Hebrews 7: A Priest Forever
Melchizedek's mysterious greatness proves that Christ's eternal priesthood surpasses the Levitical order and gives us a better hope drawing near to God.
Hebrews 7 (WEB)
1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
2 to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace;
3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best plunder.
5 They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham,
6 but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.
7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.
8 Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives.
9 We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes,
10 for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him.
11 Now if there were perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also in the law.
13 For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.
15 This is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest,
16 who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life:
17 for it is testified, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
18 For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness
19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
20 Inasmuch as he was not made priest without the taking of an oath
21 (for they indeed have been made priests without an oath), but he with an oath by him that says of him, “The Lord swore and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.’”
22 By so much, Jesus has become the collateral of a better covenant.
23 Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death.
24 But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable.
25 Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.
26 For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.
28 For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.
Hebrews 7 (KJV)
1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)
22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
Hebrews 7 (ASV)
1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
2 to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God), abideth a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the chief spoils.
5 And they indeed of the sons of Levi that receive the priest’s office have commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though these have come out of the loins of Abraham:
6 but he whose genealogy is not counted from them hath taken tithes of Abraham, and hath blessed him that hath the promises.
7 But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there one, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
9 And, so to say, through Abraham even Levi, who receiveth tithes, hath paid tithes;
10 for he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchizedek met him.
11 Now if there was perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it hath the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be reckoned after the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
13 For he of whom these things are said belongeth to another tribe, from which no man hath given attendance at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests.
15 And what we say is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest,
16 who hath been made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life:
17 for it is witnessed of him, Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek.
18 For there is a disannulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness
19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in thereupon of a better hope, through which we draw nigh unto God.
20 And inasmuch as it is not without the taking of an oath
21 (for they indeed have been made priests without an oath; but he with an oath by him that saith of him, The Lord sware and will not repent himself, Thou art a priest for ever);
22 by so much also hath Jesus become the surety of a better covenant.
23 And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing:
24 but he, because he abideth for ever, hath his priesthood unchangeable.
25 Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
26 For such a high priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 who needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people: for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.
28 For the law appointeth men high priests, having infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, appointeth a Son, perfected for evermore.
Summary
The writer now unfolds the figure of Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from battle and blessed him, receiving a tenth of everything. His name means king of righteousness, and as king of Salem he is king of peace; without recorded father, mother, or genealogy, with neither beginning of days nor end of life, he resembles the Son of God and remains a priest forever. Consider how great he was: even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe, and Melchizedek blessed Abraham—and the lesser is always blessed by the greater. Since even Levi, still in Abraham's body, in effect paid tithes through Abraham, the Levitical priesthood is shown to be inferior. If perfection had come through that priesthood, there would have been no need for another priest in Melchizedek's order rather than Aaron's; but a change of priesthood requires a change of law. Our Lord sprang from Judah, a tribe Moses never connected with priesthood, so this priest arises not by legal descent but by the power of an indestructible life, as Scripture testifies: “You are a priest forever.” The former commandment is set aside as weak and useless, for the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is brought in through which we draw near to God. Christ's priesthood is confirmed by God's oath, and because he lives forever his priesthood is permanent; therefore he is able to save completely those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest—holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens—meets our need, for unlike the others he offered sacrifice once for all when he offered up himself.
Key Figures
- Melchizedek — King of Salem and priest of God Most High, without recorded genealogy, made like the Son of God, who blessed Abraham and prefigures Christ's eternal priesthood.
- Christ our high priest — The priest forever after Melchizedek's order, holy and undefiled, who saves completely those who draw near and always lives to intercede for them.
- Abraham and Levi — The patriarch who tithed to and was blessed by Melchizedek, and through him Levi, showing the Levitical priesthood's inferiority to this greater order.
Key Verse
Hebrews 7:25 (WEB)
Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.
Lessons Learned
- Melchizedek's greatness foreshadows a priesthood far superior to the Levitical line.
- A change in priesthood signals a change in the whole covenant arrangement.
- The law made nothing perfect, but Christ brings in a better hope to draw near to God.
- Because Jesus lives forever, he saves completely and always intercedes for his people.
- The greater blesses the lesser. “Without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater” (Hebrews 7:7, WEB). Abraham receiving Melchizedek's blessing shows the order of Christ surpasses the order of Levi.
- A better hope replaces a weak law. The law “made nothing perfect,” so there is “a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God” (Hebrews 7:19, WEB). Christ gives access the law could never grant.
- Christ's priesthood never ends. “Because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable” (Hebrews 7:24, WEB). Death ended every other priest's service, but not his.
- He saves completely and prays for us. He is able to save “to the uttermost” because “he lives forever to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25, WEB). No part of our salvation is left unfinished or unprayed for.
- Who is Melchizedek, and why does the writer make so much of him (7:1-3)?
- How does the writer prove that Melchizedek's order is greater than the Levitical priesthood (7:4-10)?
- Why does a change of priesthood require a change of law (7:11-12)?
- What does it mean that Jesus is able to “save to the uttermost” and “lives forever to make intercession” (7:25)?
- How does it comfort you to know that Jesus is right now praying for you?
- Melchizedek appears briefly in Genesis as a king-priest who blessed Abraham, and Scripture's silence about his lineage and lifespan makes him resemble the eternal Son (7:1-3). The writer uses him to show that a priesthood older and greater than Aaron's was always anticipated. He is a shadow whose substance is Christ.
- Abraham, the great patriarch, paid tithes to Melchizedek and received his blessing, and since Levi was still “in the body” of Abraham, even the Levitical priests in effect tithed to Melchizedek (7:4-10). This demonstrates the superiority of Christ's order over the Levitical line their whole system rested on.
- The priesthood and the law are bound together, so a new and greater priest signals a new covenant order (7:11-12). The Levitical system could not bring perfection, which is why God promised a different kind of priest. The change is not God's failure but his planned fulfillment.
- Because Jesus never dies, his saving work and his intercession never lapse; he carries his people all the way home (7:25). “To the uttermost” means completely and forever, leaving no gap. We are kept not by the strength of our grip on him but by his unbroken hold on us.
- This is a personal-application question. Many believers feel their prayers are weak, so it steadies the soul to know our high priest is interceding perfectly and constantly for us. As leader, let the group rest in this; our perseverance is upheld by Christ's unceasing prayer, not our performance.