Understanding God’s Word Ministry

The Ministry of Melchizedek - Christ Ministering the Bread and the Wine into the Believers

The Aaronic priesthood dealt with sin, taking care of things on the negative side. The ministry of Melchisedec, on the contrary, is positive. Melchisedec did not come in to take away sin. He did not appear because Abraham had sinned but because Abraham had gained the victory. Melchisedec did not appear with an offering to take away sin but with bread and wine to nourish the victor. Nearly all Christians consider Christ as the High Priest who takes care of sin, but hardly anyone pays attention to Christ as the High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec. As such a High Priest, Christ does not take care of sin but ministers to us the processed God, signified by the bread and wine, as our nourishment.

The Ministry of Melchizedek - Imparting Life to the Believer

 
MELCHIZEDEK
Gen. 14
17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him (Abraham) after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. (As we shall see here, there is no time so dangerous to the Christian as the morrow after a great spiritual victory.)18 And Melchizedek (this man appears on the scene, who is a King and a Priest and, above all, who is a Type of Christ [Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:5–6]; some Scholars believe that Melchizedek could actually have been Shem, the son of Noah; Shem was alive at this time, and actually lived for about 60 years more; in fact, some think he died when Abraham was about 150 years of age; his name means, “King of Righteousness” and “King of Peace” [Heb. 7:2]) king of Salem (Jerusalem) brought forth bread and wine (the “bread and wine” symbolize the broken Body and shed Blood of our Lord, which was necessary for the Salvation of mankind [Mat. 26:29; Mk., Chpt. 14; Lk. 22:15; Rom. 8:21]): and he was the Priest of the Most High God. (Melchizedek, as a Priest, symbolized the coming Christ, Who is our Great High Priest [Heb. 7:15–17]. David prophesied, about a thousand years after Abraham, “The Lord has sworn, and will not repent, You [Christ] are a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” [Ps. 110:4]. Abraham is here introduced to God by a different name than he had previously known, “El Elyon,” meaning “Most High God.”)19 And he (Melchizedek) blessed him (Abraham), and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and Earth: (Melchizedek blessing Abraham means that the standing of Melchizedek was greater than that of Abraham. The reason? Melchizedek was a Type of Christ [Heb. 7:4, 7].)20 And blessed be the Most High God, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. (We find here that Melchizedek did not come forth when Abraham was in pursuit of Chedorlaomer, but when the king of Sodom was in pursuit of Abraham. This makes a great moral difference. Mackintosh says: “A deeper character of communion was needed to meet the deeper character of conflict.”) And he gave him tithes of all. (This is the first time that “tithes” are mentioned in Scripture. It refers to a tenth part. Abraham paid tithe to Melchizedek, who was a Type of Christ; consequently, Abraham’s children, which make up the Church presently, are to continue to pay tithe to those carrying out the Work of God.)
Swaggart, J. (2005). The Expositor’s Study Bible (pp. 26–27). Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.

Progressing in Faith to the Throne of Our High Priest

Hebrews 5
 
CHAPTER 5(A.D. 64)
MELCHISEDEC
FOR every High Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God (“from among men” pertains to the frailty of men), that he may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for sins (the “Gifts” referred to “Thank-Offerings, while the “Sacrifices” referred to certain animals being offered, all types of Christ):2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant (refers to having feelings for those on whose behalf he officiates), and on them who are out of the way (refers to those who have sinned, and who know they have sinned); for that He Himself also is compassed with infirmity. (This refers to the condition of all men, even the High Priest in the old Judaistic economy.)3 And by reason hereof he ought (refers to the very purpose of his office, which is to offer Sacrifice for sins), as for the people (proclaims the High Priest serving as a Mediator), so also for himself, to offer for sins. (This refers to the fact that he was a sinful man as well, and had to offer a Sacrifice even for himself, which would make Atonement that would provide reconciliation with God.)4 And no man takes this honour unto himself, but he who is called of God, as was Aaron. (Under the Old Law, the only ones who could offer Sacrifices were Priests, who had to be sons of Aaron, and whose order was ordained by God and not man.)5 So also Christ Glorified not Himself to be made an High Priest (proclaims the fact that this was no personal ambition on the Messiah’s part that resulted in Him becoming a High Priest, but rather the fact that God called Him to that position); but He who said unto Him, You are My Son, today have I begotten You. (The Priesthood of Christ was planned by God from the very beginning, which meant the Incarnation was absolutely necessary.)6 As He said also in another place (Ps. 110:4), You are a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. (This is the distinguishing characteristic of this order of Priesthood, and proclaims it as an Eternal One.)7 Who in the days of His flesh (proclaims the Incarnation of Christ), when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him (presents the prayer-life of the Master) Who was able to save Him from death (presents the prayer for Resurrection), and was heard (proclaims the fact that God heard and answered His Prayer) in that He feared (the picture in the word “feared” is that of a cautious taking hold of, and a careful and respectful handling; it is Christ taking into account all things, not only His Own desire, but the Will of the Father);8 Though He were a Son (stresses Deity, but at the same time the role of Christ as “Son of Man”), yet learned He obedience (doesn’t mean He had to learn to obey, for that would mean He had sinned; it means He actively sought out the path of obedience, and then unfailingly walked therein) by the things which He suffered (concerned the entire course of His Life, but more so the Cross);9 And being made perfect (refers to being brought to the goal fixed by God, which had to be if He was to be the Perfect Sacrifice), He became the Author of Eternal Salvation (proclaims a perfect Salvation, because He was and is the Perfect Redeemer, because He was the Perfect Sacrifice) unto all them who obey Him (we obey Him by exhibiting Faith in the Cross, which then gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work; this Truth was given to Paul [Rom. 6:3–5, 11, 14; Gal. 1:11–12]);10 Called of God an High Priest (the Title is conferred on Him by God the Father) after the order of Melchisedec. (Christ was not to be a great High Priest merely for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well; in order for this to be, His Priesthood would have to rest in something other than the Levitical Order; being after the Order of Melchisedec satisfied both demands, because Melchisedec preceded Israel as a people [Gen. 14:18–20; Ps. 110:4].)
Swaggart, J. (2005). The Expositor’s Study Bible (pp. 2124–2125). Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.

Our Great High Priest in His Person and Work

GREAT
Verse fourteen also says that Jesus, the Son of God, is a great High Priest. According to our experience, the word great here means excellent, wonderful, glorious, and most honorable. The Chinese version of the Bible says that we have an honorable and glorious High Priest. Christ today is such an excellent, marvelous, wonderful, glorious, and most honorable High Priest that no human word can fully describe Him. Although we cannot find the adequate word in any lexicon, the experience of being on His shoulders and on His breast in the Holy of Holies tells us that He is a great and wonderful High Priest.
In His Person
Our High Priest, Christ, is great firstly in His Person. He is the Son of God, God Himself (1:5, 8). He is also the Son of Man, man himself (2:6). He, being both God and man, has the divine nature and the human nature. He not only knows the things of God and the things of man; He is also in the things of God and the things of man. No other high priest has ever been like Him.
In His Work
Secondly, our High Priest, Christ, is great in His work. He has made purification of and propitiation for our sins (1:3; 2:17). He has taken away sin and has solved the problem of sin. He has tasted death, not only for every man but also for everything (2:9). By tasting death, He conquered and subdued it. Death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24, 27). He has also destroyed the Devil who has the might of death (2:14). By His death on the cross, Christ has annulled Satan, the power of death. By conquering death and destroying the [296] Devil, He has released us from the slavery of death (2:15). We have been freed by Him not only from the slavery of sin but also from the slavery of death. Through His suffering, He has been perfected to be the Captain of our salvation (2:10). He has fought the battle and has entered into glory. As the Pioneer, He is leading us on in the same way to glory. He is now taking care of God’s house as Moses did (3:5-6). As the Builder of the house, He surely knows how to take care of it. He is now also bringing us into rest, as Joshua did (4:8-9). He has given us the Sabbath rest in the church age, and He will bring us into the Sabbath rest of the kingdom age. As our High Priest, He is great in all these wonderful and excellent works of His, which no high priest in the Old Testament had ever accomplished.

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