Hebrews 7 - Introduction

Christ Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchisedech; and so, far more excellent than the priests of Aaron's order.

Anno Domini 63.

IN the preceding chapter, the apostle proposed to go on with the Hebrews to the perfectionofChristian knowledge and experience, demonstrated by arguments drawn from the ancient oracles of God; and accordingly in part he executed his purpose by shewing them, that in the covenant with Abraham God promised him a numerous seed, both by natural descent and by faith; that he promised to bless him and his seed by faith, with the pardon of their sins, with gracious foretastes of heaven here below, and with the inheritance of that heavenly country of which Canaan was the type; and that he confirmed these promises with an oath, to shew the immutability of his purpose to bestow on all those faithful saints the promised blessings. To this oath the apostle had appealed, chap. Hebrews 5:6 in proof that Jesus is a real High-priest; but its import he did not then fully explain. Wherefore in the last verse of ch. 6 having mentioned a second time, that Jesus was made an High-priest according to the similitude of Melchisedec, he, in this viith chapter, for the purpose of proceeding with the Hebrews still farther on toward the perfection of Christian knowledge, searched into the deep meaning of the oath, recorded Psalms 110:4. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedec; and by accurately examining the particulars concerning Melchisedec related in the Mosaic history, he shewed that Melchisedec was a far more excellent priest than Aaron and all his sons; and consequently, that Jesus, whom God made an High-priest for ever according to the similitude of Melchisedec, exercises a priesthood infinitely more acceptable to God, and infinitely more effectual for procuring the pardon of sin, than the priesthood which the sons of Aaron exercised under the law.

The first particular concerning Melchisedec mentioned by Moses, and taken notice of by the apostle, is, that Melchisedec was a priest of the Most High God. This implies, that he was appointed to the office in such a public manner, that all the worshippers of the true God in Canaan knew him to be a priest of the Most High God. And seeing, at that time, there was no visible church of God erected in which Melchisedec could officiate, his designation to the priest's office by God, authorized him to officiate every where, for all the worshippers of the true God who applied to him. In this respect, therefore, Melchisedec was a greater priest than Aaron, and than any of his sons; their priesthood being confined to the single nation of the Israelites.—The second particular mentioned by Moses, and referred to by the apostle, is, that Melchisedec was a king as well as a priest; so had authority to make laws for regulating the morals of the people for whom he officiated as a priest, and power to punish them for their faults. Accordingly, by the righteous exercise of his power as a king, accompanied by divine grace, he trained his people to virtue and goodness so successfully, that by his neighbours he himself was called Melchisedec, which signifies king of righteousness; and the city in which his people lived, was, on account of their virtuous and peaceable disposition, called Salem; which signifies peace.—Whereas the sons of Aaron, being simply priests, had no authority to make laws, nor power to correct the vices of the Israelites, for whom they officiated. Besides, many of them, instead of being righteous, were persons of a vicious and turbulent disposition, Hebrews 7:2.—The third particular concerning Melchisedec which the apostle takes notice of, is, that neither his father, nor his mother, nor his genealogy, is mentioned by Moses. From this it follows, that Melchisedec did not derive either his priesthood, or his fitness for the priesthood, from his parents, but had the office conferred on him immediately by God himself, on account of the excellence of his character, which he manifested under the grace of God.—It was otherwise with the Levitical priests: for although Aaron himself was specially called of God, his sons were not made priests by any particular designation, or on account of the excellence of their character, and holiness of heart and life, but merely by their descending in a right manner from parents who were priests. Leviticus 7:14 and by their being free from bodily imperfections, Leviticus 21:17.—The fourth particular concerning Melchisedec taken notice of by the apostle is, that in the account given of him by Moses, he had neither beginning of days nor end of life as a priest, fixed by any law of God: so that he did not begin to exercise the priest's office at a determined age, nor cease to be a priest when superannuated, as was the case with the sons of Aaron; but exercised the priest's office all his life; in which respect his priesthood was well fitted to be a type of the perpetual priesthood of the Son of God, Hebrews 7:3.—This circumstance, that Melchisedec was a priest all his life, joined with the former, that he was made a priest by God on account of the excellence of his character, and the holiness of his heart and life, shews that his priesthood had for its object to purify the minds of hissubjects from sin through the aid and power of Divine grace; an office to which strength of body was not necessary, but maturityof judgment under the Spirit of God. Whereas the sons of Aaron, having for the object of their ministrations, to cleansethe bodies only, of the Israelites, from ceremonial pollution, by services which required great bodily strength, they were not permitted to begin their ministry till they were thirty years old, nor to continue therein beyond the age of fifty. See Numbers 4:3; Numbers 8:25.—The fifth particular concerning Melchisedec, mentioned by Moses, and taken notice of by the apostle, is, that Abraham gave him the tenth of all the spoils of the vanquished kings, notwithstanding he was himself both aprince and a priest. This is a proof from fact, that Melchisedec's priesthood was not confined to one family or nation; but, for any thing we know, being the only specially appointed priest of the Most High God then in the world, he was an universal priest, Hebrews 7:4.—The case was different with the sons of Aaron. For they could not tithe all the worshippers of the true God every where, nor even all the Israelites, by virtue of their being priests; but they took tithes from their brethren the Levites only, and that by virtue of a particular commandment mentioned, Numbers 18:24 and they did this, notwithstanding the Levites were descended from Abraham equally with themselves: all which shewed the limited nature of their priesthood, Hebrews 7:5.—But Melchisedec, having no relationto the ancestors of the Levitical priests, was not authorized by any connection which he had with Abraham, either naturalor political, to take tithes of him. Wherefore he received the tithes, merely because by the divine appointment he officiated as a priest for all the worshippers of God in Canaan, of whom Abraham was one.—The sixth particular concerning Melchisedec, mentioned by Moses, and taken notice of by the apostle, is, that Melchisedec, after receiving the tithes, blessed Abraham, notwithstanding he was at that time possessed of the promises, Hebrews 7:6.—And, as the less is blessed of the betterperson,Abraham,by receiving the blessing from Melchisedec, acknowledged him to be his superior, both as a priest and as a king, Hebrews 7:7.—Farther, to shew the superiority of Melchisedec to the Levitical priests, the apostle observes, that here, under the Mosaic economy, priests who die, that is, whose priesthood expires when they arrive at a certain time of life, receive tithes; but there, under the patriarchal economy, Melchisedec received tithes; of whom it is testified, that he lived a priest continually, Hebrews 7:8.—Likewise he observes, that Melchisedec's superiority to the Levitical priests was shewn by this, that Levi and hisdescendants may be said to have paid tithes to Melchisedec in Abraham, Hebrews 7:9.—because Levi was yet in the loins of his father when Melchisedecmet him. And since Levi derived all his dignity from his father Abraham, if by paying tithes and receiving the blessing Abraham himself was shewn to be inferior to Melchisedec, certainly his son Levi was in like manner shewn to be inferior to him, Hebrews 7:10.

Here the apostle ends his account of Melchisedec, without having pointed out any of the particulars in which he resembled the Son of God, except the one mentioned Hebrews 7:3.—that he was a priest all his life. Wherefore, that the reader may know in what respects Christ is a priest according to the similitude of Melchisedec, and be sensible of the propriety of God the Father's making the priesthood of Melchisedec the pattern of the priesthood of his Son, it will be fit in this place to compare the character of Christ with that of Melchisedec, as described by the apostle in this chapter.

And, 1. Like Melchisedec, Christ is a king as well as a priest. Being the eternal Son of God, and the Creator of the universe, he is the Heir or Lord of all: consequently he has a right to govern mankind by the laws of his gospel, and power to reward or punish every one according to his works.—2. Like Melchisedec, Christ exercises his government for promoting moral and spiritual righteousness among his subjects. Accordingly, by his gospel he has reformed and regenerated multitudes of his subjects; and will continue to reign till he make truth and righteousness prevail universally among them; and such as are irreclaimable he will destroy. Wherefore, as his government is founded on a better authority than Melchisedec's, and is carried on with infinitely more success, the title of king of righteousness belongs more properly to him than to Melchisedec: also he is well entitled to be called king of peace, as he came from heaven to produce peace on earth, by reconciling sinners to God and to one another; and to make thereconciled, if faithful unto death, live with God for ever, in a state of perfect peace in heaven.—3. Like Melchisedec, Christ was not descended from parents who were priests, but he was made a priest by the special designation of the Father. And his priesthood is of a nature soexcellent, that as he had no predecessor, so he can have no companion nor successor in his priesthood. Nor is any such needed; seeing that he ever liveth to execute the priest's office himself.—4. Christ's priesthood, like that of Melchisedec, not requiring bodily strength, but maturity of judgment, to execute it properly, it was not limited to the prime of his life; but, like Melchisedec, he is a priest for ever.—5. As Melchisedec was appointed to exercise his priesthood in behalf of all the worshippers of the true God in the countries where he lived, so Christ was appointed to exercise his priesthood, not for any particular nation or race of men, but for all mankind. He is an universal priest. And, having offered himself a sacrifice for the sin of the whole world, he has thereby procured pardon and eternal life for all who are faithful to his grace, and makes continual intercession for them in heaven upon the strength of that meritorious sacrifice.

The apostle, in the preceding fifth chapter, to shew that Jesus the great author of the gospel has made atonement for the sin of the world, which is the fourth fact on which the authority of the gospel revelation rests, having proved that Jesus is a priest; also in this seventh chapter having displayed his greatness as a priest, by describing the character and office of Melchisedec according to whose similitude he was made a priest, proceeds, in what follows, to answer the argument advanced by the doctors for proving the efficacy and perpetuity of the Levitical priesthood, together with the unalterableobligation of the law of Moses. They affirmed the Levitical sacrifices to be real atonements which never would be abolished; that the law was given principally for the purpose of establishing and regulating them; and consequently that the law itself would always remain in force. But to shew the fallacy of this argument, the apostle enters into the deep meaning of the oath whereby Messiah was made a priest, reasoning thereon in the following manner: If perfection, that is, the complete pardon of sin and holiness, is to be had through the services of the Levitical priesthood, and if these services are always to continue, together with the law by which they were established and regulated, what need was there that another priest should arise of the order of Melchisedec, and not of the order of Aaron, Hebrews 7:11.—Certainly the introduction of a priesthood of a different kind from that of Aaron, implies that the services of the sons of Aaron are ineffectual for procuring the pardon of sin, and on that account are to be abolished. But if the priesthood is to be changed, it necessarily follows that the law also is to be changed, since its primary use was to regulate the services of the priesthood, Hebrews 7:12.—Now, that God resolved to change the priesthood, which by the law was conferred on the sons of Aaron, cannot be doubted, seeing that the person to whom God said, Thou art a priest for ever, was of a tribe of which no one ever officiated at the altar, Hebrews 7:13.—For it is very plain from Psalms 110 that our Lord Messiah, to whom God said, Thou art a priest, being David's son, has sprung from Judah, to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood as belonging to it, Hebrews 7:14.—Farther, that the priesthood of the new priest who was to arise, was to be different from that of the sons of Aaron, is still more exceedingly plain from God's swearing, that, according to the similitude of Melchisedec, a different priest ariseth, Hebrews 7:15.—who is made a priest, not according to the carnal commandment of the law, which obliged the sons of Aaron to lay down their priesthood when fifty years old, because at that age they were not able to undergo those laborious services by which the bodies of the people were to be cleansed from ceremonial defilements; but who is made a priest according to the power of that endless life which is bestowed on him as a priest, because his ministrations being appointed for the purification of the minds of his people from the defilement of sin, required maturity of judgment and experience rather than bodily strength, Hebrews 7:16.—This God the Father himself testified, by saying to the Messiah, David's Lord, Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec, Hebrews 7:17.—From these well-known facts, the apostle justly concluded, that it was always God's intention to abolish the law of Moses, after the weakness of its precepts to reform and regenerate mankind was made evident, and the unprofitableness of it, sacrifices for procuring the pardon of sin was shewn, Hebrews 7:18.—The truth is, the law made no one perfect in respect either of pardon or sanctification; but the introduction of a better law and priesthood makes the faithful perfect in both these respects: by which law and priesthood we have access to worship God acceptably, at all times and in all places, Hebrews 7:19.

Farther, to shew that the gospel with its priesthood is an infinitely better covenant than the law with its priesthood, and that it was justly substituted in place of the law, the apostle, entering still farther into the deep meaning of God's oath constituting Messiah a priest for ever, reasoned in the following manner: Inasmuch as Jesus was made a priest with an oath, importing that God the Father would never abolish his priesthood, Hebrews 7:20.—whereas the sons of Aaron being made priests withoutany such oath, their priesthood was liable to be abolished, Hebrews 7:21.—it is plain, that by the immutability of his priesthood, Jesus has become the Mediator or High-priest of an infinitely more excellent covenant than the law. For if the weakness and unprofitableness of the Levitical priesthood were manifested by God's declaring his intention to abolish it, certainly the greater excellence and efficacy of Christ's priesthood are shewed by God the Father's having declared it unchangeable, Hebrews 7:22.—This the apostle illustrates more fully, ch. 8 by comparing the two covenants together.—I have only to add, that the apostle's reasoning on this subject is of such a nature, that while it shews the excellence of the gospel covenant and priesthood, it removes an objection which might naturally occur to the reader; namely, that since the Levitical priesthood, which was as really of divine appointment as the gospel priesthood, has been abolished, what security is there that the latter shall not inits turn be abolished likewise? The greater security possible! With a solemn oath God declared, in the hearing of the angelic hosts, that he has made the priesthood of his Son unchangeable.

In what follows, the apostle observes, that as the weakness of the Levitical ordinary priesthood was shewn by the priests quitting their office and giving place to others after their bodily vigour was gone, so the weakness of the Levitical high-priesthood was shewn by the high-priests being many in number, because they were hindered by death from continuing in their office, Hebrews 7:23.—But Jesus, because he liveth for ever in the body, possesseth a priesthood which does not pass from him to any successor, Hebrews 7:24.—Hence he is for ever able to save all, from the beginning to the end of the world, who come to God through his mediation; ever living as an High-priest to make intercession for them with God, Hebrews 7:25.—Lastly, he is such an High priest as the character and circumstances of sinners required, who, being absolutely free from sin, Hebrews 7:26.—has no need annually to make atonement for his own sins, as the Levitical high priests were obliged to do, Hebrews 7:27.—For the law made men high-priests who were sinners; but the oathwhich was declared after the law was given, constituted the Son an High-priest, who is, in every respect, perfect for evermore, Hebrews 7:28.

These great discoveries concerning the dignity of Jesus as a king and a priest, and concerningthe power of his government and the efficacyof his priesthood, the apostle was directed by inspiration to make, that by the frequent recollection of them, we may through Divine grace gladden and strengthen our hearts, under all the trials to which we are exposed during our present probationary state.