Page 58 - Hebrews- Student Textbook

OT type for Jesus Christ. He is only mentioned in Gen. 14:18-20 and Ps. 110:4. There has been much
discussion about his identity.

1. For Philo, he is a figure of the human soul
2. For Origen, he is an angel
3. For Ambrose, he is the angel of the Lord
4. For others, he is the national angel of Israel, Michael
5. For Epiphanius, he is the incarnation of Holy Spirit
6. For the Melchizedekites, he is greater than the Messiah and all prayer goes through him
7. For some Jews, Jerome and Luther, he is Shem, Noah's son

Melchizedek is used as a type of Jesus' priesthood for five reasons:
1. Abraham offered a tithe to him (inferiors always tithe to superiors) and by rabbinical
hermeneutics thereby Levi also offered a tithe (cf. vv. 4-9)
2. His parents are not listed, so rabbinical theology said he was without parents and thereby
eternal (cf. v. 3; Ps. 110:4b)
3. He was leader (king) in the later holy city, Jerusalem (Salem, cf. Gen. 14:18)
4. He was a priest of God Most High (i.e., El Elyon, cf. Gen. 14:18)
5. He allows the author to establish a legitimate priesthood apart from the Levitical
Priesthood.

"king. . .priest" He is the only person in the OT who combines royalty and priesthood (i.e., Psalm 110).

"and blessed him" The greater blesses the lesser; therefore, Abraham (and by rabbinical implications his
descendant, Levi), was blessed by Melchizedek (cf. Gen. 14:19), which shows his superiority over the
Aaronic priesthood. It also shows that Jesus, who was from the line of Judah, could be a priest of a
different order.

7:2 "a tenth" Notice that the tithe (cf. Gen. 14:20) is older than the Mosaic law. It was a way like the
Sabbath and first fruits of showing God's ownership of all (cf. Gen. 14:19c). This pre-Mosaic law tithe
was 10% but the Levitical tithe was actually two tithes in one year and a third tithe every third year,
equalling 23.3% of one’s crops and herds. In the New Covenant in Christ, believers are never
commanded to tithe as a mode of giving.

7:7 "the greater" The heart of the book of Hebrews is the comparison between the Mosaic covenant
and the New Covenant in Christ, which is far better or superior.

This contrast is often expressed by the term "greater" (kreittōu/kreissōu), which means "better,"
"superior," "more excellent," "more valuable," "higher rank." This is a recurrent theme in Hebrews.
1. Much better than the angels (cf. 1:4)
2. Better things concerning you (cf. 6:9)
3. Lesser is blessed by the greater (cf. 7:7)
4. A better hope (cf. 7:19)
5. A better covenant (cf. 7:22; 8:6)
6. with better sacrifice (cf. 9:23)
7. A better possession (cf.10:34)
8. A better resurrection (cf. 11:35)
9. A better country (cf. 11:16)
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