In Hebrews 5:10 the message had been “the source of eternal salvation”, “a high priest” and here in Hebrews 7, we come back to that message. Jesus is not just a high priest according to the law, in fact, he is not a part of the Levitical priesthood at all, but in Hebrews 7:17 “according to the order of Melchizedek”. When we hear this word “order” we tend to think of one who might take vows and becoming a follower of, but this is more being in the type of Melchizedek who was “priest of the most high God”, “king of righteousness” and “king of peace”. And Jesus fills this role forever because he has eternal life. This then means that, according to Hebrews 7:25 “he is able to save completely those who draw near to God through him, because he always lives in order to intercede on their behalf”. And, this is the main point of this message according to Hebrews 8:1-2 “we have a high priest such as this, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord set up”. But lets not forget, even though “the law made nothing perfect” it could not just be ignored. It had to be fulfilled and in Hebrews 9:15 “because a death (Jesus gave his life) has taken place for the redemption of transgressions committed during the first covenant”. Jesus paid the penalty for our transgressions under the law. The law is satisfied and we are free to from Hebrews 9:15 “receive the promise of the eternal inheritance”.
Priest of the Most High God
Hebrews 7:1–10
Hebrews 7:1 starts with Abraham “returning from the slaughter of the kings”, this isn’t the main point, but Abraham with the 300 trained men of his house, pursued and defeated by “slaughter” the kings and armies that had taken Sodom and Gomorrah and many other son their way. These kings ruled by the sword, “Chedorlaomer and his three allies came and defeated the Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, Horites, Amalekites, Amorites, and finally the aforementioned five kings in a battle in the Valley of Siddim. They plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and took away Abram’s nephew Lot, but on their way back were defeated by Abram and lost all of their booty.”1
On Abraham’s return, Melchizedek not only came out to meet Abraham, but brought bread and wine (See Genesis 14:17-21) and “blessed him”. In is described as “King of Salem” which is understood to be Jerusalem. He is also describes as “priest of the most high God” which would be understood as the high priest and this at a time when the office of King and Priest were not found together. His name is also said to mean “king of righteousness” and “king of peace”. Melchizedek is clearly ruling with a different authority, righteousness and peace under God and Abraham honors him with a tithe, a tenth of the “spoil”. And the “tithes from Abraham” in Hebrews 7:6-10 “the one who had the promises” is recognized not only on Abraham’s behalf, but also for all those that are Abraham’s descendants.
Hebrews 7:10 says “he (Levi) was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him”. Doesn’t this say Melchizedek met Levi? God doesn’t think about things the way we do, actually, I have that backwards don’t I. We don’t think about things the way God does.
Psalm 139:16–17 (LEB) Your eyes saw my embryo, and in your book they all were written— days fashioned for me when there was not one of them. 17 And to me, how precious are your thoughts, O God; how vast is their sum.
A Priest According to the Power of an Indestructible Life
Hebrews 7:11–17
In Hebrews 7:1 we came back to the subject left in Hebrews 5:10, we are back on track talking about the priest. To reconnect with the message, it stopped at:
Hebrews 5:9–10 (LEB) and being perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation to all those who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
There is a clear distinction in Hebrews 7:16 between “a priest … according to a law of physical requirement” and “a priest … according to the power of an indestructible life”. Going back to Hebrews 7:11 we see that “if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood … what further need is there …?”. Yet, in Hebrews 7:17 “it is testified, “You (Jesus Christ) are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”, a quote from Psalms 110:3-4.
The Guarantee of a Better Covenant
Hebrews 7:18–22
What we have read until now, was setup for what is about to be said. The “main point” comes in a few verses in Hebrews 8:1 but first, we must understand from Hebrews 7:18-19 that “the law made nothing perfect” and is being set aside. “But … there is the introduction of a better hope through which we draw near to God”. And right here, nestled in the middle of all of this is the purpose, the reason this all matters, the reason for all of the explanation, “we draw near to God”.
Three times now, this statement has been made “You are a priest forever”
in Hebrews 5:6
in Hebrews 7:17
and now here in Hebrews 7:21
And this statement is important because in Hebrews 7:22 “Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant”.
He is Able to Save Completely
Hebrews 7:23–28
It says in Hebrews 7:23 that “priests … were prevented by death from continuing” and in Hebrews 7:27 they “need every day … to offer up sacrifices for his own sins and then for the sins of the people”. And in Hebrews 7:28 “the law appoints men as high priests who have weaknesses”. And how many times have you seen people disappointed or hurt or offended because of the weaknesses of a man?
Then it says in Hebrews 7:24 but he (Jesus), because he continues forever, holds the priesthood permanently or as it said in Hebrews 6:20 “Jesus, the forerunner for us, entered, because he became a high priest forever”. And here in Hebrews 7:26 he is “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and having become exalted above the heavens”. And in Hebrews 7:28 “who is made perfect forever”. Because in Hebrews 7:27 “”he did this once for all (offered up sacrifice for sin) when he offered up himself”.
And now, in Hebrews 7:25 “he is able to save completely those who draw near to God through him, because he always lives in order to intercede on their behalf”.
Mediator of a Better Covenant
Hebrews 8:1–6
This is the main point according to Hebrews 8:1-2 “we have a high priest such as this, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord set up, not man”. And it may be stating the obvious, but in Hebrews 8:3 “every high priest is appointed in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices; therefore it was necessary for this one also to have something that he offers (himself)”.
What Moses built in Hebrews 8:5, “the pattern which was shown” was the heavenly temple and Moses was the mediator of the law.
Then in Hebrews 8:6 “But now he (Jesus) has attained a more excellent ministry, by as much as he is also mediator of a better covenant which has been enacted upon better promises.
For This Is The Covenant
Hebrews 8:7–13
As we move through Hebrews, we find these statements like this one in Hebrews 8:7 about the “first covenant” and “if it had been faultless”. We read earlier in Hebrews 7:19 that “the law made nothing perfect”. But now we read in Hebrews 8:8 “I will complete a new covenant” and more a quoted from Jeremiah 31:31–34. This is the covenant we now have in Jesus Christ as it says in Hebrews 8:10 “I am putting my laws in their minds and I will write them on their hearts, and I will be their God and they will be my people”. And in Hebrews 8:13 “the former … is becoming obsolete”. As it said in Hebrews 7:19 “a better hope through which we draw near to God”.
The First Covenant had Regulations
Hebrews 9:1–10
Hebrews 9:3 describes “after the second curtain was a tent called the holy of holies”. Then in Hebrews 9:7 it says “but only the high priest enters the second tent once a year”. Now Hebrews 9:8 says, “The Holy Spirit was making this clear, that the way into the holy place was not yet revealed, while* the first tent was still in existence”. This is an important statement. The sacrifice under the law provided an atonement for sin, but always after the fact. The sin had already been committed. They came in their guilt but in Hebrews 9:8 this was “until the time of setting things right”.
But Christ Has Arrived
Hebrews 9:11–17
It says in Hebrews 9:11 “But Christ has arrived as a high priest of the good things to come”. And in Hebrews 9:12 “by his own blood, he entered once for all into the most holy place, obtaining eternal redemption”. And this is to, in Hebrews 9:14 “cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God”.
Now we have an important key. The first covenant that, “the law made nothing perfect” could not just be ignored. It had to be fulfilled and here in Hebrews 9:15 “because a death (Jesus gave his life) has taken place for the redemption of transgressions committed during the first covenant, those who are the called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance”. In other words, Jesus paid the penalty for our transgressions under the law. The law is satisfied and we are free from any other or future penalty.
Study Verses
- Hebrews 7:11–17
- Hebrews 7:23–28
- Hebrews 8:1–6
Today’s Reading
- Hebrews 7:1-28
- Hebrews 8:1-13
- Hebrews 9:1-19
References
- 1. Astour, M. C. (1992). Chedorlaomer (Person). In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Vol. 1, p. 893). New York: Doubleday.
