A Torah Verse By Verse Commentary Of Paul's Epistles by Re'tzon Ha'El - HTML preview

Chapter 7

V1 cf Gen 14:17-20 This rather mysterious individual Melchizedek Heb ‘Malki-Tsedek’ translates to King of Righteousness. The author is about to expand on those many things he has to say and hard to be uttered alluded to in Heb 5:11.

V2 Not only did the name define Melchizedek as King of righteousness but he being king of Salem described him as King of shalom, Heb for peace.

V3 This is the only further information pertaining to Melchizedek given in scripture relating to his origin. This is substantial proof that he was not of the seed of Adam, being without descent and hence could not be Shem as Jewish sages claim, since Shem’s father was without dispute known to be Noah. Being without descent, having never been born of man nor having died, and being a priest forever gives further impetus to the belief that he was the pre-incarnate manifestation of Yeshua. It is pretty clear from the rest of the narrative in this epistle that there is only one eternal high priest.

If Melchizedek is being described by the author as abiding dienekes/continually, forever as high priest, it would be contradictory of him to have stated that Yeshua is our high priest forever in 6:20, literally 3 verses earlier, if they were to be different individuals. When Moses penned Gen 14:17-20, Yeshua at the time was indeed without descent, nor had been born into the world, Mary His earthly mother having not been in existence either. He was born into the world some 1500 years later of the Holy Spirit after the statement. Yeshua did indeed appear as a man or Angel of Elohim in His preincarnate form several times in the Tanakh/Old Testament cf Gen 18:1-3; Gen 32:24-25,28-30; Judges 13:3-6,17-18. Note in Judge 13:18 piliy Heb for ‘wonderful’ is oddly translated ‘secret’ here, yet in Is 9:6 translated as wonderful, a name referring to Yeshua. The Angel of YHVH is referred to as YHVH in Judge 6:11-16,22-23.

V4-6 Tithes, which were due the Levitical priests, were given to Melchizedek by Abraham the patriarch of not only the Levites but all Israel, effectively placing Melchizedek on a higher plane of importance than both Abraham and the Levitical priesthood. It is most important to note that the 10 percent tithing demanded by pastors, and preachers of today is wholly unscriptural, as tithing was strictly for the Levitical priests, of whose identification is unknown in our current dispensation, nor tithing to them relevant as the temple is no longer present nor ceremonial rites practised. Malachi 3:8 is grossly misinterpreted by avaricious clergymen, yet clearly refers to tithing for the storehouse of the house of YHVH, which was on earth the temple in Jerusalem.

Careful study of scripture reveals that tithing was not monetary but rather was of the land produce or of the flock Lev 27:30-32.cf Deut 14:22-28. The tithe was specifically first and foremost for the Levite, the ger/sojourner, residential alien grafted into Israel, orphans and widows Deut 26:12-13. Further proof of the purpose of tithing and where tithes belonged is given in Neh 10:38,12:44,13:5. Lastly 2 Cor 9:7 is read out of context by preachers of today to support their argument for tithing. When verses 1-7 are read in context, it is evident that giving of alms (which is voluntary not mandatory) is not being referred to here but rather the giving of one’s time to spread the gospel zealously.

V7 Melchizedek being greater, was in a position to bless Abraham the lesser, in whose loins lay the Levitical priesthood, which by default made them lesser and in essence subordinate to Melchizedek too.

V8-10 Mortal Levitical priests received tithes, a ritual which esteemed them. Of greater magnitude then was Melchizedek unto whom the Levitical priesthood paid tithes unto him through Abraham. This is to magnify Yeshua’s priesthood and identify it as most holy. Further proof that Melchizedek must have been pre-incarnate Yeshua lies in verse 8 which categorically states that he forever liveth. Yeshua, born of the Holy Spirit to Mary a human being, was different from pre-incarnate Yeshua in that the pre-incarnate was of no descent having not been born into the world yet.

Hence although they refer to the same Yeshua, the Yeshua who became one of us, is indeed of the order of Melchizedek the pre-incarnate. It is essential to note that the risen Yeshua simply continued with an order that was established by Him as Elohim prior to His birth, death and resurrection as man! I must categorically state that I am by no means expressing that He is no longer Elohim, but rather that He chose to be made a little lower than the angels in the form of mankind, in order to redeem us, so that in the heavenly altar, He would be able to be a High priest for mankind specifically, having remained divine throughout.

V11-12 This verse is pivotal in establishing from the outset the need to change the Torah’s laws regarding the High priest, since our eternal High priest Yeshua of Nazareth had taken over the reins. It does not mean the Torah was abolished, but rather that an adjustment was necessary as an improvement in the area of the High priest had been made, by an immortal perfect high priest having permanently replaced an imperfect mortal Aaronic high priesthood defiled by sin.

V13-14 Additionally a change for the better had to be made to the Torah in the section relating to the now redundant Aaronic high priesthood, as the perfect man Yeshua was not of that lineage, nor of the tribe of Levi, but rather of the tribe of Judah, specifically of David through whom the kings were derived. Yeshua took over the reins of both King and High Priest forever, hence why we the body of Yeshua i.e. those abiding in the seed of Abraham are referred to as kings and priests cf Rev 1:6,5:10.

V15 heteros/another of a different nature differs from allos/ another of the same nature. Yeshua was of a different nature to that of the Aaronic priesthood not only in lineage but also in that he is perfect and immortal.

V16 Yeshua’s priesthood of the order of Melchizedek is the High priest of a perfect order that was established before the entole/precept, commandment was given of the imperfect Aaronic priesthood. Besides Yeshua is the lawgiver, whose precepts/entole are holy and just and good in a Torah deemed holy Rom 7:12. Unfortunately, mankind being sinful and defiled could not uphold perfection of the precepts relating to the Aaronic priesthood, and required continuous cleansing and remission of sins through animal sacrifices, and ultimately died too, necessitating an ever-changing high priest.

The buck stopped at Yeshua, the perfect man, who chose to be our perfect unblemished sacrifice, and eternal High priest thus making the imperfect Aaronic priesthood precepts, commandments null and void. The Aaronic high priesthood was therefore somewhat of a faulty constitutional office anticipating the future takeover by a perfect eternal omnipotent irreplaceable High priesthood in the form of Yeshua our King and High priest. Note also that an endless life can only arise from dunamis/power derived from the Holy Spirit of our eternal Father YHVH Elohim cf Acts 10:38; Rom 15:13

V17 Ps 110:4 being quoted here, further proves that the power of an endless life emanates from YHVH the Father.

V18 As already established in earlier verses, the Aaronic priesthood was no longer relevant once Yeshua had accomplished His mission to live a faultless life, die for the redemption of mankind, and be resurrected to conquer death and become our eternal unchangeable High priest in the very courts of heaven. Hence the entole/precept, commandment pertaining to this office of Aaronic priesthood became superfluous as faulty, sinful, mortal men deemed it an inferior version of the new office held by Yeshua the faultless, sinless, immortal man. It is very important to note that only a section of Torah which had become null and void was improved here. Torah was NOT abolished as falsely misinterpreted. The scripture is so plain and indisputable.

V19 It is a shame that the word ‘oudeis’ translated as ‘nothing’ in this sentence, is not translated as ‘no man’ as it is largely translated elsewhere in scripture. The sense of the sentence is hence lost to some degree. Correctly translated it would read ‘The Torah made no man perfect’. Torah is perfect as established in Romans 7:12,16; 1 Tim 1:8. However mankind is not perfect and Torah cannot perfect a man since man has the freewill to be disobedient to it. However, Yeshua by His Holy Spirit is capable of making man teleioo/perfect and He is the better hope that was ushered in for us to be drawn closer to Elohim the Father cf Acts 13:38-39; Rom 8:3-4; Gal 2:16.

V20 Yeshua, as already established in previous verses was made the eternal High priest through an oath declared by YHVH in Ps 110:4.

V21 Aaronic High priests on the other hand were made high priests through descent not by an oath. This further illustrates the inferiority of their office compared to that of Yeshua who was handpicked by YHVH Elohim Himself to be the eternal High priest of a perfect order. The repetitive nature of the epistle again is a pointer of the author being most likely Paul, who always used repetition to the point of redundancy to ensure the point could not be missed nor misconstrued.

V22 YHVH by electing His perfect Son Yeshua of Nazareth, ensured a faultless pledge of a covenant devoid of an entole/precept that was previously marred by sinful, mortal High priests. Note the New Covenant is a better version i.e. an upgrade of the Old Covenant. The rest of the old covenant laws that did not need adjusting were NOT done away with. It is imperative to note this vitally important fact, in order to not fall for the wiles of Satan’s lie that has been propagated by Christendom that Torah was erased at Yeshua’s death.

V23 The old covenant’s section pertaining to the Aaronic priesthood resulted in an ever-changing office as death inevitably necessitated this. 

V24 However Yeshua has eternal life and shall never die again, hence the laws of Aaronic priesthood accommodating for death and hence deeming its exchange or handover through descent, were no longer relevant and ultimately the Torah needed rectifying in this respect for a better precept.

V25 Because Yeshua is an eternal High priest, He is able to sozo/deliver mankind from the beginning until the end of history i.e. those past and those present and those yet future, being able to intercede for us in the heavenlies at any point in time, of which the mortal Aaronic High priests could not do.

V26-27 Being a perfect, sinless man, Yeshua did not and does not need to offer sacrifice to absolve sin, as He never knew sin. Instead He chose to be our perfect sacrifice, His death being a once and for all offering for eternity, valid for all mankind, and efficacious to those that accept Him as their kinsman redeemer and Saviour, by and through faith.

V28 Repetition is used in closing to reiterate that the Torah initially made provision for an Aaronic priesthood that was by default held by sinful, mortal men. The oath made in Psalm 110:4 however, made provision for the much-anticipated appearance of Yeshua the perfect man, to replace this faulty office with one that is perfect and everlasting, hence leading to alteration of the Torah to accommodate this better precept.