Quote:
Originally Posted by acerrak
sounds like he gave a tenth only once for melchisedec, however the holy nation of israel was to tithe ten percent and give to the levites, cause they had no inheritance.
|
Greetings,
I think it's important to note vs. 9, though, because it was not simply Abraham who paid tithes to Melchisedec, but Levi as well. And, by extension, the Levitical priesthood (vs. 5).
The focus of the passage in
Heb 7 is not then upon Abraham, or Levi and the priesthood, but on Melchisedec himself, and how he was
worthy to receive tithes of Abraham. The implication, then, is that because Jesus is a priest forever after the
order of Melchisedec, Jesus also is worthy to receive tithes of men, much more so than the Levitical priesthood was, because the Melchisedec priesthood is better (vs. 11), which necessitated a change also in the Law (vs. 12).
The Levitical priesthood is passed away and replaced by a better one. Therefore, the Levitical tithing system has also been replaced by a better one. The Melchisedec priesthood has a high priest who is more worthy to receive tithes of men than what the Levitical high priest was.
Threaded Mode
