Page 496 - Demo

is to pray for others, to intercede for them. Jesus, the eternal priest, appeals to God on our behalf. We in our turn have a share in his priesthood through our baptism. We are called to intercede for others—to pray for the world.
Moses introducing the Book of the Law to the people of Israel (detail from a 16th century illustration)
e. [7:11] 5:6; Ps 110:4.
f. [7:14] Gn 49:10; Is 11:1; Mt 1:1–2, 16,
20; 2:6; Lk 1:27; 2:4; Rom 1:3; Rev 5:5.
g. [7:17] 5:6; Ps 110:4.
h. [7:18] 10:1.
i. [7:21] Ps 110:4.
j. [7:22] 8:6–10; 9:15–20; 10:29; 12:24;
13:20.
k. [7:24] 5:6; 13:8.
l. [7:25] Rom 8:34; 1 Jn 2:1; Rev 1:18.
HEBREWS 
it is testi ed that he lives on. 9One might even say that Levi* himself, who receives tithes, was tithed through Abraham, 10for he was still in his father’s loins when Melchizedek met him.
11* If, then, perfection came through the levitical priesthood, on the basis of which the people received the law, what need would there still have been for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not reckoned according to the order of Aaron?e 12When there is a change of priesthood, there is necessarily a change of law as well. 13Now he of whom these things are said* belonged to a di erent tribe, of which no member ever o ciated at the altar. 14It is clear that our Lord arose from Judah,* and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.f 15* It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek, 16who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.* 17For it is testi ed:
“You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”g
18On the one hand, a former commandment is annulled because of its weakness and uselessness,h 19for the law brought nothing to perfection; on the other hand, a better hope* is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20* And to the degree that this happened not without the taking of an oath*—for others became priests without an oath, 21but he with an oath, through the one who said to him:
“The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:i ‘You are a priest forever’”—
22j to that same degree has Jesus [also] become the guarantee of an [even] better covenant.* 23Those priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in o ce, 24but he, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away.k 25* Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them.l
* [7:9] Levi: for the author this name designates not only the son of Jacob mentioned in Genesis but the priestly tribe that was thought to be descended from him.
* [7:11–14] The levitical priesthood was not typi ed by the priest- hood of Melchizedek, for Ps 110:4 speaks of a priesthood of a new order, the order of Melchizedek, to arise in messianic times (Heb 7:11). Since the levitical priesthood served the Mosaic law, a new priesthood (Heb 7:12) would not come into being without a change in the law itself. Thus Jesus was not associated with the Old Testament priesthood, for he was a descendant of the tribe of Judah, which had never exercised the priesthood (Heb 7:13–14).
* [7:13] He of whom these things are said: Jesus, the priest “according to the order of Melchizedek.” According to the author’s interpretation, Ps 110 spoke prophetically of Jesus.
* [7:14] Judah: the author accepts the early Christian tradition that Jesus was descended from the family of David (cf. Mt 1:1–2, 16, 20; Lk 1:27; 2:4; Rom 1:3). The Qumran community expected two Messiahs, one descended from Aaron and one from David; Hebrews shows no awareness of this view or at least does not accept it. Our author’s view is not attested in contemporaneous Judaism.
* [7:15–19] Jesus does not exercise a priesthood through family lineage but through his immortal existence (Heb 7:15–16), ful lling Ps 110:4 (Heb 7:17; cf. Heb 7:3). Thus he abolishes forever both the levitical priesthood and the law it serves, because neither could e ectively sanctify people (Heb 7:18) by leading them into direct communication with God (Heb 7:19).
* [7:16] A life that cannot be destroyed: the life to which Jesus has attained by virtue of his resurrection; it is his exaltation rather than his divine nature that makes him priest. The Old Testament speaks of the Aaronic priesthood as eternal (see Ex 40:15); our author does not explicitly consider this possible objection to his argument but implicitly refutes it in Heb 7:23–24.
* [7:19] A better hope: this hope depends upon the sacri ce of the Son of God; through it we “approach the throne of grace” (Heb 4:16); cf. Heb 6:19, 20.
* [7:20–25] As was the case with the promise to Abraham (Heb 6:13), though not with the levitical priesthood, the eternal priesthood of the order of Melchizedek was con rmed by God’s oath (Heb 7:20– 21); cf. Ps 110:4. Thus Jesus becomes the guarantee of a permanent covenant (Heb 7:22) that does not require a succession of priests as did the levitical priesthood (Heb 7:23) because his high priesthood is eternal and unchangeable (Heb 7:24). Consequently, Jesus is able to save all who draw near to God through him since he is their ever-living intercessor (Heb 7:25).
* [7:20] An oath: God’s oath in Ps 110:4.
* [7:22] An [even] better covenant: better than the Mosaic
covenant because it will be eternal, like the priesthood of Jesus upon which it is based. Heb 7:12 argued that a change of priest- hood involves a change of law; since“law”and“covenant”are used correlatively, a new covenant is likewise instituted.
* [7:25] To make intercession: the intercession of the exalted Jesus, not the sequel to his completed sacri ce but its eternal presence in heaven; cf. Rom 8:34.
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