Melchizedek Meets Abraham
Melchizedek appears in Genesis, priest of our Father Most High, blesses Abraham and takes a tenth, and the writer builds on that: a priesthood older than Levi's and outside it. Since the priesthood changes, the law changes with it. This priest always lives to plead our case.
7 1This Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High, our Father, met Abraham returning from defeating the kings and blessed him. 2Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. His name means, first, king of righteousness, then also king of Salem—meaning king of peace. 3Without father, without mother, without genealogy, no beginning of days or end of life, but like the Son of our Father, he remains a priest forever.
4Consider how great this man was: Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the plunder. 5Those descendants of Levi who become priests are commanded by the law to collect the tenth from the people—their own brothers—though they too descend from Abraham. 6But he, though not descended from them, took a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who held the promises. 7It is beyond all dispute that the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8In one case, tithes are received by mortal men; in the other, by one testified to be alive. 9One might even say Levi, who receives the tenth, paid it through Abraham, 10for he was still in his ancestor's body when Melchizedek met Abraham.
11If the Levitical priesthood brought perfection—the people received the law under it—why was another priest needed, one in Melchizedek's order, not called after Aaron's order? 12For when the priesthood changes, the law must change as well. 13For he of whom these things are said belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14Clearly our Lord descended from Judah; Moses said nothing about priests from that tribe. 15And this becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16who has become a priest not by a law of physical descent but by the power of an indestructible life.
17For it is testified about him, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
18On the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness. 19The law perfected nothing; but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to our Father. 20This was not without an oath, for the others became priests without an oath,
21but he became a priest with an oath, by the one who said to him: "Our Father has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'" a a v21 The 'one who said' the oath is our Father, who established Jesus's eternal priesthood. Psalm 110 is the most-quoted psalm in the New Testament — every quotation points to Jesus.
22To that same degree, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
23The former priests were many, because death prevented them from continuing in office, 24but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25So he can fully save those who come to our Father through him, since he always lives to plead their case.
26Such a high priest suited us: holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, raised above the heavens. 27Unlike those high priests, he doesn't need to offer sacrifices daily—first for his own sins, then for the people's—since he did this once for all, offering himself. 28The law appoints weak men as high priests, but the oath's word, coming after the law, appoints the Son, made perfect forever.
