His children live for Him. That is not an unreasonable position as many professing Christians assume. He has that right and it is a necessary fact. There is so much confusion today as to what a Christian is. That confusion does not come from the Bible. It comes from people who do not read the Bible and do not know the God of the Bible and take their direction from people. Those who are saved are commanded to be light in a dark world. We are to be as a city set on a hill. We are to let our light shine for the Lord Jesus Christ in this dark world. We are not a clear light when we live in sin. God wants, those who are truly born again, to shine brightly so that others will be drawn to the light and also that sin will be exposed for what it truly is. We do no-one any favour when we assume a dim or flickering light that is being crowded out by the darkness.
The modern emergent church scene, which is infiltrating many churches today is a great hindrance to the truth and must be exposed and rejected by those who are truly saved.
Today is again the day for God’s people to be in a true local church. It is the day that God has given us to go where He is and where He wants His children to be. It is the place to go for learning and for fellowship. As we go faithfully to the house of God that He has designed for us, we can help others to see the importance of that place. A community that has a true local church in it is blessed, even if that community does not appreciate that place. That place needs to be strong in the Lord and faithful to Him. Entertainment is not the goal of that place. It needs to be known as the house of God where His truth is proclaimed faithfully and consistently.
Pastor Bartel