Hebrews Chapter 7

Christ’s Melchizedekian Priesthood

¹ That Melchizedek—king of Salem, priest of God Most High—met Abraham when he came back from killing the kings and blessed him. ² Abraham separated off to him a tenth of everything [Gen 14:17-20]. First, by translation, “Melchizedek” was “king of righteousness,” and then “king of Salem,” meaning “king of peace.” ³ Without record of father, mother, genealogy, birth, or death—like God’s Son—he remains a priest for all time.                                                                                                                                

Heb 7:1-3

            ⁴ Look how great the man was that Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils of war. ⁵ In the Law the Levites that receive the priesthood have a commandment to receive tithes from the people, that is, from their kin though they’ve descended from Abraham. ⁶ But the one whose genealogy wasn’t from them received a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one that had the promises. ⁷ Without argument, the greater blesses the lesser. ⁸ Here men that die receive tithes, but there one received it who is pictured as alive. ⁹ So to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid a tithe. ¹⁰ He was in his ancestor’s loins when Melchizedek met him. ¹¹ If perfection could come through the Levitical priesthood (by which the people received the Law), why would there be another priest “after the order of Melchizedek”? ¹² Changing the priesthood requires changing the Law, ¹³ because the One these things speak about belonged to different tribe; nobody from that tribe ever served at the altar. ¹⁴ It’s clear that our Lord descended from Judah; Moses never said anything about priests from that tribe. ¹⁵ It’s even clearer if another priest arises like Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become a priest, not by law based on physical requirement, but by power based on indestructible life. ¹⁷ Scripture testifies,

                        “You’re a priest forever

                                    after the order of Melchizedek” [Ps 110:4].

¹⁸ That statement annuls the preceding commandment because it was weak and unprofitable— ¹⁹ the Law didn’t make anything perfect—and brings in a better hope by which we can draw near to God.                                                         

Heb 7:4-19

God’s Oath About Christ’s Priesthood

            ^20-21 Furthermore, Christ’s priesthood came in with an oath. The Levites became priests without an oath, but he became a priest with an oath from the One that said to him,

                        “The LORD swore

                                    and won’t change his mind,

                        ‘You’re a priest forever’” [Ps 110:4].

²² By that much Jesus also guaranteed a better covenant. ²³ There were lots of former priests because death prevented them from continuing. ²⁴ He holds his priesthood without successors because he remains forever. ²⁵ So he can save “forever” the ones that draw near to God through him. He’s always alive to intercede for them.                                                                                  

Heb 7:20-25

²⁶ That’s the kind of high priest we need—holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, higher than the sky. ²⁷ Unlike those high priests, he didn’t need to make an offering every day first for his own sins and then for the people’s. He made an offering once and for all when he offered himself. ²⁸ The Law appoints men high priests that have weakness, but the oath that came after the Law appointed forever a perfected Son.     

Heb 7:26-28