2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Readers,
Those of us who study the Bible daily long ago learned that there are two priesthoods mentioned in the OT. The most familiar one is the Aaronic priesthood, the one in which God commissioned the Levites (descendants of Aaron) to carry out the duties of running the Tabernacle. This is an imperfect priesthood, as we know from the examples of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who led a rebellion that resulted in the loss of a number of lives [NU 16: 1-35]. Two of Aaron’s own sons, Nadab and Abihu, end up burning unholy fire and losing their lives as well [NU 26: 61]. No doubt, there were many Aaronic priests who served the Lord with honor and reverence, but each priest of this order had to offer sacrifices as sin offerings for themselves before they could do so for others.
In contrast to this priesthood is a higher one first represented by the king of Salem [which eventually became Jerusalem], a man known as Melchizedek first introduced to us in GN 14: 17-20. Melchizedek is a priest of El Elyon, the Most High God. “When Abram came back from his victory over Chedorlaomer and the other kings, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in Shaveh Valley (also called King’s Valley). And Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and also a priest of the Most High God, brought bread and wine to Abram, blessed him, and said, ‘May the Most High God, Who made heaven and earth, bless Abram! May the Most High God, Who gave you victory over your enemies, be praised!’ And Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the loot he had recovered.” When we looked at the Angel of the Lord in a previous message, the term “theophany” came up, which I defined as a visible manifestation of God. I join serious Christian theologians in asserting that Jesus Christ appears in many places in the OT, even though the name, Jesus Christ, is never seen in its writings. You will remember from yesterday’s message that Jesus Christ is the only visible person of the Trinity. With that in mind, it is entirely possible that Melchizedek is a theophany. The priesthood that bears his name is a higher and more elite one than the Aaronic priesthood.
PS 110 reveals the relationship between the Lord and His chosen King. PS 110: 1, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, the King, ‘Sit here at My right side until I put Your enemies under Your feet.’ The connection between Melchizedek and Christ is discussed in PS 110: 4, “The Lord made a solemn promise and will not take it back: ‘You will be a priest forever in the line of succession to Melchizedek.’ “ Again, this connection is taken up in HE 5: 5-6, “In the same way, Christ did not take upon Himself the honor of being a high priest. Instead, God said to Him, ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.’ He also said in another place, ‘You will be a priest forever, as the successor of Melchizedek.’ “ We learn even more about this unique calling for the Son when the author of Hebrews takes up the issue of the meaning of Melchizedek’s name. HE 7: 2-3, “Melchizedek met him [Abram] and blessed him, and Abram gave him one tenth of all he had taken. (The first meaning of Melchizedek’s name is ‘King of Righteousness’; and because he was king of Salem, his name also means ‘King of Peace.’) There is no record of Melchizedek’s father or mother or of any of his ancestors; no record of his birth or of his death. He is like the Son of God; he remains a priest forever.” If there was ever any confusion about the difference between this priesthood and that of Aaron, it is clarified in HE 7: 6, “Melchizedek was not descended from Levi, but he collected one tenth from Abraham and blessed him, the man who received God’s promises.”
At this point, it is necessary to look at the question: What is meant by El Elyon, the Most High God? The citations that use this term help us to answer that question. Melchizedek serves God, the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. That can be seen by the duties and authority that Melchizedek has been given by God. Yet, there are more citations that also reveal El Elyon as Redeemer of Israel. PS 78 is a song about God and His people. PS 78: 35, “They remembered that God was their Protector, that the Almighty came to their aid.” I don’t apologize for repeating this revealing citation as often as I do, DN 4: 17. “This is the decision of the alert and watchful angels. So the, let all people everywhere know that the Supreme God has power over human kingdoms and that He can give them to anyone He chooses-even the least important of men.” This and the following citation appear in a chapter of Daniel dealing with the interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia’s tree dream. The Babylonian king is found by El Elyon to have a heart that can be brought to acknowledgment of His ultimate supremacy, as evidenced by DN 4: 34-35 in Nebuchadnezzar’s own words. “When the seven years [during which the king’s power and sanity had been taken away by God] had passed, I looked up at the sky, and my sanity returned. I praised the Supreme God [El Elyon] and gave honor and glory to the One Who lives forever. ‘He will rule forever, and His Kingdom will last for all time. He looks on the people of the earth as nothing; angels in heaven and people on earth are under His control. No one can oppose His will or question what He does.’ “
From the citations above, we can get a sense of El Elyon as Redeemer and Supreme Sovereign. He makes the decision, and Christ carries it out. Why is this important to us today? The very same truths that applied in Abraham’s, David’s, and Daniel’s time impact us today. That reveals not only God’s supremacy and sovereignty, but it also reminds us of His consistency. When a parent is consistent, his children can know what to expect and what is expected of them. When a parent is inconsistent, there is chaos in the home. It is the same with our Parent. He is wise beyond measure and knows that if we are to be convinced to obey Him, He must be consistent with us. We should meditate on how knowing El Elyon’s supremacy, sovereignty, and consistency impacts our lives personally. It can lead to blessings we never knew were available to us.
PRAYER: O Lord, You have commissioned two priesthoods, one higher than the other, so that we might understand Your supremacy, sovereignty, and consistency. Abraham’s obedience was rewarded as You gave him the power to rescue his nephew, Lot, and sent Melchizedek to bless him afterward. At the time of the pre-creation counsel, You appointed Your Son as our Redeemer and determined that He would become incarnate, serve His ministry on earth, be rejected, and become a sin sacrifice for us on the cross. All of this was done for many reasons. One such reason that You have revealed to us in the book of Hebrews [HE 4: 14-16] is that He would be given the ability to understand our temptations and suffering through His incarnation. That would prepare Him to be able to open the heavenly Holy of Holies and to take our prayers directly to You. You taught other men, such as King Nebuchadnezzar, about Your supremacy and sovereignty, so that the number of people who are blessed by coming to faith in You could be increased. Your promise to put Christ’s enemies as a “footstool under His feet” [PS 110: 1, KJV] will surely be fulfilled one day. That is because Your love for Your children is in every page of the Bible. For that and so much more, we humbly offer You our adoration, worship, loyal, trust, obedience, praise, honor, glory, and thanks. In Christ’s name, amen.
There are too many important citations still left for me to leave the subject of El Elyon. So, as led by God, I will continue with them tomorrow. In the meanwhile, I hope you are getting the message that our Lord is on the job seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day loving each one of us. That love is evidenced by all He does for us and wants for us. It is my hope that you are feeling the warmth of our Abba’s loving embrace today. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn