Recently I saw the Passion Play at Oberammergau in Germany, which powerfully portrays the last week of Jesus’ life. The storyline is interrupted by choral music and a series of Old Testament tableaux of frozen actors. These make parallels between events in the Old Testament and those in Jesus’ passion. The writer does something like this here.

Melchizedek’s existence has been heralded earlier in Hebrews (5:6). You can read about his encounter with Abraham in Genesis 14:18–20. The writer introduces this mysterious figure, a king of righteousness and of peace, suggestive of the Messiah (v 2). He has no beginning or end, which suggests divinity (v 3). He appears long before the Levitical priesthood was established through Aaron, whose ancestor Levi was one of Abraham’s great grandsons (v 10). Thus, Melchizedek’s priesthood precedes the Levitical one which makes it superior. Abraham acknowledges this superiority by the tithing of his gifts (vs 4–6). 

Sent by God, Melchizedek bestows God’s blessing upon Abraham (v 1). The writer uses this encounter with Abraham to shed light on Jesus’ priesthood. He presents Melchizedek as one who foreshadows Jesus (6:20). Even though Jesus existed before the beginning of time, he was not without a father or mother. He is greater than Melchizedek (v 17).

Boldly approach the throne of grace through Jesus, our great high priest, and find grace and mercy to help you in your time of need.¹

Melchizedek appears only twice in the Old Testament.² The writer of Hebrews has already claimed three times that Jesus is a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek, quoting Psalm 110:4.³ Now he shows how a Melchizedek priest is superior to a Levite priest, something he does from the events recounted in Genesis 14. He tells the story and explains its significance, using arguments that seem strange to us but would have made sense to his original readers.

In verses 1–3 he says some things about the meaning of the name Melchizedek and explains that his sudden appearance and disappearance in Genesis without parents, a genealogy, or any record of his death (when many people in Genesis have all three) means that he lives for ever. He also notes that Melchizedek blessed Abraham and that Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils of the battle recounted in the preceding verses. In verses 4–10 he concludes that, because a greater person blesses a lesser person, Melchizedek was greater than Abraham. Because Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils, that means that Levi, Abraham’s as yet unborn descendant, gave Melchizedek the tenth. He concludes that Melchizedek is greater than Levi and therefore a Melchizedek priest is greater than a Levite priest.

Notice, meanwhile, the end of verse 3. He is discussing Melchizedek, but he really wants to say things about Jesus so he compares the two, but not as we might expect. Jesus doesn’t resemble Melchizedek – Melchizedek resembles Jesus. ‘Just think how great he was’, he says in verse 4, but the implication of verse 3 is that, when compared with Jesus, his greatness fades away.

This is perhaps the most difficult chapter in Hebrews. Ask God to enlighten your mind by his Spirit and help you understand what God is saying through today’s and tomorrow’s readings.

¹ Cf Heb 4:14–16  ² Gen 14:17–20; Ps 110:4  ³ Heb 5:6,10; 6:20