PERFECTION

PERDITION

OR

These words cannot be taken absolutely of Melchisedec, otherwise he could have had no existence at all, but

relatively, in connection with his office as priest. Those who could not prove their genealogies in the time of the

return from captivity were refused admittance into the priesthood (Ezra 2:61-63). The words `without descent'

strictly rendered should read `without genealogy'. The words of the apostle by no means teach that Melchisedec

absolutely had no `descent', but that such descent was not recorded, which recording is the essence of the word

genealogy. Of Melchisedec it is further written that he had:

`Neither beginning of days, nor end of life' (verse 3).

The priests of the Levitical order had both the beginning and the end of their term of office fixed by law. A

priest's term of ministration was called his `days' (Luke 1:23), and the priests, the sons of Kohath, began their

service at thirty years of age and ended it at fifty. Summing up these points of resemblance, the apostle says `but

being like unto the Son of God, abides a priest perpetually'. The construction of the whole sentence seems to be as

follows:

`This Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God ... abides a priest perpetually'.

The remaining words are a parenthetic explanation given in order to show a series of comparisons with the Son

of God. The greatness of Melchisedec himself, however, is the immediate concern, in order that the infinite

greatness of Christ may be the better understood. So the context continues by enlarging on the testimony of the

tithe:

`Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils' (verse 4).

The word used for spoils (akrothinion) is composed of thin, `a heap of corn' and akros, `the top'. The top of a

heap of corn indicates the best, and the suggestion is that Abraham gave a tithe of the best. Not that Abraham tithed

the best of the spoil only, for Hebrews 7:2 says, `he gave him tithes of all', but that which he did give as a tithe was

taken from the very best. Here therefore is one item which contributes to the impression of greatness which

Scripture gives to Melchisedec. But this is not all. Not only is our attention directed to the tithe, and the fact that it

was made up of the best of the spoils, but we are called upon to observe who it is that gave these tithes:

`Unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils'.

Dr. Owen says that the conjunction `even' is emphatic and, though joined with `the tenth', yet in construction it

must be understood with Abraham; not `unto whom Abraham gave even a tenth', but `unto whom even Abraham

gave a tenth'.

Abraham is here called `the patriarch'. The Hebrews held that there were three sorts of patriarchs. The heads of

the twelve tribes (that is the twelve sons of Jacob) and David also were called patriarchs (Acts 7:8,9; 2:29). Of

greater dignity than these were held Isaac and Jacob, but chiefest of all was Abraham, the first father of the race. If

therefore one was greater than Abraham, how great he must be! This is the argument of the apostle.

The sons of Levi in their capacity as priests received tithes from the people according to the law; yet these men,

says verse 8, were mortal, but Melchisedec, in type, `liveth'. Levi was in the loins of his father Abraham when the

tithe was given, and so, in practice, the whole priesthood of Israel acknowledged the superiority of the order of

Melchisedec. Not only is Melchisedec's greatness manifested in what Abraham gave to him, but also in what he,

Melchisedec, gave to Abraham:

`But he whose genealogy is not reckoned from them

(1) received tithes from Abraham, and

(2) blessed him that had the promises' (verse 6).

The greater Abraham is made to appear, the greater must Melchisedec be, for `without all contradiction the less

is blessed of the better' (verse 7). Abraham is specially marked out as `the patriarch' and `he who received the

promises'. That this receiving of the promises was no small thing Hebrews 6:13-16 bears witness. Nevertheless it

was Melchisedec who blessed Abraham.

We have now passed in review the fourth of a series of comparisons instituted with the object of showing the

greatness of Christ. We have in: