Hebrews Lesson #9

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
HEBREWS 7:1-10
LESSON #9
MELCHIZEDEK AND THE TITHE

MEMORY VERSE: HEB 7:19

READ HEB 7:1-3 MELCHIZEDEK

HEB 6:20 SAYS JESUS CHRIST IS THE FORERUNNER WITHIN THE VEIL OF THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY.

THERE ARE 2 GREAT MYSTERIES THE BOOK OF HEBREWS REVEALS TO US.

JESUS CHRIST, THE HEAVENLY HIGH PRIEST
THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY IN WHICH HE MINISTERS

WHY ARE THESE THINGS IMPORTANT?

REMEMBER WE ARE LEARNING HOW TO ENTER INTO THE "REST" OF GOD (THE FULL BLESSINGS AND PROVISIONS PURCHASED FOR US ON CALVARY).
KNOWING JESUS CHRIST AS OUR HIGH PRIEST AND KNOWING HIS MINISTRY IN THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY IS THE MEAT OF THE WORD THAT HELPS US TO ENTER INTO THE "REST" OF GOD. TO KNOW THIS, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PERSON OF MELCHIZEDEK.

BACKGROUND:

THE PERSON OF MELCHIZEDEK IN SACRED HISTORY IS ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE PROOFS OF THE INSPIRATION AND UNITY OF SCRIPTURE.

WE FIRST SEE HIM IN 3 SHORT VERSES IN GENESIS.

A THOUSAND YEARS LATER WE FIND HIM IN ONE VERSE IN PSALMS WHERE GOD IS SWEARING TO HIS SON THAT HE IS TO BE A HIGH PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. AFTER ANOTHER THOUSAND YEARS, WE SEE HIM FULLY EXPLAINED IN THE BOOK OF HEBREWS.

WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE PRIESTHOOD OF AARON AS A TYPE OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. HOWEVER, IN MANY WAYS THE PRIESTHOOD OF AARON FAILED TO PREFIGURE CHRIST. WE, THEREFORE, NEED TO LOOK AT THE PRIESTHOOD OF MELCHIZEDEK THAT FURTHER TYPIFIES CHRIST TO SEE THE RADICAL DIFFERENCE AND TO GAIN A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE.

READ GEN 14:13-24 PSA 110

WHO WAS THIS MAN?

THE MEANING OF HIS NAME:IN HEBREW:

Melek MEANS = KING

Tsedeq MEANS = RIGHTEOUSNESS

HE WAS A GENTILE AND NOT A JEW.

NOTICE THAT MELCHIZEDEK AND JESUS CHRIST ARE BOTH HIGH PRIESTS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD

MELCHIZEDEK WAS BOTH A PRIEST AND A KING

THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO OFFICES IS UNKNOWN IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. IN FACT, FOR ONE PERSON TO HOLD BOTH POSITIONS WAS AGAINST THE WILL OF GOD. REMEMBER KING SAUL ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM SOME PRIESTLY DUTIES AND GOD TOOK THE KINGDOM FROM HIM. 1SAM 13:8-14

THE PRACTICE WAS COMMON AMONG CANAANITE KINGS OF WHICH MELCHIZEDEK WAS ONE (HE WAS A GENTILE).
ONLY JESUS CHRIST WAS TO BE BOTH A PRIEST AND A KING ACCORDING TO MESSIANIC PROPHECIES.

WE SEE MELCHIZEDEK AS A PRIEST IN GEN 14 AND AS THE KING IN PSA 110 AT THE SECOND COMING.

THE NAME OF GOD: EL ELYON JEHOVAH

MELCHIZEDEK USED BOTH THE GENERAL NAME FOR GOD (EL ELYON = GOD THE HIGHEST) AS WELL AS THE JEWISH NAME (JEHOVAH) THAT REFERS TO A COVENANT MAKER.
ABRAHAM USED BOTH NAMES IN GEN 14:22 TO INDICATE THEY BOTH WORSHIPPED THE SAME GOD AND THAT JEWS AND GENTILES COULD HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
THIS PASSAGE IN GENESIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS NAME, "MOST HIGH GOD" IS USED FOR GOD.

MELCHIZEDEK'S NAME MEANS = "KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" (7:2)

MELCHIZEDEK'S REIGN WAS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF SALEM (JERUSALEM) WHICH MEANS = "PEACE". HE WAS THEREFORE "KING OF PEACE".

THESE TWO WORDS, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE, ARE NAMES FOR THE MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD THROUGHOUT THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. ISA 32:1 LUK 19:38

"WITHOUT FATHER, WITHOUT MOTHER, WITHOUT DESCENT" =

MELCHIZEDEK'S GENEALOGY IS UNKNOWN

DOES THAT MEAN GOD DIDN’T KNOW IT? NO. IT MEANS THAT IT IS NOT WRITTEN IN SCRIPTRUE. GENESIS IS A BOOK FILLED WITH GENEALOGIES OF THE JEWS FROM ADAM TO JOSEPH. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO GENEALOGY FOR MELCHISEDEK.

THIS LACK OF A GENEALOGY WAS AN UNKNOWN PHENOMENON FOR THE PRIESTHOOD OF AARON. REMEMBER THAT EVERY PRIEST HAD TO BE FROM THE TRIBE OF LEVI, AND EVERY HIGH PRIEST HAD TO BE A DESCENDANT OF AARON. IT WAS A HEREDITARY OFFICE.
THIS PHRASE IN THE BOOK OF HEBREWS POINTS TO THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE GENEALOGIES OF JESUS IN THE BOOKS OF MATTHEW AND LUKE ARE THOSE OF JOSEPH AND MARY. THERE IS NO GENEALOGY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE PHRASE, THEREFORE, POINTS TO THE HEAVENLY ASPECT OF JESUS. HIS OFFICE OF PRIESTHOOD WAS NOT A HEREDITARY OFFICE.

"HAVING NEITHER BEGINNING OF DAYS NOR END OF LIFE"

THE ACTUAL BIRTH RECORD AND RECORD OF DEATH OF MELCHIZEDEK IS NOT KNOWN.

THIS PHRASE POINTS TO THE HEAVENLY ETERNAL NATURE OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD.
MEN WHO WERE PRIESTS ACCORDING TO THE PRIESTHOOD OF AARON COULD ONLY SERVE FROM THE AGE OF 25 TO THE AGE OF 50. NUM 8:24-25 MELCHISEDEK HAS NO AGE LIMITS PLACED UPON HIM.

"MADE LIKE UNTO THE SON OF GOD" = THIS TELLS US MELCHIZEDEK IS A PREFIGURE OF JESUS CHRIST.

MELCHIZEDEK, A PREFIGURE OF JESUS CHRIST
MELCHISEDEK	JESUS CHRIST
KING OF JERUSALEM	KING OF KINGS
HIGH PRIEST TO ABRAHAM	OUR HIGH PRIEST
JERUSALEM MEANS PEACE	PRINCE OF PEACE
KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS	THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS JER 23:6
UNKNOWN GENEALOGY	THE ETERNAL SON
NEITHER BEGINNING OF DAYS NOR END OF LIFE	OUR LIVING LORD

MELCHIZEDEK, A THEOPHANY OF JESUS CHRIST

WHAT IS A THEOPHANY?

AN ACTUAL APPEARANCE OF CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. REMEMBER, JESUS CHRIST IS ETERNAL AND COULD APPEAR AS A MAN BEFORE HIS BIRTH IN BETHLEHEM.

AN EXAMPLE:

THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIERY FURNACE - DAN 3:25

HOW DO WE KNOW THAT MELCHIZEDEK IN GENESIS WAS AN ACTUAL APPEARANCE BY JESUS CHRIST?

PART OF THE NAME MELCHIZEDEK HAS A HEBREW CONSTRUCTION "SIDEK" (ZEDEK) WHICH MEANS DEITY IS KING.
DURING HIS 3 YEAR MINISTRY ON EARTH, JESUS IDENTIFIED THIS DAVIDIC KING AS MESSIAH IN MAR 12:35-37 WHEN HE QUOTED PSA 110.

READ HEB 7:4-10 MELCHIZEDEK AND AARON

GOD SET THE PATTERN OF JESUS' PRIESTHOOD ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK EVEN BEFORE HE SET THE PATTERN OF AARON'S PRIESTHOOD.
THE PRIESTS OF AARON RECEIVED TITHES (1/10 OF THEIR

YEARLY INCREASE). MELCHIZEDEK, WHO WAS NOT FROM THE TRIBE OF LEVI, RECEIVED A TITHE FROM ABRAHAM.

MELCHIZEDEK BLESSED ABRAHAM TO WHOM GOD HAD GIVEN THE PROMISE OF BLESSINGS.

GEN 14:18 SAYS MELCHIZEDEK BLESSED ABRAHAM WITH BREAD AND WINE.

THESE ARE BOTH SYMBOLS OF JESUS CHRIST'S CRUCIFIXION AND INDICATE THAT THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST CAME AFTER HIS CRUCIFIXION. LUK 22:19-20

"THE LESS IS BLESSED BY THE BETTER" (7) =

TO THE JEWS, ABRAHAM WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST IN THEIR HISTORY. HE HAD STRONG FAITH, HE HAD THE PROMISES OF GOD, AND BECAME A VERY WEALTHY MAN. HE BECAME THE FATHER OF A GREAT NATION.
THE JEWS THOUGHT THAT NO SON OR DESCENDANT COULD BE GREATER THAN HIS FATHER OR ANCESTOR. LEVI COULD NOT BE GREATER THAN ABRAHAM.
MELCHIZEDEK WAS GREATER THAN ABRAHAM BECAUSE HE HAD

THE POWER OF GOD TO BLESS WEALTHY ABRAHAM WHEN ABRAHAM TITHED.

"THERE HE RECEIVETH THEM" (8) DEU 26:1-5

JESUS CHRIST RECEIVES OUR TITHES IN HEAVEN.

WE ARE HEIRS TO THE PROMISES OF ABRAHAM. JESUS CHRIST, OUR HIGH PRIEST, BLESSES US AS WE BRING OUR TITHES TO HIM JUST AS MELCHIZEDEK DID FOR ABRAHAM.

HE RECEIVES TITHES
WE RECEIVE BLESSING

THE PRIESTLY BLESSING OF NUM 6:25-26 IS FULFILLED BY JESUS CHRIST TO US. HE MAKES IT A LIVING EXPERIENCE IN THE POWER OF A LIFE THAT ABIDES IN HIM CONTINUALLY.

"LEVI WHO RECEIVETH TITHES, PAID TITHES IN ABRAHAM...FOR HE WAS IN THE LOINS OF (ABRAHAM)"

LEVI WAS ABRAHAM'S GREAT-GRANDSON. IN BIBLE TIMES, AN ANCESTOR WAS THOUGHT OF AS CONTAINING WITHIN HIMSELF ALL OF HIS DESCENDANTS.
PRIESTS OF LEVI, WHO COLLECTED TITHES, PAID TITHES TO MELCHIZEDEK BY THE FACT THAT THEY WERE DESCENDED FROM ABRAHAM WHO PAID TITHES TO MELCHIZEDEK.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TITHING AND BEING BLESSED:

TITHING WAS PART OF THE MOSAIC LAW. WE ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO KEEP THE MOSAIC LAW.
HOWEVER, ABRAHAM AND MELCHIZEDEK WERE BEFORE THE MOSAIC LAW.
THEREFORE, TITHING IS A KINGDOM PRINCIPLE.

OLD TESTAMENT SYSTEMS OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

MAL 3:8

THE TITHE

THE MEANING OF THE WORD TITHE = 1/10
SCRIPTURES FOR THE TITHE BEFORE THE MOSAIC LAW: GEN 14:17-20

GEN 28:22

THE TITHE ACCORDING TO THE MOSAIC LAW:

WHAT WAS TITHED? LEV 27:30-32

SEED OF THE LAND (CROPS)

FRUIT OF THE TREES

HERD OR FLOCK

ONE COULD REDEEM (BUY BACK) CROPS AND FRUIT BY 1/5 TO THE VALUE,

THEREBY GIVING MONEY INSTEAD.

ONE COULD NEVER REDEEM (BUY BACK) ANIMALS.

TO WHOM WERE THE TITHES PAID?

THE PRIESTS

THE PRIEST Used 1/10 OF THE TITHE PERSONALLY.

9/10 OF THE TITHE WAS USED FOR THE TABERNACLE.

HOW WAS THE TITHE USED?

DEU 14:22-27 10% PRODUCE AND ANIMALS USED AT HARVEST TO MAKE THANKSGIVING DINNER TO BE EATEN BY

THE HOUSEHOLD WITH THE LEVITES AT THE

SANCTUARY

DEU 14:28-29 EVERY THIRD YEAR 10% PRODUCE AND ANIMALS WAS TO BE STORED AND USED BY THE LEVITES, ALIENS,

ORPHANS, WIDOWS AS WELFARE

NUM 18:21-32 10% GIVEN TO THE LEVITES ANNUALLY

THE TITHE TAKEN TO EXTREME -- TALMUD EXTENSION OF THE MOSAIC LAW MAT 23:23 LUK 11:42

WHAT WAS GOD'S PURPOSE IN HAVING PEOPLE TITHE?

THAT WE LEARN TO FEAR THE LORD ALWAYS DEU 14:23

THE OFFERING (OVER AND ABOVE THE TITHE

TO BE GIVEN IN GRATITUDE FOR GOD'S BLESSING
TO BE GIVEN TO ATONE FOR SPECIFIC SINS

FREEWILL OFFERINGS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE GIVER

NEW TESTAMENT SYSTEM OF GIVING

LUK 6:38

GIVING COMES FIRST

THEN YOU RECEIVE "GOOD MEASURE" (EQUAL TO WHAT YOU GAVE)

"PRESSED DOWN" (MORE THAN WHAT YOU GAVE)

"SHAKEN TOGETHER" (EVEN MORE THAN "PRESSED DOWN")

"RUNNING OVER" (ABUNDANTLY MORE THAN THE MEASURE COULD HOLD = UNLIMITED RETURN

"SHALL MEN GIVE INTO YOUR BOSOM" =

GOD WILL CAUSE MEN, CHRISTIAN AND NON-CHRISTIAN, TO BLESS YOU.

"WITH THE SAME MEASURE...IT SHALL BE MEASURED TO YOU"

IT'S UP TO YOU HOW MUCH BLESSING GOD WILL POUR OUT ON YOU.

GIVING AND YOUR LEVEL OF MATURITY:

YOUR LEVEL OF GIVING IS A THERMOMETER OF YOUR LEVEL OF MATURITY. WHY?

1. THE MORE YOU LEARN ABOUT GOD AND EXPERIENCE HIM, THE MORE YOU WILL WANT TO GIVE TO HIM.

MONEY IS THE MEANS OF PHYSICAL LIFE. IT REPRESENTS YOU, YOUR TIME, YOUR TALENTS AND HOW YOU SPEND YOUR LIFE. YOU WORK FOR A WAGE. THE MORE YOU WORK, THE MORE YOU GET.

CHRISTIAN MATURITY IS THE PROCESS OF LETTING JESUS BECOME LORD OF YOUR PHYSICAL LIFE.

MONEY IS USUALLY THE THING WE CLING TO THE TIGHTEST AND THE LAST THING WE GIVE UP TO HIM.

PROPER ATTITUDE IS IMPORTANT:

WE DON'T GIVE OUT OF LEGAL OBLIGATION LIKE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW

WE DON'T GIVE WITH A DESIRE TO GET IN ORDER TO FULFILL OUR LUSTS.

WE GIVE BECAUSE WE LOVE GOD.

THE LORD BLESSES BECAUSE OF OUR DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE AND FAITH IN HIS LORDSHIP. PHI 4:19

SUMMARY:

JESUS CHRIST, A BETTER HIGH PRIEST, AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK (HEB 6:20)

JESUS CHRIST IS BETTER THAN ABRAHAM BECAUSE HE IS ETERNAL, LIVING, AND ACTIVE. THE EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST MEANS HE WILL DO HIS WORK IN US IN THE POWER OF THE ETERNAL LIFE. BECAUSE HE IS LIVING AND ACTIVE, HE IS ABLE TO MAINTAIN AN EVERLASTING, UNCHANGEABLE LIFE IN US LIFTING US OUT OF NEEDLESS EFFORT AND FAILURE INTO THE "REST" OF GOD.

BECAUSE HE IS OUR LIVING HIGH PRIEST, WE CAN TRUST HIM FOR EVERYTHING IN OUR LIVES: OUR VERY WELL BEING, LIFE ITSELF, OUR FINANCES, OUR EVERY NEED.

WHEN YOU STEP OUT ON FAITH AND BEGIN TO TRUST HIM FOR THE TOTALITY OF YOUR LIFE, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF GIVING TO HIM, NOT JUST A TITHE, BUT OVER AND ABOVE THE TITHE.

LET JESUS CHRIST, YOUR HIGH PRIEST, LAY YOUR OFFERINGS BEFORE THE HEAVENLY FATHER IN HEAVEN AS AN EXAMPLE OF YOUR WORSHIP.

HOMEWORK
HEBREWS 7:11-28

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

APPLICATION OF HEB 7:1-11

CONSIDER YOUR LEVEL OF GIVING TO THE LORD. WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU ABOUT YOUR LEVEL OF MATURITY?

CONSIDER YOUR MOTIVES FOR GIVING? WHAT ARE THEY? WHAT SHOULD THEY BE?

PREPARATION FOR HEB 7:11-28

READ HEB 7:11-28

COMPARE THE PRIESTHOOD OF AARON AND THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. LIST YOUR OBSERVATIONS IN THE FOLLOWING CHART.

PRIESTHOOD OF AARON	PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST

WHAT DID THE PRIESTHOOD OF AARON FAIL TO ACCOMPLISH?

MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 37:4