THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS

CHAPTER 7

          It’s a pleasure to have you back to share more Daily Bread. We’re just about halfway through our study of the book of Hebrews now, and so far, we can see that Paul is showing the believing Jewish people that Jesus is above all that they formerly considered most holy in their beliefs. Angels, Moses, the priesthood, the Old Testament or law . . . None of these compare to the holiness, the love, and the superiority of Christ.

          The Hebrews were familiar with a king who was mentioned in only two different places in the Old Testament, and you may remember that Paul mentioned him, Melchizedek, in chapters 5 & 6 of this letter. Now he goes on to tell a little more about this king Melchizedek and how he relates to Jesus Christ.

          Melchizedek was king of Salem. Here’s a tiny little Daily Bread Crumb for you. Did you know that Salem is an ancient name for Jerusalem? This king Melchizedek was also priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him. (You can read this story about the slaughter of the kings in Daily Bread’s Genesis study called Skirmish in the Slimepits. Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes, or a tenth part of all the loot from the battle. That means that giving tithes of one tenth was practiced before the law was given to Moses.

Paul gives this description of the king:

First being by interpretation King of righteousness,

and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

without father, without mother, without descent,

having neither beginning of days, nor end of life;

but made like unto the Son of God.

He remains a priest forever.

          What do you find interesting about this description? Is it that Paul capitalized the word King each time, and the only other King who has a capital letter in His title in the Bible is Jesus? Or is it that he had no father, mother, or ancestors? Or maybe that he had no birth or death? Or perhaps you might find it interesting that he was made like unto Jesus and remains a priest forever? Was Melchizedek an angel? He was definitely a “shadow” of Jesus. Paul continues:

Now consider how great this man was,

to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils (loot).

And truly the sons of Levi, who are called to the office of the priesthood,

have a commandment to take tithes of their brethren according to the law,

Numbers 18:21

while they come out of the loins of Abraham:
But he whose descent is not counted among them received tithes of Abraham,

and blessed him (Abraham) that had the promises.

Why would Abraham give one tenth to someone who wasn’t of his descent? Paul’s point is that this man Melchizedek must have been extraordinary for Abraham to give tithes to him, who wasn’t related to him.

And without any question the less was blessed by the greater.

And now men that die receive tithes;

but then one received them,

of whom it is said that he lives.

And as I may so say,

Levi also, who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham.
Because he was still in the loins of his father, when Melchizedek met him.

If then, everything was complete 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 Melchizedek,

and not be called after the order of Aaron?

          If you recall from Chapter 6, Paul said that the first one to enter into that within the veil was Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Let me help you understand this a little better. In the Tabernacle, (see a picture of the Tabernacle in the maps section of Christianity Oasis) there was the place called the most holy place that was described in our last study of Chapter 6. And in the Temple of Solomon, there was the place called the Holy of Holies, where God’s presence was. You may remember from the Gospel of John 1:18 that John the Baptist said that no man has ever seen God, but the Son has declared Him.

Diagram of the Temple of Solomon

          In the Tabernacle and in the Temple nobody but the High Priests entered the Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. They were covered with a veil (Exodus 26:33 and 2 Chronicles 3:14). Now, if you open up your Bible to Matthew 27:51, you’ll see that as Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom, so, just as Paul said, Jesus was the first one to go within the veil, or in other words, Jesus was the first to ever see God. Now, let’s get back to Paul’s letter.

Being that the priesthood was changed,

(from Levitical to Jesus)

it was also necessary to change the law.

Because He (Jesus) of whom these things are spoken,

belongs to another tribe,

a tribe from which no man served at the altar.

It is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah;

of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

And it is still far more evident:

Because after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest,

who has come, not after the law of a legal requirement,

but after the power of an endless life.

For He testified,

(God spoke through David)

Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Psalms 110:4

          So, the first order of priests was temporary, but Jesus as High Priest is eternal. The Christian Hebrews, needed this explained thoroughly, because formerly being so fervent about the law and the Old Testament, and having the majority of the Jewish people still unconvinced that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, they needed the TRUTH spelled out because their Faith was constantly being questioned by their unbelieving kin folk.

There is truly a setting aside of the old commandment

because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it.

For the law made nothing perfect,

but the bringing in of a better hope did;

by which we draw near to God.

And since with an oath Jesus was made priest:

Because the Levite priests were made without an oath;

but Jesus was made priest with this oath by God,

The Lord promised and will not change His mind,

Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek,

You see, again, Paul emphasizes how a promise makes things more concrete, more permanent, and gives you more comfort.

There truly were many Levite priests,

because they were not allowed to continue by reason of death.

But Jesus, because He lives forever,

has an unchangeable priesthood.

Therefore He is able also to save them completely

that come to God through Him,

being as He lives forever to make intercession for them.

Jesus for ever intercedes for us, but in the Old Testament, once the high priest dies, they can no longer pray for those they are offering or sacrificing for.

For this kind of high priest suited us, who is holy,

innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners,

and made higher than the heavens;

Who doesn’t need daily, as other high priests,

to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins,

and then for the people's:

because Jesus did this once for all,

when He offered up Himself.

For the law makes men high priests which are weak;

but the word of the oath,

which came about after the law,

appoints the Son the High Priest,

who is perfect for evermore.

Join in again soon as we study the second half of this letter from Paul to the Hebrews, right here at Daily Bread.