19-20 We have this hope as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Chapter 7 vs 1 For this  Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. 2-3 He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever. Hebrews 6:19-7:3 English Standard Version

Some 2000 years before Christ a battle between a number of kings took place near the Dead Sea. In that battle a man named Lot, the nephew of Abraham, was captured along with many others from the cities in that area. Abraham took 318 of his servants and pursued the Kings who'd caused the trouble, defeated them, and rescued the captives they had taken. On his return from the battle we read that a man named Melchizedek, King of the city of Salem, came out to him and pronounced a blessing upon Abraham. We also read that Melchizedek was known in the region as 'priest of God Most High'. Abraham responded by giving Melchizedek a tenth of the spoil his men had taken from the enemy Kings. (Genesis 14:1-20)

That's one important part for understanding today's reading. The other important part is to recall the setting of this letter written mainly to Jewish Christians. Jewish people took great pride in angels who had played a part in their history, in Moses, who had been used by God to build the nation, and in the high priest appointed by God to offer sacrifices for sin. The greatest of the sacrifices was the one made on the day of atonement when the high priest went into the very holiest part of the temple, which was shielded from the rest by a heavy veil. Why does this make what Jesus did so very special? (vs 19-20)

Jesus didn't just go into the most sacred part of the earthly temple, but into heaven itself, into the very presence of the Father. The writer uses the story of Melchizedek, which his Jewish readers would've known well, to show that the priesthood of Jesus went back even further than the days of Moses, long before the temple in Jerusalem was built. So what were the major points about Melchizedek that paralleled the priestly ministry of Jesus and made Him superior to the high priest in the Jewish temple? (vs 2-3)

We're familiar these days with memes, pictures that give a message. The name 'Melchizedek' literally meant 'righteousness', so he was a picture of 'a king of righteousness'. The name of his city meant 'peace', so he’s also a picture of 'a king of peace'. And because no family record of him was mentioned in Genesis, and no record of his birth or death given, the writer says it's as if 'resembling the Son of God' he lives forever. Melchizedek was like a meme of the high priest God would send into the world. Someone who lives forever, is perfectly righteous, and who would establish peace between people who were sinners, and God who is holy! Do we grasp the wonder of this? We have an eternal priest whose righteousness was so acceptable to God that He readily accepted the sacrifice Jesus made to cover all our sins!

There's another point the writer is going to make when we get to vs 4. What are the implications of vs 1 where Abraham gave a tithe (tenth) of all the spoil to Melchizedek?

Tithes are given by a lesser to the greater. So Melchizedek was in that way greater even than Abraham to whom God had promised so much, even with an oath. And it's in that man's line that Jesus Christ is our high priest. A righteous, peace making, eternal priest. Have you stumbled recently in any way in your walk with God? Take heart, you have a wonderful priest who ALWAYS LIVES to make intercession for those He has redeemed. Hallelujah!