Melchizedek Priesthood 2 - Hebrews 7:4-16

7:4-10 - Yesterday we learned about Melchizedek and he apparently was a super amazing guy, so much so that there were none greater. And let’s keep in mind that when it comes to who the Jews considered to be the most important person in the patriarchy, it’s Abraham. Paul is asking the Jewish Christian converts to “consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.” Clearly even Abraham recognized that Melchizedek held a higher priesthood office than he did. So if Abraham is their “father” of Israel, and even he deferred to Melchizedek, then in an “If A=B and B=C then A=C” type of higher math we can deduce that Melchizedek held a higher office than Abraham. The article on this chapter from gospeldoctrine.com says that Melchizedek “was superior to Abraham because Abraham paid tithes to him. He was superior because Abraham was blessed by him… And what of Levi? The Jewish traditions appropriately held that Levi was inferior to Abraham. If Abraham were inferior to Melchizedek, then logic would dictate that Levi and the Levitical priesthood were inferior to Melchizedek and the Melchizedek priesthood. Paul expresses this idea with the figurative notion that Levi also paid tithes to Melchizedek, being yet unborn ‘in the loins of his father.’” This is a pretty linear argument for why the priesthood held by Melchizedek was superior to that held by Aaron and subsequently the Levites. 7:11-12 - But here’s where we get back to the question we talked about yesterday, did the ancient Jews know that the Levitical priesthood that they officiated their ordinances with was only the lesser part of two priesthoods? The answer to that question we learned yesterday was “yes.” The Torah most likely still had the portion of Exodus 34:1-2 that was restored in the JST in which Jehovah tells Moses that as a result of their disobedience, He’s taking away the higher priesthood and ordinances and higher law and giving them the lesser version of those things. The answer to that question is critical because now in verse 11 Paul asks “if therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood… what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?” Basically, Paul is asking, “if the Aaronic priesthood was all we needed to be saved, then why would we be looking for someone else to come ‘after the order of Melchizedek?’” It might be one of those things where they had been so removed from Melchizedek by time that it might not have been something that they thought a lot about. I doubt that those in the leadership who were desperate to keep power constantly reminded the people that they themselves were of a lower class and were waiting and hoping for someone superior to them to come and save everyone. If the level and ability of the priesthood changes, “there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” The article says, “In every dispensation, the law of God is associated with the power to administer that law. Hence, Paul argues that a change of priesthood, from Melchizedek to Aaronic, must signify a change in the law, from the law of the gospel to the law of Moses.” This is what happened when Moses crushed the tablets with the original commandments on them, the people were downgraded from Melchizedek priesthood and the law of the gospel to the Aaronic priesthood and the law of Moses. The article continues, “Similarly, when Christ came and taught a higher law, it must be associated with a higher priesthood. But a change in the priesthood and the law has many other implications. Each law is administered with distinct covenants (including tokens and signs), distinct blessings and cursings, and distinct temples with their ordinances and sacrifices.” The first think that I thought of with the law of the gospel was the sacrament, after all this is what the Savior himself instituted right before the atonement. And as far as I know, the sacrament can be administered by the Aaronic priesthood, but I wonder if it must be overseen by the Melchizedek priesthood holder, I’m not sure. I know that the Aaronic priesthood can baptize, but only the Melchizedek priesthood can confirm. These are saving ordinances and they need the Melchizedek priesthood in order to perform them. Therefore, if the law and ordinances are changed, then the priesthood to administer them would need to be able to match it in authority. 7:13-16 - The change in law and priesthood brought by Christ also is different from the Aaronic priesthood because “it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” If Jesus is truly the Messiah then the fact that he was not of the tribe of Levi, yet held the priesthood still, shows it can’t be the Aaronic priesthood that they are dealing with. Especially because Christ said that he came to “fulfill” the law, not destroy it. If Jesus showed up coming from the tribe of Judah and claimed to hold the Aaronic priesthood which at that time could only be given to Levites, then he would in fact be destroying the law, not fulfilling it. But if he came with a priesthood authority higher than that of Aaron, then the law could be fulfilled. And how can we know that Jesus is indeed “after the similitude of Melchizedek?” Because he comes with “the power of an endless life.” When I read this, I took it to mean that we can know that Jesus is the “priest” “after the similitude of Melchizedek” because he was the first one to be resurrected and therefore have “an endless life.” The article suggests that this statement has something to do with the sealing power of Elijah being the reason why a reinstatement of the Melchizedek priesthood was needed, saying, “Only the fullness of the Melchizedek priesthood, including the sealing power of Elijah, has power to ordain men and women to eternal life… Obviously, the sealing power is needed to perform endowments and temple sealings.” This makes sense, and I’ll acknowledge that it does, but I feel like my initial interpretation was pretty powerful as well and will maintain that they can both be true.