PAUL Apostle tothe JEWS!
in chapter 7. Emphasis is first on righteousness, then on peace (see Ps. 85:10; Isa. 32:17). The significant fact is stressed that Melchizedek combined in himself two offices which were separated in Israel throughout their history; namely, that of priest and that of king. Uzziah the king was smitten with leprosy when he en tered the temple to offer incense. As a king and priest, C h r i s t in H is priesthood excels Aaron upon whose priesthood Judaism was solidly based. Christ w ill reign as king because as priest He has redeemed us. It is first the cross then the crown; first the pain then the palm; first the gore then the glory; first the thorns then the throne; and first salvation then sovereignty. The statement in Hebrews 7:3 that Melchizedek was without father or mother just means that his genealogy is not recorded. See Ezra 2:59, 62. Priests after the Babylonian exile who could not prove their pedigree were removed from office because the Levit- ical priest had to trace his descent from Aaron. The argument in He brews 7 is based on the silence of the Old Testament record in Genesis, a book which is replete with geneal ogies. Melchizedek appears suddenly from the unknown and disappears into the unknown; his birth is not recorded and his death is not given. He is thus an excellent type of undying priest hood. His priesthood is unique; it was inherited from none, shared by none and passed on to none. And the purpose of the words “Without father, without mother” here in Hebrews is to show Christ’s priesthood was not hereditary, h e n c e n o t t r i b a l as Aaron’s was, and was not temporary but eternal. The view has been propounded that Melchizedek was an angel or an appearance o f t h e pre-incamate Christ. Hebrews 7:4 settles the ques tion conclusively with the words “how great this man was.” The essential features of the Mel chizedek type of priesthood were: 1) It was a kingly priesthood. He was king and priest at the same time. 2) It was a continuing priesthood. It was eternal and not dependent on mortal men. 3) It was a personal rather than a tribal priesthood and thus was not hereditary. 4 ) It was a priesthood confirmed b y a n o a th . 5) It was a sinless priesthood. Priests of Aaron’s line were compassed about with sin and infirmity; He was not. Thank God for the superiority of the Melchizedek type of priesthood which is gloriously fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. END.
by Charles L. Feinberg
WORDS
WORD Melchizedek
Significantly Paul, who car ried the gospel to the Gentiles, always followed the injunction of Rom. 1:16 “To th e Jew first and also to th e G reek.” At Salamis he and Barnabas “p rea ch ed th e W ord o f G od in th e synagogues o f th e Jew s.” (Acts 13:5) At Antioch Paul “w ent into th e syn agogu e on th e S abbath D ay.” (Acts 13:14) In Iconium they “ w ent b oth tog eth er into th e syn agogu e . . . and so sp ake that a g reat m u ltitud e b oth of th e Jew s and also o f th e G reeks b eliev ed .” (Acts 14:1) You w ill enjoy rich fellowship when you help us carry the gos pel to the Jews as Paul did. Even in Rome “Pau l ca lled the c h ie f o f th e Jew s tog eth er” (Acts 28:17) and gave them the mes sage first. Bringing the gospel to the Jews brings blessing to the Gen tile. Never in our mission have we had a baptism service where there was not at least one Gen tile baptized together with the Jews. Let this 1God-given blessing become yours by joining us with . your gifts and prayers for the salvation of the Jewish brethren of our Lord. Write for free liter ature today. AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS-- TO THE JEWS, INC. ! 236 West 72nd Street, Dept. 8 i New York 23, N.Y. 1 Canadian Office: ! 39 King W illiam St., Ham ilton, Ont., Canada i Please send me free folder showing how I i may help carry the gospel to Israel. Enclosed i is $.......................... for my part in the work 1 you are doing.
from the
O B n e of the most interesting and im portant personages in the Bible is - Melchizedek. He first appears in Genesis 14 when Abraham returns from the conflict with the kings who invaded Canaan. He is priest of God most high and king of Salem. Using bread and wine he bestows a blessing on the patriarch, receiving from the latter a tithe. Doubts have been ex pressed as to the historicity of Mel chizedek but they are not well found ed. He is mentioned in the Bible in history (Gen. 14), in prophecy (Ps. 110) and in doctrine (Heb. 5-7). ' By the Salem of Genesis 14:18-24 the city of Jerusalem is doubtless meant. Jerusalem appears as early as the Tel el-Amama Letters (about 1400 B.C.) as one of the chief cities of Canaan called Ura-salim. Psalm 76:2 confirms the identification. Abra ham r e c o g n i z e d in Melchizedek, whose name means king of righteous ness, a true priest of the only God, E l Elyon, because he paid him tithes. The paying of tithes to Melchizedek by Abraham is used in the New Testament to prove the superiority of the Melchizedek type of priesthood to the Aaronic priesthood which paid tithes potentially in Abraham. More over, he blessed Abraham as the greater blesses the lesser. Melchizedek was a worshiper of God and a follow er of the true religion which was undoubtedly handed down from the time of the flood. In Psalm 110:4 Melchizedek is introduced in a beautiful prophecy concerning the kingly reign of the Messianic king. There it is revealed that the king w ill also be a priest, and that after the order or pattern of Melchizedek. Nothing more is stated but the New Testament builds on this verse a weighty argument which requires Hebrews 5, 6 and 7 to elaborate. The first reference in Hebrews 5:6, 10 indicates that Christ did not take upon Himself the honor of priest hood but was called thereto by the purpose and oath of God. The great est exposition of the doctrine comes
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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