Unsolved Mysteries of the Bible Lesson 6 Bellevue Church of Christ April 24, 2019
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Unsolved Mysteries of the Bible Lesson 6 Bellevue Church of Christ April 24, 2019 Lesson 6 – Where Did Melchizedek Come From? Background (Gen 14:18-20; Ps 110:4; Heb 5:6; 6:19-20; 7:1-28) Genesis 14:18–20 (ESV) 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Why is this unsolved? Melchizedek appears and disappears suddenly, with nothing said about his birth or death, ancestry or descent, in a manner which declares his superiority to Abram and, by implication, to the Aaronic priesthood descended from Abram. Items of Note 1. His Name (Gen 14:18; Heb 7:1-3) 5. His Receiving (Gen 14:20) -Received a “tithe” or tenth of everything ( קֶדֶצ־יִכְּלַמ ) King of Righteousness- from Abram (Heb 7:1-10) -Literally “My king is right” -What does this imply about his relationship -Rom 3:21-26 to Abram? 2. His Offices (Gen 14:18; Heb 7:1-28) 6. His Predecessor (Heb 7:1-3) :Peace -Melchizedek = By way of Record = ( םֵלָשׁ ) King of Salem / Salem- *Isa 32:17; Rom 5:1 “without father or mother” -Priest of God -Jesus = Virgin Birth *Isa 7:14; Mat 1:18-25 3. His Location (Gen 14:18; Heb 7:2) Neither received priesthood due to their -Salem = Jerusalem / Throne of David ancestry. It was from God. *2Sa 7:12-13; Psa 89:3-4; Isa 9:6-7; 11:1-10; 7. His Successor (Heb 7:1-3) Jer 23:5-6; Luke 1:26-33 -Melchizedek = By way of Record: 4. His Ministering (Gen 14:18-20) “[without] genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life” -Bread and Wine -Jesus = Priest “Forever” (Ps 110:4) *Mt 26:26–28; 1Co 11:23-26 -Benedictions *Blessings to Abram & God Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version This handout can be downloaded in PDF format Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers from: (www.teamagee.com/class) Used by permission. All rights reserved. Unsolved Mysteries of the Bible Lesson 6 Bellevue Church of Christ April 24, 2019 Theories The Second Book of Enoch (pseudepigrapha) - Approximately 1st century AD. The last section of the work, the Exaltation of Melchizedek, tells how Melchizedek was born of a virgin, Sofonim, the wife of Nir, a brother of Noah. The child came out from his mother after she had died and sat on the bed beside her corpse, already physically developed, clothed, speaking and blessing the Lord, and marked with the badge of priesthood. forty days later, Melchizedek was taken by the archangel Gabriel (Michael in some manuscripts) to the Garden of Eden and was thus preserved from the Deluge without having to be in Noah's Ark. Dead Sea Scrolls - A fragment of a text about Melchizedek was found in Cave 11 at Qumran. In this eschatological text, Melchizedek is seen as a divine being and Hebrew titles such as Elohim are applied to him. According to this text Melchizedek will proclaim the "Day of Atonement" and he will atone for the people who are predestined to him. He also will judge the peoples. The Qumran Scrolls, also indicate that Melchizedek was used as a name of the Archangel Michael, interpreted as a heavenly priest; Michael as Melchi-zedek contrast with Belial, who is given the name of Melchi-resha "king of wickedness" Rabbinic Literature - Chazalic literature unanimously identify Melchizedek as Shem son of Noah (Targum Yonathan to Genesis chap. 14, Genesis Rabbah 46:7, Babylonian Talmud to Tractate Nedarim 32b). Some chronological works have identified that Shem would have been 465 years old at the time and Abram was 75 years of age. Messiah – Some believe that Melchizedek and the Christ are one and the same, and that in Genesis 14 the Messiah appeared to Abram after the battle. This comes from a literal reading of Hebrews 7:3 – “He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.” What Really Matters Psalm 110:4 (ESV) 4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 4:14–16 (ESV) 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version This handout can be downloaded in PDF format Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers from: (www.teamagee.com/class) Used by permission. All rights reserved. Unsolved Mysteries of the Bible Lesson 6 Bellevue Church of Christ April 24, 2019 Background Psalm 110 (ESV) A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. 7 He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head. Hebrews 4:14–5:10 (ESV) 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 1 for every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, Page 3 of 16 Unsolved Mysteries of the Bible Lesson 6 Bellevue Church of Christ April 24, 2019 “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:13–7:28 (ESV) 13 for when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 for people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. 1 for this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.