From Hebrews 7-10

Melchizedek is the Priest of the Most High God who met Abraham in his early days. He is both king and priest. Today the author of Hebrews continues explaining who Jesus is superior to just about everything. He likens Jesus to Melchizedek in many ways. We serve a wonderful saviour.

This post is part of my bible in a year series.

Passage and Comments

The author of Hebrews is continuing the affirm the superiority of Jesus to God’s messengers in the Old Testament. He ends chapter six introducing God’s commitment to the promises He made to Abraham. At this point the author says Jesus has gone into the ‘inner place behind the curtain’ because he has become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

This is where our passage picks up.

7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. (Heb 7.1-2)

Abraham met Melchizedek in Gen 14.17-24 after he rescued lot from a handful of kings.

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Gen 14.18-20)

Until this point in Genesis, Melchizedek is an unknown character. He will later be mentioned in Psalm 110 which is also connected to this passage.

He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. (Heb 7.2-3)

‘Zedek’ is the Hebrew verb for righteousness. So Melchi-zedek means king of righteousness. He is also called king of Salem. Salem you will have guessed it means peace.

The authors of the New Testament on occasion had a strange way of interpreting the Old Testament. He could not find a genealogy for Melchizedek. These are useful for finding out where a person came from (‘beginning of days’) and when they died (‘end of life’).

So he concludes Melchizedek lives forever.

Now the author echoes Psalm 110.

4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Ps 110.4)

I don’t think people like Paul or the author of Hebrews would be well regarded in Bible colleges today for their skills in exegesis. But their audiences accepted what they said. They were used to it. Given the fact they are inspired by the Holy Spirit, we accept what they say as truth.

4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. (Heb 7.4-6)

Melchizedek is great because he lives forever. But that is not all.

Abraham tithed to Melchizedek. The author of Hebrews speaks about the laws regarding tithing in the law of Moses. Priests coming from Aaron’s family receive tithes. But Melchizedek is different from the Mosaic priesthood as he is greater.

He is greater because he blessed Abraham. Not the other way around.

7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.

8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. (Heb 7.7-10)

He makes a distinction between the Levite priesthood and Melchizedek saying the Levites are mortal and have died. Melchizedek by way of comparison lives on.

People being served by the priesthood are obligated to pay homage to the priesthood and support them by giving them tithes. Melchizedek is greater than any levite priest because the Levites in a sense all gave tithes through Abraham. This carries the implication that Melchizedek is the overarching priest who looks after them all.

11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?

12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.

13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. (Heb 7.11-14)

The Jews kept on sinning even though through the ages they offered sacrifices for their sins. Therefore it’s obvious the Levitical priesthood and the law of Moses were unable to perfect them. They needed something better. People need something that can deal with the penalty and the power of sin.

Speaking about Melchizedek, one scholar helpfully explains the flow of logic in the passage.

“[ii] He performed his office prior to the Mosaic law, and in his “blessing” of Abraham demonstrated his superiority to Abraham and thereby to Levi.

[iii] The “order” of high priesthood represented and anticipated in Melchizedek requires no line of successors endlessly to continue the work. Hence he prefigures the priest-king Jesus Christ whose work is also complete and finished without reference to the Aaronic line of succession or requirements of the Mosaic law.” (ECB)

Jesus is of the line of Jewish kings, Judah. Jesus rose from the dead.

15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. (Heb 7.15-16)

The author of Hebrews has told us Christ has been made perfect through suffering and death (Heb 2.10: 5.9; 7.28) which has led to his resurrection (indestructible life, lives forever) and so he has become the superior priest who intercedes for his people.

The author speaks about perfection several times. Those who have been perfected by the single offering of Christ (Heb 10.14), have had their sins taken away (Heb 9.26; 10.4,11), their sins forgiven (Heb 9.22; 10.18), their consciences perfected and do not have remembrance of sins (Heb 9.9,14; 10.1-3).

For Believers

Many aspects of the passage fly right over our head because we are not first century Jews with detailed knowledge and experience with the levite priesthood or sacrificial system.

However we are reminded again through the series of passages and allusions from the Old Testament that Jesus’ coming was no accident. The passage reminds us Jesus is of the line of Judah. He is both king and priest. He suffered and died in order to perfect us. He rose from the grave and now lives on to intercede on our behalf.

Jesus is our new priestly king.

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