Hebrews 7

7:1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him. 7:2 Abraham gave him a tenth of all that he had. Melchizedek's name means ‘king of what is right’. It also means ‘king of Salem’, that is, ‘king of peace’. 7:3 There is no reference to his father or mother or family. There is no record of his birth or death. He is like the Son of God, because he always remains a priest.

7:4 Think how great Melchizedek was! Even the father of our people, Abraham, gave him a tenth part of what he won in a war. 7:5 The sons of Levi who became priests had the right by law to take a tenth part from what their people had. This is so, even if both priests and people all came from Abraham. 7:6 This man, Melchizedek, did not come from the family of Levi. Yet, he received a tenth part from Abraham, although Abraham had the promises of God. 7:7 There is no doubt that those who are less important receive a blessing from one who is greater than they are. 7:8 In the first case, men who will die one day are receiving the tenth part. In the other case, one who the Bible declares will always live. 7:9 In fact, we could say that even Levi, who also received the tenth part, already paid it through Abraham. 7:10 For when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was not born. Levi was not a member of Abraham’s family until much later.

7:11 The Hebrews received the law of Moses while Levi and his sons were priests. If those priests and what they did had been good enough, what need would there have been for another kind of priest? Yet another kind of priest did come. He was one like Melchizedek and not a relative of Aaron’s. 7:12 Any change in the kind of priests requires a change in the law of Moses as well. 7:13 The man we are talking about did not come from the family of Levi. He belonged to a family that had never served as priests. 7:14 For it is clear that our Lord came from the family of Judah (Revelation 5:5). Moses said nothing about priests from that family.

7:15 What we have said becomes even clearer if another kind of priest like Melchizedek appears. He did. 7:16 But it was not because of any relationship to Levi. Jesus became a priest by the power of a life that has no end. 7:17 For the Bible says about him, ‘You are a priest always, like Melchizedek’ (Psalm 110:4). 7:18 God has put the old law aside, for it was weak and failed in its purpose. 7:19 The old law did not make anything right. God brought in a better hope by which we can approach him.

7:20 Moreover this hope came with a vow from God. By the old law, men became priests without a vow. 7:21 Jesus became a priest with a vow. God said to him, ‘The Lord has made a vow and will not change his mind. You are a priest always (Psalm 110:4)’. 7:22 So Jesus has been able to make a better and a more certain agreement with God on our behalf.

7:23 Now there have been many priests of the old law. They could not continue to be priests when they died. 7:24 But Jesus lives always, and so he will always be a priest. 7:25 Therefore he is able to make perfect all who come to God by him. This is because he always lives to pray for them.

7:26 We need such a chief priest as Jesus. He is holy, pure, and has no shame, for he has never sinned. God took him away from those who sin and he is now above the heavens. 7:27 Jesus does not need to make sacrifices every day as the other chief priests did. They had to do so, first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. Jesus did this once for all time when he sacrificed himself for us. He did not need to do this on his own behalf, for he was perfect and without sin. 7:28 The law makes men chief priests, but they are weak. The vow of God, which came later than the law, makes the Son the chief priest. He is perfect and lives always.