A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MELCHIZEDEK AND LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. 1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

It is on record that the human race has always perceived a need for people, who regardless of the fact that they have received a task or assignment in diverse ways; act as God's conciliator and converse with Him on behalf of others. One of the duties assigned to some men is to offer prayers of supplication, sacrifice, intercession to God on behalf of others and they are held responsible if for any reason they fail. This duty or task given to certain men to give public worship to the maker of the universe, to acknowledge Him as the all-powerful, Supreme Lord and First Principle, to be aligned towards Him as the utmost Goal, to render thanks to God and to win over His grace, mercy and everything in Him has never been lost sight of although in many occasions and places the consciousness of this duties was subjected to a large extent by the worship of false divinity and gods instead of the true God. Nevertheless, it has always been present.

With the first lines of Divine Revelation appeared the strange and old and respectable famous Melchezedek (see Gn 14:18), priest and king whom the author of the Letter to the Hebrews sees as an image and likeness of Jesus Christ (see Heb 5:10; 6:20; 7:1-11, 15).

The presence of “priesthood” is and has always been a symbol of polished, refined and civilized of every society of cultured man since the onset. The ancient Assyrians and the Babylonians had priests. In the time when Abram was coming back from the rescue of his nephew, Lot, he came in contact with Melchizedek, who was not only “king of Salem,” he was also a “priest of God Most High” at that time. Abram recognized the king’s holy office and offered tithes to him (Gen. 14:18ff). When Joseph was lifted to the office of prominence in Egypt, he was given a wife who was the daughter of an Egyptian priest (Gen. 41:45).

During the movement of crossing through the desert of Sinai, God build up the people of Israel as "a kingdom of priests and a nation blessed and dedicated for a sacred purpose" (Ex 19:6). Although among this people, God chose one of the twelve tribes, the Levi, for liturgical service. Those priests were set aside by means of unique rite (see Ex 29:1-30) and their obligations, duties and rites were introduced and caused to grow in a detailed way, above all in the book of Leviticus. The members of this tribe, priestly by excellence, did not get part in any inheritance when the people were able to settle down in the Land which God Promised them. God Himself was the lot of their inheritance (see Jos 13:33).

Been the chosen one that will declare and preach the Word of God (see Ml 2:7-9) and to build up communion and peace with God through sacrifice and prayer, the priest was always looked up to, of glory, of strength, and of liberation within the people of Israel which maintained its faith in the future Messiah.

Solomon's admirable and applaudable temple was a characteristics and a picture of that priesthood that is full of majesty and unknown. The historian Josephus Flavius explains that the victorious conqueror Alexander the Great made a reverential inclination before the High Priest (see Antiquities of the Jews, 11, 8, 5) and the book of the prophet Daniel who explains the punishment inflicted upon King Balthazar for having treated the sacred vessels of the temple at his banquettes with great disrespect (see Dan 5:1-30).

Despite all, this priesthood and its sacrifices were not able to bring about the defined salvation only to be attained by Jesus Christ's sacrifice (see Heb 5:3; 7:27; 10:1-4).

The Church's liturgy, though, sees in this Old Testament priesthood a picture of the New Covenant's ordained ministry. For instance, the Church according to its Latin rite makes the following supplication in the prayer of consecration during the ordination of priests:

"Lord, Father of Holiness... in the Old Covenant the grades of priesthood became ever more perfect by means of holy signs... when you gave the High Priests, chosen to govern the people, companions of a lesser order and dignity to help them as collaborators..."

It was a priest of the Old Covenant, Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, who formally made known the imminent arrival of "the rising Sun to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Lk 1:78-79).

All these pictures of the priesthood in the Old Testament find their accomplishment in Jesus Christ, "the Only Mediator and intercessor between God and mankind" (1 Tm 2:5) The very fact that the Old Testament priesthood pictures that of the New and Eternal Covenant confers upon it its majesty and glory.

Saint Paul in detail concludes the dignity and the functions of the Christian ministerial priesthood with the brief expression: "People must think of us as Christ's servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God" (1 Co 4:1).

1. 1. STATEMENT OF THE GENERAL PROBLEM

The divergent conception held by various school of thoughts in the church as regards the superiority between the melchizedek and levitical priesthood has affected the level of service required by our church leaders and has also affected the Christian lives of the church members. This unprecedented conception amongst church leader has been continuos and regrettably increased geometrically in recent times thus the need for the study to effectively and objectively analyze the melchizedek and levitical priesthoods.

1. 1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major aim of the study is to compare the melchizedek and levitical priesthoods. Other specific objectives of the study include;

1. The examine the origin the concept of melchizedek priesthood.
2. To examine the concept and origin of levitical priesthood.
3. To determine the importance of priesthood.
   1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the origin the concept of melchizedek priesthood?
2. What is the concept and origin of levitical priesthood?
3. What are the benefits and importance of priesthood?
   1. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The research would be of immense benefit to church leaders and the church in general at it would effectively and objectively compare the melchizedek and levitical priesthoods. The study would also benefit students, theologians, researchers and scholars who are interested in developing further work on the subject matter.

1. 1. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The work is restricted to the comparative analysis of melchizedek and levitical priesthood.