Melchizedek's Order

First written Last updated Last viewed Times read 3,408

As noted elsewhere, tithing was not peculiar to the Law of Moses and the Old Covenant.

1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, “king of righteousness”, and then also “king of Salem”, which means “king of peace”; Hebrews 7:1,2

Melchizedek, a mysterious king during the time of Abraham, received tithes as a priest of God Most High. He is compared to the Son of God, as he has neither recorded birth or death, nor father or mother, nor any lineage recorded at all.

3without 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. 4Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best plunder. Hebrews 7:3,4

As the writer to the Hebrews says, the priesthood which later received tithes, paid tithes to this king, seeing how Levi, who was commanded to receive tithes from Israel, came from the lineage of Abraham.

5They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham, 6but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises. 7But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives. 9We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes, 10for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him. Hebrews 7:5-10

This fact shows several things, perhaps most importantly the superiority of the New Covenant, in which the Son of God would be ordained a priest eternally after Melchizedek's order. In light of this study, we are looking to the fact that this king received tithes from Abraham.

Because the Lord Jesus remains a high priest after Melchizedek's order, so does His entire Body, the Assembly. We have been called kings and priests unto God (Revelation 5:8-10) and therefore minister the Gospel as priests (Romans 15:15-16). Because we are one with Christ, we share in His priesthood, that of Melchizedek's order. Therefore, this testifies that those serving as priests or ministers of the Gospel, can and should receive tithes just as did Melchizedek. Paul shows this clearly in comparing support of the minister to the practice in the Old Covenant, that just as the priests of Moses' Law received tithes, so do the preachers of the Gospel live thereby.

13Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar? 14Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News. 1 Corinthians 9:13,14

As the writer of Hebrews explains, because the priesthood of Yahweh has changed from the line of Aaron to the appointment of one eternal high priest—Jesus the Son of God—so has the Law changed (Hebrews 7:12). No more are tithes due to a physical genealogy, but to those who have been joined to Christ—a spiritual genealogy with God as the Father (Galatians 3:26) (1 John 4:4)—to serve in Christ as His priests or ministers.

7What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk? 8Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing? 9For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares, 10or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope. 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

So we see the concept of tithing continue throughout God's working with mankind. It continues even until today as the many Members of Christ's Body continue to serve as priests unto God, receiving tithes as unto Jesus Christ Himself, the eternal High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. Those who are ministering the Gospel to you, most often the pastor of your local Assembly, should receive your tithes unto Yahweh.

Possibly Related

Email the Author Write about this page

I welcome your questions, testimonies, suggestions and fellowship. Please contact me by using the form below.

The form notes which material this is and pre-fills the subject with its title.

The Good Message

As you read this site, you will hopefully come to know Yahweh more fully.

But all of this continuing knowledge is useless unless and until you come into union with Him. I use the word union because it is truly a marriage. It is that deep connection we all seek, for which we most often look in other people. However, the truth is that our hearts will only be fulfilled when we enter that union in fullness with the One Who made us.

This is the grace of God, that He has not stayed distant for us only to worship as Creator. But He has come unto us, even become one of us—in His Son, Christ Jesus—in order to share an intimate union with us. He desires such closeness that it truly will envelope our entire life, transforming us into something new and wonderful.

You may have already entered this union with Him and only seek to know Him better through reading here. But if you have not, as you do read, let this Gospel sink into your heart as you read it now.

God loves you, and has cast your sins into the sea. He has sent His only Son as the Savior of the world—that includes you.

That Son, Jesus Christ, was born as a man through a virgin who had given her life to Yahweh; He lived without sin, reflected the glory of His Father, God, in all His words and deeds, and was persecuted even unto death because of it.

His death upon a cross was the powerful explosion that separated you from your life of death. It remains for you, now, to enter into that death with Him. As you die to the one you are now, a person separated from God from your many sins, you will be born anew, with a nature predisposed to live rightly. This gift is free to you, with nothing you can do to earn it. It is the mercy of God to offer it to you, as He loves you so much! All you must do is receive it by trusting Him to have delivered you. Simply place your life in His hands and embrace the freedom that came through that death on the cross.

The Gospel is that Jesus did not remain dead, but rose again on the third day after His crucifixion! Death could not hold Him, as He was without sin. And so death will not be able to hold you, as you identify with Him fully through your trust in Him. Let go of yourself and confess Him as Lord of your life. The power of His death and resurrection will work in you all that your Creator has destined for you. You will truly enter a new life and experience that intimate union you have been seeking all of your life.

So ponder these words as you read here of this great God—Yahweh—and all that He has revealed to His creation. Let His Spirit testify to your heart that these words are true, that God is Love, and that He sent His Son so that you might receive the life that is unbound by time and space. As you feel that witness in your heart, simply believe and receive what He is offering to you, even now, and begin your new life as a child of God.

Please write to me and let me know when you take this step, as I will be your brother in Christ—we will be one in Him!