Let's go back to the days of Abraham and meet a man named Melchizedek. He was the king of Salem and a priest of Elohim Most High. When Abraham returned from defeating the kings in battle, Melchizedek came to meet him and gave him a blessing. Abraham then gave Melchizedek one tenth of everything he had taken from the battle. Now his name has a special meaning. Melchizedek means King of Righteousness. And because he ruled Salem, he was also called King of Peace. Scripture does not record his father, his mother, or his family line. It tells us nothing about when his life began or when it ended. Instead, he is presented in the story as resembling the Son of Elohim, a priest whose service continues. Think about the honor Abraham showed this man. Even Abraham, the great ancestor of Israel, gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils from his victory. Under the Torah, the descendants of Levi who became priests were commanded to receive tithes from their fellow Israelites. They received these offerings from their own people, even though they all descended from Abraham. But Melchizedek was not descended from Levi. And yet Abraham gave him a tenth, and Melchizedek blessed Abraham, the very man who had received the promises of Elohim. That blessing tells us something important. The one who gives the blessing holds the greater position, while the one receiving it is in the lesser position. The Levitical priests who received tithes were mortal men. Eventually they died, and others took their place. But Scripture presents Melchizedek as one whose priesthood continues, without recording an ending to his life. We can even look at this another way. In a sense, Levi himself gave a tithe to Melchizedek through Abraham. How could that happen when Levi had not even been born? Because Levi was still a future descendant of Abraham when Melchizedek met him. Now we come to the heart of the matter. If the priesthood established through Levi and Aaron could bring people to complete perfection before Elohim, why would Scripture announce another priesthood? The people of Israel received the Torah with the Levitical priesthood established among them. But Yahuah spoke of another priest who would come, not from Aaron's family, but following the order of Melchizedek. And here is where a great change takes place. When the priesthood changes, the law governing that priesthood must change as well. Under the Torah, the appointed priests came from the tribe of Levi, through the family of Aaron. They served at the altar and brought the sacrifices required under that priesthood. But the one Scripture now speaks about comes from a different tribe. Yahushua came from Judah, not Levi. And Moses gave no command appointing the tribe of Judah to serve as priests at the altar.
