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Melchizedek—Like Christ

Melchizedek was king of Salem. He was a religious leader for God. When Abraham was coming back from the war where many kings were killed, Melchizedek met Abraham and showed respect to him. Abraham gave Melchizedek one-tenth part of all he had. Melchizedek’s name means king of what is right. Salem means peace. So he is king of peace. Melchizedek was without a father or mother or any family. He had no beginning of life or end of life. He is a religious leader forever like the Son of God.

We can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham gave him one-tenth part of all he had taken in the war. The Law made the family of Levi the Jewish religious leaders. The Law said that the religious leaders were to take one-tenth part of everything from their own people. Melchizedek was not even from the family group of Levi but Abraham paid him. Melchizedek showed respect to Abraham who was the one who had received God’s promises. The one who shows respect is always greater than the one who receives it. Jewish religious leaders receive one-tenth part. They are men and they all die. But here Melchizedek received one-tenth part and is alive. We might say that Levi, who receives one-tenth part, paid one-tenth part through Abraham. 10 Levi was not yet born. He was still inside Abraham’s body when Abraham paid Melchizedek.

11 The Law was given during the time when Levi and his sons were the religious leaders. If the work of those religious leaders had been perfect in taking away the sins of the people, there would have been no need for another religious leader. But one like Melchizedek was needed and not one from the family group of Aaron. 12 For when the family group of religious leaders changed, the Law had to be changed also. 13 These things speak of Christ Who is from another family group. That family group never had a religious leader who killed animals and gave gifts at the altar for the sins of the people. 14 Our Lord came from the family group of Judah. Moses did not write anything about religious leaders coming from that family group.

A Different Religious Leader Has Come

15 We can see that a different Religious Leader has come. This One is like Melchizedek. 16 Christ did not become a Religious Leader by coming from the family group of Levi as the Law said had to be. He became the Religious Leader by the power of a life that never ends. 17 The Holy Writings say this about Christ, “You are a Religious Leader forever like Melchizedek.” (A)

18 God put the Law of Moses aside. It was weak and could not be used. 19 For the Law of Moses could not make men right with God. Now there is a better hope through which we can come near to God.

20 God made a promise when Christ became the Religious Leader Who made the way for man to go to God. 21 God did not make such a promise when Levi’s family group became religious leaders. But when Christ became a Religious Leader, this is the promise God made, “The Lord has made a promise. He will never change His mind. You will be a Religious Leader forever.” (B) 22 Christ makes this New Way of Worship sure for us because of God’s promise. 23 There had to be many religious leaders during the time of the Old Way of Worship. They died and others had to keep on in their work. 24 But Jesus lives forever. He is the Religious Leader forever. It will never change. 25 And so Jesus is able, now and forever, to save from the punishment of sin all who come to God through Him because He lives forever to pray for them.

26 We need such a Religious Leader Who made the way for man to go to God. Jesus is holy and has no guilt. He has never sinned and is different from sinful men. He has the place of honor above the heavens. 27 Christ is not like other religious leaders. They had to give gifts every day on the altar in worship for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. Christ did not have to do that. He gave one gift on the altar and that gift was Himself. It was done once and it was for all time. 28 The Law makes religious leaders of men. These men are not perfect. After the Law was given, God spoke with a promise. He made His Son a perfect Religious Leader forever.

Now the important thing is this: We have such a Religious Leader Who has made the way for man to go to God. He is the One Who sits at the right side of the All-powerful God in the heavens. He is the Religious Leader of that holy place in heaven which is the true place of worship. It was built by the Lord and not by men’s hands. Every religious leader of the Old Way of Worship had the work of killing animals and of giving gifts on the altar to God. So Christ had to have something to give also. If Christ were on the earth, He would not be a religious leader such as these. The religious leaders on earth give gifts like the Law says. Their work shows us only a picture of the things in heaven. When Moses was putting up the tent to worship in, God told him, “Be sure you make the tent for worship like I showed you on Mount Sinai.” (C)

But Christ has a more perfect work. He is the One Who goes between God and man in this new and better way. The New Way of Worship promises better things. If the Old Way of Worship had been perfect, there would have been no need for another one. God was not happy how the people lived by the Old Way of Worship. He said, “The day will come when I will make a New Way of Worship for the Jews and those of the family group of Judah. The New Way of Worship will not be like the Old Way of Worship I gave to their early fathers. That was when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. But they did not follow the Old Way of Worship. And so I turned away from them. 10 This is the New Way of Worship that I will give to the Jews. When that day comes, says the Lord, I will put My Laws into their minds. And I will write them in their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. 11 No one will need to teach his neighbor or his brother to know the Lord. All of them will already know Me from the least to the greatest. 12 I will show loving-kindness to them and forgive their sins. I will remember their sins no more.” (D)

13 When God spoke about a New Way of Worship, He showed that the Old Way of Worship was finished and of no use now. It will never be used again.

The New Way of Worship Is Better

There were special ways of worship and a special holy place made by man for the Old Way of Worship. A big tent was built and set up. It was called the holy place. It had a light and a table, and the holy bread was on the table. Behind the second curtain there was another tent. This was called the Holiest Place of All. In the inside tent there was an altar where special perfume was burned. There was also a large box made of wood called the box of the Way of Worship. Both of these were covered with gold inside and out. Inside the box was a pot made of gold with the bread from heaven. It also had in it Aaron’s stick that once started to grow. The stones on which the Law of Moses was written were in it. Above the box were the cherubim of honor. Their wings were spread up and over and met in the center. On the top of the box and under the shadow of their wings was the mercy-seat. We cannot tell anymore about these things now.

When everything was finished, the Jewish religious leaders went in and out of the outside tent to do the things which had to be done to worship God. Once each year the head religious leader would go into the inside tent alone. He would not go in without blood. He gave this blood to God as a gift in worship for his own sins and for the sins of all the people who sinned without knowing it.

And so the Holy Spirit is teaching that, with the Old Way of Worship, the people could not go into the Holiest Place of All as long as the outside tent and its Old Way of Worship were being used. The outside tent is a picture of that day. With the Old Way of Worship, animals killed and gifts given in worship to God could not take away the guilty feeling of sin. 10 The Old Way of Worship was made up of Laws about what to eat and drink. These Laws told how to wash and other things to do with the body. These things had to be done until Christ came to bring a better way of worship.

The New Way of Worship Has a Better Gift

11 But Christ came as the Head Religious Leader of the good things God promised. He made the way for man to go to God. He was a greater and more perfect tent. He was not made by human hands and was not a part of this earth. 12 Christ went into the Holiest Place of All one time for all people. He did not take the blood of goats and young cows to give to God as a gift in worship. He gave His own blood. By doing this, He bought us with His own blood and made us free from sin forever. 13 With the Old Way of Worship, the blood and ashes of animals could make men clean after they had sinned. 14 How much more the blood of Christ will do! He gave Himself as a perfect gift to God through the Spirit that lives forever. Now your heart can be free from the guilty feeling of doing work that is worth nothing. Now you can work for the living God.

15 Christ is the One Who gave us this New Way of Worship. All those who have been called by God may receive life that lasts forever just as He promised them. Christ bought us with His blood when He died for us. This made us free from our sins which we did under the Old Way of Worship.

16 When a man wants to give his money to someone after he dies, he writes it all down on paper. But that paper is worth nothing until the man is dead. 17 That piece of paper means nothing as long as he is alive. It is good only when he dies. 18 The Old Way of Worship had to have a death to make it good. The blood of an animal was used. 19 Moses told the people all the things they had to obey in the Law. Then he took the blood of animals together with water and put it on the Book of the Law and on all the people. He used special branches and red wool as he put it on them. 20 Moses said, “This is the blood of the Way of Worship which God said you must obey.” (E) 21 In the same way, Moses put the blood on the tent and on all the things used in worship. 22 The Law says that almost everything is made clean by blood. Sins are not forgiven unless blood is given.

One Perfect Gift

23 The tent to worship in and the things inside to worship with were like the things in heaven. They were made clean by putting blood on them. But the things in heaven were made clean by a much better gift of worship. 24 For Christ did not go into the Holiest Place of All that was made by men, even if it was like the true one in heaven. He went to heaven itself and He is before God for us. 25 Christ has not given Himself many times, as the head religious leader here on earth went into the Holiest Place of All each year with blood that was not his own. 26 For then Christ would have had to die many times since the world began. But He came once at the end of the Old Way of Worship. He gave Himself once for all time. He gave Himself to destroy sin. 27 It is in the plan that all men die once. After that, they will stand before God and be judged. 28 It is the same with Christ. He gave Himself once to take away the sins of many. When He comes the second time, He will not need to give Himself again for sin. He will save all those who are waiting for Him.

In the Old Way of Worship Many Gifts Were Given

10 The Law is like a picture of the good things to come. The Jewish religious leaders gave gifts on the altar in worship to God all the time year after year. Those gifts could not make the people who came to worship perfect. If those gifts given to God could take away sins, the people who came to worship would no longer feel guilty of sin. They would have given no more gifts. When they gave the gifts year after year, it made them remember that they still had their sins. The blood of animals cannot take away the sins of men.

In The New Way of Worship One Gift Was Given

When Christ came to the world, He said to God, “You do not want animals killed or gifts given in worship. You have made My body ready to give as a gift. You are not pleased with animals that have been killed or burned and given as gifts on the altar to take away sin. Then I said, ‘I have come to do what You want, O God. It is written in the Law that I would.’”

Then Christ said, “You do not want animals killed or gifts given in worship to you for sin. You are not pleased with them.” These things are done because the Law says they should be done. Then He said, “I have come to do what You want Me to do.” And this is what He did when He died on a cross. God did away with the Old Way of Worship and made a New Way of Worship. 10 Our sins are washed away and we are made clean because Christ gave His own body as a gift to God. He did this once for all time.

11 All Jewish religious leaders stand every day killing animals and giving gifts on the altar. They give the same gifts over and over again. These gifts cannot take away sins. 12 But Christ gave Himself once for sins and that is good forever. After that He sat down at the right side of God. 13 He is waiting there for God to make of those who have hated Him a place to rest His feet. 14 And by one gift He has made perfect forever all those who are being set apart for God-like living.

15 The Holy Spirit tells us this: First He says, 16 “This is the New Way of Worship that I will give them. When that day comes, says the Lord, I will put My Laws in their hearts. And I will write them in their minds.” Then He says, 17 “I will not remember their sins and wrong-doings anymore.” (F) 18 No more gifts on the altar in worship are needed when our sins are forgiven.

We Can Go to God Through Christ

19 Christian brothers, now we know we can go into the Holiest Place of All because the blood of Jesus was given. 20 We now come to God by the new and living way. Christ made this way for us. He opened the curtain, which was His own body. 21 We have a great Religious Leader over the house of God. 22 And so let us come near to God with a true heart full of faith. Our hearts must be made clean from guilty feelings and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the hope we say we have and not be changed. We can trust God that He will do what He promised. 24 Let us help each other to love others and to do good. 25 Let us not stay away from church meetings. Some people are doing this all the time. Comfort each other as you see the day of His return coming near.

Do Not Fall Back Into Sin

26 If we keep on sinning because we want to after we have received and know the truth, there is no gift that will take away sins then. 27 Instead, we will stand before God and on that day He will judge us. And the hot fires of hell will burn up those who work against God. 28 Anyone who did not obey the Old Way of Worship died without loving-kindness when two or three men spoke against him. 29 How much more will a man have to be punished if he walks on and hates the Son of God? How much more will he be punished if he acts as if the blood of God’s New Way of Worship is worth nothing? This New Way of Worship is God’s way of making him holy. How much more will he be punished if he laughs at the Holy Spirit Who wanted to show him loving-favor? 30 For we know God said, “I will pay back what is coming to them.” And, “The Lord will judge His people.” (G) 31 The very worst thing that can happen to a man is to fall into the hands of the living God!

32 Remember how it was in those days after you heard the truth. You suffered much. 33 People laughed at you and beat you. When others suffered, you suffered with them. 34 You had loving-pity for those who were in prison. You had joy when your things were taken away from you. For you knew you would have something better in heaven which would last forever.

35 Do not throw away your trust, for your reward will be great. 36 You must be willing to wait without giving up. After you have done what God wants you to do, God will give you what He promised you. 37 The Holy Writings say, “In a little while, the One you are looking for will come. It will not be a long time now. 38 For the one right with God lives by faith. If anyone turns back, I will not be pleased with him.” (H) 39 We are not of those people who turn back and are lost. Instead, we have faith to be saved from the punishment of sin.