We will now pursue our way through the next four chapters, which introduce us to the two priesthoods and the two covenants. One of these priesthoods and one of these covenants are still prophetic things, and we are therefore entitled to look at them.
First, then, as to the two priesthoods, the Aaronic and the Melchisedec priesthoods. The priesthood of the Aaronic character is a bygone thing. The priesthood of the Melchisedec character is, in one great sense, still future. The three passages in the Book of God where Melchisedec is referred to, are Gen. 14, Psa. 110, and the passage before us. The Epistle to the Hebrews refers to the two places in the Old Testament where he is looked at. In Gen. 14, we find the battle of the four kings, and as they were returning with the spoils of victory, it was told Abram that his brother Lot had been taken prisoner. While it was a mere fight between the potsherds of the earth, Abram took no part in it; but when he found Lot was involved, it became the duty of the kinsman to bestir himself. Such is the intelligence of faith. He knew when to be quiet and when to be active. So out to the fight he goes, and rescues Lot and brings back the spoil. On his return he is met by an august personage of whom we have never heard till now; he is met by Melchisedec, coming forth from the sanctuary of Zion, where he dwelt, exercising the priesthood of the God of heaven and earth.
Now I am going to introduce you to the different way in which the Spirit is looking at Melchisedec in Gen. 14, and in Psa. 110 In Gen. 14, he is shown to you in his actings. In Psa. 110, you do not see him in his actings, but in his consecration. Now his actings are millennial actings; his consecration is resurrection consecration. While you are looking at Melchisedec's actings you are in the millennium. Because Abraham had finished his warfare and brought back the spoils of the victory when Melchisedec met him. And what did he get? Did he want the relief of the Aaronic sin-offering, or the cleansings of the sanctuary? No, he was a weary conqueror. He presented himself in the laurels of victory, and all Melchisedec had to do was to welcome him with the refreshments of the kingdom. In the same way the Lord Jesus will come forth from His hiding-place, but not till the warfare is accomplished, and He can greet His people who have gone through their conflict here, not till the due millennial hour. The blessing suited to the lips of Aaron we read in Num. 6, " The Lord bless thee and keep thee," &c. Did Abraham want that blessing now? Did he want to be kept? Did he lack grace and peace? He was in the full bloom of his triumph and wanted the refreshments of the weary conqueror, not the cleansing of the defiled saint. The Lord Jesus is both Aaron and Melchisedec; and by-and-bye His saints will be greeted by a blessing, not from Him who has comforts for sorrows, but from Him who has kingly refreshments for conquerors. The moment you look at Melchisedec in his actings, you are in the future. But now, when we turn to Psa. 110, we see him in resurrection consecration, and there we get a present Christ. The Psa. 110, is very important, and is variously used by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament. Now we will read and analyze it a little. "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." That is Jehovah's language to Christ when He ascended from the Mount of Olives and took His place at the right hand of God. I believe His response is found in Psa. 16, " At Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore." Then when He has taken His seat, in verses 2, 3 and 4, the Spirit addresses Christ at the right hand and says, " Jehovah shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion; rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." He must wait there for a certain time, the heavens must retain Him, but in due time He will come forth to the day of Rev. 19. Then, " Thy people shall be willing." The moment His enemies are made His footstool, He will gather His people together, and the Spirit calls it here, " the dew of thy youth." This will be " in the day of thy power." Your dignity is, that you have been made willing in the day of His weakness. It will be a blessed thing for the Jew to own Him in His millennial power, but the dignity of the Church is to own Him in the day of His rejection and weakness. She has been allied to Him in the day of His humiliation. The Jew will never have companionship with Him in the day of His weakness. Then in verse 4, He is addressed in His own personal dignity, and it is with that that the argument of the Hebrews links itself. This is the consecration of Melchisedec; and it is what makes the Lord Jesus a priest, this moment, after the order of Melchisedec. He is not now acting after the manner of Melchisedec; He is acting after the manner of Aaron; but He is consecrated with the consecration of Melchisedec. It would have been unworthy of Him to be consecrated after the pattern of Aaron a dying man who was to be succeeded by another; Christ is a living priest. Aaron went through his life and service, and died. Could God be satisfied with that? But the moment the Lord proves Himself the Conqueror of death, not only have I a living priest but God is satisfied. Jesus in resurrection is life in victory, and that is His consecration. And, consequently, we find in Hebrews, that He was not a priest while He was here. He had not yet abolished death. He must first destroy ('annul') death, and in resurrection display life in victory. Then God put Him into office after the manner of Melchisedec, who had " neither beginning of days nor end of life;" that is, there is no record of him. He was a shadow of the risen, living, priesthood of the Son of God. Again I say, when we come to look at Aaron, who sets forth the present actings of Christ, Aaron was to meet you in your present defilement. He had a sin offering, a trespass offering, a eucharistic offering in his hand for you. All that the Lord Jesus is doing now. Do you want your defilement cleansed? He washes your feet. Do you want your sacrifices of praise presented to God? They go up by Christ to Him. The Lord Jesus at present is acting in the varied grace of Aaron for you, and by-and-bye He will act as Melchisedec, in greeting His elect, after their journey and warfare are accomplished, with kingly refreshments.
Now our next subject we get in chap. 8. This treats of the two covenants. As to this subject of the covenants, you may look at them as the patriarchal, the legal, and the evangelic covenants. The patriarchal covenant was all on the ground of promise. There were not two parties to it. When we get under law, the very form and phase of the covenant is changed. The Israelites had to act their part in the covenant just as much as God. It is no longer a covenant of promise but of works. It is no longer one undertaking to do and the other bowing the head in the obedience of faith, but one undertaking to do this, and the other undertaking to do that; that is the legal covenant. Then in the prophets we get the new covenant, which falls back on the patriarchal covenant, and shows it to be simple promise. That is what the New Testament takes up, and calls " the new covenant." Heb. 8 shows you that the Lord found fault with the old covenant, and why? Because it made Him a receiver. He rests in the new covenant, because it puts Him in the place of Giver, and the sinner in the place of receiver. He takes delight in it, because He has found it " more blessed to give than to receive." Of that style of thing, Paul declares himself the minister. It is not prophetically fulfilled yet, but it will be, with the house of Israel and Judah in the day of their repentance. Paul is the minister of that Which makes God a Giver, and me a receiver. So there is an element in both these things that is prophetic. We must wait for His millennial actings, and wait for the accomplishment of the new covenant in the day of Israel's repentance.
May the blessed Lord shut up our thoughts and affections with Christ in the Scriptures, and make us wise with God and in God, in this day of human wisdom. Amen.
( To be continued, D.V.)