Melchizedek

Abram and Lot Separate

So basically, Abram and his household had gone to Egypt to escape a famine in Canaan. By the time they returned to Canaan, Abram had become very rich, more or less by defrauding the Pharaoh, but that’s another story.

When they get back to Canaan, Abram and his nephew, Lot, decide they should separate their herds so they’d each have plenty of land to graze. Lot settled in the Jordan valley to the east, and Abram settled in Canan in the west.

Not long after this, Lot was captured by invading kingdoms. Abram took the fighting men of his household and went to rescue Lot, and he was successful. Abram and his men freed Lot and his family from their captivity.

Melchizedek Blesses Abram

But then something interesting happens. After Abram defeats these invading armies, he is met by the king of Sodom and by Mechizedek, king of Salem.

Genesis 14:17–20 ESV

After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

And it’s in the very next chapter of Genesis that God makes His covenant with Abram, that He would be Abram’s shield, and that He would bless Abram with offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky.

So what is so significant about Abram being blessed by Melchizedek?

Well, first of all it’s surprising to see a random Canaanite king be described as “A Priest of God Most High” or, El Elyon. Especially so far before the establishment of the Mosaic covenant and the Levitical priesthood. And we get ABSOLUTELY NO EXPLANATION as to who Melchizedek is, or how he knows to fallow YHWH.

High Priest and King

What we do know is that the name Melchizedek means “righteous king”, and that he is described BOTH as a king, and a priest of God Most High.

He is a king, and a priest of God Most High.

He is a king, and a priest of God Most High who came forward and blessed Abram with bread and wine.

A king, a priest, bread and wine, blessings to Abram. Are we getting it yet?

In theology, we call this kind of symbolism a “Type”, which is an event, person, or statement in the Old Testament that alludes to the ministry of Jesus in the New Testament. Melchizedek is one of the earliest clear types that we see in the Old Testament, and this is so important to our understanding of God’s plan for His people that even before the covenant was established with Abram, we see a type of Christ in this king and priest of God Most High who blesses Abram and brings bread and wine.

Nothing about our redemptive history is luck, none of it was left to chance. From the very beginning God has worked all things for good and for His glory.

Additional Mentions

Now, it’s always a little dangerous when we make conclusions based off a single, one-off events in the Bible. Because events that truly happen in isolation are very difficult to fully understand. The best way to understand and interpret the Bible is to see how the text explains itself, so let’s see if this occurrence of Melchizedek really is an isolated story or if there’s more scripture we can use to understand it.

Psalm 110:4 ESV

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

This is a promise from God to David in the 110th Psalm, and we know that David’s line would lead directly to Jesus Christ.

But is there anything about Melchizedek in the new testament?

Hebrews 7:1–3 ESV

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. 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 forever.

Ok so it’s not just me who says Melchizedek resembles Christ, the Hebrews writer says so as well!

Conclusion

Melchizedek is one of our earliest types of a king and priest, a type that would eventually be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This is one more example that God’s plan has been established from the beginning, and was perfectly fulfilled in Jesus.