The story of Abraham and Melchisedec is found in Genesis chapter fourteen. “And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” Genesis 14:17-20 To review briefly, several kings came against other kings, and in so doing attacked Sodom where Abraham’s nephew Lot dwelt and took Lot and his family and possessions captive. Abraham gathered his servants and went after them, rescuing them and bringing back Lot, his family, and all his possessions. Abraham then met Melchizedek as recorded in the verses above. See Genesis chapter fourteen in this website for further discussion. Why did God set up this priesthood during the days of Abraham?
Verses 1-3 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.
Melchisedec was not a manifestation of Jesus Christ, but was a type of Christ in the Old Testament. He was a king. Jesus is our King. He was a priest of the most high God. Jesus Christ is our High Priest and is the most high God. He met Abraham returning from battle. Jesus Christ meets His children when they are in a battle and stays with them through the battle until victory is achieved. He brought forth bread and wine for Abraham and blessed him. Jesus Christ brought forth bread and wine and blessed His disciples during the passover meal before His arrest and murder. Abraham gave Melchisedec the first recorded tithe in the Bible, the word “tithe” meaning a tenth. Jesus Christ commanded tithes to be brought into the storehouse to support the Levites and the ministry of the tabernacle and then the Temple. He was a King of righteousness. Jesus Christ is righteousness. He was called King of Salem which means peace. Jesus Christ is our peace. He had no parents in the ministry nor was he descended from a line of earthly priests. Jesus was from the tribe of Judah and had no parents with ties to the earthly priesthood set up by Moses. He had no descendants to carry on the priesthood and his priesthood had no starting date or ending date but was to continue as long as he was alive. Jesus Christ was the final High Priest to make intercession for the sins of mankind through His shed blood and remains a priest forever.
Verses 4-6 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.
It was customary in Bible days for the victors of a battle to spoil the conquered and take all their possessions. This was often a lot of stuff which included animals, weapons, clothing, jewelry, and even women and children who were to become slaves to those who conquered them. So for Abraham to give to this priest, Melchizedek, a tenth of that which they had taken from the kings who lost the battle, this man must have been a man of great strength, power, and presence. The Apostle Paul points out to the Hebrews he is writing to, that the system they have been raised in required the Levitical priests to take tithes from the people. It was part of their religious law. And all the priests had to be and were descendants of Levi who was the son of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. So all the priests were descendants of Abraham and they took tithes from the people of Israel who were also descendants of Abraham. Yet Abraham gave tithes to the priest, Melchizedek, who had nothing genetically to do with Abraham and his descendants, the Levites, who were not yet born, but who were in the loins or cells of Abraham and therefore, as far as God was concerned, these unborn and future priests also gave tithes to Melchizedek. Furthermore the priest, Melchizedek, had the authority from God Almighty to bless Abraham. And it was to Abraham and to Jesus Christ (Abraham’s seed, singular) that the promises, plural, were given.
Application: What were the promises given by God to Abraham and his seed? “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; ” Genesis 22:17 In Bible days, cities had great walls and gates protecting them from enemies. To possess the gate of enemies means that the city has been conquered and the gates or entrances to the city possessed by the conquerors.
These promises were representative of the two Covenants God made with the Hebrew people. The sand of the sea is earthly and represents the nation Israel which started with just one man, Abraham. He was blessed and his children were blessed and multiplied into an innumerable number of souls, both Hebrew and Arab. With God’s help, the nation Israel took and possessed the land of Palestine and they fought and defeated the enemy nations that were around them. The Old Covenant with all its laws and statutes that no man or woman could keep was in place until the coming of Jesus Christ who established the New Covenant with His blood. The stars of Heaven are not of this Earth and represent the spiritual, and the New Covenant, and the Church. So both of these covenants were made to Abraham and to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ defeated His enemies, including Satan and the enemy of all people, physical and spiritual death. The promises were not made in Israel, but to Abraham and his physical descendant, Jesus Christ, who was not to be born until many centuries later. So God who dwells in eternity took a small section of eternity and created time with the sun, the moon, and the stars, and He could look down that time line to the time when He would send His Son, Jesus, to Earth to fulfill the Law perfectly and to save people from their sins, from spiritual death, and from Hell. The Church was born and over time has become an innumerable number of souls who cannot be counted and who have the promise of eternal life in Heaven.
Verses 7-10 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. 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.
So the fact that Levi, who represents the Old Covenant and its laws, was yet unborn but yet present in Abraham’s body when tithes were given to Melchizedek, makes all the Levitical priests subordinate to the high priest, Melchizedek. Therefore in the earthly realm, the lessor, Abraham and his descendants, men who died physically, were blessed by the greater who was Melchizedek. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ, also a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Judah, also received this blessing from Melchizedek but unlike the Levitical priests who died and were buried, He lives today having risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven. So as fully man, Jesus Christ received the blessing from Melchizedek, defeated His enemies, and established the New Covenant with His blood. But as fully God, Jesus Christ is not subordinate to Melchizedek but is the One and only High Priest for all who will come and follow Him under the New Covenant. He is the head of the Church which consists of believers from all nations and tongues and which continues to multiply to this day.
Application: What was the main difference between the Old and the New Covenants? The Old Covenant was conditional. God said, “If you do this, I will do that.” The people under the Old Covenant were under the bondage of the Law and they had to try and keep it, which was an impossible task. The New Covenant is declarative in nature. God said, “I will do this.” People no longer have to try and keep the Law to the satisfaction of a righteous and holy God. Why? Because Jesus Christ kept the Law for us and it is through Jesus that we are presented righteous and holy before the LORD.
Verse 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?
So again, the Apostle Paul explains that the Levitical priesthood and the law were of the Old Covenant, and he asks the Hebrews that if the Old Covenant and the law perfected people so that they were righteous before God, then why was another priest needed? In other words, if the old Levitical system had worked, Jesus Christ would not have had to come to Earth after the order of a different priesthood that was not of Aaron in order to fix the system and bring in a New Covenant that would work so that people could be righteous before God.
Verses 12-14 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.
So out of necessity, because the people would not and could not keep the law that was taught and enforced by the Levites, God had to change the priesthood, and He did so by changing the law that required all priests to be from the tribe of Levi. All other Hebrew men from any other tribe were forbidden to minister in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple.
Application: So how did God change the Law? By sending Jesus Christ, His Son, to keep the Law perfectly so that all Christian believers were/are no longer under the Law, but under grace. Christian believers are no longer required to seek a Levitical priest to deal with their sin, but can go directly to the throne of God through prayer and through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He kept the Law for us, and it is through Him that we are no longer in bondage to a system that did not and could not work.
Application: Jesus Christ, the final High Priest, was from the tribe of Judah and so the Scribes and Pharisees would not accept Him as a priest. They had the Temple records and could trace Jesus’ lineage back to King David, so they knew He was a son of David and therefore a king. And they knew Jesus’ prophesied things that came true so they could allow Him to claim to be a prophet. But they drew the line at Him holding the position of priest. Hence this was a stumbling stone for the leadership of Israel and for the Hebrew people to whom the Apostle Paul is writing.
Verses 15-17 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.
All the Old Testament priests only held that office in Israel because of the Law given to Moses by the LORD. They were singled out from all the other tribes of Israel to be the priests, and it was by a commandment that governed mankind and not by the ability and miracle of life eternal which would have allowed the priesthood to never end. All the Levitical priests assumed room temperature and were buried, ending their priesthood. Jesus Christ, the body of flesh, also assumed room temperature and was buried but did not remain in the grave. Because He is alive today and forever, He is a priest after the order of Melchisedec, whose priesthood was exclusively his and the LORD Jesus Christ’s, and which set the precedence for a priesthood separate from that of the Levitical priesthood. “The LORD Hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” Psalms 110:4
Verses 18-19 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.
The Greek word translated as “disannulling” is “athetesis” and it means abolition, put away, or rejection. So because the original commandment to Moses establishing the Levitical priesthood was weak and useless, it was rejected and done away with under the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ. The Law did not make men perfect. Through Jesus Christ men ( and women) can be seen as perfect by God as seen through His shed blood. Now men have the hope of living a sinless life with the help of the Holy Ghost/Spirit residing within them, and the hope of eternal life when their physical bodies die and their inner man (spirit and soul) is released to be with Jesus.
Verses 20-22 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.
A testament is a will, a compact or a covenant (agreement). Here the Apostle Paul is letting the Hebrew Christians know that they have a better or more excellent covenant through Jesus Christ because His priesthood, which will never end, was established by an oath from God Almighty which cannot and never will be changed or altered in any way. It is sure, and it is the foundation of the Christian Faith. Jesus Christ is King of kings, LORD of lords, Saviour, Prophet, and High Priest.
Verses 23-25 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.
Because under the Old Covenant Law the priests were born to the house of Aaron, grew to adulthood and served as priests, then died with their children taking their place as priests, it stands to reason that these thousands of priests over time interpreted the Law and the ordinances and statutes in different ways, and that there was not a consistency in their judgements any more than there is consistency in how judges today interpret laws and pass out judgements. But the priesthood of Jesus Christ is everlasting and His judgements are not open to any other interpretation. They are consistent and righteous. The spiritual standards set by Jesus are the same today as they were in the past, and they will remain the same into the future. And through His priesthood, people from all nations can come unto Him and be saved because He, as High Priest, intercedes on their behalf.
Verses 26-28 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. (Hebrews 7)
So Jesus Christ, our High Priest, took on flesh and became like mankind. However, He remained holy and separate from sinful mankind and fullfilled the Law. Unlike earthly priests who had to offer a sacrifice for their own sins every day before they could intercede on behalf of the Jewish people, Jesus Christ who had no sin gave Himself as the Sacrificial Lamb. “The next day, John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29 He is our High Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.
So why did God set up the priesthood of Melchizedek during the days of Abraham? So that a precedent could be set establishing Jesus Christ as a priest even though He was from the tribe of Judah. Therefore the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and the Jewish people could not argue that Jesus Christ was not a priest. And therefore, under the New Covenant, we have a High Priest that lives forever making intercession for us.