Hebrews 7, That Hero, Melchizedek!?

We continue the"Jesus is high priest" theme by examining the ancient and mysterious figure of Melchizedek.  You might never think to notice him if you were just reading along in Genesis 14:18-20.

7:1-10
This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.  Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!

The crux of the matter with Melchizedek: he is higher than Abraham!  The lack of information about Melchizedek is used to suggest (probably as a metaphor) that he was ageless, eternal, a "type" for the Messiah.

Salem was most likely the town that would, one day, become JeruSalem.

Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people--that is, their brothers--even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.  And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater.  In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.  One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

A strange argument meant to show that Mel is above the Levites and their priesthood.  The author is confronting an apparent contradiction -- that the final High Priest came out of Judah's line, not Levi's!

7:11-17
If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come--one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?  For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.  He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.  For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

So Judah and Levi are reconciled.  The High Priest line is one of faith, not Law.  (See Paul's teaching in Galatians.)

And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

Jesus, model for both Judah and Levi.  The Old Testament quotation is from Psalm 110:4, the only passage, outside of Genesis 14, that mentions Melchizedek.

7:18-22
The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

A Pauline idea; the Law was a tutor....  It was weak and useless, waiting to be strengthened by the Messiah and the accompanying Holy Spirit.

And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: `You are a priest forever.'" Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

The concept of "Covenant" appears.  The King James Version used "testament" in 22 and from there we get our Old and New "Testaments".

7:23-28
Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

23-28 Jesus provides a better, complete and permanent covenant.   The phrase "save completely" could also mean "save forever".

Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.  Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.  For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

"Once for all" -- this will become a theme in the next few chapters.  The old sacrificial system is over; the Final Lamb has made his sacrifice.

Hebrews 5, The Role of the High Priest

We continue the discussion of the Jewish high priest, one sympathetic with our human frailties, yet divinely appointed to stand for us.

5:1-3

Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.  He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.  This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

The high priest is human, sympathetic to humans.  Like us, he is Frail (by Jars of Clay).

5:4-10
No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.  So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father."  And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

The position of high priest, given to a frail human being, required a divine appointment.  This, too, Jesus had.

The Bible passages are from Psalm 2, verse 7, and Psalm 110, verse 4.  Both psalms are messianic passage about the coronation of David and David's line.

During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.  Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

So Jesus is both the Son and a human high priest, both savior and sympathetic brother.  The author is apparently alluding to events in Jesus's life when he prayed with "loud cries and tears".  It is not clear to which events the author is thinking, but the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane comes to mind.  If so, the author provides that as evidence of Jesus's submission and process of being "made perfect."

Once again, Melchizedek is mentioned.  But the discussion of Melchizedek must wait, for the writer of this letter has a serous concern.

5:11-14
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.  In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

The author of Hebrews digresses to chide his readers for their lack of maturity. They have been Christians for some time....

This passage ends with a note of frustration.  The frustration builds throughout the next chapter, to become a serious scolding.