Melchizedek, Abraham, and Levi
7
📚✭For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 📚and Abraham gave him a tenth part of everything. By interpretation he is first “King of righteousness”, and then “King of Salem” also, that is, “King of peace”. 3 📚Being without father, without mother, and without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, he is made like the Son of God and remains a priest continually. 4 📚✭Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the plunder. 5 📚Certainly those who are of the sons of Levi✭ who receive the office of the priesthood are commanded according to the Law to take tithes✭ from the people, that is, from their brethren, even though they are descended from Abraham. 6 📚But he whose descent is not traced from them✭ received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him✭ who had the promises. 7 📚And without any contradiction the less is blessed by the greater✭. 8 📚And here✭ men that die receive tithes. But there✭ they are received by one about whom it is affirmed that he lives✭. 9 📚✭And, I may say, Levi also, who receives tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. 10 📚For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
As High Priest Christ is like Melchizedek
11 📚✭ Therefore, if perfection✭ came by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the Law✭), what further need was there that another priest should arise according to the order of Melchizedek and not be called according to the order of Aaron✭? 12 📚✭But the priesthood having been changed, it is necessary that there be a change of the law also. 13 📚For the one about whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, and from it no man served at the altar. 14 📚For it is evident that our Lord sprang from Judah✭, and about this tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.
15 📚✭And this matter is far more evident, since according to the likeness of Melchizedek another priest arises, 16 📚who has become one, not according to the law having to do with a command concerning bodily origins, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 📚✭For he declares,
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
The Old Covenant priesthood was weak, and could not do what needed to be done
18 📚For without doubt the previous commandment✭ has been annulled because of its weakness and uselessness. 19 📚For the Law made nothing perfect, but bringing in a better hope✭ did, and by this hope we draw near to God.
Christ became High Priest though God’s promise
20 ✭And since he was not made a priest without an oath 21 📚(those priests were made such without an oath, but this one with an oath by him who said to him,
The Lord swore and will not change his mind,
You are a priest forever according
to the order of Melchizedek),
22 📚so much more surely has Jesus become a guarantee of a better covenant.
Christ’s priesthood is eternal
23 📚✭And in fact they were many priests, for they were prevented from continuing because of death. 24 📚But this man, because he goes on forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 📚✭Therefore he is able also to save to the utmost those who come to God through him, because✭ he always lives to make intercession for them.
Christ is the High Priest who meets people’s real needs
26 📚✭For such a high priest is fitting for us. He is holy, blameless, undefiled, separate from sinners✭, and exalted above the heavens✭, 27 📚who does not need to offer up sacrifice daily, as those high priests, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people, for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself. 28 📚For the Law ordains as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath✭, which was after the Law✭, ordains the Son who is consecrated forever✭.