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
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.
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