Giving honor to the greater priesthood of Melchizedek!
Giving Honor To The Priesthood
Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. 4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.
Hebrews is a building block book and chapter 7 begins by laying more blocks. The priesthood that Jesus derives His priesthood from becomes the front and center piece. The greater covenant that Jesus Christ has brought is the foundation for our hope, inheritance, and the power of God working in us. Remember Abraham is before the law and He runs into this Man Melchizedek the priest of the Most High God. We are commanded in the word of God to consider the greatness of Melchizedek
Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all.
Abraham had gone to war with just the servants in his household to rescue his nephew Lot and his family. The city Lot lived in had been attacked and taken captive. God gave Abraham a great victory; He rescued Lot and the entire city Lot lived in. There was much spoil of war that was gained. King Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God, met Abraham and provided bread and wine and blessed Abraham and exalted God for bringing Abraham such a great victory over several kings. The word defines King Melchizedek as the “king of righteousness” and the “king of peace”. This was no less than a divine encounter for Abraham. As an act of worship Abraham gave a tenth of all the spoils to Melchizedek. More than 400 years later the Levitical priesthood came to administrate the covenant of the law of Moses.
Psalms 110:1 The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." 2 The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion . Rule in the midst of Your enemies! 3 Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. 4 The LORD has sworn And will not relent, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."
Prophetically the psalmist wrote about the Messiah who was coming. The promise was that Jesus would be a priest forever according the order of Melchizedek. The greatness of the priesthood was prophesied twelve hundred years before its fulfillment.
Hebrews 7:5 And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.
The blessing on the promises Abraham had came from the Melchizedek priesthood. The lesser priesthood from the Levites is blessed by the better priesthood. The earthly priesthood coming from the Levites is called the lesser. Verse 8 is revealing that while under the law that earthly priesthood received tithes; under the greater priesthood of Melchizedek this is a still a receiving from tithes. Our High Priest serves us the bread and the wine of this covenant, and like Abraham, tithing is the way we honor the greater priesthood of Jesus Christ. Notice verse 8 puts it in present tense “receives them”. The eternal priesthood is presently receiving tithes. There are those who claim tithing is only under the covenant of the law and is not apart of our covenant. Frankly, at one point, I was one who stood in that position; however, this passage changed my heart and mind. When I begin to admit the greatness of the priesthood of Jesus Christ I had to admit He lives eternally and His priesthood still receives tithes. I am committed to becoming a reflection of His Word.
Hebrews 7:9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. 11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.
The superior priesthood, according to the order of Melchizedek, shows there had to be a changing of the law. When the priesthood changed of necessity this is also a change of the law! The greater priesthood brings in the greater covenant. Jacob was the second patriarch in the Bible that gave a tithe. Jacob had a dream of angels ascending and descending upon a ladder. Jacob anointed the rock upon which his head rested while having this heavenly encounter. He promised if God would deliver him, he would give a tithe of all. Oh, by the way Jacob renamed the anointed place Bethel (the house of God). Twenty years later God spoke to him again.
Genesis 31:13 'I am the God of Bethel , where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.'" … Genesis 35:7 And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.
God Himself has declared He is the God of the house of God. When it came time to give Jacob’s tithe he was directed to the house of God. Tithing to the house of God is paying honor to the greater priesthood where it is said he still receives tithes; it is not tithing based on the law of Moses and the Levite priesthood.
Hebrews 7:13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah , of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."
Another priest has arisen not according to the law of fleshly commandment. This priesthood arises according to the power of an endless life. The testimony of God Himself is “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, just as prophesied in Psalm 110.
Hebrews 7:18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
The new priesthood brought in an annulling of the former commandment. The law is identified here as weak and not profitable. We do no honor to the priesthood of Jesus Christ if we try and bring the believer under the law; the law could not make anything perfect. But the priesthood of Melchizedek could because it is based on the power of an endless life. The better hope of drawing near to God is not derived from the law but from the priesthood of Jesus Himself.
Hebrews 7:20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: "The LORD has sworn And will not relent, 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek'"), 22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. 23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
It is not acceptable to live under the covenant of the law because we have the better covenant. This covenant brings salvation that saves to the uttermost! This covenant gives us a high priest who always lives to make intercession for us. His offering on our behalf was and is once and for all based upon His perfection. Give honor the order of Melchizedek Priesthood for that is the covenant that has provided us with our new birth!
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