Hebrews 7:1 ¶
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; 2 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; 3
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. 4 Now consider how
great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth
of the spoils. 5 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: 6 But he whose descent is not counted from them
received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. 7 And without all contradiction the less is
blessed of the better. 8 And here men
that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is
witnessed that he liveth. 9 And as I may
so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10 For he was yet in the loins of his father,
when Melchisedec met him.
Here is the scene as revealed in Genesis.
Genesis 14:18
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was
the priest of the most high God. 19 And
he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of
heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the
most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave
him tithes of all.
By suggesting that Christ is a type of
Melchisedec, Paul has made it so that He is of an order higher than that of
Aaron and the priests as He is a king AND a priest. There is no mention of the
king of Salem’s genealogy or his lifespan. Christ, as the Son of God, or God in
the flesh ultimately needs no geneaology like the Aaronic priesthood to justify
Himself. It is Melchisedec’s priesthood that has no beginning or end, as
Christ’s is in type, not his life, ancient commentators propose, as reported by
John Gill.
Psalm 110:4
The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever
after the order of Melchizedek.
Paul likens the tithes that Abraham paid to
Melchizedek as equivalent to the Levitical priests making that tithe and
honoring Melchizedek and Christ in type long before the priests were even born.
Hebrews 7:11 ¶ 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? 12
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change
also of the law. 13 For he of whom these
things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance
at the altar. 14 For it is
evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing
concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet
far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth
another priest, 16 Who is made, not
after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17 For he testifieth, Thou art a
priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 18 For there is verily a disannulling of the
commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the
bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he
was made priest: 21 (For those
priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto
him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever
after the order of Melchisedec:) 22 By
so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 23 And they truly were many priests, because
they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24 But this man, because he continueth
ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26 For such an high priest became us, who is
holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the
heavens; 27 Who needeth not daily, as
those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for
the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28 For the law maketh men high priests which
have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh
the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
In a classic argument for Dispensationalism
Paul expresses his idea that the Aaronic priesthood was valid only in the time
that the Law given to Moses was in force for the Hebrews, before Christ’s
resurrection. Christ then continues the
eternal priesthood of Melchisedec. The New Testament is now in force, not the
Old.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to
bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no
longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith
in Christ Jesus.
The Hebrew priests
were men with all of the faults of men. Look at Eli and his sons. Christ is
perfection, without blame or spot. This was foretold and promised in Psalm
110:4, noted previously, that a priest after the order of Melchisedec would
come, to take the place of the Aaronic priesthood. In addition, the priesthood
of Aaron was of the tribe of Levi and yet Christ arose from the tribe of Judah
of which there is no mention of a priesthood arising from.
Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor
a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the
gathering of the people be.
The priests, being
mere men, made sacrifices continually for the Israelites’ sins, but Christ,
being perfect and eternal, made one sacrifice of Himself for the sins of
mankind, which was sufficient for all eternity.
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