| Jesus
vs. Judaism: The Book of Hebrews Lesson 7
1. Melchizedek and Abraham (Heb 7:1-3) Melchizedek has long been a
somewhat enigmatic and mysterious character, a shadowy figure who generates a
lot of head scratching and blank stares. But we may simplify the author’s
present reference to him in the following manner: Melchizedek simply
repre-sents a priestly order which predated the Levitical priesthood and was
superior to it. Je-sus, he asserts, was made a priest after this
Melchizedekian order, rendering the Levitical priesthood defunct. The facts
concerning Melchizedek are these: 1) He served as king and priest
simultaneously (Heb 7:1); 2) Abraham
gave a tenth of his war spoils to Mel-chizedek (7:2); and 3) Melchizedek’s
priesthood was not dependent upon lineage, nei-ther was it transferred to his
posterity (7:3). His priesthood was a unique appointment and was bestowed
singularly upon him by God. It is in this sense that he “remains a priest
continually.” His was a position of honor never revoked or transferred to
another. 1. What is the “slaughter of
the kings”? 2. What did Melchizedek do
for Abraham (Hebrews 7:1)? 2.
Melchizedek and Levi (Heb 7:4-10)Several arguments set forth the superiority
of Melchizedek’s priesthood: 1) Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek was voluntary
whereas tithing for Levitical priests is commanded by law (7:5a); 2) Abraham
was not related to Melchizedek whereas Levitical priests receive tithes from
their own brethren (7:5b-6); 3) While Abraham was a great man to whom God
issued the redemptive promises, he received a blessing from Melchizedek
(7:6b, 2). “Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better”
(7:7); 4) When Levitical high priests die, they cease to be priests and the
honor passes to their descendant. How-ever, no such succession occurred with
Melchizedek’s priesthood, “of whom it is witnessed that he lives” (7:8).
Again, this is not some mysterious statement about Melchizedek’s immortality
but simply the acknowledgement that his priesthood was unique to him. He did
not die and leave his priesthood to another after him; 5) Levi even
representatively paid tithes to Melchizedek through his ancestor Abraham
(7:9-10). This argument carried more
force in the ancient past when ancestry was so important and the representative
behavior of illustrious ancestors was of great significance. How-ever, we
make similar comparisons when we say, “Before you were even thought of …”
or “Before you were a gleam in your parents’ eyes …”. The Hebrew author’s
point is that, long before the tribe of Levi and the Aaronic priesthood,
there existed a greater man that Abraham who had a unique priesthood peculiar
to him. Levi was not the be-all and end-all of priesthood; in fact, as the
author will show, the priesthood that originated with him was flawed. 3. What was given to the Levites instead of
a portion of land (Num 18:21-24)? 3. The Change of Priesthood and Law (Heb
7:11-19) This is a crucial moment in
the argument of the epistle. The implication of Jesus’ Mel- chizedekian
priesthood is that the Law of Moses has been abrogated. The Levitical
priesthood and the Law are inseparable, for the national existence of Israel
depended upon their observance of sacrifices, feasts and other worship under
the leadership of the priests. “For the priesthood being changed, of
necessity there is also a change of the law” (Heb 7: 12). Why was the law
changed? “Because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made
nothing perfect” (7:18b-19a; comp. Rom 3:20, 28; Gal 2:16; 3:10-13). The
unspoken conclusion of this is: These Jewish brethren have nothing to go back
to! The Law of Moses is defunct. It is the law and priesthood of Christ or
nothing.4. What psalm is again quoted to substantiate the eternal nature of
Jesus’ priesthood? 5. What precludes Jesus from serving as a priest under the
Mosaic covenant? 6. What does our
“better hope” in Christ allow us to do?
4. An Unchangeable Priesthood |
