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The Priestly Family of Melchizedek
Hebrews 7:3 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 conHnually.
The puzzle concerning Melchizedek deepens when we read that he had neither father nor mother, neither genealogy, birth, nor death. If we divorce these statements from their context, we would have to conclude that he was a visitor from heaven or from another planet, or that he was a special creation of God. But the key to understanding lies in taking these statements in their context. The subject is priesthood. The writer is distinguishing between the Melchizedekan priesthood and the Aaronic. In order to qualify for the Aaronic priesthood a man had to be born of the tribe of Levi and of the family of Aaron. Genealogy was all-important. Also, his qualification began at birth and ended at death.
Melchizedek’s priesthood was quite different. He did not inherit the priesthood by being born into a priestly family. God simply picked him out and designated him as a priest. As far as his priesthood was concerned, there is no record of his father or mother or genealogy. In his case, this was of no importance, and as far as the record is concerned, no mention is made of his birth or death; therefore his priesthood continues.
We should not conclude that Melchizedek had no parents, that he was never born, and that he never died. That is not the point. The thought is that as far as his priesthood was concerned, there is no record of these vital statistics because his ministry as priest was not dependent on them.
He was made like the Son of God in this respect, that his priesthood continued without interruption.
Now the author is going to demonstrate that Melchizedek’s priesthood is superior to Aaron’s. There are three arguments in the proof: the argument concerning the tithes and blessing; the argument concerning a change that has taken place, replacing the Aaronic priesthood; and the argument concerning the perpetuity of the Melchizedekan priesthood.
Hebrews 7:4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.
In verses 4–10 we have the first argument. It opens with an unusual interjection, asking the readers to consider the greatness of Melchizedek. Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils of battle. Since Abraham was one of the greatest stars in the Hebrew firmament, it follows that Melchizedek must have been a star of even greater magnitude.
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;
By the authority invested in them after the establishment of the Mosaic law, the Levitical priests collected tithes from their fellow Israelites. The submission of the Israelites was not to honor the priests but to honor the law of God.
Hebrews 7:6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
But when Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham, it was an unusual and unconventional transaction. Abraham, called to be the father of the nation from which Messiah would come, was paying deference to one who was not connected with the chosen people. Melchizedek’s priesthood leaped over racial barriers.
Another significant fact is that Melchizedek blessed Abraham. He said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth” (Gen. 14:19, 20).
Hebrews 7:7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.
When one man blesses another man, it is understood that the superior blesses the inferior. This does not signify any personal or moral inferiority, of course, but simply an inferiority of position. As we read these arguments based on the OT, we should try to picture the reactions of the Hebrew readers. They had always revered Abraham as one of their greatest national heroes, and rightly so. But now they learn that Abraham acknowledged a “non-Jewish” priest as his superior. Just think! This was in their Bible all the time and they had never noticed it.
Hebrews 7:8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.
In the Aaronic priesthood ;thes were received by men who were subject to death. There was a constant succession of priests, each one serving his own genera;on, then passing on. In Melchizedek’s case there is no men;on of his having died. Therefore he can represent a priesthood which is unique in that it is perpetual.
Hebrews 7:9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,
In receiving ;thes from Abraham, Melchizedek virtually received them from Levi. Since Levi was the head of the priestly tribe, it amounts to saying that the Aaronic priesthood paid ;thes to Melchizedek and thus acknowledged the superiority of the latter.
Hebrews 7:10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 121). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. MacArthur, J. F., Jr., MacDonald, Farstad, Believers Bible; Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2195). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
