In the movie Open Range, Kevin Costner plays Charlie Waite, a man who is running
from his past, shrouded in mystery, and trying to make a fresh start as a free
grazing ranch hand. But violence finds
Charlie in his quiet new home when a rival rancher who hates the free grazers
attacks and kills Charlie’s young friend.
As the movie plays out, Charlie begins to display “talents” and “skills”
that no one would expect, leading them to wonder about his dark past.
Hebrews presents us with a mysterious
man of a (very) different sort. His name
is Melchizedek. He has “talents” and “skills”
– he is a high priest of the Lord, but we have no idea how he became so, how he
even knows the Lord, or why Abraham would recognize this man as the Lord’s anointed
servant. His name seems more like a nom de guerre than a given name. It literally means, “King of Righteousness.” Genesis tells us that he was the king of
Salem … which might be at the location of Jerusalem (maybe).
Much ink has been spilt trying to figure
out who Melchizedek was. One of my
favorite theories is that he was Noah’s son Shem. He lived long enough to have known Abraham. Others have proposed that he was the
pre-incarnate Christ – the second person of the Trinity manifested in human
form before His birth. The fact is we
don’t know.
What we do know is that another priest
in the order of Melchizedek arose – greater than Aaron’s descendants. This priest did differently from Aaron’s
line, not offering daily sacrifices to atone for sins, but offering Himself as
the final atoning sacrifice. “This
becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of
Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement
concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.”
“This makes Jesus the guarantor of a
better covenant.” He issues in a new day
and a new relationship between God and mankind.
This new relationship takes away the need for blood to be shed daily for
our forgiveness, because the potency of Jesus’ blood is so great that His
purchased salvation and forgiveness for everyone who believes in Him.
Lord Jesus, You are my high priest. You both are and offered the sacrifice to pay
for my sins. Thank you. Amen.
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