Monday, November 19, 2012

Hebrews 7:1-10

Hebrews 7:1-10
I made this mistake of Googling Melchizedek.  Lot's of stuff of there and some of it is pretty weird.  Since I don't know the sources enough to trust them, we're just going to use scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to lead.

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, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

He was the King of Salem and since he was a priest of God, Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. We know what his name means and what the name of his city means, saying he is the king of righteousness and peace.  We don't know who his family is or where he went.
  
Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

 Confused yet?  I know part of me is.  Because I have read ahead and know that the writer is comparing things that were to Jesus.  Tomorrow we will see that though Melchizedek was a great king and priest and was close enough to be similar to Christ, Jesus is superior.  Some come back and we'll work through it together.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

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