From Christ’s royal, superior, and permanent priesthood that resembles the priesthood of Melchizedek so long ago, we ought also to rejoice that Jesus’ priesthood is sufficient, which is clearly the glorious conclusion that the author wants us to behold: Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

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

See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 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. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 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. 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.

Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him,

“You are a priest forever,
                        after the order of Melchizedek.”

            For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
            and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’”

This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 7:1-25 ESV

Back in the first ten verses of chapter 5, the author of Hebrews began the central point of his sermon: the superior priesthood of Jesus. As we noted, through the linking of Psalm 2 and Psalm 110, the author transitioned from speaking primarily of Jesus’ Sonship to Jesus’ priesthood. Indeed, after quoting Psalm 110’s declaration from the Father to the Son, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek,” the author indicted his intention to explain the significance of that declaration in 5:10.

However, he suddenly broke away from this explanation to give an extended exhortation to his beloved readers. First, he rebuked them for being dull of hearing and falling backward into spiritual immaturity. Then he gave them a stern and fearful warning of falling away from the faith into apostasy. Finally, he changed his tone and encouraged them to remain steadfast in the promises of God, just like Abraham did so long ago.

After that extended exhortation from 5:11-6:20, the author skillfully set us back upon his original point with 6:19-20:

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

It is Melchizedek’s connection to Christ that is now unfolded for us in our present text.

A Royal Priesthood // Verses 1-3

As we noted previously, the identity and purpose of Melchizedek was surely one of the most perplexing pieces of the Old Testament. He appears abruptly and briefly in Genesis 14 and is then mentioned in connection with the Messiah, David’s Lord, in Psalm 110. Nothing else is said about this ancient priest-king, leaving him long shrouded in mystery. Verse 1 and the first part of verse 2 gives a succinct description of Melchizedek’s appearance in Genesis 14:

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.

Of course, the actual text of Genesis 14:17-20 is not much longer:

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). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Nothing else is said about Melchizedek. He brings Abraham (Abram at that time) bread and wine, blessed him, and received a tithe from the patriarch. Although that information is sparse, the author of Hebrews goes on to explain how each detail is significant.

First, he points out that Melchizedek’s name means king of righteousness, and he is the king of Salem, which means peace. Furthermore, he simply appears in the text without introduction or genealogy, which is particularly striking within Genesis, which is literally structured around genealogies. Finally, although he is a Gentile (Abraham being the first Hebrew), Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God, which means that he worshiped the Yahweh, the Creator of heaven and earth, in midst of the world’s collapse into paganism.

The key phrase in these first three verses, indeed of this entire chapter, is: resembling the Son of God. Although many have speculated whether or not Melchizedek was a preincarnate appearance of Jesus, this phrase seems to give us a clear answer. Melchizedek was not an appearance of Jesus; instead, he was a real, godly king who resembles Jesus. Melchizedek was a type of Jesus, a prefiguring of the Christ.

He resembles Jesus in his name and title. Like Jesus, Melchizedek is both a priest and a king, which were offices that were rarely together in the same person. Although Melchizedek’s name means king of righteousness, Jesus is the actual king of righteousness. Being the eternal Son of God, Jesus is the King of kings, and He alone is perfectly and wholly righteousness. Also, although Melchizedek was the king of Salem (that is, peace), Jesus is the true King of peace or, as Isaiah calls Him, the Prince of Peace, for He came to make peace between God and man through the sacrifice of Himself. For yet another connection, many scholars believe Salem to be the former name of Jerusalem, which would later become the city of David and of God’s temple.

He resembles Jesus in His having neither beginning of days nor end of life. Of course, the author of Hebrews is not suggesting that Melchizedek was actually immortal; rather, he is pointing to his written appearance in the text. As Richard Phillips notes,

This statement leads many to suppose Melchizedek to be some sort of celestial being, or even the preincarnate Christ. But what is in view here is not Melchizedek himself being without beginning or end, but Melchizedek as presented in Scripture. Quite in contrast to nearly everybody else of consequence in the book of Genesis, Melchizedek is not accompanied by a genealogy, but appears without any introduction or conclusion. He has no mother or father. The writer of Hebrews, following a long rabbinic tradition of interpreting passages like this, sees as much significance in what the text omits as in what it says. A. W. Pink explains: “The silence of the Old Testament Scriptures concerning his parentage has a designed significance. The entire omission was ordered by the Holy Spirit… in order to present a perfect type of the Lord Jesus.” F. F. Bruce notes this about the biblical portrayal: “In the only record which Scripture provides of Melchizedek… he appears as a living man, king of Salem, priest of God Most High; and as such he disappears. In all this—in the silences as well as in the statements—he is a fitting type of Christ…Melchizedek remains a priest continually for the duration of his appearance in the biblical narrative.”[1]

Indeed, because we are not told any of these things about Melchizedek, his priesthood appears to be perpetual, remaining a priest forever. It is to that priesthood, which is the third resemblance that Melchizedek bears to Christ, that the remainder of the chapter focuses upon.

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