Jesus Our Priest

Melchizedek is one of the most interesting characters in the Bible. We really don't know much about him. He only appears a couple of times. We do know this: he was a priest and he was a king. He blessed Abraham and Abraham gave him a 10th of everything he had (the first tithe). Many people have debated and wondered if this was Jesus coming down to interact with Abraham. The Bible doesn't tell us, so I think it's really a waste of time to even go there. What we do know for sure is that God loves to use foreshadowing as He weaves His story. Melchizedek is a priest and king, and so is Jesus. We don't know anything about his birth or death, and Jesus is eternal. 

We know that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham, because Abraham gave him a 10th of everything he owned. That's pretty incredible because it was through Abraham that the Jewish nation was founded and Jesus was born. Jesus is called 'a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.' What that means is that He is greater than all the other priests. He won't die, and He is greater than Abraham. I love foreshadowing, and being able to see it is one of the benefits of living on this side of the cross! God set up the priesthood of the Israelites to show us what He was going to do through Jesus! Check out what verse 18-19 say:

"Because the earlier commandment was weak and did not reconcile us to God effectively, it was set aside-after all, the law could not make anyone or anything perfect. God has now introduced a new and better hope, through which we may draw near to Him..."

One of the reasons Jesus came was to be that perfect priest. To make the ultimate sacrifice for sin that would indeed reconcile us to God once and for all. He is the only One qualified to make such a sacrifice. He is indeed greater than Abraham, Aaron, or any of the priests. The pages of scripture are rich with foreshadowing, with Jesus as the big payoff. What a perfect priest, Lord, and Savior we  have! What a creative and loving God we serve! 

His story is still unfolding, and I have a part to play. It's not a starring role, that position has already been filled. But I thank God that I get to play a supporting role in the eternally beautiful epic that is the story of God. 

Enjoy the Journey