Timothy to Hebrews - The Preterist Archive

Hebrews VII. 1-3. 447
not merely arbitrary, but were really expressive of the nature and
character of that man. If our author had drawn similar inferences
from the name of the later king Adonizedec of Salem (Josh, x.),
this might justly have been characterized as a rabbinical proceeding;
but every reader of sound sense will feel how impossible such a
proceeding would be to the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews,
how harshly it would contrast with the usually profound character
of his reasonings. In Melchisedec the nomen et omen truly met
and harmonized. The tribe of people which had built Salem must
have been really a peaceable tribe, otherwise they would not have
given to the city the name " Peace," " city of Peace," and, in fact,
the king of this city had not involved himself and his people in that
war which, considering the times, was a pretty extensive war. This
king himself showed really a sense of justice in sympathising with
the righteous cause of Abraham, and he showed more than this, in
coming to meet Abraham in a friendly spirit with presents of
refreshment. Abraham, the champion of faith, offers to him gifts
of homage ;
nay, in giving him the tenth, he thereby places himself
under his sovereignty, he takes refuge beneath the sceptre of this
king who served the living God, in order that under his protection
he may henceforth live unmolested by hostile bands of heathen.
The names p^5: "'iVtt and dV» ^Vjq, therefore, really express only in a
concise way the features of character and form which distinguished
that priest-king. And when David (Ps. ex.) in the spirit of prophecy
sees and expects of the seed promised to him, that, like
Melchisedec, he wiU unite the priestly with the kingly dignity, he
surely does not predict in these words a merely outward and
mechanical conjunction of the two dignities, but he has before him
the figure of a man in whom, as in Melchisedec, the kingly power
would be consecrated and penetrated with the sanctifying virtue of
the priestly dignity and work, the form, therefore, of a king who
would truly govern m peace (comp. 2 Sam. vii, 11) and righteousness
(comp. Ps. xlv. 7).
From this alone, however, it does not follow that Melchisedec's
priesthood is eternal. In order to prove this other attributes are
still necessary.
Melchisedec is without father, without mother, without
descent. What does the author mean by this ? Schulz and Bohme
have imputed such absurdity to him as to suppose, that he really
meant to say that Melchisedec came into the world without parents,
and with some this strange idea even yet finds acceptance. But is
it seriously believed that the author meant to ascribe ta-Melchisedec
a really eternal priesthood ? Christ then was not the only eternal
priest ! Such an interpretation as this which cleaves to the letter,
carries in itself merely that rabbinical narrowness which those who
employ it think they find in the Holy Scriptures.