Hebrews 7:1-28

Series In Hebrews: Jesus Is Truly Better
OT Genesis 14:17-24,  NT 7:1-28
“Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.”

Introduction: It is a common tradition among Christians to name their children after Biblical figures.  So we have children named after Isaiah, Jacob, David, Isaac, Micah, Noah, Sarah, Naomi, Rebecca, etc., we even have Jesus (Hay-sus), but when was the last time you heard of anyone naming their child Melchizedek (M.)? Aside from our mentioning here in class and at my Sunday night study, nobody has mentioned M. to me.  That is because M. is something of a mystery, but at the same time he is a type of Christ and therefore prominent in redemptive history. In making his case about Christ’s superiority the preacher attempts to point to M. as one more piece of evidence in chapter (5:10).  But just before he begins to make that association he writes “We have a great deal to say about this, and it's difficult to explain, since you have become slow to understand” (5:11).  In other words they weren't mature enough to even have that conversation. That leads the preacher in to his very stern warning over regressing in the faith calling them from laziness and to be “imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance”(6:12). The promise he is referring to is the Abrahamic covenant (6:13-15) which is fulfilled in Christ the great high priest from the order of Melchizedek (6:19,20).


A Brief Summary Genesis 14:17-24
Genesis 14:18 Melchizedek is a Canaanite royal name and can be translated “king of righteousness.”  Salem is the name of the ancient city we know today as Jerusalem.  How is it possible for a Canaanite king to be a worshipper of YHWH?  The Bible doesn’t tell us, but it is in this position that he offers a fellowship meal to Abram after he returns from battle at Chedorlaomer.

Genesis 14:19, 20 M. offers a blessing to Abram and Abram offered a tithe to M.

Genesis 14:21-24 the king of Sodom demanded that he take the POWs and that Abram keep the spoils of war.  But Abram would not.

What are some of the key take aways we learn about M.? He feared and trusted YAHWEH, Abram acknowledged him as great high priest of YAHWEH. He was also a Canaanite king.

Psalm 110:4 The Psalmist views M. as significant in redemptive history as a precursor to Christ who will hold the offices of King and Priest. (We also know that Christ will hold a third office of Prophet Deut.18:15).

Hebrews 7

Philo Jewish Interpretation takes an allegorical understanding of M. explaining that his offering of bread and wine was to intoxicate Abram’s soul so that he might understand the logos. Our principle for understanding the scriptures is that scripture interprets scripture and the most source for understanding the OT is the NT.

Hebrews 7:1,2 is a recapitulation of Genesis 14. One thing that should stand out is the author intentionally giving his readers the explanation of M. name as “king of peace” to buttress his case for the superiority of Jesus.




Hebrews 7:3-10 has been interpreted by some as M. not being human; either being an angel or a christophany.  All the author is saying is that nothing is known about M. origin but that he is a type of Christ. As such he blessed Abram who would become the mediator of a better covenant. Moreover, Abram paid tithes to M. demonstrating his priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood.

Hebrews 7:11-19 here the author draws upon the distinction between priesthoods explaining that Jesus did not come from the tribe of Israel but a different tribe which no one has served at the altar (13).  Moses who is the mediator of the covenant of works said nothing of the tribe of Juda (14). However, this becomes clearer when a priest like M. who doesn’t receive His priesthood through ancestry but through the power of an indestructible life(16). Jesus was raised from the dead.  This is why Jesus is superior.  Perfection did not come through the Levitical priesthood it came through the perfect obedience of Christ then given to us through grace.

Hebrews 7:20-28 Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant (22). First unlike the Levitical priests who left office because of death, Jesus remains our High Priest for ever. Therefore He is able to save those who come to God through Him (25). This is in contrast to the human priests who offered up sacrifices for themselves first so that they can offer sacrifices for the people (27) that didn’t really atone for their sin but were a foreshadow of things to come. That is why the preacher says of Jesus, “For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (26).

What is the practical implication of all of this? In Jesus we have our Great High Priest whose sacrifice truly atones for our sin. Like an anchor to our soul it provides us the hope of eternal life that by our own efforts we did not deserve.  Moreover, Christ is the fulfillment of the new covenant which the author will now go into detail about.