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HEBREWS CHAPTER 7
Heb_7:1-10 Christ, a Priest after the order of Melchisedec, is
proved to be of a more excellent order than that of
Aaron, from the character of Melchisedec, and his
confessed superiority to Abraham and Levi,
Heb_7:11-19 from the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, which
induced the necessity of a change to one more perfect,
Heb_7:20-22 from the confirmation of Christ’s priesthood by an oath,
Heb_7:23-25 from the unchangeableness,
Heb_7:26-28 and spotless innocence, of the person.
The Spirit now proceedeth to prove, that the gospel High Priest is of a far more excellent order than that of Aaron’s, by his being of the order of Melchisedec, of witore they had read, and whom they had in great esteem, and after whose order they were assured, by the prophet David, another Priest was to rise up in the church, rendering Aaron’s priesthood useless, and continuing the only means of reconciling sinners, and bringing them to eternal life, to whom they must cleave. He initiates it with a description of the state of Melchisedec’s order, from Heb_7:1-10; and then proceeds to apply it to Christ, from Heb_7:11-28. Having asserted, Heb_6:20, that Jesus was made from eternity
a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, and declared to be so by his entrance within the veil in heaven at his ascension, he reasoneth it out by showing what this Melchisedec was. The person pointed at by this name, is mentioned only once by Moses, and that in Gen_14:18-20. It is certain he was a man who lived by bread and wine, as well as Abraham, and received tithes from him becoming a man. His place of residence was Salem, afterwards called Jerusalem, in the land of Canaan, Jos_10:1. The Jews conceived him to be Shem, the second son of Noah, which this scripture denieth, for his genealogy is well known in it. That he descended from Ham, third son of Noah, because an inhabitant in Canaan, and that his name, Melchisedec, was the common name of the princes of that country, whose metropolis was first called Tsedec, then Salem, then Jerusalem, because the king of it in Joshua’s time was named Adoni-zedec, which is synonymous with this, is all conjectural. This is certain, he was king of Salem, endowed with royal power, such as the other kings in Canaan had. The capital seat in his kingdom was Salem, the name likely of both his city and territory; not that Salem of the Sichemites, Gen_33:18, afterwards called Shechem, demolished and sown with salt by Abimelech, Jud_9:34,45; in John the Baptist’s time raised again, and called Salem, Joh_3:23. But Salem mentioned Psa_76:2, more known by its famous appellation, Jerusalem. This shows him to be a man, as doth his next title.
Priest of the most high God: his authority in matters of religion, as a prime minister about holy things between God and men, and therefore a man, as Heb_5:1, set up by the most high God for himself, and consecrated in his order of priesthood by him, which should most illustriously set out that of his own Son. He managed all as a priest between his own people and the great God, ruling of them in all matters civil, and teaching and ordering them in all sacred things.
Who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings: he went from Jerusalem with necessary refreshings to meet Abraham, the friend of God, the father of believers, a prince and a priest himself, and of whose posterity was to come the Messiah, now returning from his victory over Chedorlaomer and his confederate kings, with the rescue of his nephew, and all his, to his tents at Mamre. As he was passing near Salem, Melchisedec meets him, and entertains him, Gen_14:13-20.
And blessed him: it was an act of his sacerdotal office, such as God enjoined on such officers afterwards in Num_6:23-27, and not a common wish and desire only. The matter of blessing is laid down, Gen_14:19. It was in God’s name, by his commission, effectually denounced on Abraham by virtue of his office and God’s institution; the height of God and all the good in heaven and in earth within God’s possession is conveyed to him, Gen_15:1, of seeing, denoting it to be such a serious and intent act, as calls for the utmost exercise of the discerning faculty; a carelessness in it, or an oversight, might make the proposal to be to no purpose. The greatness of this high priest is what he sets in their view, and that indefinitely: How great is this officer! Intimating him to be somewhat excessive to other great ones: and how much greater then must be Christ, if his type be so great! Beyond not only Abraham, Levi, and his posterity, but this great Melchisedec, as to his sacerdotal power and dignity.
Unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils: this greatness is evinced by Abraham’s (the patriarch, chief of all the fathers of Israel, whom the Hebrews esteemed above all others, Joh_8:53, and God owns as his friend, and sets all believers under his fatherhood) giving, as a due to Melchisedec, being the greater person in office, the tenth of all the spoils, that which was due to God, and paid to him as God’s high priest: akroyiniwn notes either the first or choicest of the heaps of grains, especially the first-fruits dedicated to God; but here signifieth that part of the spoils which, according to the custom of war in most nations, after the victory, were offered to God as his part, whether they did consist of persons or things: the tenth part of these were given by him to, Melchisedec, as the greatest priest of God in the world, and superior to himself.