Explore Hebrews 7:4-10, recognising the greatness of Melchizedek and the superiority of Jesus’ priesthood.
Scripture: Hebrews 7:4-10 (ESV)
“See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.”
One of my favourite books of all time is J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. In the book we meet the great wise and powerful wizard Gandalf. Now Gandalf is respected because of his great power, he is allowed to enter into the halls of kings and governors, he gets to give input into the councils of the wise. He confers with the greatest minds and powers because of his wisdom and authority. The author of Hebrews gives us a similar picture of Melchizedek. Continuing on from our devotion yesterday, we see that it is precisely because Melchizedek is such a great figure, that Abraham honours him. He gives him a tithe from the spoils of war, simply because of his greatness.
Now the point that the author of Hebrews wants to make is that if that is true of Melchizedek, how much more true is it of Jesus. If Abraham gave honour to Melchizedek because of his greatness, how much more should we give honour to Jesus who is superior to Melchizedek?
How do we do this?
By recognising Jesus’ greatness as our eternal high priest. He is far higher than any earthly priest could ever be. He is greater than the church, he is greater than any preacher, he is greater than anyone who has ever lived. That means that we need to prioritise our relationship with Him.
If Jesus is better than even the great Melchizedek, then He cannot be our second priority.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to acknowledge Your greatness and honour you as the first priority in my life. I know I don’t get this right all the time. Help us to honour You above all else and to live my life lives in submission to Your will.
Amen.
Spiritual Challenge: Reflect on your life. In what area are you not honouring Jesus as the top priority? What is your next step?