Глава VII

The greatness of the Old Testament Melchizedek (1–10). The greater greatness of Melchizedek of the New Testament - Jesus Christ (11-17). His eternity in the true sense of the word (18–25). His highest perfections are holiness, purity and Divine Majesty (26–28). Hebrews 7:1. For Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, he who met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from the defeat of the kings, According to Gen. 14:18–20, Melchizedek is the king of righteousness - (from Hebrew king and truth) - “king of Salem,” that is, of Jerusalem (cf. Ps 75:3). - “Priest of the Most High God,” as he is called in the book. Genesis. The apostle does not mention Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine to Abraham, trying to focus the listeners’ attention only on the tithe of the spoils, by which Abraham expressed his recognition of Melchizedek’s priestly dignity. Hebrews 7:2. to whom Abraham divided the tithe from everything - first, according to the sign of the name, the king of righteousness, and then the king of Salem, that is, the king of peace, Subsequently, the apostle reveals the representative meaning of Melchizedek in relation to the Son of God, finding in his very name - the king of righteousness and the king of peace - an indication of Christ, the true King of righteousness and peace (cf. 1 Cor. 1:30; Jer 23:6; Mal 4:2; Dan 9:24; Isa 9:6-7; Rom 5:1; Eph 2:14). Hebrews 7:3. without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither the beginning of days nor the end of life, being like the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. “Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither the beginning of days nor the end of life.” Non-mention of all this in St. In the Scriptures, the apostle superbly presents as a likeness to the actual properties of the Son of God, having no father - according to humanity, no mother - according to the Divinity, no genealogy - according to the virgin birth, - neither the beginning of days, nor the end of life - according to the Divine ever-being, as if “Abides as a priest forever” thanks to not mentioning either the beginning of days or the end of life, - always remains with what was said about him and that the silence about his death and successors - in truly being likened to the eternal priesthood of Christ (Heb. 7:24). The purpose of this whole comparison is to show that if the Levitical priesthood is much lower than the priesthood of Melchizedek, then it is self-evident how much lower it is than that priesthood, of which the priesthood of Melchizedek was only some resemblance. Hebrews 7:4. You see how great is he to whom Abraham the patriarch gave tithes of his best spoils. "From the best of their spoils." To more clearly depict the greatness of Melchizedek, the apostle calls Abraham, who gave him the tithes, the honorable title of “patriarch” (2 Chronicles 19:8; Acts 7:8; Luke 1:73; John 8:53), and he elevates the tithe itself in meaning, calling it “of his best spoils.” The purpose of this is clear: if such a great patriarch so excellently honored Melchizedek with tithes as a priest of the Most High God, then how great must be the One of whom Melchizedek was only a weak likeness? Heb.7:5. Those who receive the priesthood from the sons of Levi have a commandment to take tithes according to the law from the people, that is, from their brothers, although these also came from the loins of Abraham. Hebrews 7:6. But this one, who was not descended from their lineage, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Hebrews 7:7. Without any contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the greater. Heb.7:8. And here the tithes are taken by mortal men, and there by the one who has a testimony about himself that he lives. Hebrews 7:9. And, so to speak, Levi himself, who receives tithes, in the person of Abraham gave tithes: Hebrews 7:10. for he was still in his father's loins when Melchizedek met him. With inexorable convincingness and consistency, the apostle, by elucidating the greatness of Melchizedek, leads his listeners to recognize the greatness of the Son of God, typified by Melchizedek. Melchizedek turns out to be superior to the sons of Levi. He received tithes from Abraham, the very ancestor of Levi, and, so to speak, from Levi himself (verses 9–10), the ancestor of the Old Testament priesthood. Finally, Melchizedek even blessed Abraham (and Levi), which showed, so to speak, the extreme degree of Melchizedek's superiority, for undoubtedly the lesser of the greater is blessed. In his comparisons of the Melchizedek and Levitical priesthoods, the apostle leaves no detail to prove the superiority of the former over the latter. So, in 8 tbsp. he also indicates superiority in the fact that, while in the Levitical priesthood with tithes the tribal priesthood was honored, so to speak, constantly refreshed by new and new bearers of it in place of the dying, in Melchizedek a personal priesthood was honored, as it were, without regard to any succession, in this case as if non-existent ("having a testimony of himself that he lives" cf. Heb. 7:3). Hebrews 7:11. So, if perfection were achieved through the Levitical priesthood - for the law of the people is associated with it - then what further need would there be for another priest to rise up in the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? Hebrews 7:12. Because with the change of the priesthood there must be a change of the law. From verse 11, the apostle proceeds to clarify the superiority of the priesthood of Christ over the Levitical, drawing appropriate conclusions from the above. The need for the appearance of a special priest according to the order of Melchizedek proves the insufficiency of the Levitical priesthood to achieve perfection in the fullness of eternal communion with God (cf. Heb. 11:40, 12:23), and is directly determined by this insufficiency. Meanwhile, this Levitical priesthood was so important in its time. - “For the law of the people is associated with it...”, i.e., the law was given to the people under the condition of the existence of the Levitical priesthood, which thus constituted the central point of the entire law. Obviously, if the people of the Old Testament could be brought to perfection, it would only be through the Levitical priesthood, on which the entire law was based. And then there would be no need for another priesthood. But since this did not happen, a different priesthood was required, and with it a different law to take the place of the previous one, which fell along with its priesthood (Art. 12). Hebrews 7:13. For He of whom this is spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one approached the altar. Art. explains the expression Hebrews 7:11 about another priest - not from the line of Aaron, but according to the order of Melchizedek. This Other, that is, Christ, was so different that he came from a completely different tribe - Judah, “from which no one approached the altar.” Hebrews 7:14. For it is known that our Lord arose from the tribe of Judah, about which Moses said nothing regarding the priesthood. “Our Lord rose from the tribe of Judah...” – Greek. ανατέταλκεν - actually rose, and about the luminaries - and shone (at sunrise): - here, therefore, one can see an allusion to both the Star of Jacob (Num. 24:17; Isa. 60:1; Mal. 4:2), and to the branch, the growth of which was predicted more than once by the prophets (Jer. 23:5, 33:15; Zech. 3:8, 6:12). Hebrews 7:15. And this is even more clearly seen from the fact that in the likeness of Melchizedek another Priest arises, “And this can be seen even more clearly from this” – Greek. περισσότερον έτι καταδηλόν έστιν, glory. more precisely: “and there is still more in reality,” i.e., and an even more obvious truth, that another priest who rose up according to the order of Melchizedek was truly Christ, who worthily accepted this honor not according to the law of the carnal commandment, but according to the power of unceasing life, as the Son of God and the Son of the Virgin. Even more - in comparison with the previously proven idea that it was necessary to rebel against “another” priest and another law (Heb. 7:11-12). This even more obvious truth is at the same time new evidence of the abolition of everything that was associated with the Old Testament Levitical priesthood, because a new priest arose according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:16. Who is such not according to the law of the carnal commandment, but according to the power of unceasing life. “Not according to the law of the carnal commandment” - can be understood in two ways: either in the sense - not by the right of carnal descent from the former high priest (as is known, the high priesthood was usually passed on from the father to the eldest son or in the clan), but by virtue of the original eternal life of Christ; or in a broader sense, not according to the external carnal law - carnal (σαρκικής) in contrast to the spiritual law - the law of the spirit of life and freedom of Christ, which has an eternally living meaning. Only such a priesthood fully satisfied what was promised in the famous saying of the Psalmist (Heb. 7:17). Hebrews 7:17. For it is testified: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:18. The cancellation of a former commandment occurs because of its weakness and uselessness, The condition due to which the replacement of the priesthood and Aaronic law with a new one according to the order of Melchizedek, expressed in Heb. 7:11–12, was inevitable is confirmed. The Old Testament law and priesthood have truly exhausted their conditional, limited, temporary meaning and have reached their goal and end - being replaced by better hope and better means of approaching God. – The “cancellation” of the previously former commandment took place due to its “weakness,” which was created both by its essential content (sacrifices, as not quite sufficient means of justifying people), and even more so by human imperfection and their moral savagery, for the healing of which the entire multitude of prescriptions of the Old Testament law did not have the internal reviving power of grace inherent in the law and grace of Christ. This “weakness” of the Old Testament law turned into “uselessness” when the time came, predetermined by God and achieved by the development of mankind, to replace it with the best and most perfect. Hebrews 7:19. for the law brought nothing to perfection; but a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. “The law did not bring anything to perfection,” not in the sense that it did not justify God’s intentions with which it was introduced. No, the Lord does not make mistakes in His deeds and the plans of His Divine wisdom. Within its limits and purposes, the law fulfilled to perfection the thought of God - to be a nurturer in Christ; he fulfilled what he was destined to be, without bringing anything to perfection, to pave the way to this perfection, to a new commandment and law, by which God’s goal was achieved more directly and more perfectly. – “The Best Hope” is the best means to achieve the hope of closest communication with God. Less perfect means to achieve this hope made this hope itself seem different - curtailed, smaller, worse. Here the same hope is called “better,” as if it were different, more fully achieved and satisfying a person. The path to this new hope and guidance are given in the new priesthood of Christ, which replaced the weakness and imperfection of the Old Testament institutions. Hebrews 7:20. And how this was not without an oath, - Hebrews 7:21. For they were priests without an oath, but this one was with an oath, because it was said about Him: The Lord has sworn, and will not repent: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek, - Hebrews 7:22. then Jesus became the surety of the better covenant. The best dignity of Christ's priesthood, its superiority over the Old Testament, its necessity and inalienability is confirmed by the Lord Himself - by the fact that the establishment of this priesthood was accompanied by an oath (cf. Heb. 6:16-18). – “Jesus became the guarantor of the best covenant...” In addition to the oath of God, this is confirmed to us by both the essence of the better covenant and the identity of the Guarantor. The essence of the best covenant is characterized by the fact that it brings everything to perfection and gives not only the commandment, but also “all Divine powers for life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3). Corresponding to this meaning of the best covenant, confirming it, is the identity of the Surety, who showed such sublime love for people on the part of God (“God so loved the world” John 3:16), and who granted people such high power to be “children of God” (John 1:12), for whom He is an ever-living Intercessor, as having taken upon Himself their sins and laid down His soul for them. Hebrews 7:23. Moreover, there were many of those priests, because death did not allow one to be alone; Hebrews 7:24. and this One, since He abides forever, has an imperishable priesthood, Hebrews 7:25. therefore He can always save those who come to God through Him, being always alive to intercede for them. The true high priest, Christ, is the one high priest, eternal, irreplaceable, always living, always interceding for people. This is His essential difference and superiority over the Old Testament multi-member priesthood, and in this the fulfillment of God’s promise that a priest according to the order of Melchizedek will forever be one, eternal, undying, unchangeable and never ceasing to intercede (Rom 8:34; 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 2:17). - “Those who come to God through Him” - that is, through Him, as a Mediator and Intercessor, receiving faith that saves them, justification and sanctification. Hebrews 7:26. This is how our High Priest should be: holy, free from evil, blameless, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens, Hebrews 7:27. Who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices first for his own sins, then for the sins of the people, for He did this once, sacrificing Himself. Hebrews 7:28. For the law appoints as high priests those who have infirmities; and the word of oath, after the law, established the Son, perfect forever. Having outlined the full image of the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, the apostle once again tries on Him, so to speak, the virtues of Jesus Christ and decisively and clearly establishes His complete and ideal perfection as the true High Priest of the New Testament. – “Exalted above the heavens...” – cf. Eph.4:10 “at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven” (Heb.1:3), and precisely as the closest and strongest Intercessor for us before God. As the Son of God, Jesus, both as sacrifice and as High Priest, is complete perfection forever, since in relation to the Father nothing greater and equal can be imagined than the Son. With this last, indisputably strong and majestic argument, the apostle carries to an unattainable limit his proofs and arguments about the dignity and significance of the true and eternal High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. You might be interested in: