7:1–28 The eternal high priesthood of Christ

Several indications have already been given that Jesus is ‘high priest for ever in the order of Melchizedek’ (cf. 5:6, 10; 6:20). That theme is now fully developed as the writer comes to the heart of his message and begins to feed his readers the ‘solid food’ that promotes spiritual maturity (cf. 5:11–14). The first part of this chapter deals with the encounter between Abraham and Melchizedek in Gn. 14, focusing on the significance of Melchizedek’s priesthood in that context (1–10). The second part of the chapter takes up the specific promise of Ps. 110:4, about the Messiah being a priest like Melchizedek, and applies it to the Lord Jesus (11–28). Perfection was not possible under the Levitical priesthood, but Jesus’ high-priestly ministry replaces the whole OT system of approaching God and ‘perfects’ believers in a relationship with him (11–19). The significance of the oath confirming the Messiah’s priesthood is explored (20–22) and then the implications of the promise that he will be priest for ever are outlined (23–25). The chapter concludes by showing how such a high priest, in contrast with the high priests of the old covenant, meets our need as sinners (26–28). Ch. 7 is the third stage in the development of the idea that Jesus is the high priest of the new covenant (cf. 2:17–18; 4:14–5:10).

1–3 Ps. 110:4 is the key text in this chapter. To indicate what the psalm meant by a priest for ever in the order of Melchizedek, Hebrews goes back to Gn. 14:18–20, highlighting only certain features of the Genesis narrative. Melchizedek’s name means king of righteousness and the fact that he was king of Salem (derived from Heb. šālôm, ‘peace’) means that he was king of peace. In name, at least, he anticipated the Messiah’s reign of righteousness and peace (e.g. Is. 9:6–7; Heb. 1:8–9). Most importantly, he is identified as priest of God Most High, who blessed Abraham and received a tithe (a tenth of everything) from Abraham, the great forefather or patriarch of Israel. Moreover, in the record of Scripture, Melchizedek is without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life. He appears from nowhere and disappears without trace. He has no predecessors and no successors. Since the legitimacy of a man’s priesthood in the ancient world depended on such things, the silence of Scripture at this point is unusual. Melchizedek is like the Son of God in the sense that he foreshadows his unique and never-ending priesthood. In technical terms, he is a ‘type’ or pattern of Christ. Ps. 110 envisaged the appearance of another king of Jerusalem (‘city of Salem’), exercising a priesthood like Melchizedek’s, not apparently based on physical descent from any known priesthood, but nevertheless divinely appointed. Hebrews proclaims Jesus Christ as the promised priest-king, who reigns for ever to bless his people (cf. 5:4–6; 7:13–17).

4–10 Taking up the matter of the tithe paid by Abraham to Melchizedek, Hebrews notes that the law of Moses required the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people (cf. Nu. 18:21–32). However, Melchizedek, who did not trace his descent from Levi, collected a tithe from Abraham, the forefather of Levi! Indeed, so great is Melchizedek that he blessed Abraham, the one to whom God had given the promises concerning his saving purposes (cf. Heb. 6:13–14). Since the lesser person is blessed by the greater (7), this puts Melchizedek in a very significant position. The tithes paid to the Levitical priesthood were collected by men who die, but Abraham paid a tithe to one who is declared to be living (8). That is, in the biblical record, Melchizedek is represented as one who had no end of life (3), and this suggests that his priesthood was superior. It could even be said that Levi, and therefore the Levitical priests, paid tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham. This prepares us for the argument in vs 11–19 that the priesthood of Jesus is superior to and supersedes the Levitical priesthood and its ministry.

11–12 When Ps. 110:4 spoke about the need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron, the inference was that there was something lacking in the existing priesthood. In fact, the priesthood descended from Aaron and exercised by some of the Levites was unable to provide perfection. For the first time, the language of perfection (applied to Christ in 2:10; 5:9; 7:28) is applied to the situation of believers. The law of Moses made nothing perfect, but in Jesus Christ a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God (19). This last reference suggests that the perfecting of believers involves ‘qualifying’ them to draw near to God or enabling them to enjoy the certainty of a new covenant relationship with God. More will be said about this important concept later. In simple terms, Christ’s sacrifice deals with the problem of sin in a way that the Levitical priesthood and the law of Moses could not. Indeed, the law and the priesthood were so connected that a change of the priesthood meant that there had to be a change of the law as well (12). Here it should be noted that the writer of Hebrews views the law essentially as a set of sacrificial and priestly regulations for the maintenance of Israel’s relationship with God. The limitations of the system as a whole are outlined in chs. 9–10.

13–17 Only certain people were authorized to serve at the altar, according to the Mosaic law (e.g. Lv. 8–9; Nu. 1:47–54). Jesus our Lord belonged to the tribe of Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. So, if Jesus is a priest, he must belong to another order. In dealing with this objection, the writer notes again the prediction of Ps. 110:4 that the Messianic priesthood would be in the order of Melchizedek. A descendant of Levi became a priest on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry. Jesus became a priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek, on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. This last expression is best understood as a reference to Jesus’ resurrection and his heavenly exaltation. He clearly functioned as high priest of the new covenant on earth, when he offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. But he had to be brought to life again to function as a priest for ever, serving in the heavenly sanctuary, at the right hand of God (cf. 8:1–2).

18–19 The former regulation is the law establishing the OT priesthood on the basis of proper ancestry and physical purity. It was weak and useless because death prevented those priests from continuing in office (23) and their own weakness made it continually necessary for them to sacrifice for their own sins as well as for the sins of the people (27). Indeed, the law made nothing perfect (see note on 7:11–12), because it was only ‘a shadow of the good things to come’ (10:1). The regulation establishing the OT priesthood was set aside when God inaugurated a new priesthood and provided a sacrifice to end all sacrifices (cf. 10:5–10). A better hope is introduced with the high-priestly ministry of Jesus, by which we draw near to God. The certainty of a once-for-all cleansing from sin and of the possibility of continuing in an eternal relationship with God is at the heart of this better hope.

20–22 The promise establishing the priest-hood of the Messiah was confirmed with an oath: the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind (Ps. 110:4). An oath attached to a promise makes ‘the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear’ (6:17). So the eternity of Jesus’ priesthood is established. Because of this oath it can also be affirmed that Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. When the writer takes up the theme of this better covenant in later passages, he describes Jesus as the ‘mediator’ of a new covenant (8:6; 9:15; 12:24). This means that he inaugurates the covenant blessings predicted in Je. 31:31–34 (quoted in 8:8–12). The word guarantee (22) suggests even more: Jesus’ priestly ministry continues to vouch for the fact that those blessings are readily available. The better covenant is the basis for the Christian’s better hope.

23–25 The uniqueness and eternity of Christ’s priesthood has really been the heart of the argument in this complicated chapter. There were many priests under the old covenant, because death prevented them from continuing in office. However, since the resurrected and ascended Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. He remains the same (cf. 1:8–12; 13:8) and his priestly office and work are absolute and unchangeable. The word therefore at the beginning of v 25 introduces the logical consequence to all this. Here is the practical application of the writer’s teaching about Jesus as priest for ever in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him. The idea of ‘approaching’, ‘drawing near’, or ‘coming’ to God is prominent in Hebrews (cf. 4:16; 7:19; 10:1, 22; 11:6; 12:18, 22). Fundamentally, it expresses the idea of a relationship with God. The OT priesthood and sacrificial system only imperfectly provided for such a relationship, but Jesus is able to save completely those who relate to God through him. The language of salvation here implies deliverance from the alternative, which is the judgment of God (cf. 2:1–4; 9:27–28; 10:26–31). In fact, Christians can look to Jesus for help at every stage in their earthly pilgrimage, because he always lives to intercede for them (cf. Rom. 8:34; 1 Jn 2:1–2). The image of the heavenly intercessor is used to emphasize Christ’s willingness and ability to go on applying to us the benefits of his once-for-all sacrifice (cf. 2:18; 4:14–16; 10:19–22). However, the image should not be pushed too far. Jesus sits at the right hand of God, claiming the fulfilment of the covenant promises for his children, not begging for their acceptance before the Father’s throne!

26–28 Jesus meets our need as high priest firstly because he is holy, blameless, pure. These three adjectives recall the teaching about his sinlessness (4:15) and explain why his sacrifice was so perfect, needing no repetition. He remained obedient to God through a lifetime of testing. As a faultless high priest, he sacrificed for the sins of God’s people once for all, when he offered himself (27; cf. 9:14). This is a new thought, explaining exactly how he made ‘purification’ (1:3) or ‘atonement for the sins of the people’ (2:17). Note the emphasis on the once for all nature of his sacrifice here and in 9:12, 26, 28; 10:10. Unlike the high priests of Judasim, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. The perfection of his sacrifice is associated with the perfection of the victim. Jesus also meets our need as high priest because he is now set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. His heavenly exaltation means that he always lives to apply the benefits of his saving work to us (25). The law of Moses appointed men who are weak as high priests, but the oath of Ps. 110:4 appointed the Son to be high priest of a different order. He was qualified to fulfil this role or made perfect for ever (28; cf. notes on 2:10; 5:9) by means of his obedient life, his sacrificial death and his entrance into the heavenly presence of God (as vs 26–27 suggest).

David G. Peterson, “Hebrews,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 1336–1338.