CHAPTER 7

(A.D. 64)

MELCHISEDEC

¹For this Melchisedec, King of Salem (an ancient name for Jerusalem [Ps. 76:2; 122:3]), Priest of the Most High God (tells us what He was, but gives us almost no information after that [Gen. 14:18]), who met Abra ham returning from the slaughter of the kings (Gen. 14:14-15), and blessed him (presents Melchisedec in a superior spiritual position);

²To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all (the first mention of Tithes in the Bible; this means that if Abraham paid Tithe to Melchisedec, his natural and spiritual seed, which includes every Believer, should continue to pay Tithes to this Priesthood [namely Christ, i.e., His Work], since it has now replaced the Aaronic Priesthood); first being by interpretation King of Righteousness (Melchisedec was a Type, and, thereby, meant to portray the True King of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ), and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of Peace (Jesus is also the Prince of Peace, once again of which Melchisedec was a Type [Isa. 9:6]);

³Without father, without mother (only means there was no record made of the name of his father, his mother, or any of his posterity), without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life (means the Holy Spirit intended Melchisedec to be without genealogy, in order that he may serve as the Type); but made like unto the Son of God (actually says, to be likened to the Son of God); abideth a Priest continually. (This refers to Christ of Whom Melchisedec was a Type.)

⁴Now consider how great this man was(the Text plainly tells us here that Melchisedec was a man, not an Angel, etc., as taught by some), unto whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. (By use of the word Patriarch regarding Abraham, we know this speaks of Abrahams position as Father of the Faithful. As well, we are told here how the standard is set as it regards the financing of the Work of God on Earth.)

⁵And verily they who are of the sons of Levi (proclaims the Apostle now showing the difference between Law and Grace, and that the former is vastly inferior to the latter), who receive the Office of the Priesthood (specifying those of the Tribe of Levi who were Priests; all were not! only the sons of Aaron were), have a commandment to take Tithes of the people according to the Law, that is, of their Brethren (refers to the fact that the people were to pay Tithes to the Priesthood under the old Mosaic economy), though they come out of the loins of Abraham (the Jews were fond of boasting that they had Abraham as their father, meaning they were his descendants; so, using him as an example, Paul proves that the Aaronic system was much inferior to the Order of Melchisedec, or else Abraham would not have paid Tithes to this man):

⁶But he (Melchisedec) whose descent is not counted from them (from Israel) received Tithes of Abraham, and blessed him who had the Promises. (This proclaims the fact that Melchisedec blessed Abraham, despite the fact that it was Abraham to whom the great Promises of God had been given. The only way one could be greater than Abraham is that he would be a Type of Christ, which Melchisedec was.)

⁷And without all contradiction (means that what he is saying cannot be contradicted) the less (Abraham) is blessed of the better (Melchisedec, who was a Type of Christ; this has Paul saying that Christ is better than any other system, and is the only One Who can properly Bless).

⁸And here men who die receive Tithes (refers to the Levitical Priesthood, which, in fact, was still being carried on at the time Paul wrote these words); but there he receives them(refers back to the Passage in Genesis where Melchisedec is recorded as having received Tithes), of whom it is witnessed that he lives. (This refers to the Eternal Priesthood of Christ, of which Melchisedec was the Type.)

⁹And as I may so say, Levi also, who receives Tithes (because Tithes were paid to Levi, i.e., the Priestly Order, in no way means this was the superior Order), paid Tithes in Abraham. (This struck a telling blow in Pauls argument regarding the superiority of the Priestly Order of Melchisedec. If Abraham paid Tithes to Melchisedec [which he was instructed by the Lord to do], and Abraham is the father of the Jewish people [meaning Levi was in his loins], then Levi also paid Tithes to Melchisedec. This placed the whole of the Jewish system as second to that of Christ.)

¹⁰For he (Levi) was yet in the loins of his father (Abraham), when Melchisedec met him. (This makes the New Covenant better than the Old, which is the argument of the Book of Hebrews.)

CHRISTS PRIESTHOOD

¹¹If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priesthood (in effect, says this was not the case), (for under it the people received the Law,) (This proclaims the fact that if the Levitical Priesthood [which was a part of the Law] was changed, which it was, then the Law had to be changed also.) what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the Order of Melchisedec (since the Levitical Priesthood brought nothing to completion, not merely another Priest was needed, but another Priest of a different kind altogether), and not be called after the Order of Aaron? (This presents the fact that the Order of Aaron must give way to the Order of Melchisedec, a better Priesthood, which it was always meant to do.)

¹²For the Priesthood being changed (refers to the Priestly Order of Aaron now being abrogated to make way for the original Priesthood that preceded it, which, in effect, had predicted this very thing), there is made of necessity a change also of the Law. (The connection between the Priesthood and the Law means a change in one involves a change in the other.)

¹³For He (Christ) of Whom these things are spoken pertains to another Tribe (Christ was not of the Tribe of Levi, from which all Levitical Priests had to come, but rather was of the Tribe of Judah), of which no man gave attendance at the Altar. (This carries the obvious meaning that none of the Tribe of Judah officiated at the Altar, as it pertained to the Sacrifices, that being the domain of the Levites exclusively.)

¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah (presents a fact that was not questioned, even by the most ardent of the enemies of our Lord); of which Tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning Priesthood. (The Tribe of Judah had nothing to do with the Priesthood, and the Priesthood had nothing to do with the Tribe of Judah.)

¹⁵And it is yet far more evident (something plainly obvious, which speaks here of the Priesthood of Christ): for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there arises another Priest (refers to the necessity of such, and that God had chosen Melchisedec to be the Type of Christ),

¹⁶Who (the Lord Jesus) is made (made a High Priest through His Atoning Sacrifice of Himself), not after the Law of a carnal commandment (the idea is that the Levitical Priesthood was weak and frail, due to mans frailty of which it was made, and, thereby, needed a replacement), but after the power of an endless life. (This refers to Christ, Who was raised from the dead and lives forever, and will, thereby, be the High Priest forever.)

¹⁷For He (God) testifies (Ps. 110:4), You (Christ)are a Priest forever after the Order of Melchisedec. (This Order of Priesthood was made in this way so that it might address the entirety of mankind, both Jews and Gentiles. The Levitical Priesthood only addressed the Jews.)

¹⁸For there is verily a disannulling of the Commandment (presents the end of the Law, which was all done by Christ, and was intended all the time) going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. (This refers to the problems with the Old Law, and that it was of temporary character.)

¹⁹For the Law (Law of Moses) made nothing perfect (the Law was a mirror which showed what man was, but had no power to change man), but the bringing in of a better hope did(refers to Christ and what He did for us at the Cross); by the which we draw near unto God. (The Law of Moses could not open the door to the Holy of Holies for all of mankind, but the Cross did!)

A BETTER SACRIFICE

²⁰And inasmuch as not without an oath (earthly Jewish Priests were not sworn in by an oath, simply because they were temporary)He(Christ)was made Priest(when Jesus was made a High Priest, God took an oath guaranteeing the unending character of His Priesthood):

²¹(For those Priests were made without an oath (the Jewish Priests); but this (the Lord Jesus Christ) with an oath by Him (by God the Father) Who said unto Him (said unto Christ), The Lord sware and will not repent (means the Lord will not change His Mind), You are a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) (Ps. 110:4)

²²By so much was Jesus (proclaims the fact that all of Redemption is bound up totally and completely in Christ) made a surety (guarantee) of a better Testament (a better Covenant).

²³And they truly were many Priests (many Priests were needed under the Mosaic economy because the Sacrifices were vastly inferior), because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death (portrays the inferiority of the Old Jewish system):

²⁴But this Man(the Lord Jesus Christ), because He continues ever (proclaims the Priesthood of Christ as Eternal, while death was inevitable as it regarded the Aaronic Priests), has an unchangeable Priesthood. (This not only refers to that which is Eternal, but to that which will not change as far as its principle is concerned as well. The reason is the Finished Work of the Cross is an Everlasting Covenant [Heb. 13:20].)

²⁵Wherefore He (the Lord Jesus Christ) is able also to save them to the uttermost (proclaims the fact that Christ Alone has made the only true Atonement for sin; He did this at the Cross) who come unto God by Him (proclaims the only manner in which man can come to God), seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. (His very Presence by the Right Hand of the Father guarantees such, with nothing else having to be done [Heb. 1:3].)

²⁶For such an High Priest became us (presents the fact that no one less exalted could have met the necessities of the human race), Who is Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners (describes the spotless, pure, Perfect Character of the Son of God as our Great High Priest; as well, this tells us Christ did not become a sinner on the Cross, as some claim, but was rather the Sin-Offering), and made higher than the Heavens (refers to the fact that He is seated at the Right Hand of the Father, which is the most exalted position in Heaven or Earth);

²⁷Who needs not daily (refers to the daily Sacrifices offered by the Priests under the old Jewish economy), as those High Priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the peoples (refers to the work of the Jewish High Priest on the Great Day of Atonement, which specified their unworthiness; Christ did not have to function accordingly): for this He did once, when He offered up Himself. (This refers to His Death on the Cross, which Atoned for all sin past, present, and future, making no further Sacrifices necessary.)

²⁸For the Law (Law of Moses) makes men High Priests which have infirmity (refers to the fact that the system was imperfect because it depended on frail men); but the word of the oath (the Promise of God that He was going to institute a superior Priesthood, far superior to the old Levitical Order [Ps. 110:4]), which was since the Law (refers to the fact that the Oath was given some five hundred years before the Law was given to Moses), makes the Son (the Lord Jesus), Who is consecrated (means that He, and He Alone, can function in this capacity) for evermore. (This Covenant is perfect because the Son is Perfect, because what He did at the Cross is Perfect, which means it will never have to be replaced.)