Hebrews 7:4 Commentary and Bible Study

The fact that Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec may have existed as an uncomfortable truth in the minds of some of the readers of this letter, one which they could not explain. How could it be that Abraham, whom they revered so greatly and who was the father of their nation, should willingly and apparently quite happily have carried out this act which acknowledged another as greater than him? He paid a tenth of the spoils to Melchisedec in recognition that this man was appointed as a priest by God over him, and through whom it was appropriate for him to approach the Lord. This tithe was not just a gift given to a dignitary who happened to live in Abraham’s vicinity; it was something given through this man to the Lord, and Melchisedec formerly acted as a priest to receive this gift. Who could be greater than Israel’s first patriarch? Why did Abraham not defend his primary position? The Levitical priests were entitled to receive tithes, but here their great forebear, who is greater than them, and precedes them – that is, Abraham – gave tithes to Melchizedek. So the mysterious Melchizedek represents a coming priest who is higher than the Levitical priesthood. Christ is like him, higher than Abraham, higher than the Levitical priesthood.Furthermore, this was a symbolic act, and Abraham did not act as a private individual but as the head of the nation, so that what he did, the whole nation was doing in him. But the word of God makes no mistakes and this mysterious event had a deep lesson in it. Following the logic of the event, the right way to think about it was to focus on Melchisedec, and to draw the conclusion that Scripture wants us to draw: that he was indeed greater than Abraham. Who then was he, and where does he fit in to God’s plan? The following verses explore the implications of this event for Abraham, for the nation of Israel, and for all mankind.