What is the meaning of Hebrews 7:5? Now the law commands • The phrase points back to the commands God gave through Moses (Exodus 24:3; Deuteronomy 5:1). • The authority is divine, not human; obedience to these statutes was non-negotiable (Psalm 19:7). • In Hebrews, the author highlights the temporary, preparatory nature of the Mosaic Law while still affirming its God-given status (Hebrews 7:11). The sons of Levi who become priests • Levi’s tribe was set apart to serve at the tabernacle and later the temple (Numbers 3:5-10; 8:14-19). • Only Aaron’s descendants handled sacrifices, but all Levites assisted; their calling was hereditary, illustrating God’s sovereign choice (Malachi 2:4-7). • This hereditary priesthood contrasts with Jesus’ priesthood after Melchizedek, which is based on an oath, not lineage (Hebrews 7:21). To collect a tenth from the people • A “tenth” (tithe) belonged to the Lord and was given to the Levites for their ministry (Leviticus 27:30-33; Numbers 18:21, 24). • The tithe provided practical support—food, housing, and resources—so priests could focus on worship duties (2 Chronicles 31:4-5; Nehemiah 13:10-12). • Jesus affirmed the principle of tithing while stressing weightier matters of the law (Matthew 23:23). That is, from their brothers • Those who tithed were fellow Israelites—family in the covenant (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). • The arrangement underscored mutual responsibility: the people supplied the Levites, and the Levites represented the people before God (Acts 4:32; Galatians 6:6). • This family language heightens the humility required of priests; they served relatives, not strangers (1 Timothy 5:17-18). Though they too are descended from Abraham • Levites shared the same patriarch as the rest of Israel (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:7). • Their privileged role did not make them spiritually superior; they needed atonement like everyone else (Hebrews 7:27). • This shared lineage prepares the argument that an even greater priest—Jesus, also Abraham’s offspring through Judah—supersedes the Levitical system (Hebrews 7:14; Romans 4:16). summary Hebrews 7:5 reminds readers that God’s Law assigned the Levites, Abraham’s own descendants, to collect tithes from fellow Israelites. This divinely ordained system supplied the priesthood and highlighted the interconnected family of faith. Yet the verse also sets the stage for showing its limitations: priests who shared Abraham’s blood still required provision and sacrifice, pointing to the need for a perfect, eternal Priest—Jesus Christ—whose superior ministry fulfills and surpasses the Levitical order. |
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