"My Melchizedek" - Hebrews 5:6
ZADOK PUBLICATIONS - Dr. C. R. OLIVER
April, 2022
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ZADOK PUBLICATIONS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
April 1, 2022
"My Melchizedek" - Hebrews 5:6
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Hebrews 5:6
"You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek"
NKJV
Introduction:
Eleven times in the Bible a reference is made to Melchizedek. The first occurrence is the encounter of Abram with Him in Genesis. Following this, there is a thousand-year gap, until the Psalmist in Psalms 110:4 wrote:
4 The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
"You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.
NKJV
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A thousand years after this, the writer of Hebrews drops nine references to Melchizedek into his treatise on the exaltation of our High Priest, Jesus. As a matter of fact, the whole book of Hebrews is about the better priesthood of Christ. Jesus, as high priest, takes on personality and character in the unfolding treatise of this book.
Genesis 14:18 introduced Melchizedek, priest of the most High God, when He appeared shortly after a conquering battle by Abram. Having rescued Lot and his family from Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, Abram returned with his 316 servants to "King's Valley" just as a groveling king of Sodom sought the return of his people. At that moment there appeared Melchizedek bringing food (bread and wine) to refresh the troops.
Genesis 14:18-20:
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said:
"Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand."
And he (Abram) gave him a tithe of all.
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Melchizedek appeared suddenly and disappeared in the same way. His presence established a priesthood higher than the coming Aaronic or Levitical priesthood. (This indicates the Lord never intended for the Mosaic priesthood to remain.) Abram did not receive his heavenly charge until after this blessing and his offering of a tithe of the spoils.
Abram learned from Melchizedek's visit that he was the "possessor of heaven and earth." (Just like Abram, often believers are possessors of more than they are aware.)
Melchizedek was more than a historical informer; he was a spiritual interrupter.
Theologians argue over who Melchizedek was. Some say he was Christ, or an angel, or Shem (Noah's son). What we know of him is limited to a few qualifying Scriptures.
Hebrews 7:1-10:
7 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, 2 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," 3 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.
4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. 5 And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. 9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
NKJV
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Melchizedek is:
He is a King-Priest (an unheard-of combination before Christ came as both)
He brought righteousness and peace together. (zedek =righteous; Salem= peace)
He was without father or mother.
He had no family tree (no genealogy).
He had no beginning of days nor end of life.
He was made like the Son of God.
He had a continual priesthood.
Shem does not meet the qualifications (many Jewish scholars use Shem to avoid a Messianic view.* (See: the scholarly work at the end of this newsletter.)
An Angel might qualify except there is no high priesthood among them.
Jesus is the only one who meets all the facets and meets all the other Scriptural references.
This is why I entitled this study, "My Melchizedek." Such is the order Christ belongs to.
As believers, we have a higher priesthood than the Levitical system. (This is why it is ludicrous for some to desire the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple and the re-establishment of the sacrificial order).
Hebrew 4:14 - 5:6:
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
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The author of Hebrews, at this point, gives a concise summary of the "Qualifications for High Priesthood" in the Old Covenant.
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5 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. 3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. 4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
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(Jesus is a "Priest Forever.")
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."
6 As He also says in another place:
"You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek."
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Jesus submitted Himself to the Father and was called, "High Priest."
Hebrews 5:9-10:
(h)aving been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek,"
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Jesus established a new covenant with His greater priesthood; one that will last forever.
Hebrews 8:1-2:
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
Hebrews 8:6:
6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
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Notice Jesus, the mediator is high priest of the good things to come.
Hebrews 9:11-12:
Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
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Keeping in mind the tabernacle of old, with its ark and mercy seat, table of showbread, golden candlesticks altar of incense, it is easy to see Jesus identified with all of it. He is the light of the world. He is the bread of life. He has endured the altar of sacrifice and became the sweet-smelling savor, pleasing to God. His blood on the mercy seat ever intercedes for us.
Hebrews 9:24:
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
Hebrews 9:26:
…He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
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The High Priesthood of Jesus is complete.
Hebrews 10:10-18:
…We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds, I will write them," 17 then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
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In summary, the author of Hebrews calls his readers to renewed commitment to the things of righteousness-- based on their Melchizedek High Priest.
Hebrews 10:19-25:
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
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(By the way, I think Paul wrote this epistle because of this verse.)
Hebrews 10:33:
…While you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
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Addendum:
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…The conjecture, however, which holds Melchizedek to have been Shem (see Jerome, and Isaiah xli), and which we find in Rashi on Genesis as well as in the Jerusalem Targum, and also that of Jonathan requires an explanation how his name came to be changed, how he is found reigning in a country inhabited by the descendants of Ham, how he came forth to congratulate Abraham on the defeat of one of his own descendants, as was Chedorlaomer, and how he could be said to have been without recorded parentage (Hebrew 7:3), since the pedigree of Shem must have been notorious. In that case, also, the difference of the priesthoods of Melchizedek and Levi would not be so distinct as to bear the argument which the Epistle to the Hebrews founds upon it. Rejecting on such grounds this opinion, others, as we have seen, in their anxiety to vindicate the dignity of Abraham from marks of spiritual submission to, any mortal man, have held that Melchizedek was no other than the Son of God himself
* from McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia
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Until Next Month,
Dr. Cosby R. Oliver, PhD.
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MISSIONS REPORT:
From: Oliver Evangelistic Association (OEA) - A Missions Opportunity
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In conjunction with Brother Ghiorghi Cazacu with Gospel Ministries International, Inc. of Romania and correlates of his ministry in India, we are supplying the church building in its entirety.
Bro Cazacu reported from the Indian Pastor Joshua on the progress of the church building in Ander Pradesh. This series shows the whole-hearted support of the membership in carrying out the work. Although the Hindu radicals have sought to stop the work...the legal system ruled for the church, so it progresses.
The construction is now complete. Here are the pictures detailing the construction through the finished church building. We rejoice in God's provision and the efforts of the Indian worshipers to complete this project.
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From: Ghiorghi Cazacu - Gospel Ministries International, Inc.
Contact Information:
Dorothy Maue
US Administrator
Gospel Ministries International, Inc.
PO Box 661
Belleville, IL 62222
Telephone: (618) 239-0215
https://www.gmii.org/gmi-ministries
Email: gmiius@sbcglobal.net
The family picture is with some of the Christian refugees who are being housed and fed in his home.
He asks for prayer as his associates strive to assist as many as possible.
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