Hebrews Chapter 7
Part 1
The Priestly Order
of Melchizedek
For
this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met
Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
Heb 7:1
For
this Melchisedec... Ten
Facts about Melchizedek:
1.
King of Salem, ancient Jerusalem (Heb. 7:1; Gen. 14:18).
2.
Priest of God in Abraham’s day (Heb. 7:1; Gen. 14:18).
3.
He met Abraham returning from his military victory (Heb. 7:1; Gen.
14:16-18).
4.
Abraham gave him one-tenth of the spoils (Heb. 7:2; Gen. 14:16-24).
5.
Melchizedek was called King of righteousness (Heb. 7:2).
6.
He was called King of Salem, or King of Peace (Heb. 7:2; Gen. 14:18).
7.
He had no descent (Greek: agenealogetos,
without genealogy); without recorded father or mother; and without
recorded beginning of days or end of life (Heb. 7:3, 7:6). He had a
father, mother, birth, and death, but these were not recorded, so
that he could be a type of Christ who was an eternal being really
without beginning and ending (Mic. 5:2; Isa. 9:6-7; John 1:1-2; Heb.
1:8; Rev. 1:8-11).
8.
He made a type of Christ, so that Christ could be made a priest after
his order (Heb. 7:3; 5:6, 5:10; 6:15-20; 7:1-10, 7:15-21). As God
Christ was not begotten, was not God’s Son, and had no birth or
death. Only as man did the second person of the Divine Trinity have a
begetting, a father, a mother, a birth and a death (see, Acts 13:33).
9.
He was an ordinary man (Heb. 7:4).
10.
He was greater than Abraham (Heb. 7:4-7).
Twofold
Purpose of Paul:
1.
To show that Jesus Christ was the Person prophesied of in Psm.
110:1-7, which psalm the Jews uniformly held to refer to the coming
Messiah
2.
To answer the objections of the Jews against Christ’s priesthood on
the grounds that He did not come from priestly stock and could not be
the anti-type of Aaron or fulfill Lev. 21:10-15. From the Jewish
viewpoint Christ would be further disqualified because:
(1)
No proselyte could be a priest
(2)
No slave could be a priest
(3)
No bastard could be a priest (Jews accused Him of being illegitimate)
(4)
No son of a Nethinim (temple servant of the priest) could be one
(5)
No man whose father exercised a base trade such as the carpenter
trade. Many Jews considered Him unfit to be a priest because of this.
Here
Paul shows that it was not necessary for the priest to come from a
particular stock, for Melchizedek was a priest of the most high God
and not from Abraham or Aaron: He was a Canaanite. Jews considered
any person not in the regular genealogies of Israel to be without
father and without descent or genealogy. Then, too, Jews considered
Melchizedek to be without father and without mother because he was a
righteous man and should not be classed with the heathen. This
special phraseology was not uncommon when a person was unknown or
obscure. Such was their way of signifying that the parents were
unknown.
We
have discussed this Melchizedek at length in a previous lesson. King
of Salem, means King of Peace. Notice here also, that this High
Priest comes from God and not through bloodline into the Levitical
tribe.
The
main element in all of this is that the only one He appeared to was
the father of the believers, Abraham. He also, had some heavenly
authority, because He blessed Abraham. Notice in the Scriptures that
I will give next, what these blessings were. He is called “the”
High Priest of God. Notice also, that He gave Abraham the communion
elements of bread and wine.
Genesis
14:18-20 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine:
and he [was] the priest of the most high God. “And he blessed him,
and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high God, possessor of
heaven and earth:” “And blessed be the most high God, which hath
delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of
all.”
Notice,
in this last Scripture, that Abraham recognized Him as divinely
appointed High Priest sent from God, when he paid tithes to Him.
Using
the two Old Testament references to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18-20; Psm.
110:4), chapter 7 explains the superiority of Christ’s priesthood
to that of this unique High-Priest, who was a type of Christ in
certain respects. Chapter 7 is the focal point of the epistle to the
Hebrews because of its detailed comparison of the priesthood of
Christ and the Levitical High-Priesthood.
The
greater Priest and His greater ministry
Here
begins the longest single expository passage in the epistle. Its very
length suggests its importance. Its theme is the core theme of
Hebrews. The real resource of the readership, in the midst of their
pressures, is the high priesthood of Christ. They must realize the
greatness of that priesthood, its superiority to the Levitical
institutions, and the perfect access they have to it on the basis of
Christ’s death.
The
Superior Priest
The
writer returned to the theme he had introduced in Heb. 5:1-10, but
which he doubted his readers would comprehend (cf. Heb. 5:11). In the
conclusion of his most recent warning (5:11-6:20) he had renewed the
subject of the Melchizedek priesthood (Heb. 6:19-20). The exposition
of that theme is now given.
To
whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by
interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of
Salem, which is, King of peace; Heb 7:2
tenth
part of... It
was customary among ancient nations to give a tenth of the spoils of
war to the objects of their worship.
The
greatness of Melchizedek
To begin with, the writer set forth the personal greatness of the Old Testament figure Melchizedek. As a fit prototype for Christ Himself, Melchizedek was both a king and a priest. He both blessed… Abraham and received his tithes. Melchizedek’s name and title suggest the messianic attributes of righteousness and peace.
Without
father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of
days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a
priest continually. Heb 7:3
He
had no descent (Greek: agenealogetos,
without genealogy); without recorded father or mother; and without
recorded beginning of days or end of life (Heb. 7:3, 7:6). He had a
father, mother, birth, and death, but these were not recorded, so
that he could be a type of Christ who was an eternal being really
without beginning and ending (Mic. 5:2; Isa. 9:6-7; John 1:1-2; Heb.
1:8; Rev. 1:8-11).
The
Levitical priesthood was hereditary, but Melchizedek’s was not. His
parentage and origin are unknown because they were irrelevant to his
priesthood. Contrary to some interpretations, Melchizedek did have a
father and a mother.
The
ancient Syriac Peshitta gives a more accurate translation of what was
intended by the Greek phrase: “whose father and mother are not
written in genealogies.” No record existed of Melchizedek’s birth
or death. This is quite a contrast to the details of Aaron’s death
(Num. 20:22-29).
but
made like... Literally “made to be like”; this word is used
nowhere else in the New Testament. The implication is that the
resemblance to Christ rests upon the way Melchizedek’s history is
reported in the Old Testament, not upon Melchizedek himself.
Melchizedek
was not the pre-incarnate Christ, as some maintain, but was similar
to Christ in that his priesthood was universal (verse 1), royal
(verse 1-2; Zech. 6:13), righteous (verse 2; Psm. 72:2; Jer. 23:5;
1Cor. 1:30), peaceful (verse 2; Psm. 72:7; Isa. 9:6; Rom. 5:1), and
unending (verse 3; verses 24-25).
So
far as the Old Testament record is concerned, he was without father
or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of
life. In saying this, the author is often taken to mean that the
silence of the inspired record presents Melchizedek as typo-logically
like the Son of God. But though this is possibly true, the statements
do not sound like it, particularly the assertion that Melchizedek
remains a priest forever. The word “forever” translates a phrase
(eis to diēnekes)
that occurs only in Hebrews (here and in Heb. 10:12, 10:14) and means
“continuously” or “uninterruptedly.”
It
seems more natural that the author meant that Melchizedek belonged to
an order in which there was no end to the priesthood of those engaged
in it. (He later said in Heb. 7:8 that Melchizedek “is declared to
be living.”) If this is correct, Melchizedek may have been an
angelic being who reigned for a time at Salem (i.e., Jerusalem). If
so, the statement that he was “without beginning of days” would
not mean that he was eternal, but simply that he had a pre-temporal
origin. Nor would this concept of Melchizedek as an angel elevate him
to the same level as God’s Son, since the author painstakingly
asserted the Son’s superiority to the angels (Heb. 1:5-14). There
is indeed evidence that, at Qumran, Melchizedek was regarded as an
angelic personage. If this is the case in Hebrews, then the Son of
God is the High
Priest in an order in which Melchizedek is simply a priest.
Now
consider how great this man was,
unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
Heb 7:4
this
man was...
He was a man and even greater than Abraham, the source of the Jewish
race. There remains no mystery about him in view of the facts here.
Because he had no recorded father, mother, etc. does not make him a
man of mystery or a divine person as many have thought.
Christ Better than
Melchizedek
1.
Christ
will be the future eternal king of Jerusalem (Eze. 43:7; 48:35; Zec.
14:1-21; Rev. 20:1-15); Melchizedek was the past temporary king (Heb.
7:1).
2.
Christ
is an eternal priest (Heb. 6:20; 7:17); Melchizedek was temporary
(Heb. 7:1).
3.
Christ
is God (Heb. 1:8; John 1:1-2, 1:14); Melchizedek was a man (Heb.
7:4).
4.
Christ is the eternal King of Righteousness (Jer.
23:6); Melchizedek was
temporary (Heb.
7:2).
5.
Christ is the eternal King of Peace (Isa.
9:6); Melchizedek was temporary
(Heb.
7:2).
6.
Christ is an eternal being (Heb.
1:8; John 1:1-2; Mic. 5:2; Isa. 9:6);
Melchizedek was not (Heb.
7:3, 7:6).
7.
Christ as an eternal being has no father, mother, beginning of days,
or end of life (Mic.
5:2); Melchizedek had all these
but they were not recorded (Heb.
7:3, 7:6).
8.
Christ was the anti-type; Melchizedek the type of an eternal
priesthood (Heb.
6:20; 7:17).
even
the patriarch...
Greek: patriarches,
father or chief of a family or tribe (Heb. 7:4; Acts 2:29; 7:8-9).
In
antiquity, it was common for people to give a tithe to a god or his
representative. Abraham, the father of the Hebrew faith, gave a tithe
to Melchizedek. That proves that Melchizedek was superior to Abraham.
The lesser person tithes to the greater (verse 7).
This
alone recognized Him as High Priest of God.
Even
though Abraham was the recipient of the covenant (and later, his
descendant Moses, of the Law), he is the receiver, rather than the
bestower, of the blessing. Thus, Melchizedek is his better, and is
certainly superior to Abraham’s offspring.
The
personal superiority of Melchizedek over the patriarch Abraham is
guaranteed by the fact that Abraham gave him a 10th of the plunder.
And though Melchizedek had no connections with the Levitical order,
still he both received this tithe from Abraham and blessed him. This
act of blessing reinforced his superiority to the patriarch.
Moreover, he was evidently superior to the Levites as well, who
collected tithes but were nonetheless subject to death. By contrast
the tithe collected from Abraham was collected by him who is declared
to be living.
And
verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of
the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people
according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come
out of the loins of Abraham: Heb 7:5
though
they come... This
proves that even children of Abraham were supposed to pay tithes. If
they were obligated to pay tithes, so were the Gentiles, including
the church.
By
the authority invested in them after the establishment of the Mosaic
Law, the Levitical priests collected tithes from their fellow
Israelites. The submission of the Israelites was not to honor the
priest but to honor the law of God.
The
difference in the sons of Levi and Melchizedec is that they are
priest, because of their blood line and they are priest just for a
short time. This Melchizedec is a Priest forever, and has no
bloodline, He is divinely appointed of God for this service. The
Scripture above is clearly making a difference in the type of
priesthood.
By
contrast the tithe collected from Abraham was collected by him who is
declared to be living. Furthermore, in a sense Levi paid the tithe
through Abraham because… Levi was still in the body of his
ancestor.
But
he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham,
and blessed him that had the promises.
Heb
7:6
descent
is not...
Just saying again, no recorded genealogy.
from
them received...
He reckoned no genealogy from them, from the genealogies of the
priests (Heb. 7:5). This was considered essential for a priest by the
Jews. On the other hand, since they recognized Melchizedek as a true
priest of God and greater than Abraham, they had to recognize that
genealogy was not the essential thing for a priest and that on these
grounds Jesus Christ could be a priest after the order of Melchizedek
to fulfill Psm. 110:1-7.
received
tithes of... This
proves that the Melchizedek priesthood had commandment to take tithes
of Abraham, as the Levites were commanded to take tithes of all
Israel (Heb. 7:5-6). If Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, his
natural and spiritual seed should continue to pay tithes to this
priesthood since it now replaced the Aaronic priesthood (Heb.
7:9-21). Is the first priest of this order the only one to receive
tithes? Should God require tithing under this priesthood at the first
and then discontinue it when Christ became a priest after this order?
Does grace lessen the obligation of man or increase it? Has this
priesthood come to a self-supporting place, where it needs nothing
from those under its benefits? Was it right that Abraham pay tithes
to this priesthood and for Melchizedek to receive them for his
support? If it was right then, could it be wrong now to continue this
same program? Should a mere typical priesthood be supported and not
the eternal priesthood itself?
We
clearly see the distinction made here that the Levitical priesthood
and the priesthood of Melchizedek are totally different. The
Scripture above, again, says, He blessed Abraham.
And
though Melchizedek had no connections with the Levitical order, still
he both received this tithe from Abraham and blessed him.
And
without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. Heb 7:7
of
the better... Christ
Better than Abraham:
1.
Christ is a member of the Godhead that made the covenant with Abraham
and gave him promises (Heb. 6:13-15; 1Jhn. 5:7)
2.
Christ is the hope of Abraham (Heb. 6:16-20; Col. 1:27)
3.
Christ is eternal (Heb. 6:20; John 8:58; Heb. 1:8; Rev. 1:8-11)
4.
Christ is the Savior and Bless-er of Abraham (Heb. 6:20; 7:7; Gal.
3:13-18, 3:26-29)
5.
Christ is Abraham’s eternal High Priest of which Melchizedek was
only a type (Heb. 6:20; 7:3, 7:7-10, 7:14-21)
6.
Abraham payed tithes to Christ’s eternal priesthood (Heb. 7:2,
7:4-10)
7.
Christ is only begotten Son of Abraham’s God (Heb. 7:3; John 1:14,
1:18; 3:16)
This
is just saying here, that as great a man as Abraham was, he was less
than Melchizedek. Abraham is thought of as one of the best men who
ever lived.
The writer knew that
Levi did not literally pay tithes to Melchizedek, but on the
principle that an ancestor is greater than his descendants, Abraham’s
act affirmed Melchizedek’s superiority even to the Levitical
priests themselves.
And
here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth
them,
of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. Heb 7:8
And
here men... If
men that die receive tithes, how much more should they who live
receive them? That is, if temporary priests have received them, how
much more should the eternal priests receive them?
of
whom it...
As there is no record of his death or end of his priesthood,
Melchizedek is an illustration of perpetuity of life, a type of
Christ who is eternal (Isa. 9:6; Mic. 5:2; Heb. 1:8; Rev. 1:8-11).
This
refers to the Levitical law whose system was still active at the time
(“and here”), and to the earlier historical incident recorded (in
Gen. 14; “but there”).
The
Levitical priesthood changed as each priest died until it passed away
altogether, whereas Melchizedek's priesthood is perpetual since the
record about this priesthood does not record his death (verse 3).
Moreover,
he was evidently superior to the Levites as well, who collected
tithes but were nonetheless subject to death. By contrast the tithe
collected from Abraham was collected by him who is declared to be
living. Melchizedek thus
has a greatness which the Old Testament record clearly attests.
And
as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in
Abraham. Heb 7:9
Levi
also, who...
Those who receive tithes also pay them on their own income. In this,
Abraham was the representative tithe payer for all his seed to come
(Heb. 7:9-10).
In
an argument based upon seminal headship, the writer observes that it
is possible to speak of Levi paying tithes to Melchizedek It is the
same kind of argument Paul employed to demonstrate that when Adam
sinned we all sinned.
Furthermore, in a sense
Levi paid the tithe through Abraham because… Levi was still in the
body of his ancestor. The original expression, rendered one might
even say, probably means something like “so to speak.”
For
he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him. Heb
7:10
in
the loins...
In the loins of his ancestral father.
This
statement here, is saying that not only did Abraham pay tithes to
Melchizedek, but the high priest of the Levitical tribe paid tithes
to Him in reality, because he is descended from Abraham.
Note
Paul’s teachings concerning the passing of the law in relation to
the believer (Rom. 7:1-6; 10:4; 2Cor. 3:7-11; Gal. 3:9-25). God has
not, however annihilated the law. He has removed it from the life of
the believer because it can neither save nor sanctify. The unsaved
man, however, still lies under its convicting and condemning work
(1Tim. 1:8-11).
Jesus
Compared to Melchizedek
If
therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it
the people received the law,) what further need was
there
that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and
not be called after the order of Aaron? Heb 7:11
If
therefore perfection...
Greek: teleiosis,
completing or finishing of anything, so as to leave nothing imperfect
or wanting. Translated "perfection" and "performance"
(Luke 1:45). Here it means that the Levitical priesthood was faulty.
The Levitical system was merely a shadow, not the substance and
reality of the eternal priesthood of Christ. It represented a perfect
system but was imperfect itself. It pointed to a perfect sacrifice
that would take away sin, but was helpless to cleanse from sin.
Throughout
Hebrews, the term refers to complete reconciliation with God and
unhindered access to God, Salvation. The Levitical system and its
priesthood could not save anyone from their sins.
Gal.
3:11 “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God,
[it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”
The
law did not save, it just showed us how badly we needed a Savior. The
law, then and now, shows that no man can live up to the law and all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Galatians
3:24 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto
Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
under
it the... Not
under it, but on account of it, for the law was given before this
priesthood was established (Exo. 40:12-14).
what
further need...
Question 11. Next, Heb. 9:14. The eternal priesthood typified by
Melchizedek was the original priesthood. It existed over 400 years
before the Levitical order. Over 600 years after the Levitical
priesthood David by the Holy Spirit predicted that another priest—a
perfect one—would arise after the order of Melchizedek. The law,
therefore, did not contain the original priesthood, which existed
typically in Melchizedek and became reality in Jesus Christ.
I
want to break from the detailed explanation for a moment here and
say; The Tabernacle in the wilderness was patterned after the real
Tabernacle in heaven. The holy place and the most holy place that
Moses had built in the wilderness was just a model of the real Holy
of Holies in heaven. Moses was warned to make it in detail as the one
in heaven.
The
Tabernacle in the wilderness had a high priest. This leaves no doubt,
that the Holy place in Heaven has a great High Priest also. We are
told over and over that The High Priest forever is the One we call
Jesus Christ.
This
superiority was needed, since the Law was superseded. The inadequacy
of the legal and Levitical systems had to be replaced by something
better.
In
the simplest manner, the author argued for the imperfection of the
Levitical priesthood on the basis of God’s promise (recorded in
Psm. 110:4) that a new Priest would arise belonging to an order other
than Aaron’s. Since there was a change of the priesthood, it
follows that the whole legal system on which the Levitical
institutions were predicated also had to be changed.
For
the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change
also of the law. Heb 7:12
For
the priesthood... Change
in Priesthood and Law:
The
priestly order of Aaron was now being abolished to make way for the
original priesthood that preceded it—the order of Melchizedek. This
made it necessary to change the law also and abolish all its
sacrificial offerings which could not bring perfection, reconcile men
to God, make them holy or take away sins (Heb. 7:12; 10:5-10. God
planned to change the law and its priesthood, to introduce Jesus
Christ as the only Priest and Sacrifice, and substitute the gospel
system for the Levitical institutions.
Rom.
8:3 “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the
flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”
Rom.
5:20 “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But
where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”
Abraham
was saved by grace through faith just as we Christians are.
The
new priesthood supersedes the old
Having
established Melchizedek’s greatness both personally and in
comparison with Abraham and Levi, the writer was ready for a new
point. Here the writer virtually affirmed the Pauline truth that “you
are not under Law” (Rom.
6:14),
though he approached it from a different angle.
For
he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of
which no man gave attendance at the altar. Heb 7:13
For
he of... The
Messiah, of whom these things were predicted, did not come from the
tribe of Levi and had no Levitical genealogy to prove His claim to
the priesthood.
In
the previous versus, we were studying about Melchizedek who was High
Priest forever. We were discussing the similarities between Him and
Jesus Christ. This Scripture above explains, again, that Jesus Christ
is not of the Levitical tribe.
Levitical
priesthood was superseded by the fact that our Lord descended from
Judah.
For
it
is
evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake
nothing concerning priesthood. Heb 7:14
evident
that our... Paul
speaks with all confidence that Christ came from Judah, according to
the official Jewish genealogies. The genealogies of both Matthew and
Luke establish this fact. There were no difficulties in them in that
day or the enemies of the gospel would have used them as proof
against Christ being the Messiah.
sprang
out of...
Greek: anatello,
hath risen. Generally used of the sun rising (Mat. 4:16; 5:45; 13:6;
Mark 4:6; 16:2; Jas. 1:11; 2Pet. 1:19; cp. Luke 12:54). Here, Christ
is risen out of Judah as the sun in all its strength to bring light
to Israel and knowledge to His people (Isa. 9:1-2; 11:1; Mat. 4:16;
Luke 1:77-79).
That
tribe had no role in the Levitical institutions, and the things God
had said about the new Priest applied to One from Judah, which is
proof that a change was made.
