26.09 | Greater Than
Hebrews 6:13-7:28
‘For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 7:17
We’re getting into the rhythm now.
Jesus is greater than the angels.
Jesus is greater than Moses.
Jesus is greater than the priesthood.
Odds are good that greater than may feature today.
We’re not going to be disappointed.
And if Moses and Aaron were big names in the Old Testament, we’ve got another.
Abraham.
Abraham was the father of the nation of Israel, the origin of all the plans and purposes of God. Abraham is God’s response to the fall of humankind — initiating a plan in his offspring that would reconcile man to God and reconcile heaven to earth. Abraham began the lineage of God’s people and the lineage of the Messiah. In the promises made to Abraham, the purposes of God were cemented into history that sprung from this one nomadic life unto life for ages untold.
Abraham is a big act to follow.
But today, the author of Hebrews wants a little fun with us. Because, while he emphasises Abraham’s significance as the recipient of the promises of God for His people, he quickly moves onto another character, who, to most of us, is weirdly obscure in the narrative of the Old Testament.
Melchizedek.
Melchizedek appears for precisely three verses in Genesis 14, and gets one other (brief) mention in Psalm 110. If you’ve read Genesis or Psalms, you almost certainly missed him.
And yet, Hebrews wants us to catch the deep significance of his inclusion.
Because Melchizedek’s name literally meant King of Righteousness. Because Melchizedek was the king of the ancient city of Jerusalem, then abbreviated to just Salem. Salem is a word intrinsically connected to the more famous word shalom, simply translated as ‘peace,’ but encompassing ideas of the total fullness of God’s life and blessing and beauty. The King of Righteousness who was also the King of Peace. Because Melchizedek appears without lineage — never mentioned before or after, implying eternal origins and eternal destiny. Because Melchizedek proclaimed blessing upon Abraham (rather than Abraham proclaiming blessing upon him), an act intended to release the life of heaven upon another. And because Melchizedek received an offering from Abraham, offered as a foretaste of all offerings to be made in worship and devotion through Abraham’s priestly descendants for ages to come.
Melchizedek is greater than Abraham.
There’s a lot going on here. And yet, look deeply at what we’re being told.
Hidden in this individual, our author is telling us, is a taste of the greater than to come. For in all the greatness of Abraham, Abraham’s story points to one who will be greater than. The true King of Righteousness. The true King of Peace. The true one whose origins and destiny are eternal. The gatekeeper of the blessings of heaven itself. The true recipient of every tithe and offering of God’s people through the ages. The true King of history, whose name throbs like a heartbeat through every syllable of the Scriptures.
Jesus, greater than the angels.
Jesus, greater than Moses.
Jesus, greater than the priesthood.
And Jesus, greater than the greater than Abraham.
For every story of the Scriptures beats with His name. He is the epicentre of the Scriptures. He is the epicentre of history. And every life, including yours, mine, and every atom of this creation, only finds its fullness and purpose when He becomes the epicentre of it all.
Reflect:
Are there things that have become ‘greater than’ Jesus to me at the moment?
Repent (turn), and come back. Ask the Spirit to lovingly restore you back to the life that flows when He is our epicentre.
Pray:
Father,
My life revolves around
Tasks,
Needs,
Noise,
Demands,
Expectations,
Interruptions,
Limitations,
Wants.
And yet,
Not one of these is
Greater than.
Lord Jesus,
You are
My greater than —
Greater than all I do or seek or hear or try or hope or love or fear or need.
You are my righteousness
You are my peace
You are my beginning and you are my end
You are my epicentre
And my very life.
And so,
Lord Jesus,
I return this heart to you for mending
That you, and you only,
Be my Greater Than.
Unto righteousness,
Unto Peace,
And in Your Name,
Lord Jesus,
Amen
Old Testament:
For those also reading the Old Testament this year, your additional readings are here:
1 Chronicles 24-26 | Psalm 113