The Word Made Fresh
1Melchizedek was the king of Salem and priest of God Most High, and he met and blessed Abraham returning from his defeat of the enemy kings. 2Abraham then shared with him a tenth of all the spoils. Now, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness.” But he is also the king of Salem, which means, “king of peace.” 3He is without parents and without ancestors. His birth and death are unknown, so that he is like the Son of God, and he remains a priest forever.
4Do you understand how important he is? Even our patriarch, Abraham, gave him a tenth of the spoils. 5And those who hold the office of priesthood, descendants of Levi, are commanded by the law to gather the tithe from the people, who are their kindred and who are also descendants of Abraham. 6But this man Melchizedek, who is not one of their ancestors, collected the tithe from Abraham and blessed the one who received the promises. 7The one who is inferior is blessed by the one who is superior; this can’t be disputed. 8In the one case, tithes are collected by those who die; in the other case the tithe is received by one who lives. 9You might even say that Levi, the one who receives tithes, paid tithes himself through Abraham, 10even though when Melchizedek met Abraham Levi was still in Abraham’s future.
11If perfection could be achieved through the Levitical priesthood through whom the people received the law, why would there be a need for another priest like Melchizedek instead of someone descended from Aaron? 12The priesthood can’t be changed without changing the law.
13Now, we are speaking of the one who belonged to another tribe from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14We know that our Lord was a descendant of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.
15All this is even more obvious when another priest like Melchizedek arises, 16who did not become a priest through the legal requirement of ancestry, but rather through the power of an indestructible life. 17After all, it has been said of him, ‘You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.’ 18On the one hand an earlier commandment was canceled. It was weak and ineffectual 19because the law could not make anything perfect. On the other hand, there is the presentation of a better hope through which we can approach God.
20And this was confirmed with an oath. Others who became priests did so without an oath, 21but this one became a priest with a promise because of the one who said to him, “The Lord will not change his mind, but has sworn that you are a priest forever.” 22So, Jesus has become the assurance of a better covenant relationship.
23Also, the former priests were numerous because death prevented them from continuing in that office, 24but Christ continues forever and so is a priest forever. 25That is why he will always be able to save those who seek God through him, because he will always be available to intercede for them.
26It is a blessing that we have a high priest who is holy and blameless, pure and sinless, and glorified above the heavens. 27He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices day after day for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. Unlike the other priests he did this once for all by offering himself. 28The law elevates to the high priesthood those who are sinful, but the promise which came later than the law appointed a Son who has been made perfect forever.
Commentary
1-3: The story of Melchizedek is found in Genesis 14:17-20. The author of Hebrews makes a lot more of it than is there. The name Melchizedek occurs only twice in the Old Testament (Genesis 14:29 and Psalm 110:4), and eight times in the New Testament, all in Hebrews. Verses 1 and 2 repeat what we already know about Melchizedek; verse 3 adds legendary material. Melchizedek, it was supposed, had no parents since none are mentioned, and neither his birth nor his death is recorded which led to the legend that he was a supernatural priest. The author’s purpose, of course, is to elevate him as high as possible since he wants to make a comparison with Jesus.
4-10: Melchizedek is here shown to be greater than Abraham because Abraham paid tithes to him; and greater than the entire priesthood of Israel because Levi, ancestor of all the priests, also paid tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham, even though he was still in Abraham’s future — that is, it was imagined that future generations somehow already existed within the body of the ancestor. Not a bad description of DNA, actually.
11-14: If the Levitical priests had been perfect there would have been no need for another priest like Melchizedek. But they weren’t perfect, needless to say, and so God appointed another high priest – Jesus – like Melchizedek, not from the tribe of Levi but from the tribe of Judah; in other words, outside the order of human priesthood: outside the law.
15-19: His argument gets a little obscure here, but his point is that the law is not able to make anything perfect (because it only has the power to condemn) and therefore, quoting Psalm 110:4 again, God appointed another high priest like Melchizedek who is the introduction of “a better hope.” That would be Jesus, of course.
20-22: Jesus’ appointment to the high priesthood was accomplished by God’s oath; an authorization other high priests do not have.
23-25: All the other high priests died, but Christ is high priest forever and is thus available in every generation to grant salvation to all who approach God through him.
26-28: The imperfect law appointed the other high priests who daily have to offer sacrifices for themselves as well as everybody else. The perfect oath (Psalm 110:4 again), however, appointed Jesus as high priest (“you are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek”) and he offered his own body as the sacrifice for everyone’s sins, for all time.
Takeaway
Forgiveness is offered to us through Christ, and only through Christ. Faith makes all things possible.