Hebrews 7:1-10: The Greatness of Melchizedek

Introduction

Scripture

Hebrews 7:1–10 ESV

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. 4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Outline

Hebrews 1-2 - Jesus is Greater Than the Angels

Hebrews 1:1-4 - God has Spoken

Hebrews 1:5-14 - The Son is Superior to the Angels

Hebrews 2:1-4 - A Warning

Hebrews 2:5-9 - Lowliness to Crowning Glory

Hebrews 2:10-18 - Jesus has Delivered His Brothers

Hebrews 3:1-4:13 - Jesus is a Greater Rest

Hebrews 3:1-6 - Jesus is Worthy of More Glory Than Moses

Hebrews 3:7-19 - Disobedience After the Exodus

Hebrews 4:1-13 - A Sabbath Rest for God’s People

Hebrews 4:14-7:26 - Jesus is Greater than Melchizedek

Hebrews 4:14-16 - Jesus is the Great High Priest

Hebrews 5:1-10 - Jesus is the High Priest After the Order of Melchizedek

Hebrews 5:11-6:20 - Warning and Exhortation

Hebrews 5:11-14 - Failure to Mature

Hebrews 6:1-8 - Pursue Maturity

Hebrews 6:9-12 - Loving Motivation

Hebrews 6:13-20 - The Promise of God’s Word and God’s Oath

Hebrews 7:1-10 - The Greatness of Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:1-3 - The Priesthood and Kingship of Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:4-10 - Melchizedek is Greater than the Levites

Purpose of Book

Christ, who has accomplished salvation through His atoning sacrifice, is greater than all things; therefore, persevere in true faith and encourage others to do likewise

Main Point

The author returns to Jesus being a high priest after the order of Melchizedek - Hebrews 5:10-11. Melchizedek is superior to Abraham, Aaron, and the Levities as he resembles Jesus, the Son of God.

Hebrews 7:1-3 - The Priesthood and Kingship of Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:1–3 ESV

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

***Inclusio is formed in this chapter by “Son” in vss. 3 & 28***

***Smaller inclusio is formed in vss. 1-10 by “met”***

***Chapter is broken into three sections - 1-10, 11-19, & 20-28***

***1-10 interpret Genesis 14:18-20 & 11-28 interpret Psalm 110:4***

***One complex Greek sentence broken into three in the ESV***

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything.

New sentence in the Greek started by the conjunction gar - For

Two places in the Old Testament mention Melchizedek

Psalm 110:4

Genesis 14:18-20

Genesis 14:8–20 ESV

8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. 11 So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way. 13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people. 17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Melchizedek

First priest mentioned in the Scriptures

Messiah, superhuman, supernatural being, or a non-Israelite historical figure?

11Q13 - A superhuman or supernatural being executing God’s judgment

Priest of the Most High God

The word for God used here is a universal name for God, not Yahweh

Melchizedek’s priesthood was not through the lineage of the OT priest, but universal

King of Salem

Most likely becomes Jerusalem under David

Blessed him

Signifies that Melchizedek was a priest

A tenth

Introduces an idea here that will become very important in the next section

He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.

By translation of his name

Melek - King

Tsedeq - Righteousness

King of righteousness/King of Peace

The author is connecting Melchizedek with Jewish literature relating to the messianic age

The author is not concerned with the location of Melchizedek’s kingship (Salem=Jerusalem), but is concerned on the characteristics that define Melchizedek connecting him with messianic language

Salem, that is, king of peace

Salem is from the same Hebrew root word for peace - shalom

He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life,

In Greek - “fatherless, motherless, genealogy-less”

The OT does not bear the record of Melchizedek’s family history

Notice the 5 pieces missing from Melchizedek’s life which are evident throughout Genesis

Father

Mother

Family lineage

Beginning of days

End of life

Some in Jewish literature believed Melchizedek to be an angel or even a pre-incarnate Christ, but that is not the author’s point

The levitical priesthood required a line of genealogy, but Melchizedek’s priesthood is independent

But resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

Psalm 110:4 ESV

4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Resembling the Son of God

Similar in characteristics

The focus is not on Melchizedek as a historical person as he drops out of the argument after vs 10, but on Jesus being a high priest after the order of Melchizedek

Jesus’ priesthood is not patterned after Melchizedek, but Melchizedek’s priesthood is patterned after Christ’s!

He continues as a priest forever

This is the climax of the sentence - these 3 verses

He foreshadows the Messiah, but does not compete with Him

Hebrews 7:4-10 - Melchizedek is Greater than the Levites

Hebrews 7:4–10 ESV

4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

***Two themes from vss. 1-3 are more developed in vss. 4-10 - A tenth and Melchizedek blessing Abraham***

See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!

New sentence in the Greek started by the conjunction de - “silent now”

See

Command - Second person plural

Beginning the argument that Melchizedek is greater than Abraham

Spoils

Plunder from battle

And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham.

New sentence in the Greek started by the conjunction kai - And

Descendants of Levi

Genealogy was required to be a Levitical priest

Priestly office

Performing religious duties and ceremonies to the Lord on behalf of others

Commandment in the law

Instructed to do something as given by the Torah

Take tithes

Collect a tenth

Numbers 18:21 ESV

21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,

But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

New sentence in the Greek started by the conjunction de

Blessed him who had the promises

Reflection back to Hebrews 6:13-20

Hebrews 6:13–20 ESV

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.

New sentence in the Greek started by the conjunction de - “silent and”

The inferior - Abraham

Superior - Melchizedek

In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.

New sentence in the Greek started by the conjunction kai - “silent and”

Every levitical priest would die, but Melchizedek is typologically described as living, hence vs. 3

One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

New sentence in the Greek started by the conjunction kai - “silent and”

Covenantal representation

Levi participated in Abraham’s action acknowledging that Melchizedek’s priesthood was greater than his

Application

Don’t revert back to relics/traditions/works that you were previously engaged in

Persevere in truth faith to the one who Melchizedek points to - the Son of God

Main Point

The author returns to Jesus being a high priest after the order of Melchizedek - Hebrews 5:10-11. We see here that Melchizedek is superior to Abraham, Aaron, and the Levities.