Hebrews 7:1

Hebrews 7:1 says, For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;  Melchisedec is first spoken of in Genesis 14:18 and the following verses, and again mentioned in Psalms 110:4.  There are varying opinions as to who Melchisedec was, but we can say without a doubt that he was a real person.  His priesthood did not come from by birth into the earthly priesthood, but he was appointed a priest by God.  If we had needed to know more about him, then I believe that the Bible would tell us more.  Verse two adds, To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;  We know that Abraham offered a tithe to Melchisedec.  Abraham recognized Melchisedec as a King of peace.  When comparing Christ to Melchisedec, we know that Chist is the King of everlasting peace.  Verse three continues, Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.  Of this verse Matthew Henry says, "This must not be understood according to the letter; but the scripture has chosen to set him forth as an extraordinary person, without giving us his genealogy, that he might be a fitter type of Christ, who as man was without father, as God without mother; whose priesthood is without descent, did not descend to him from another, nor from him to another, but is personal and perpetual."  Melchisedec did not arise from a physical birth into the priesthood, nor did he have descendants who followed him into the priesthood.  Verse four states, Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.  Abraham, the father of faith, recognized the superiority of Melchisedec as a priest, even offering him a tithe.  Verse five adds, And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:  The sons of Levi, the tribe of priests, were told to take a tithe of the people, even though they were descendants of Abraham.  Verse six continues, But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.  Melchisedec, who was not of the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe, blessed Abraham.  He could do this because he was appointed by God.  Today, a person is not a preacher because that person is the descendant of a preacher, but is so because of a calling from God.  Verse seven says, And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.  Melchisedec would be the better in this case, and Abraham, the heir of the promise of God, would be the less.  We, as followers of Christ, though we may be blessed by God, will always be the lesser in our relationship to Him. Verse eight adds, And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.  We may receive tithes as the church, but we still die.  The One that the tithes are for though, Christ, will live forever.  Though Christ died a physical death for our sins, He is the eternal Savior Who reigns forever.