Read
8In the case of Jewish priests, tithes are paid to men who will die. But Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. 9In addition, we might even say that Levi’s descendants, the ones who collect the tithe, paid a tithe to Melchizedek through their ancestor Abraham. 10For although Levi wasn’t born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s loins when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him.
11And finally, if the priesthood of Levi could have achieved God’s purposes–and it was that priesthood on which the law was based–why did God need to send a different priest from the line of Melchizedek, instead of from the line of Levi and Aaron?
12And when the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. 13For the one we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members do not serve at the altar. 14What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned Judah in connection with the priesthood.
Reflect
The author of Hebrews shows his readers that the priesthood in the Order of Melchizedek is far superior to the Levitical priests in the Order of Aaron by first identifying who gives the tithes. The author first identifies Abraham as the patriarch, which marks the dignity of the one paying. While the Levitical priests accepted tithes from their brothers (the tribes of Israel), Melchizedek collected tithes from the patriarch, Father Abraham. In the area of who collects tithes from whom, it shows that Melchizedek is superior to Aaron and Levi.
Respond
Why is it important to establish superiority with respect to tithing?
Since tithing was given as a command under the Law of Moses, does Abraham’s tithe give us any indication on the value of a tithe for someone who doesn’t live under the Law?
Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. Why is this important to establish superiority over the Levitical priesthood?
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