MORE ON THE HEBREWS 7:8 STUDY - "And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth."
The Levites were involved in the tithe and tithing based on the Law of Moses. There is no record of Levi or his descendants given the tithe or receiving tithes before the Law of Moses...
Hebrews 7:5 - "And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:"
The Levites did not receive or pay tithes outside of the Law of Moses...
Again; "have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though [or "even though"] they come out of the loins of Abraham:" ...coming out of the loins of Abraham did not preclude them or eliminate them from the Law of Moses regarding tithing.
Nehemiah 10:38 - "And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house."
Numbers 18:26 - "Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe."
Numbers 18:21 - "And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation."
Numbers 18:23-24 - "But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance."
The Levites were included in the tithing of Abraham, not only was Abraham tithing to Melchisedec the Levites were also tithing to Melchisedec...
Hebrews 7:9 - "And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham."
Because of this reality...
Hebrews 7:10 - "For he [Levi] was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him."
The Levites represent the Law of Moses in Abraham's tithe, and therefore include a componant of tithing under the Law of Moses in Abraham's tithe to Melchisedec...
Hebrews 7:11 - "If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?"
If there were no component of the Law of Moses / the Levites present in the tithing of Abraham, Abraham's tithe to Melchisedec would have proven the superiority of Melchisedec over Abraham, but not over the Levitical Priesthood...
Hebrews 7:7 - "And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better."
The Levite's tithe in Abraham did not cease to be a tithe of the Law because the Levites in Abraham did not cease to represent the Law and the priesthood of the Law.
The writer of the Book of Hebrews clearly points out the Levitical component and focuses on the Levites tithing in Abraham to Melchisedec to establish the superiority of the order of Melchisedec and the priesthood of Melchisedec over the Levites and the Levite priesthood.
The Levitical priesthood was established by the law of a carnal commandment, the Law of Moses, in stark contrast to the priesthood of Melchisedec (Jesus Christ) that was established after the power of an endless life...
Hebrews 7:15-17 - "And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."
That is why the writer of the Book of Hebrews concludes the following...
Hebrews 7:8 - "And here men that die receive tithes; but there he, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth."
Hebrews 7:8 is telling us that under the law carnal commandment (the Law of Moses) the Levites received tithes (Hebrews 7:5), but he who has the power of endless life also received a tithe from both Abraham and the Levites via the loins of Abraham. Hebrews 7:8 does not tell us that Melchisedec continues to receive tithes. He does not have to because by Abraham's one tithe to Melchisedec the proving of the superiority of the priesthood of Melchisedec has been clearly proven forever. It does not need to be proven over and over again with tithe after tithe. Paying a tithe to Melchisedec, or to a person claiming to represent Melchisedec, over and over again would produce nothing and prove nothing.
This has been established and proven forever...
Hebrews 7:15 - "And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest"
Hebrews 7:17 - "For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."
Hebrews 6:20 - "Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Psalms 110:4 - "The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
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