S17 || How Melchizedek Points to a Higher Priesthood || Hebrews 7:4-22 || Session 17

What if the most famous tithe in the Bible wasn’t about a rule at all, but about recognizing a greater King and Priest? We open Hebrews chapter 7 and discover why Abraham’s gift to Melchizedek predates the Mosaic Law and why that matters for how we give, how we worship, and how we understand Jesus’ ministry today. Instead of arguing for a quota, the passage raises a bigger claim: a superior priesthood has arrived, grounded not in lineage but in the power of an indestructible life.

We walk through the key moves of the text: Melchizedek blesses Abraham, so the greater blesses the lesser; Levi “pays” tithes in Abraham, elevating Melchizedek’s order above the Levitical priesthood; and if the priesthood changes, the law must change too. That’s where everything turns. The Mosaic Law could diagnose sin but could not make anyone complete. Jesus, our priest forever according to Psalm 110, brings a better hope, a new covenant, and real nearness to God. The law of Christ—love God and love neighbor—raises the bar beyond rule-keeping and empowers obedience through the Spirit.

We also rethink generosity in light of this better priesthood. The New Testament calls us to give freely, joyfully, and abundantly, not under compulsion. If giving feels like an invoice, we miss the point. Generosity becomes participation in God’s work, a way to share in its fruit with open hands and a full heart. And because Jesus’ priesthood never ends, our hope is not seasonal or symbolic; it’s anchored in his ongoing intercession and his once-for-all sacrifice.

Join us as we trace how Hebrews 7 reframes tithing, priesthood, and law around Jesus—greater than angels, greater than Moses, and greater than the old priesthood. If this conversation helps you see giving and grace with fresh eyes, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Chapters

• 0:00 Setting The Stage: Tithes And Hebrews 7
• 2:45 Abraham, Melchizedek, And The Tenth
• 5:45 Is Tithing Required Today
• 9:20 Joyful Giving Vs. Obligation
• 12:40 Greater Blesses Lesser: Christ Exalted
• 16:40 Levi Pays Tithes In Abraham
• 20:05 Why The Law Couldn’t Make Us Complete
• 24:00 Jesus Greater Than Angels, Moses, Priests
• 27:10 A New Priesthood Means A New Law
• 31:00 Indestructible Life And Lasting Priesthood

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:19

In our churches today, we often get into discussions about giving and how much should be given to the church, how much are we required to? Different people have had different opinions. Would it surprise you to know that giving a tenth was around way before most people think it was? We're going to learn about that today as we study the book of Hebrews, chapter seven. We've already been introduced to a man named Melchizedek, who's a very unusual character, but we're going to learn a great deal more about him again today, also. But as we go through this, we're going to learn about giving, we're going to learn about Jesus, and we're going to learn some great things about both of them. Open your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 7. If you were with us before, we learned about this man Melchizedek, who in Genesis was given no genealogy. It lists no father, no mother, no sons, no relative. He just walks onto the page of Scripture and then walks off again. He is a figure of Christ. He's a type of Christ. There's a lot of parallels with him. As we're going to see, Jesus is a priest according to a different order than what most of the Jewish priests were. Jesus is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. We're going to learn about that. Steve, if you could start at Hebrews chapter 7 at verse 4, and read down to verse 10.

SPEAKER_01: 1:50

Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who received the priest's office have commandment in the law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham, and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute, the lesser is blessed by the greater. In this case, mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witness that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham, even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

SPEAKER_00: 2:50

In verse 5, the regular Old Testament priests were descended from Levi, the tribe of Levi. The Old Testament priests would receive tithes from the people, would they not, Steve? Yes, they would.

SPEAKER_01: 3:03

And in the verses that the writer is talking about, that not only would the people give the tithes to the priests in order to take care of the temple and services and everything else, but the priests themselves also had to give tithes. That's one of the points that he's making out here.

SPEAKER_00: 3:22

The priests, of course, were full-time workers in the temple. Therefore, in order for them to make a living, they received tithes from the people. They were prevented from owning land. They were prevented from doing the activities that the rest of the population would do. For them to have a way of making a living and raising a family, they would receive tithes from the people. Here, verse 6, Melchizedek did not descend from Levi. Mchizedek received tithes from Abraham. Chapter 7 is making the case that Jesus is a legitimate priest. One of the connections they make is when Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek. One of the questions that arrives today, Steve, is tithing a requirement today. Is that something that is obligated upon Christians in the church age today?

SPEAKER_01: 4:19

I don't believe tithing is something in the church age for the Christians to do. If somebody wants to tithe and use that as a starting point in order to give to God, I think that's great. But I don't think that it's something that is we're commanded to do. We're actually commanded to do is to give freely and to give what we can and to give joyously. That is what we are to give. And that might be more than a tenth. It might be less than a tenth. It depends upon everybody's situation. But no, I don't think in our time and day and age associated with us in order to give tithes.

SPEAKER_00: 4:59

The word tithe, of course, just means tenth. In the Mosaic law, it was a legal requirement for the people to give a tenth and to give it for the service of the temple and for the priest to make a living. But actually, there were three different tithes in the Mosaic law, legally required at three different times. So it was really more than a tenth. But we're no longer under the Mosaic law in the church age today. We're no longer legally required to tithe. But we have this story here. Abraham was way before the Mosaic Law, many hundreds of years before Moses. We have here Abraham giving a tenth, and it seems to be voluntary. There was nobody there legally requiring him to. If we have the question, is a tithe a legal requirement today? The short answer is no, but we would quickly follow that up with we should be giving abundantly. In the church age, we should be giving freely and joyously and abundantly, not because of some legal requirement. In the New Testament, we are to give joyously and abundantly. To be perfectly frank, my friend, if you feel an obligation to give, if you're giving because you feel like you're obligated to, then keep your money. God doesn't need it. What the giving is set up for is to give joyously so that you can participate vicariously with the ministry or even physically with the ministry. You give to a missionary, you can see the fruits of their work and you can be a part of that. The giving is to the work of the church so that you can see the benefits of the church with salvations and helping people in around the church and helping with worship. You give to Christian service work because you want to see the fruits of that work. And you have a joy because of the giving. If you're giving because you feel obligated to give, then keep your money. God doesn't need it. You're not gonna have the joy of it anyway. Tithing should be not looked at as a legal requirement, but a privilege. My friend, it was given way before the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law wasn't just a tenth, it was much more than that. There's many of us today that have enough resources to where we could be giving more than a tenth. And I don't think we should be going around looking at people that are destitute making legal requirements on them. Their giving is between them and God. We have here people giving a tenth way, way before it was ever legally required. Then we have here in verse 7, it says the lesser is blessed by the greater. We are not in a position to bless God, but God is in a position to bless us. Since God is greater, God can bless us. It says here, Melchizedek blessed Abraham, therefore, Melchizedek was greater than Abraham. That's the point it's making. The greater will bless the lesser. Jesus is of the order of Melchizedek, Jesus is greater. This is just one more of those ways of lifting up Christ. Steve, what else can we learn about this passage, these first verses here in chapter seven?

SPEAKER_01: 8:23

I know that these verses are sometimes used in order to bolster giving and tithing, but the context is speaking here is not what the author is talking about. That's not the purpose of him using this as an example. And we should keep that in front of us. What is the context? He is talking about Jesus not being of a human lineage of priests from the tribe of Levi. He is talking about Jesus being of the order of Melchizedek, which doesn't have any connection to the tribe of Levi at all. It's not based upon being passed down in lineage from father to son. It's a completely different line or order altogether. Melchizedek was both king and priest. The Levite priests were not kings at all. The kings came from the line of Judah. By keeping the context of what the author is making here to the Hebrew people, he's not talking about and trying to make a case that people should tithe. I think sometimes these verses are taken out of that context. Let's stick and stay with what argument that the author is making to these people that Jesus is greater than the Levitical priesthood because he is of a different order. He's of an order of Melchizedek that was way before any type of ordinances or statutes or rules came along from God in the Mosaic covenant.

SPEAKER_00: 9:56

In the Mosaic law, the priest had to be of the tribe of Levi. That's why they're called the Levitical priest. Levi lived many years after Abraham. Verse 9 is saying that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek. Well, we ask, how could that be? It explains in the passage because Levi was in the loins of his ancestor, and the ancestor paid tithes, therefore, Levi paid tithes. J. Vernon McGee, the Bible teacher, used the illustration that his ancestors came to North America before he was born. Many generations down the line, he was born. Therefore, when his ancestors came to North America, he came to North America. In that sense, Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek. Chapter 7 is making the point that Melchizedek is a legitimate priest receiving tithes from Abraham and even from the Levitical priest. If Levi gave tithes to Melchizedek, then the Levitical priest gave tithes to Melchizedek. This lifts up the order of Melchizedek to a greater degree. It was a higher order of priest. It was a better priest. Everything here is pointing to Christ as better, saying that the Levitical priest could receive tithes, but even they were giving to Melchizedek. When Christ is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek, he is of a superior order. So profound, so wonderful. We don't have to worry about this because First Corinthians 15, 22 says, in Adam we all die. Then 1 Corinthians 15, 22, for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. This idea of imputation but from an ancestor is a major theme throughout the scriptures. We have here this Melchizedek is being compared as a superior order of priest. And Hebrews 7, 11 says, Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood, for on the basis of it the people received the law, what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek and not be designed according to the order of Aaron? Under the Levitical priesthood were all the activities of the Mosaic Law. Question, Steve, can people be made perfect through the activities of the Levitical priesthood and the Mosaic Law?

SPEAKER_01: 12:37

Let's define the word perfect as I answer this. That really means to be complete. That's the usage that's talked about when we see that word perfect in the biblical scriptures. It doesn't mean that is without error or without some sort of marring or something like that. It means to be complete. So, no, the Levitical laws never would make somebody complete because nobody could completely keep the laws. That was a point that Jesus made in his ministry. It's a point that Paul made over and over again in his epistles, mainly the epistle to the Galatians, is that no one could keep all of the laws. Because if you broke one of the laws, then you broke all of the law. The law itself, trying to keep it, would never make someone perfect or complete in the eyes of God.

SPEAKER_00: 13:34

Many people mistakenly think that when they see Mosaic law and Levitical priesthood, that it's only talking about the animal sacrifices. But the Mosaic law had much more than that. It had laws on finances and paying back debts, and when you hired people and when you got married to people, and what was allowed sexually and what wasn't, and how to clean your food and how to get rid of your waste? It had all these laws. And the animal sacrifices were a part of that, but it was not only that. When we asked the question, can people be made perfect through the law? The way to answer that is to ask another question, which is, how were people made right before God in the Old Testament? Or if we were to phrase it in a New Testament language, how were people saved in the Old Testament? How were people saved in the Old Testament? Well, it wasn't by obeying the Mosaic Law, simply because we read here in verse 11 if salvation had been attainable through the Levitical priest and the Mosaic Law, God could have merely kept that system in place and people would be saved because of keeping the law. But we know from other places in the New Testament that that's not possible. We also know it just in our heart. We all know that at some point we've all told a lie at one point in our life, or we've all stolen something, and we've all misbehaved or ignored God in some way. Verse 11 is saying that if we could obtain salvation, if we could be made perfect through the law, God could have just kept that in place. Galatians goes over and over again very emotionally that no one can be made right by following the law. The law will tell you what's legal or illegal, but it does not give you the power to obey it. People in the Old Testament were saved just like the people in the New Testament by grace through faith. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. We are made right before God in the Old Testament just like we're made right before God in the New Testament. It's not by keeping a list of rules. Back to verse 11. If perfection was through the litical priesthood, what further need was there of another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek? We needed another priest because the old system was inadequate. Steve, can we be made right before God by doing good things?

SPEAKER_01: 16:20

No, absolutely not. There's nothing that we can do in order to reach righteousness before God. That's the story of Abraham. Abraham believed God in the promises that he made that we've talked about in our previous sessions. God counted that as righteousness. There was no work that was done in Abraham's belief in those promises. It's the same thing with us. What do we believe in and have faith in? We have faith in the promises given to us through Jesus Christ. And that is how we are declared righteous before God. That's the pattern. It's based upon faith, it's not based upon works. The other thing to keep in context of what the writer is doing here throughout this part of it is going back to chapter one, he's making the case that Jesus is greater than their Judaism. He's greater than the angels, was talked about in the first couple of chapters. Then the author noted that Jesus is greater than Moses. And now he's saying that Jesus is greater than the Levitical priesthood. This is the context of what the author is doing. Let's keep in mind that he is systematically going through these three different pillars that the Hebrew people have and saying that Jesus is above all of them, is greater than them. Therefore, since he is greater, he can be our high priest that goes in beyond the veil in the third heaven. He is there to be our advocate. He is there to be a representative for us. Because he was both human and manned, he has been the perfect person. He's the satisfactory sacrifice. He's the one whereby God can be both just and the justifier.

SPEAKER_00: 18:12

The Old Testament priesthood was the way that the people could go before God and plead their case for forgiveness of sins. This passage here in Hebrews 7 is saying that a new system needed to be put in place because the old one was inadequate. It's going to explain that further in the next verses. I'm starting to read in verse 12. For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. This is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such, not on the basis of law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is attested of him, you are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. Steve, in order to understand that passage, who were the only ones who were allowed to approach the altar as priests?

SPEAKER_01: 19:30

The high priest and the Holy of Holies, he was the only one that was allowed to go behind the veil and the Ark of the Covenant, like I said before, once a year to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice to make atonement for the nation of Israel for all of the people. One high priest once a year behind the veil.

SPEAKER_00: 19:52

That priest came from the tribe of Levi. They had to be Levitical priests, they had to be physically. Ethnically descended from Levi and Aaron. Here in verse 12, if the priesthood changes, what would have to happen to the law that controlled the priests?

SPEAKER_01: 20:11

It means that the law would have been changed as well. And that's part of what he's making is that Jesus is from the tribe of Judah, and all of the Mosaic law talks about the Levitical priesthood coming from the tribe of Levi.

SPEAKER_00: 20:25

Exactly right. In verse 12, for when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. What he's saying here is that we had to have another priest because the old ones were inadequate. The Mosaic law is completed and fulfilled and no longer a requirement for us. It explains that in Colossians 2.14 and Galatians 5.18. Galatians 5.18 says, quote, if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. So it's very clear, the church in the church age, we are not held to the Mosaic law. The believer in Christ is set free from the law per Galatians chapter 5, the first four verses. People then ask, of course, are we still under a law today? Are we lawless? Well, Hebrews 12 says no. It says, since the priesthood is changed, the law changed also. Instead, we are under the law of Christ. It uses that term in Galatians 6.2 and 1 Corinthians 9.21. We are not lawless. The theologians use the word antinomian. We are not out there living like the devil. We are held to a much higher standard than the Mosaic law, which is the law of Christ. And in the law of Christ, we have a better priesthood and a better law. That's what he's explaining here in Hebrews. We're not held to the old letter of the old Mosaic law. The Jewish leaders in Jesus' day could keep all of those letters of the law and all those 600 plus laws, and they could still manipulate them. But the law of Christ is a law of the Spirit. Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. If you're doing that, there's no way to wiggle out of love. There's no way to wiggle out of law number 316 allows me to uh ignore my parents and ignore my neighbor. No, no. You are to love your neighbor as yourself and love the Lord your God. So the law of Christ is a much better law, and it requires a better priest, one of the order of Melchizedek. Whereas Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, not the tribe of Levi. Therefore, he could not be a priest of Aaron, the Aaronic priesthood, because of his genealogy. However, he could be a priest of a different order, a priest of Melchizedek. At the end of verse 16, it tells us on what basis did Jesus become a priest according to Melchizedek.

SPEAKER_01: 23:04

It says in 16, it's not based off of the physical requirement, meaning that he wasn't a descendant, but according to the power of an indestructible life, meaning that he has no end. He is eternal. Because he's from the tribe of Judah, that's the Davidic line where the kings were coming from. And the order of Melchizedek, he was a king and a priest. Therefore, he fits into that type of an order where he could be both king and priest. Whereas in the physical line of the Levitical priesthood, he could not be both king and priest.

SPEAKER_00: 23:44

It says there at the end of verse 16 that Jesus became a priest of Melchizedek because of an indestructible life. Melchizedek, if you remember it, doesn't mention him being born, doesn't mention him dying. He's just pictured as an eternal being. Jesus is that eternal being. He is the one that has no beginning and no end. He's the one that conquered death. He was killed on a cross, but he rose again and can never die again. Because Jesus lives forever, he can be a priest, not of the tribe of Levi. He is a priest of the order of Melchizedek. He is a different order. Therefore, he requires a different law. This is the law of Christ. Verse 17 then quotes Psalm 1104, a psalm about the Messiah. He says, You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. That verse is quoted four times in Hebrews. Steve, do you think they want us to remember when he quotes it four times? He wants us to remember that Jesus is a priest forever, according to this new order, this order of Melchizedek. What impact does that have with us on a daily, weekly basis?

SPEAKER_01: 25:03

Well, forever means forever. It's eternal. That means that Jesus is the representative and high priest forever for all eternity. What is it that we're promised? We're promised eternal life. We're promised a glorified body to accompany that eternal life for our spirit. So it means that Jesus is always going to be present and representing us eternally.

SPEAKER_00: 25:29

So let's just review what we have so far. We have Jesus that is presented in chapter one as God Almighty. He is then in the next chapter presented as a man. As such, he can be both God and man. As God, he could be eternal. He can be forever. He is also presented as better than the angels. And angels were God's highest creation that we knew about. Jesus is not created, therefore, he is better than the angels. It also lists him as better than Moses and better than any high priest. We have now here Jesus is of a better order, the order of Melchizedek. Next, we're going to learn about how Jesus brings in a better covenant. Jesus is superior in every way. Next, we learn about how Jesus is of a better covenant. Steve, can you start at verse 18 and read down to verse 22?

SPEAKER_01: 26:30

For on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness, for the law made nothing perfect. And on the other hand, there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. And inasmuch as it was not without an oath, for they indeed became priests without an oath, but he with an oath, through the one who said to him, The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever. So much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

SPEAKER_00: 27:13

Verse 18 there says, on the one hand, they're setting aside of a former covenant because of its weakness and uselessness. Of course, it's talking about the Mosaic Law there. Why was the Mosaic law set aside?

SPEAKER_01: 27:26

The Mosaic Law is set aside because nobody could keep it perfectly to be complete. Paul tells us in the epistles that the law was a tutor for us. It was there to show us that we weren't going to be able to keep it, that we couldn't be perfect or complete in the law. Well, if we can't keep it and be complete and be recognized as being righteous before God by keeping of the law, that means it has to be set aside and that God has a different way in which we can become righteous in front of Him.

SPEAKER_00: 28:02

The law, it says here, is weak and useless. Well, if we ask ourselves why is it weak and useless, it's because the law cannot give you the power to obey it. The law can point out what's right and what's good, and it can also point out what's wrong and evil, but it doesn't give you any power to live that way. It can point out the difference between right and wrong, but it can't help you be righteous. The law cannot help us to obey it. It can tell us what to do and what not to do, but it doesn't give us any ability to live that way. If we look then at the middle of verse 19, what is this better hope that draws us near to God?

SPEAKER_01: 28:47

In the verse there, it says that we have a better hope. With that better hope, then we draw near to God. Well, that's obviously Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah. That's the subject of everything that the writer is talking about to the Hebrews. Jesus is better than angels Moses and the Levitical priesthood, better than the law. When we place our faith and trust in him, we have a better hope that has us drawing nearer to God.

SPEAKER_00: 29:19

The Old Testament sacrifices were done by the priest, and they had to keep doing them over and over and over. They had to have a sacrifice every morning, every evening, every time somebody came in with a special sacrifice, they had to do it. It was repetitive to the point of monotony. There was no hope in that because there was no finality to it. Jesus, on the other hand, lives forever, and his sacrifice was once for all. The earthly priest died, so we had to get another one after him. When he died, there was another one after him. Jesus lives forever. He could be a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. Verses 20 and 21 here, God gives his word that Jesus will be a priest forever. Verse 22 is the first mention of the next concept, which is a covenant. He says, not only is Jesus a better priest, but he brings in a better covenant. The book will have more to say on that in chapters 8 and 10 of Hebrews, but we have now a perfect high priest who made a perfect sacrifice and forever intercedes on our behalf. That is our blessed hope, is we have a better priest that is better than the angels. He's better than Moses. He's going to bring in a better covenant and he lives forever. He lives forever to do what? To go in to the heavenly tabernacle and make intercession for us on a daily basis. How wonderful that is.

SPEAKER_01: 30:57

And that word behind hope is one of an expectation that it's actually going to happen. It's not just wishful thinking.

SPEAKER_00: 31:06

Next time we're going to learn a little more about this better covenant as we continue to reason through the book of Hebrews.

SPEAKER_01: 31:13

Thank you so much for watching and listening. And as always, may God bless you.