The Priest/King Melchizedek

“On this topic (of Melchizedek) we have much to say and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing. For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances.  You have gone back to needing[milk, not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:11-14 NET

Melchizedek in the Canaanite language means “My king is righteous.” The writer explains that the man, the myth, the legend, contains details surrounding Melchizedek that are considered advanced knowledge, revealing how they impact our lives and provide a deeper understanding of Christ. Melchizedek, or the priest king of ‘Tsedek,’ was the king of Salem during the time of Abraham in Canaan. His name (or title) indicates that righteousness was his defining trait, as evidenced by the term ‘Tsedek.’ As mentioned in my previous blog post, various cultures of Abraham’s era used different names to describe the same deity, making it unsurprising that a Canaanite priest king refers to Tsedek as ‘the most high God.’

The comparison between Christ and Melchizedek is not a great mystery; it serves as a type and shadow. In this context, Melchizedek is not seen as equal to Christ. Instead, Christ is compared to Melchizedek because the order of Melchizedek is fundamentally different from the Aaronic priesthood. The writer argues that Jesus’ priesthood is not based on the rituals of the Aaronic priesthood as the Jews may have expected, but rather on righteousness that comes directly from the most high God.

The Aaronic priesthood was a concession made by God due to Moses’s unbelief. Although God raised up Moses to be His voice to Pharaoh in Egypt, Moses expressed concern that his lack of eloquence would obstruct his ability to speak clearly and concisely concerning God’s urgent desire to free His people from captivity. In his pleas, Moses demanded that his brother Aaron be appointed as his intermediary. Thus, Moses’s unbelief resulted in the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood, while God had a different type of priesthood in mind.

Melchizedek held a priestly office, but he was not divine in the sense that he could not die; he was a mortal man. Many aspects of his priestly role foreshadowed what Christ would embody as the priestly minister of the Most High God. One significant trait is the power of an unending life. It is clear that in comparison to Christ, Melchizedek did not possess the power of eternal life, as Jesus is a divine being.

Jesus is the promised true priest king of the Melchizedek order, not of the Aaronic order which was inferior and what the Jews may have expected. “O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions. Grant the king’s son the ability to make fair decisions. Then he will judge your people fairly, and your oppressed ones equitably. The mountains will bring news of peace to the people, and the hills will announce justice. He will defend the oppressed among the people; he will deliver the children of the poor and crush the oppressor.” Psalm 72:1-4 NET

I find it compelling how Melchizedek is portrayed as the priest-king of the Most High God, distinguishing himself from being a deity, for he serves the God of righteousness, Tsedek, highlighting his unique role. Notably, he is the priest-king over Salem, a city that will hold great importance for David, as it ultimately becomes Jerusalem, his capital. David clearly states that Yahweh is the Most High God, setting this name apart from Tsedek. This shift in cultural understanding during David's reign attributed a new name to the most high God: Yahweh, the King of Righteousness. While David operates under the Aaronic priesthood, he prophetically envisions the priesthood of righteousness in Psalm 72. This psalm foresees the arrival of a priest-king who will ultimately fulfill and surpass the Aaronic priesthood, shaping a new spiritual legacy, one that God had originally intended for Israel and all of mankind, a priesthood that never ends.

With the advent of Jesus, a transformative era dawned. No longer were His followers left to wishfully dream of a Messianic future; the reality had arrived, and the destiny of all humanity was now intertwined with Jesus. However, the writer of Hebrews laments that his readers, while hearing, are slow to grasp and immature in their understanding of this profound truth. They are akin to infants, craving milk instead of solid food. This echoes the situation of the Galatians, who, though professing Christianity, were easily misled by Judaizers from Jerusalem, who sought to distort the message of freedom in Christ and lead them back to the bondage of the law.

"Solid food is for the mature." The writer is conveying that true maturity involves sharpening our sense of spiritual discernment. This sharpening happens through practical training and real-life experiences rather than relying on temporary measures like following the law.

For example, the U.S. Treasury Department trains its employees to identify counterfeit currency by exposing them to real money for an extended period. By constantly and closely observing authentic currency, they become adept at spotting fakes. In a similar way, prolonged exposure to Jesus helps us recognize what is genuine as opposed to what is not.

Through these life experiences, the mature individual in God learns to discern between good and evil, understanding what gives life and what leads to death.

Jesus powerfully proclaimed, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10 NET). This profound narrative illustrates the relationship between the Good Shepherd and His sheep. The sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd because they have built a loving relationship with Him. They will not follow a stranger—who, in this case, represents the Aaronic law. Jesus emphasized that all who came before Him were merely thieves and robbers, yet His sheep would not listen to them.

So, what role did the Aaronic law play in our lives? Its ultimate purpose was to steal, kill, and destroy us. The Satan exploited this law to level accusations against us, filling us with guilt and shame for not living up to an unattainable standard that none of us could meet. The Aaronic priesthood epitomized a model of death, as evidenced by the countless blood sacrifices that were required. However, Jesus introduced a radically different priesthood. He perfectly fulfilled the requirements of the Aaronic law—requirements that demanded death. Yet, because He was without sin, death could not hold Him, and through His body as a divine being, He inaugurated a new priesthood of life, offering us true freedom and hope.

Stephen Barnett