Melchizedek is mentioned in Scripture only five times; we know very little about him. The first appearance of him is found in the days of Abraham, Genesis 14:13-20. One thousand years later, we read about him in Psalm 110:4. We wait another one thousand years before he appears in the New Testament, Hebrews 5:5-10 / Hebrews 6:20 / Hebrews 7:1-25.
The author begins by bringing the history of Melchizedek to mind, who is found in Genesis 14. He was the king of Salem and priest of the Most High God. After Lot had been captured, Abraham conquered those kings and rescued Lot.
Abraham paid a tenth to Melchizedek, and Melchizedek blessed Abraham, Hebrews 7:1. Now, the author is going to make several arguments based on this very short narrative found in Genesis 14.
First, Melchizedek is special because of who he is. His name means “king of righteousness”, and he was the king of Salem, and “Salem” (same root as shalom) means “peace,” Hebrews 7:2. So he is the king of righteousness and the king of peace. We should be able to quickly see that the author is building an allusion to Christ.
Further, Melchizedek is “without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life,” Hebrews 7:3. Melchizedek suddenly appears on the sacred pages without any previous information about him. We do not know who his parents were. We do not know where he came from. We do not know how he died. He seems to have no beginning or end.
“Beginning of days or end of life,” Hebrews 7:3, does not refer to physical life; it means that He did not commence His priestly ministry at a given time, nor did he end at a given time. He functioned as a priest as long as he lived.
Normally, the Levitical priests entered their service when they were twenty-five years old and were “retired” at fifty years old. Not so with Melchizedek. Like Jesus, he was a priest forever, or as long as he lived.
When we are told that he had ‘neither beginning of days nor end of life’, Hebrews 7:3, it would be foolish to suppose this means that Melchizedek was not born and did not die! This refers to the length of his service as a priest.
It means that, unlike the sons of Aaron who became priests, Melchizedek did not succeed anyone in his priestly office, nor was he himself succeeded in it by anyone. His priesthood was unique, as Hebrews 7:3, states, he ‘remains a priest forever’.
This draws our attention to the fact that, unlike the Aaronic priests, Melchizedek did not commence his ministry at a set age, nor was he compelled to retire at a set age. He had an ‘abiding’, that is, a continuing priesthood.
Under the Law of Moses, a descendant of Aaron became an apprentice at twenty-five years of age, carrying the tabernacle and performing similar menial tasks, and he became a full priest at thirty years of age.
God’s law governing the priesthood was extremely benevolent and was considerate of the heavy work involved in the priesthood. That law stated that a priest must retire from service upon reaching the age of fifty, although, if he wished and was able, he might continue to serve in a voluntary capacity, Numbers 8:23-26. Not so Melchizedek!
Therefore, the priesthood is continuous. In particular, the comparison explicitly stated that Melchizedek resembles the Son of God by continuing as priest forever.
Lenski, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The readers, former Jews who were now thinking of returning to Judaism, are here confronted with their great forefather Abraham and are shown how he accepted the royal priest Melchizedek long before Levi and Aaron were born and the Aaronic priesthood came into existence. The readers want to be true sons of Abraham, yea, are thinking of returning to Judaism for that very reason. Well, let them look at Abraham and at the one priest to whom Abraham bowed. Let them consider what God said through David regarding the royal priest and regarding the Messiah-Christ who is typified by Melchizedek.’
The writer of Hebrews may be recalling this knowledge from these Jewish Christians and is now going to expand upon it.
The writer wants us to know the greatness of Melchizedek. Abraham paid a tenth to him, Hebrews 7:4. The argument is that because Abraham gave him tithes, and Aaron was not yet born, Aaron, through Abraham, gave tithes to Melchizedek, and so recognised his superiority.
Hence, the Levitical priesthood is a descendant of Abraham; therefore, Levi is lesser than Abraham, Hebrews 7:5. Melchizedek is greater than Abraham because he does not descend from Levi, received the tenth from Abraham, and blessed Abraham, Hebrews 7:6. Obviously, the one who gives the blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing, Hebrews 7:7.
Milligan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In all this, the transcendent dignity of Melchizedek, as the honoured priest of the Most High God, is abundantly manifested.’
Therefore, Melchizedek is far greater than Levi, and the priesthood of Melchizedek is far greater than the Levitical priesthood. Further, the Scriptures record the death of the Levitical priests, but Melchizedek lives on, Hebrews 7:8-10. The writer is strongly playing upon the idea of the eternal nature of the priesthood of Melchizedek.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The burden of the argument in this place is simply that the priesthood of Melchizedek (and therefore of Christ) is greater than the Levitical priesthood; and the proof offered is that the whole Hebrew nation, including of course the Levites, in the person of Abraham, were tithed by Melchizedek whose priesthood has actually never ended. It should be noted that the purpose of the author is to glorify Christ, not Melchizedek.’
If we could be made in a condition acceptable to God through the Levitical priesthood, then we would not need another priest, Hebrews 7:11. We would not need a saviour, we would not need a deliverer.
Bruce, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Aaronic priesthood was neither designed nor competent to inaugurate the age of fulfilment; that age must be marked by the rise of another priest, whose priesthood was of a different order and character from that of Aaron.’
We could just stay with the priesthood of Aaron and continue to offer our sacrifices for our sins, and we would be found acceptable and whole toward God. The implied argument is that we know that the Aaronic priesthood does not perfect us before God.
We needed a change in the priesthood, Hebrews 7:12. If there is a change in the priesthood, then there must be a change of law. Why? The Law of Moses said that the priests would be sons of Aaron through the tribe of Levi, Hebrews 7:13. If we change the priesthood, then we must have a new law in effect.
Particularly, since Jesus is our High Priest, as the writer has argued repeatedly throughout this letter, then we have a problem because He belongs to another tribe.
Jesus, our Lord, came from the tribe of Judah, Hebrews 7:14 / Genesis 49:8-12 / Revelation 5:5, and no one from Judah ever functioned as a priest of God, and Moses did not speak about that tribe being a priesthood, Exodus 32:25-29. So there must be a change of law since there has been a change of priesthood.
Notice the writer speaks about Melchizedek again, but he also speaks of someone who will appear like Melchizedek, Hebrews 7:15-16.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The big thought under consideration here is the abrogation of the entire Hebrew system of religion, which has already been observed under Hebrews 7:11-12, (which see); and the argument, to paraphrase it, is this: 1. it is evident that with the rising of a new and greater priest, not out of Levi but out of Judah, the law was abrogated; 2. but it is ‘far more evident’ that the law was abrogated, when it is considered that the great new high priest is, in addition to being from an unlawful tribe (Judah) as far as the priesthood was concerned, also from an utterly new and different order, that of Melchizedek.’
Bruce, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The law which established the Aaronic priesthood is called a carnal commandment because it is a system of earth-bound rules; it is concerned with the externalities of religion, the physical descent of priests, a material shrine, animal sacrifices, and so forth.’
Proof of the change in the priesthood is the quotation in Hebrews 7:17, from Psalm 110:4, which we looked at when it was quoted by the writer in Hebrews 5:6.
Remember that Psalm 110 is the prophecy of a priest and king maintaining the office forever in the order of Melchizedek. Since we have a new priesthood, there must have been a change of law. Therefore, the former law has been set aside (annulled) because of its weakness, Hebrews 7:18.
The weakness is not within the law itself but its effect on those who are disobedient. The law does not make us in an acceptable condition to God after our disobedience. In this, the law is weak and useless; it cannot reconcile us to God.
But the new law that has been established because there is a new priesthood introduces to us a superior hope because this law and priesthood can draw us near to God, Hebrews 7:19. This is the way for us to be reconciled, Matthew 11:29-30 / Romans 3:24-25 / Hebrews 10:19-22 / James 4:8.
The new priesthood is superior because of a Divine oath, Hebrews 7:20. This priesthood is also superior to the Aaronic priesthood because it was established with the Lord’s oath, Hebrews 7:21 / Psalm 110:4. The Lord swore to the permanency of the priesthood of Christ. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind; Christ is Priest forever, Hebrews 7:22.
Further, Jesus is the guarantee of this better covenant, Hebrews 7:22. He guarantees to men that God will fulfil His covenant of forgiveness, and He guarantees to God that those who are in Him are acceptable.
The new priesthood is superior because of a permanent Priesthood. The author returns to the contrast of the temporal nature of those who acted as priests on behalf of the people under the Levitical priesthood, Hebrews 7:23. They could not continue their role in office because of death. However, Jesus holds the priesthood permanently because He will never die, Hebrews 7:24.
Therefore, Jesus is able to save completely those who draw near to Him because He always lives to make intercession, Hebrews 7:25. Remember the theme of this book has been not to turn back, not to give up, and not to drift away from God.
Here is a reminder of that. Those who draw near to God have an advantage under the priesthood of Christ, who is always making intercession and is able to completely save, Hebrews 7:25.
The new priesthood is superior because of our priests’ superior character. We have a special High Priest with His unique character. He is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens, Hebrews 7:26.
Because of this, He does not have the need to offer daily sacrifices on His own behalf, as the priests of Aaron had to, Hebrews 7:27 / Hebrews 9:7 / Hebrews 10:1 / Leviticus 9:8-14 / Leviticus 16:2 / Leviticus 16:29 / Leviticus 16:34. He made one offering for sins on behalf of the people because of His perfect nature. But the sacrifice was himself, Hebrews 7:27.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning Hebrews 7:28.
‘The verse is a recapitulation of what had already been said that the Levitical priests were weak, mortal, sinful people; but that the Son of God, the glorious priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, is perfected forevermore.’