In the present installment we are to study Hebrews 7. As has been noted, 7:1 links directly with 5:10, the section 5:11-6:20 being a parenthesis as we have already seen.

According to Hebrews 5:10 when our Lord returned from the tomb and ascended to heaven, God addressed or saluted Him a priest after the order of Melchizedek. The question is, who was Melchizedek? He is mentioned three times in the Scriptures—Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and Hebrews 5:7-7:28.

In the Genesis record we see that Melchizedek was king of Salem, as the city was then named, but later called Jerusalem. He was a priest-king, a character who stands by himself in the historical record like a lone mountain in a vast plain. It is evident from the narrative that the little kingdom over which he reigned was the kingdom of God as it existed at that time. My reason for saying this is that he was priest of God Most High. Being a king and a priest, he was reigning over a kingdom authorized by God and supervising the worship of the Almighty.

Since this man was a true servant of God and was conducting His worship, we conclude that there was indeed a revelation of God known at that time. This inference is strengthened by absolute proof found in Genesis 26:5, which gives us the following bit of information: "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." In view of this clear statement there can be no doubt concerning there having been a primitive revelation made by the Lord and known and obeyed by Abraham. God called this patriarch out of Ur of the Chaldees and brought him over into Palestine into fellowship with Melchizedek. Since he participated in the worship conducted by Melchizedek, and since he obeyed God's commandments, statutes, and laws, it is abundantly certain that there was a primitive revelation known to Melchizedek and to Abraham.

That this was neither false nor pagan worship is evident from the fact that God recognized Melchizedek as His priest-king and accepted the worship which was rendered under his supervision.

A great controversy has raged through the centuries as to the personality of this priest-king. This dispute has arisen because of the statement that he was "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." Since it is said that he was without father and without mother, many sincere students of the Word have concluded that he was a supernatural character. The position has been taken that he was either Enoch or Seth. Still others think that he was our Lord in His prenatal state. These suggestions do not appeal to me at all, especially the latter one, the reason being that Melchizedek is said to have been made like unto the Son of God. Our writer could never have made this statement if he knew that Melchizedek was the Son of God. But does not the assertion that he was "without father, without mother, etc.," imply that he was a supernatural being? This is not a necessary inference although it is a possible one.

The more plausible explanation, at least to me, is that the writer was speaking from the standpoint of the Levitical priesthood. Faithful records were kept of the birth of every one of the priests and were preserved, according to tradition, in connection with the Tabernacle and later on with the Temple. In order for one to be permitted to officiate at the sanctuary, one had to prove by indisputable evidence that he was of the priestly tribe and that he was eligible for service. For example, when the captives returned from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel, certain priests sought to be appointed to the divine service. Their names were not found in the genealogical records; therefore the governor and the high priest refused to let them enter into the sanctuary and to perform divine service, until there should stand up a priest with Urim and with Thummin (Ezra 2:62,63). So far as the genealogical records were concerned, these men were nonentities, the names of their mothers and fathers not appearing therein. Neither were their own names found therein recorded. They were, therefore, debarred from participating in the services. Is it quite possible, if not probable, that this incident may illustrate what was meant by Melchizedek's being without father and without mother, without genealogy in the priestly records? Since, however, the evidence is not decisive, we shall have to be content with such information as we have and await further light on this passage.

The writer of Hebrews wished his brethren to consider how great Melchizedek was. In order to do this, he called attention to the fact that Abraham, the great progenitor of their race, had paid tithes of the spoils which he had taken in battle (Gen. 14) to Melchizedek. No one who believes the record will question for one moment that fact that Abraham did pay tithes to him. From this fact our writer concludes that the Levites of his day paid tithes to Melchizedek in that Abraham had done so.

In order to reinforce his message, Paul called attention to the general principle that the greater always blesses the lesser (vs. 7). In Abraham's paying tithes to Melchizedek he recognized his superiority so far as the organization of the worship of God was concerned. The Levites who received the tithes from the children of Israel, being in the loins of their father, in turn paid tithes to Melchizedek. The latter was therefore occupying a position in the kingdom of God much higher than that of the Levites. Thus argued the apostle Paul in this chapter.

According to King David (Ps. 110) God would raise up another priest-king who should be of the same order as Melchizedek and not of the Levitical tribe. The change of priesthood would necessarily require the changing of the law and the ordinances. This becomes the more abundantly evident when one realizes that perfection was never accomplished under the law, as the apostle argues in verse 11.

That the priesthood should be changed was apparent from the fact that Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and Saviour, whom God saluted as a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, did not spring from the tribe of Levi. On the contrary, He was of the tribe of Judah. This fact was abundant proof that there was likewise to be a change of the law and the services. (In my using the expression, "change of the law," I do not wish anyone to think that I interpret the gospel message as law; for this is not true. Christians are not under law but are under grace [Rom. 6:14]. The expression, "change of law," is borrowed from the thought of the change of priesthood. Let us never, under any condition, interpret the gospel in terms law. It is a matter of sovereign grace.)

The new order, under our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was typified by the priest-king Melchizedek, is infinitely superior to the old order under the Levitical system; for the Aaronic priesthood was appointed to this position by a carnal commandment—a commandment that was given with due respect to man's needs under the conditions then existing; but not so is it now. The fullness of times has come (Gal. 4:4). The law, together with all the ceremonial Levitical service, was a schoolmaster to bring the Jew to Christ. Thus in the fullness of the times He who was foreshadowed by Melchizedek came in the power of an endless life and became High Priest of the new order (vss. 15,16).

Since the old order has passed away and the new one has been inaugurated, there has naturally been a disannulling of the foregoing commandments and ordinances which because of the weakness of the flesh were unprofitable and could make no one perfect—no matter how sincere and earnest he was and how his soul longed for fellowship and communion with God. But by the inauguration of the new order under Christ, our great High Priest, we have a better hope and can draw very close unto God.

Furthermore, the superiority of the order under the reign of grace is shown by the contrast of the appointment of the priesthood of the former dispensation and our High Priest of the present time. The Aaronic priests were not appointed by an oath: in contrast with that fact is the further fact that Christ was appointed by an oath sworn by the Almighty: "...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." This difference argues for the superiority of the present regime.

None of the Levitical priests could remain in office very long. They only served during their lifetime. Because of death they continued only, comparatively speaking, for a few short years. On the other hand, there is now no change of the priesthood since our Lord has become our great High Priest. His priesthood will never change, because "... he abideth for ever."

The Apostle Paul concluded his discussion of the Melchizedek priesthood of our Lord in verses 26-28. He declared that it was fitting and proper that we should have such a High Priest as the Lord Jesus who is, "...holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 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. For the law appointeth men high priest, having infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, appointeth a Son, perfected for evermore." The Lord Jesus Christ was holy—holy in the fullest sense of the term. There was no hypocrisy about Him. He was undefiled, though He did enter the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth, and though He did associate with sinful man. Notwithstanding the fact that he lived and moved among men daily, He was separate from sinners. He challenged His opponents to show one single sin of which he was guilty.

After His resurrection He was taken home to glory and is now at the right hand of the throne of God, having all authority in heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:19,20).

Unlike the priests of the Old Economy, He never had to offer any sacrifices for Himself. He did, however, give Himself as a sacrifice for all. He tasted death for every man. The invitation goes out to all to come and accept Him, to drink of the water of life freely, and to eat of the tree of life. Our great High Priest therefore is "a Son, perfected for evermore."

Since we have such a High Priest, and since the law has been abolished and grace has been established in its place, we can approach God with perfect assurance, believing that, "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." Praise God for such a salvation and such a High Priest, who will come and reign as King over this earth. May that time hastily come!