The Letter to the Hebrews
‘The Fifth Gospel’
Date Written: 65-66 A.D. (?)
-from Hebrews itself , had to be after the Ascension but prior to the destruction of Jerusalem
Location: Rome (?)
-we’ll see why later
To Whom: Jews (Jerusalem?)
-to the mother church first, then to be distributed to the diaspora
Author: Unknown (Paul?) – 5 clues from Scripture
1. Heb. 10:34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.
2. Heb. 13:23 Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.
3. 2 Th. 3:17-18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
4. 1 Pt. 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
& 2 Pt. 3:15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,
5. If not Paul- he has 13 epistles in NT; 13 in Biblical numerology = intense evil
If Paul- 14 or number of perfection 7 x number of a witness 2 = perfect witness
Theme: THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST
So far in our study:
CHRIST IS SUPERIOR TO EVERYONE & EVERYTHING
1. His superiority over the prophets, Hebrews 1:1-3.
2. His superiority over angels in Hebrews 1:4 to Hebrews 2:18.
3. His superiority over Moses in Hebrews 3:1-19.
4. His superiority over Joshua, Hebrews 4:1-13.
5. His superiority over Aaron (indeed the entire priesthood) in Hebrews 5:14 to 7:18.
Chapter 7
Chapter 7 is the focal point of Hebrews.
It concerns the central, the most important, part of Judaism—the priesthood.
-No sacrifices could be made except by the priest and,
-no forgiveness of sins could be had apart from the sacrifices.
Obedience to the law was exceedingly important, but the offering of sacrifices was even more important. And the priesthood was essential for offering them. Consequently, the priesthood was exalted in Judaism.
The law God gave Israel was holy and good, but because the Israelites, as all men, were sinful by nature, they could not keep the law perfectly.
-When they broke the law, fellowship with God was also broken.
-The only way of restoring fellowship was to remove the sin that was committed
-the only way to do that was through a blood sacrifice.
When a person repented and made a proper offering through the priest, his sacrifice was meant to show the genuineness of his penitence by obedience to God’s requirement. God accepted that faithful act and granted forgiveness.
It was “hard” for even converted Jews to receive. Their chief objection would be that, to assert Christ was High Priest, yea, the only High Priest of His Church, was affirming something inconsistent with and contrary to the Law, for He did not (according to the flesh) belong to the Levitical tribe, He was not in the line of the priests. It is most important for us to take account of this difficulty
Leviticus in the OT corresponds to Hebrews in the NT
vv 1-10 A ‘type’ of Christ
vv 11-28 Jesus- the Superior Priest
Verses 1-10
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually. Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham, and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
In biblical study, a type refers to an Old Testament person, practice, or ceremony that has a counterpart, an antitype, in the New Testament. In that sense types are predictive. The type pictures, or prefigures, the antitype. The type, though it is historical, real, and of God, is nonetheless imperfect and temporary. The antitype, on the other hand, is perfect and eternal. The study of types and antitypes is called, as one might expect, typology.
The bronze serpent that God commanded Moses to set on a standard (Num. 21:8), for example, was a type of Christ’s being lifted up on the cross (John 3:14). The sacrificial lamb was a type of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed for the sins of the world
Types are frail illustrations at best. They are analogies, and, like all analogies, they correspond to the person or thing to which they are compared only in certain ways—perhaps only in one way. The bronze serpent typified Christ in that it was lifted up for all the people to see and in that looking upon it brought them deliverance. The sacrificial lamb typifies Christ in that it is very meek (innocent) and that it was sacrificed on behalf of the sins of another.
Verses 1-2 are essentially a summary of the Genesis 14 account. They remind us that Melchizedek was the king of Salem (an ancient name for Jerusalem), that he was a priest of the Most High God, that he blessed Abraham after the patriarch had defeated the oppressive King Chedorlaomer and his three allies, and that Abraham, in turn, offered Melchizedek a tithe of the spoils. The writer also points out that the literal meaning of Melchizedek’s title is king of peace (“Salem” is from the same Hebrew root as shālôm, “peace”).
The Levitical Priesthood
First, as mentioned above, the entire tribe of Levi was dedicated by God for religious service. Although all priests were Levites, not all Levites were priests. All priests, in fact, not only had to be descended from Levi but also from Aaron, Moses’ brother. The non-priestly Levites served as helpers to the priests, and probably as singers, instrumentalists, and the like. The priesthood was strictly national, strictly Jewish.
Second, the Levites were subject to the king just as much as were the other tribes. Their priestly functions were not under the control of the king, but in all other matters they were ordinary subjects. They were in no way a ruling class. A Levite, in fact, could not be king. They were set aside as a first fruit to God for special priestly service (Num. 8:14-16).
Third, the priestly sacrifices, including the one by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, were not permanent. They had to be repeated and repeated and repeated—continually. They had no permanence. They provided no permanent forgiveness, no permanent righteousness, no permanent peace.
Fourth, the Levitical priesthood was hereditary. A man who served as a priest did so because he was born into the right family, not because he lived a right life.
Fifth, just as the effects of the sacrifices were temporary, so was the time of priestly service. A priest served from the age of 25 until the age of 50, after which his ministry was over (Num. 8:24-25).
1. Melchizedek
Melchizedek is also a type of Christ. Though Melchizedek is in no way the equal of Christ, his unique priesthood, and even his name, typify Jesus Christ and His work in a number of significant ways.
There is much conjecture about Melchizedek. Some insist he is an angel who took human form for a while during the time of Abraham. But the priesthood was a human, not angelic, function (Heb. 5:1). Others suggest that He is actually, not just typically, Jesus Christ Himself, who took a preincarnate form during Abraham’s time. But Melchizedek is described as made like the Son of God (7:3), not as being the Son of God. We cannot be sure of the details of his identity. Those remain among the secret things that belong only to the Lord.
Two things we know for sure—he was a king & he was a priest
1. King of Salem- old name of Jerusalem Ps. 76:2
2. Priest of The Most High God
Melchizedek’s priesthood was superior to the Levitical in every way, but five specific ones are given in Hebrews 7:1-3.
1. The Levitical priests were priests of Jehovah. The Israelites were Jehovah’s people and the Levites were Jehovah’s priests. The Levitical priests could minister only to Israel and only for Jehovah.
Melchizedek, however, was priest of the Most High God (‛Ēl ‛Elyôn, a more universal name for God). It represents God as possessor of heaven and earth, God above all national or dispensational distinctions. The Most High God is over both Jew and Gentile, and is first mentioned in Scripture in relation to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18).
The significance is this: Jesus is not just the Messiah of Israel, but of the world. His priesthood is universal, just as Melchizedek’s.
2. Melchizedek was himself a king. Four times in two verses (7:1-2) he is referred to as a king. As already mentioned, rulership of any sort was totally foreign to the Levitical priesthood. Melchizedek’s universal priesthood and his royal office beautifully typify Jesus’ dual office of savior and lord, as perfect Priest and perfect King.
3. There was no permanent righteousness or peace related to Aaron’s priesthood. Melchizedek, however, was king both of righteousness and of peace. His very name means “king of righteousness.” Although we have no historical record of his monarchy, we are told that he ruled righteously and peacefully.
Melchizedek, though king of righteousness and of peace, could not make men righteous or give them peace. His priesthood was a better type of Christ’s than was the Levitical, but it was still a type. Only the Divine Priest could give righteousness and peace. That is the necessary order: righteousness and then peace. Christ gives us peace by giving us righteousness.
4. The Levitical priesthood was entirely hereditary, through Aaron. Melchizedek’s was personal. That Melchizedek is said to have been without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life does not mean that he came from nowhere. It simply means that in the Old Testament record nothing is said of his parents or origin.
The point in Hebrews is that Melchizedek’s parentage and origin are irrelevant to his priesthood. Whereas to the Aaronic priesthood genealogy was everything, to the Melchizedek priesthood it was nothing.
In this, Melchizedek was a type of Christ, not because Jesus had no genealogy but because Jesus’s genealogy was not significant in regard to His priesthood. To be sure, Jesus’ royal genealogy is important. But His lineage is not traced to Aaron or Levi, but to Judah. Jesus Christ, though God’s own Son, was not qualified for the Levitical priesthood. Like Melchizedek, as far as his priesthood was concerned, He had no priestly genealogy and He needed none. Jesus Christ was chosen as a priest because of His personal worth, His quality.
5. Individually, a priest served only from the time he was 25 until he was 50. No priest, no matter how faithful, could serve more than 25 years. Collectively, the priesthood was also temporary. It began in the wilderness, when the covenant with Moses was made and the law was given. It ended when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in a.d. 70. The Levitical priesthood was for the Old Covenant and only for the Old Covenant, the covenant of law.
Melchizedek’s priesthood, however, had no such time or dispensational bounds. He abides a priest perpetually. It is not that he lived forever, but that the order of priesthood in which he ministered was forever. The fact that we have no biblical or other record of the beginning or end of Melchizedek’s personal priesthood simply symbolizes the eternality of his priestly order. It is a type of Christ’s truly eternal priesthood.
Verses 4-10
In these verses we are given three reasons, or proofs, as to how and why Melchizedek’s priesthood is superior to the Levitical.
1. Abraham, father of the Jewish people, gave tithes (a tenth) of his war spoils—his choicest spoils—to Melchizedek. Though Melchizedek was a king, he had not fought with Abraham against Chedorlaomer. Nor do we have any record, or reason to believe, that Melchizedek had ever performed any priestly service for Abraham. Abraham simply recognized Melchizedek as a deserving and faithful priest of God Most High and consequently gave him a tithe from the best of the spoils. It was a voluntary act revealing thanks to God.
The Holy Spirit demonstrates that Melchizedek is greater than Levi and Aaron, progenitors of the Levitical priesthood, by showing that this priest-king is better than Abraham, the progenitor of both Levi and Aaron.
Abraham was under no obligation, no law or commandment, to give Melchizedek anything. He gave freely and generously, and he gave the best that he had, not his leftovers. He gave the choicest spoils to the Lord, through His servant Melchizedek.
►(Under grace we are free of the demands of the law. The New Testament specifies no definite amount or proportion of our money that we are to give to God. But this does not mean that our giving is optional, or that it should depend on our whim or personal feeling. It means that the basis of our giving should be our love and devotion to God, in gratitude for His inestimable gift to us. Just as Melchizedek’s priesthood is a type of the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, so Abraham’s giving to Melchizedek is a type of what our giving to the Lord should be. It is not a type in its being a tenth, but in its being from his choicest possessions and being given freely, not because of legal requirement.)
The Levites, as the priestly tribe, received no inheritance of land, as did all the other tribes. They were to be supported by a tithe from their brother Israelites. All the tribes, of course, were descendants of Abraham through Jacob. Under the Old Covenant, therefore, one group of Abraham’s descendants tithed to another. The point of Hebrews 7:4-10 is that because Abraham, their common and supreme ancestor, had paid tithes to Melchizedek, even the Levites, “in advance,” so to speak, also paid tithes to Melchizedek. Even before they existed, those to whom tithes were paid had themselves paid a tithe to another priesthood, proving that this priesthood was superior to theirs.
2. One of the first things we learn in Scripture about Abraham is that through him and his descendants all the world was to be blessed. Just as we have no idea how much Abraham knew about Melchizedek, we have no idea how much Melchizedek knew about Abraham. We are told only of the brief encounter described in three verses of Genesis 14. Yet, just as Abraham knew he should tithe to Melchizedek, Melchizedek knew he should bless Abraham. In so doing, without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. As the blesser, Melchizedek indisputably was superior to Abraham. If Melchizedek was superior to Abraham, then he must also be superior to the Levites, Abraham’s descendants. Consequently, his priesthood is superior to theirs.
►(In the church God also works on the basis of personal qualifications. The standards for elders, for deacons are based on personal spiritual qualifications, not on heredity or class (cf. 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). God calls certain people in this economy of grace on the basis of special personal qualifications. If a person is faithful over a little, he will be made lord over much. If we meet the qualifications, God will lift us to the ministry. He worked with Melchizedek in the same way. He was personally qualified to be what he was. His lineage had nothing to do with God’s choosing him and sending him to bless Abraham. He was superior, and therefore he blessed Abraham.)
3. The writer again points up the permanence of Melchizedek’s priesthood.
And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. (7:8)
Even if the Levitical priests had not been required to quit ministering when they reached 50 years of age, they would have ceased ministering when they died. That priesthood was temporary and those priests were temporary. The Jews paid tithes to priests who all died. Abraham paid tithes to a priest who, in type, lives on. Since no death is recorded of Melchizedek, his priesthood typically is eternal. In this his priesthood is clearly superior to that of Aaron.
Jesus Christ, of course, is the reality, the true Priest who is eternal, of whom Melchizedek is but a picture. Jesus Christ is a priest, the only Priest, who is alive forevermore. He is a greater priest because He is a living priest, not a dying one. Christ is Priest of a better priesthood than Aaron’s. He is Priest of a better priesthood even than Melchizedek’s. He is the only Priest of the only priesthood that can bring God to men and men to God. This was a great word of assurance to those Jews who had come to Jesus Christ.
