Our next portion is Hebrews 7:13-19

v13: Belongs to another tribe: Messiah was from the tribe of Judah. No other tribe (other than Levi) had ever served at the altar. This is now not the case. As we have seen, everything concerning Messiah was superior. We see too that this altar, that He serves at, is not the altar in Jerusalem but the altar in heaven. 

v14: Moses revealed Melchizedek in the same Torah that speaks of the Levitical priesthood. The Torah accounts and historical events hinted of another priesthood, even though the commandments did not. Moses did not speak of the tribe of Judah in connection with priesthood. 

v15: Another priesthood, in the likeness/order of Melchizedek, rose up.  

v16: A fleshly commandment: The first priesthood was established by a commandment of the law. Messiah’s priesthood never came about by a commandment, but by the power of an indestructible life! The resurrection bears witness to the fact that His life could not be destroyed. The implication of this is that, like His life, His priesthood can never be destroyed. It is only when we understand the inadequacy of the law, and of the priesthood that came out of the law, that we can appreciate, and fully understand, the beauty, glory, and majesty of the order of Melchizedek of which Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) is High Priest. 

v17: See Heb 5:6 for the explanation. 

v18: There is an annulling: The word here can be translated ‘reversal’ and it comes from the Greek word ‘antithesis’. This is a word that means a person or a thing that is directly opposite of someone or something else. It is not possible to have an antithesis without having something to compare it to – the theory has to be set forth first. What the writer is revealing to us is that we cannot understand what G-d is wanting to reveal to us if we do not understand what He had previously revealed to us. 

• Weakness and unprofitableness (uselessness): This antithesis/reversal came about because of the weakness and uselessness of the law. Perfection, completion does not come about through the law of Moses or through the Levitical priesthood. A reversal (going back to what had been before) had to occur because of their insufficiency. Melchizedek’s priesthood came first – before the Levitical priesthood. The people did not respond to the Melchizedek priesthood because it was a priesthood based on faith. Abraham recognised the priesthood of Melchizedek. He knew that he had been miraculously victorious over those kings and that G-d had provided him victory. Therefore, by faith, he tithed to Melchizedek. Because we tend to be a faithless people G-d gave us the law.  The law, for example, was meant to drive us back to the faith that Abraham had displayed. 

v19: A better (greater) hope: It is through Yeshua, His gospel and priesthood, that we are able to draw near to G-d. 

• Through which we draw near to G-d: The Old Testament law and priesthood did not allow us to draw near to G-d. It outlined and showed us our need for G-d– it gave us a paradigm (sacrifices and offerings) – but it did not finish/complete the job.