Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 387
6:12–7:9
H e b re w s
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that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who
are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.
For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one
greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:
“I will certainly bless you,
and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.”
Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.
Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding.
God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the
promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are
unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who
have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the
hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for
our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus
has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in
the order of Melchizedek.
This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God
Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great
battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. Then
Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to
Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of
Salem means “king of peace.” There is no record of his father or mother or
any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest
forever, resembling the Son of God.
Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the
great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he
had taken in battle. Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who
are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of
Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham. But Melchizedek, who was
not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the
promises of God. And without question, the person who has the power to
give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.
The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is
greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. In addition, we
might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid
