“So who is this guy Melchizedek and why is he important in the Bible?”—Stacy
Melchizedek is mentioned only a few times in Scripture. In the Hebrew Bible, we find him in Gen. 14:18-20 (with Abram) and in Ps. 110:4, where he is a prototype of the Davidic messiah.
His origin is cloaked in obscurity. His place in Near Eastern history is equally opaque. What we can say: his name means “king of righteousness.” He is called also the “king of Salem” (Gen. 14:18), leading many scholars to identify Melchizedek with pre-Israelite Jerusalem.
In the Genesis account, he appeared to be in some sense superior to Abram (he received tithes from Abram and blessed him.) Though he “was a priest of God Most High,” there is no record of his genealogy or connection with a lineage of priests.
Apparently his story was somewhat familiar to first-century Jews. (He plays a role in the eschatological drama that unfolds in the Dead Sea Scrolls’ Essene document “Apocryphon on Genesis.”)
The Scripture gives us little about Melchizedek but it gives us enough. We need not make more of him than what we have (there is no indication that he is either an angel or the pre-existent Christ.) There is no call for fanciful speculations on Melchizedek’s identity or creating roles for him that do not appear in the Scripture.
Simply put, in the New Testament Melchizedek serves as an illustration by the writer of the book of Hebrews as a “type” of Christ (5:6-10; 7). Like Melchizedek, Jesus did not descend from a line of priests. Transcending Melchizedek (and Abraham, for that matter), Christ’s role as the “eternal High Priest” establishes Him as the only necessary Priest who offered the only necessary sacrifice, made “once for all when He offered up Himself” (7:23-27).
Showing posts with label priest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label priest. Show all posts
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Reinstatement of Mosaic Law?
“You wrote that the New Testament teaches that Christ is superior (and replaces) the Mosaic system of law, priests and the temple. Will that old, limited system be re-instituted sometime in the future?”—Nick
The Mosaic Law is at the core of the history of Israel. It shaped the identity of the nation, forming the basis of its deep religious traditions, politics, and ethics. The sacrificial and priestly system provided a means for expressing repentance, receiving forgiveness and restoring relationships with God and fellow man. These functions were acknowledged for their importance by Jesus and by first-century Jews who had converted to Christianity (Mt. 5:17-20; 7:12; Gal. 3).
The writers of the New Testament went on to indicate, however, that the old Law was insufficient to save one from one’s sin. Indeed, the old legal system became a “curse” because it continued to demand allegiance even though no one could ever obey all of it or find final and complete forgiveness through it (Rom. 3-5; Gal. 3).
The discussion of Melchizedek (a couple of weeks ago) revealed the New Testament understanding that Christ is the only necessary “High Priest”: He is the new tabernacle; He has a new and “better ministry”; He inaugurates a new covenant and is the once and for all, sufficient sacrifice for forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation (Heb. 7-10).
Because Christ is the fulfillment of what the “old system” anticipated, there is no need for the old system to be in some way “re-instituted.” “Old things are passed away . . .” (II Cor. 5:17); Christ raises believers “to a new kind of life” (Rom. 5-6). In the eschaton, there will be a new heaven and new earth: God will be on the throne; redeemed men will inhabit the new place—but this is not a new version of the Mosaic system. This is an entirely new state of being (Rev. 20-21).
The Mosaic Law is at the core of the history of Israel. It shaped the identity of the nation, forming the basis of its deep religious traditions, politics, and ethics. The sacrificial and priestly system provided a means for expressing repentance, receiving forgiveness and restoring relationships with God and fellow man. These functions were acknowledged for their importance by Jesus and by first-century Jews who had converted to Christianity (Mt. 5:17-20; 7:12; Gal. 3).
The writers of the New Testament went on to indicate, however, that the old Law was insufficient to save one from one’s sin. Indeed, the old legal system became a “curse” because it continued to demand allegiance even though no one could ever obey all of it or find final and complete forgiveness through it (Rom. 3-5; Gal. 3).
The discussion of Melchizedek (a couple of weeks ago) revealed the New Testament understanding that Christ is the only necessary “High Priest”: He is the new tabernacle; He has a new and “better ministry”; He inaugurates a new covenant and is the once and for all, sufficient sacrifice for forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation (Heb. 7-10).
Because Christ is the fulfillment of what the “old system” anticipated, there is no need for the old system to be in some way “re-instituted.” “Old things are passed away . . .” (II Cor. 5:17); Christ raises believers “to a new kind of life” (Rom. 5-6). In the eschaton, there will be a new heaven and new earth: God will be on the throne; redeemed men will inhabit the new place—but this is not a new version of the Mosaic system. This is an entirely new state of being (Rev. 20-21).
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