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Hebrews 7: Bible Study, Commentary and Summary

Hebrews 7: Bible Study, Commentary and Summary

Last updated on: May 26, 2016 at 9:18 pm by Jack Wellman

Hebrews 7: Bible Study, Commentary and Summary 2016-05-26T21:18:20-05:00 Jack Wellman

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Here is a Bible study, commentary, and summary of Hebrews chapter seven.

Hebrews 7:1-2 “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.”

Who Melchizedek is cannot be pinned down precisely. Some say He was the Pre-incarnate Christ because it says of him, “He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever” (Heb 7:3) but that could only mean, we don’t know where Melchizedek came from or who his parents were (if any). I don’t believe this is Christ because it says he was the “priest of the Most High God” and the word for “priest” is not written as a proper noun, as you would expect God’s name to be, plus it say he resembles “the Son of God.” Whoever he was, Abraham paid him a tithe but the same thing would happen hundreds of years later when the nation of Israel would give a tenth of everything they earned.

Do you believe Melchizedek was the Pre-incarnate Christ?

Why did Abraham give Melchizedek a tenth part of everything?

Why is Melchizedek without father or mother or genealogy?

Hebrews 7:11-12 “Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.”

There is no doubt that the priesthood was not perfect. Just look at Aaron’s sons and Levi’s sons. Aaron’s sons died by bringing a profane or strange fire that God had not permitted (Lev 10:1), and if the priesthood had been perfect, they would never need another one, but we know that they were less than perfect. The interesting thing about Jesus is that He is not only King and Lord, but the Perfect High Priest before God. This necessitated a change in the law (Heb 7:12b) because “it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests” (Heb 7:14).

What does it mean by saying “when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well?”

Was perfection ever an attainable goal for human priests?

Is there a perfect high priest today?

Hebrews 7:20-21 “For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever.”

Why these previous priests were made priests without an oath may be because they were appointed by men whom God chose. The same “Lord” who swore and didn’t change his mind was the God of heaven who appointed Jesus Christ as High Priest and has made Him to be a High Priest forever. There will never be a time when Jesus’ shed blood won’t cover the sins of all who trust in Him….even into eternity and why “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant” (Heb 7:22). The main reason they needed a new priesthood was because “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office” (Heb 7:23). Not so with Jesus as “he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever” (Heb 7:24).

Why did the Lord God need to swear?

Will Jesus be a High Priest forever, even into the kingdom?

Will Jesus’ shed blood cover the sins of those to be born in the kingdom?

Hebrews 7:25-26 “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.”

There is no higher calling for a priest than to cover the sins of the people but Jesus did more than that. He took them away and didn’t need to keep repeating a sacrifice because “He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself” (Heb 7:27) since He is sinless. What human priest could we ever call “holy, innocent, unstained,” and “separated from sinners?” That would be zero! Jesus alone is qualified.

What does it mean that Jesus “always lives to make intercession” for the saints?

What does it mean that He is able to save “to the uttermost?”

Is it only for those who “draw near to God?”

Summary

Today we know that Jesus is exalted and lifted up on high. He is still bringing many sons and daughters into the kingdom through repentance and faith and paid for with His own blood. That was His first message in beginning His earthly ministry (Mark 1:15). He is the King of Righteousness but also Perfect High Priest, being able to save all who will trust in Him. He is the only priest that ever offered Himself as the sacrifice and it never need be repeated again because it is sufficient for all time for all sinners and all sins; but only to those who believe in Him; for those who don’t, they’re only left with the wrath of God abiding squarely on them (John 3:36b).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

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