Hebrews 7:1-3

¹ “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. ³ Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.”

Verse 1: In this verse, we are introduced to Melchizedek, who was both a king and a priest. He was the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High. Melchizedek blessed Abraham, and in response, Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had. Melchizedek was a high priest outside of the Old Covenant law. The author of Hebrews highlights this because Jesus, our high priest, is also a priest outside of the Old Covenant. This means that the New Covenant is quite different than the Old Covenant. We also see that Abraham blessed Melchizedek with a tithe. Many point to this as a justification for requiring tithing in churches. However, this was not a tithe of money. It was a tithe of the spoils of war. So, this verse does not support New Covenant tithing.

Verse 2: Here, the author explains the meaning behind the name Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek can be translated as “king of righteousness.” This signifies his role as a righteous ruler. Additionally, the name “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” This highlights the peaceful nature of Melchizedek’s reign. Jesus is our ultimate king of righteousness and peace. When we believe in Jesus we become righteous and are brought into the peace of God.

Verse 3: The author describes the mysterious nature of Melchizedek. There is no record of his lineage, and he is portrayed as having no beginning or end of life. This resemblance to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is significant. It emphasizes the eternal nature of Jesus’ priesthood. Like Melchizedek, Jesus remains a priest forever, interceding for us before God. There are many theories about Melchizedek. Some say he was Jesus while others say he was simply a human being who was used later as a type of class. Either way the point is that Abraham respected someone outside of the law without having the right heritage to be a Levitical priest. Likewise, we too have a High Priest who is outside of the law: Jesus Christ. He is our true king of righteousness and peace.