God’s Infallible Purpose in Christ

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, qHe swore by Himself, 14 saying, r“Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the spromise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and tan oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to uthe heirs of promise vthe 6immutability of His counsel, 7confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two 8immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to wlie, we 9might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope xset before us.

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, yand which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 zwhere the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, ahaving become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

The King of Righteousness

7 For this aMelchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the 1spoils. 5 And indeed bthose who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham cand blessed dhim who had the promises. 7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, eof whom it is witnessed that he lives. 9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Need for a New Priesthood

11 fTherefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has 2officiated at the altar.

14 For it is evident that gour Lord arose from hJudah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning 3priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For 4He testifies:

i“You are a priest forever

According to the order of Melchizedek.”

18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of jits weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for kthe law made nothing 5perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of la better hope, through which mwe draw near to God.