Hebrews 7

CHAPTER 7

Melchizedek the Priest (7:1-10)

1-2 Besides this letter to the Hebrews, the only other places Melchizedek is mentioned in the Bible are in Genesis 14:1820 and Psalm 110:4. Here the writer bases his description of Melchizedek on the passage from Genesis (see Hebrews 5:6 and comment).

3 Nothing is written in the Bible about Melchizedek’s mother and father, or about his birth or death. According to the writer of Hebrews, Melchizedek was never born and never died. … like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. Just as Jesus has no beginning or end, so Melchiz-edek has no beginning or end.

4 Melchizedek was greater than Abraham; otherwise, Abraham would not have given him a tenth part of the plunder he had gained in battle with the kings (verses 1-2).

5 Levi was one of the twelve sons of Jacob, Abraham’s grandson. All Jewish priests were descended from Levi—including Aaron, the first high priest. According to the Jewish law, all other Jews were required every year to give a tenth part of their wealth and their produce to the priests, the descendants of Levi. In this way, thepriests madetheir living. Therefore, the Jews gave a tenth of their income to the priests. The priests (through Levi) and all other Jews were descendants together of Abraham; thus they were all brothers.

6-7 But Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High (verse 1), was not descended from Levi or Abraham. Nevertheless, Abraham himself, the father of the Jews, gave Melchizedek a tenth part of what he had gained. Not only that, Abraham received a blessing from Melchizedek. From this, we can understand that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham. Therefore, Melchiz-edek is also greater than the Jewish priests descended from Abraham and Levi.

8 Furthermore, the Jewish priests all died; they were ordinary men. But Melchizedek never died; he always is declared to be living.

9-10 One might even say that Levi and his descendants, the Jewish priests, who collected a tenth from all the other Jews, had themselves, through Abraham, given a tenth of their income to Melchizedek. Because at the time Abraham met Melchiz-edek, Levi in a sense was still in the body of his ancestor (Abraham).

By writing all of this, the author of this letter has shown that Melchizedek is greater than all the Jewish priests descended from Levi.

Jesus Like Melchizedek (7:11-28)

11 At this point it is necessary to briefly review some early history of the Jewish people. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons, from whom the twelve tribes of the Jews are descended.

Levi was the third ofJacob’s twelve sons. About four hundred years after Levi’s time, Moses was appointed by God to be the leader of the Jews. Moses received from God the Jewish law. At that time, God said that the descendants of Levi were to be the priests of the Jewish people. The writer of Hebrews, therefore, calls this the Levitical priesthood. The Jewish law, then, was established on the basis of this priesthood of the descendants of Levi. Moses’ younger brother Aaron (also a descendant of Levi) was appointed to be the first high priest.

However, the writer of Hebrews says, this Levitical priesthood could not bring about the perfection of the Jewish people. That is, it could not make men righteous; it could not bring about their salvation. If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood, there would have been no need for another priest (Jesus Christ) to come—one in the order of Melchizedek.

12 Not only that, if the Levitical priesthood had to be changed, then the Jewish law also had to be changed, because the law was based on that priesthood.

13-14 He of whom these things are said—that is, Christ—belonged to a different tribe. Christ was descended from the tribe of Judah (Matthew 1:2; Luke 3:33). Judah was the fourth of Jacob’s twelve sons; thus he was Levi’s younger brother. When God gave Moses the law, He said nothing to Moses about priests being appointed from the tribe of Judah. Therefore, from these facts, we can understand that Christ’s priesthood is completely different from the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament.

15-16 Christ’s priesthood is not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry or bodily descent, as the Levitical priesthood was (verse 16). Christ’s priesthood is based on the power of His indestructible life. The Levitical priests lived and died in turn. But Christ lives forever. The Levitical priesthood was based on outward rules and regulations; but Christ’s priesthood is based on His inner spiritual power.

17 The writer again quotes from Psalm 110:4 to show that Christ’s priesthood will never end.

18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless. That former regulation is the Jewish ceremonial law, which consisted of many rules concerning the Levitical priesthood and such things as offerings, sacrifices, purification rites, and religious festivals. When Christ came, all these rules—that is, the ceremonial part of the Jewish law—were set aside, or canceled (see Matthew 5:17-18; Colos-sians 2:13-14 and comments).

19 Why was the Jewish law weak and useless—especially its ceremonial part? (verse 18). Because the law made nothing perfect. The law could purify the outside of the body, but it could not purify the inside of the body—that is, man’s heart and conscience. The law could not make a man righteous; it could only condemn him (see Romans 8:1-3 and comment).

The better hope mentioned here is Jesus Christ, our true and permanent high priest, through whom we can draw near to God.

Unrighteous men cannot draw near to God. But through faith we can receive Christ’s righteousness; and having received His righteousness, we can then come into God’s presence. Therefore, men receive a better hope from Christ than they receive from the Old Jewish law or Levitical priesthood.

20-21 When God appointed Christ to be high priest, He made an oath confirming it. To show this, the writer again quotes from Psalm 110:4.

22 Because of this oath, Christ’s priesthood is better than the Levitical priesthood. Therefore, He is the guarantee of a better COVENANT (see Hebrews 8:6 and comment).

23-24 From the time of the first high priest Aaron to the time of the writing of this letter, there had been eighty-three high priests. These all died in turn. But Jesus will never die; therefore, His priesthood is permanent.

25 Jesus always lives to intercede for us (see Romans 8:34). Jesus is our advocate, our lawyer, before the throne of God. And because He is a perfect high priest, God listens to Him. Not only that, Jesus has made atonement for our sins (Hebrews 2:17). God now no longer condemns us. Furthermore, Jesus gives us mercy and … grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). And Jesus will not stop doing all this for us, because His priesthood is never-ending. He is seated forever at the right hand of God; He is always ready to bring us into God’s presence. For all these reasons, Jesus is able to save (us) completely. Let us never cease praising and thanking God for such a Savior and High Priest!

26 The writer of this letter keeps thinking of new things to say about Jesus, this wonderful high priest. Jesus is holy, blameless, pure … exalted above the heavens. Jesus’ priesthood is perfect, because Jesus Himself is perfect (see Hebrews 1:3; 4:15-16).

27 Jesus never had to offer a sacrifice for His own sins, as the Jewish priests had to do (Leviticus 4:3; 16:6; Hebrews 5:1,3).

Furthermore, Jesus doesn’t need to offer sacrifices for our sins over and over, as the Jewish priests did (Leviticus 16:34). Jesus’ sacrifice—that is, the sacrifice of His body—was fully pleasing to God. Jesus made Himself an offering for sin. Because His sacrifice was perfect, it never has to be repeated.

What a sacrifice! Jesus sacrificed His life to give salvation to all men and women. Jesus came into the world to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). And on the last night before He died, He said to His disciples: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). This is why we testify that we have received salvation through Jesus’ death, through His blood.

28 The writer here adds one final thing about Jesus. Jesus is the Son, God’s own Son. According to the law, the Jewish high priests had to be men, men who were, of course, weak and sinful themselves. But the great high priest appointed by God’s oath (verse 21) is God’s own Son, who has been made perfect forever.