THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. Hebrews 5:10 Melchizedek’s priesthood was that of a “forerunner,” which differs from the Levitical priesthood. Aaron and those who followed him served as representatives of the people before God. Melchizedek was a “priest of the Most High God,” a point explained later in the epistle. The writer described the Great High Priest in chapter 1 as the Son of God. In chapter 2, He is described as the Son of Man who can help those who are tempted. In chapter 4, our Great High Priest is in heaven mediating for us in our position as those who belong to Him. Our walk on earth reflects Him here.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is a priest forever in the role and character of His priesthood, rather than becoming a priest through inheritance or succession. “The order of Melchizedek” means He was actively engaged in priestly work when He cared for and prayed for His disciples while here on earth. When He “offered Himself” at the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, and when He rose from the dead, God saw His ministry as that of a Priest forever—His chosen priest.
We know Melchizedek was a priest hundreds of years before Aaron. He was God’s priest when he brought bread and wine to refresh Abraham and his three hundred and eighteen servants when he freed Lot and those with him. Then he blessed Abraham. The readers of the book of Hebrews were spiritually dull in chapter 5, so the writer held back from explaining the priesthood of Melchizedek until after he issued the third warning against their spiritual laziness, lethargy, and apostasy among some of them.
Indifference and neglect of spiritual things need to be addressed when they cause people to stop growing in the Lord. When there is dearth in the land, there is a reason. Unbelief and disobedience also must be confronted. Thirdly, those who are unable to understand the impact of the Gospel and the blessings that follow need to be instructed in some cases, while others should be exposed as apostates.