Hebrews - worksheet 13

Hebrews - worksheet 13
Jesus foreshadowed - Hebrews 7:1-10
NKJV heading is The King of Righteousness

Hebrews chapter 7 context
Chapters 5 and 6 detoured from the main theme in order to present a warning about faithlessness and apostasy. Chapter 7 returns to the topic of Melchizedek, who represents a mysterious but important moment in Old Testament history. Here, the author will show how Melchizedek was superior to Abraham, and that Melchizedek’s priesthood is superior to the priesthood of Aaron. This leads into the next chapters, which show how Jesus Christ perfectly fulfills our salvation in ways which the Old Covenant cannot (BibleRef).

Commentary
Here, in chapter 7, the author dives into this discussion of the priesthood of Melchizedek. The main point being made, starting here, is that Christ is the ultimate and perfect fulfillment of God’s promises. So, our covenant with Him is superior in all ways to the covenant of the Levitical law. This is crucial for the letter’s original audience: persecuted Jewish Christians. This idea is so important, in fact, that the author will spend a great deal of time discussing it. Of all of the explanations given in the book of Hebrews, this is the longest, running from here in chapter 7 all the way through the beginning of chapter 10 (BibleRef).

Hebrews 7:1-10 (NKJV) says ¹For this

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, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met

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returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ²to whom also Abraham gave a

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part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” ³without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made

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the Son of God, remains a priest continually. ⁴Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. ⁵And indeed those who are of the sons of

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, who receive the

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, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; ⁶but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. ⁷Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. ⁸

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mortal men receive tithes, but

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he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. ⁹Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, ¹⁰for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

The name Melchizedek means ‘king of righteousness’. He was the king of Salem (verse 1). What is the City of Salem about? Is it Jeru-Salem? Salem is the same word as the Hebrew word ‘shalom’, which means ‘peace’. Melchizedek was the priest of the Most High God (verse 1). Isn’t it interesting that here we see the title of Melchizedek, at a time that priesthood was not yet instituted.

Already in Hebrews 2:17 Jesus was introduced as High Priest. Then, in Hebrews 5:5-6 again Jesus was mentioned as High Priest, but now according to the order of Melchizedek. Now, when we are in chapter 7, we’ll get to Melchizedek again.

Let’s look where Melchizedek was mentioned in the Old Testament.
Genesis 14:18-20 says ¹⁸Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. ¹⁹And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; ²⁰And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.

Melchizedek served in three priestly functions:
1. He had a sacred fellowship meal with Abraham. Brought bread and wine (Genesis 14:18). Isn’t this a preview of the communion in our Christian churches?
2. He blessed the patriarch Abraham (verse 1).
3. He received Abraham’s thiths (verse 2).

Q1 It’s remarkable that this Melchizedek is ‘an outsider’ of the many stories in the Bible. Also mysterious, without beginning nor end, made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually (verse 3). What do you think? Is He a type of Jesus? A pre-incarate appearance of Jesus?

The rest of this passage, verses 4-9, is a bout giving thiths, which means sacrificial giving, no tax.
In verse 4 it says that ‘Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils’. Spoils mean the top of the heap, or the best.
In the Jewish tradition we read about giving thiths to the priesthoods of Aaron and Levi.

Q2 In New Testament times we as Christians look at 1 Corinthians 16:2 says On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper. It says that our giving is proportional. Is 10% a good proportion?

Q3 Is the title of this study well chosen and why do you think so?

Close by singing this song with all your heart.