Melchizedek and Abraham (Genesis 14:17–24)
1 UST { Now I will say more about} Melchizedek. He ruled{ the city of} Salem, and he served the greatest God as a priest. When Abraham was going home after defeating some of his enemies, Melchizedek met with him and blessed him. BSB BSB: This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
2 UST Then Abraham gave to him one tenth of everything{ that he took when he defeated his enemies}.{ The name“Melchizedek”} means“just king”{ in Hebrew}.{ The title}“ruler of{ the city of} Salem” means“peaceful ruler,”{ since“Salem” sounds like the Hebrew word for“peaceful”}. BSB BSB: and Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness.” Then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”
3 UST { When Moses wrote about Melchizedek, he did not say anything about} his father, his mother, his other ancestors, when he was born, or when he died. So,{ Moses} described him as if he were similar to God’ s Son and as if he always served as a priest. BSB BSB: Without father or mother or genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.
4 UST You can tell how important Melchizedek was from how Abraham, the ancestor of all the Israelites, offered him one tenth of the most valuable things{ that he took when he defeated his enemies}. BSB BSB: Consider how great Melchizedek was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder.
5 UST In Moses’ law,{ God spoke to} the men who are part of the clan of Levi and who serve as priests. He commanded them to receive one tenth of what the rest of the Israelites, who are their relatives,{ earned or grew}.{ God commanded this} despite the fact that all the Israelites are descendants of Abraham. BSB BSB: Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—though they too are descended from Abraham.
6 UST Now Melchizedek is not part of the clan of Levi. Despite that, he received one tenth of what Abraham{ took when he defeated his enemies}. Further, he blessed Abraham, the man to whom God had promised{ that he would give him many descendants}. BSB BSB: But Melchizedek, who did not trace his descent from Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
7 UST Now everyone agrees that more important people bless less important people.{ So, because he blessed Abraham, Melchizedek is more important than Abraham.} BSB BSB: And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater.
8 UST In Moses’ law, we learn about how priests receive one tenth{ of what the rest of the Israelites earn or grow}, but these priests all die. In the story about Melchizedek, we learn that he{ also received one tenth of what Abraham took from his enemies}, but he continues to live. BSB BSB: In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on.
9 UST In fact, in a way, Levi{ and the priests from his clan} gave one tenth{ of what they had to Melchizedek} when Abraham{ gave him one tenth}.{ This is true even though} they are the ones who receive one tenth{ from what the Israelites have}. BSB BSB: And so to speak, Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham.
10 UST { What I have said makes sense} because Levi{ had not yet been born} and was{, in a way,} still inside Abraham, his great- grandfather, when he and Melchizedek met together. BSB BSB: For when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the loin of his ancestor.
A Superior Priesthood 11 UST Now God made the law that he gave to the Israelites depend on having the descendants of Levi serve as priests. So, suppose that people could become what God wanted them to be through what these priests did to serve God.{ In that case,} God would never have appointed another priest to serve in the way that Melchizedek was a priest instead of in the way that Aaron was a priest.{ However, God did appoint this kind of priest.} BSB BSB: Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron?
12 UST { You can tell that God made the law depend on having the descendants of Levi serve as priests,} because the law must change whenever the way that people serve as priests changes. BSB BSB: For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed as well.
13 UST { You can tell that God has changed how people serve as priests,} because Jesus, whom God has called{ a priest}, is not one of the descendants of Levi but is a descendant of one of Levi’ s brothers. No descendant of this man has served as a priest. BSB BSB: He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.
15 UST Further,{ you can tell} even more clearly{ that God has changed how people serve as priests,} since God has appointed a different kind of priest{, Jesus,} who serves God like Melchizedek did. BSB BSB: And this point is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears,
16 UST He serves as a priest because nothing can keep him from living, which makes him a powerful{ priest}.{ As this kind of priest,} he does not depend on what God commanded in Moses’ law about how human priests{ are descendants of Levi}. BSB BSB: one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life.
17 UST { You can tell that this is true about him}, because God the Father said{ to him}:“You will never stop being a priest in the same way that Melchizedek was a priest.” BSB BSB: For it is testified: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
18 UST What this means is that God withdrew what he had first commanded{ about priests}.{ He did this because} that way of doing things was ineffective. BSB BSB: So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless
19 UST { That way was ineffective} because people could not become what God wanted them to be by doing what God previously commanded. Now what this also means is that God provided something better for us to confidently expect. When we confidently expect this, we go closer to God. BSB BSB: (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
20 UST Now God did not guarantee what he said when he made some of the descendants of Levi to be priests. However, he did guarantee what he said{ when he made} the Messiah{ to be a priest}. Here is what God said to him:“The Lord has guaranteed what he says, and he will not do something else:‘You will never stop being a priest!’” So, just as{ Jesus serves as a greater priest because} God guaranteed what he said{ when he made him a priest}, BSB BSB: And none of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath,
22 UST so also there is a better agreement, which Jesus guarantees. BSB BSB: Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
23 UST Further, each one{ of the descendants of Levi} died and so could not continue{ to serve as a priest}. Because of that, there have been many{ descendants of Levi} who have served as priests. BSB BSB: Now there have been many other priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office.
24 UST However, Jesus will never die. Because of that, he will always serve as a priest. BSB BSB: But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.
25 UST Because{ he always serves as a priest}, he can fully rescue anyone who, because of what he has done, goes closer to God.{ He can do that because} he will never die and thus can always ask God to help them. BSB BSB: Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
26 UST Jesus is exactly the kind of ruling priest that we need. He honors God, he does not think about what is evil, and he does not do what would defile him. He is not one of the people who sin, and he now lives in the highest heaven. BSB BSB: Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
27 UST Now each{ descendant of Levi who serves as a} ruling priest has to present sacrifices{ to God} every day. First, he presents a sacrifice to take away his own sins, and after that he presents a sacrifice to take away the sins of the rest of the Israelites. However, Jesus{ took away everyone’ s sins} when he presented himself{ as a sacrifice} one time, so he does not need{ to present many sacrifices}. BSB BSB: Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.
28 UST In the end, God commanded through Moses that some people should serve as priests, but these priests are weak{ and die}. In contrast, when God guaranteed what he said, which he did after he had commanded{ those things through Moses}, he enabled his Son{ to serve} always as the most effective{ priest}. BSB BSB: For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.