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Genesis 14c:

Melchisedek Part 1

My apologies for the lateness of this reading.  Since I have changed computer base I haven’t been able to log on!  Should be OK from now on though.

Let’s look at a very interesting story this week.

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Genesis 14:

16  And he [Abram] brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. 17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.  

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God [as well as being king]. 19 And he [Melchisedek] blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 and blessed be the most high God, which has delivered your enemies into your hand.”  And he [Abram] gave him tithes [one tenth] of all.

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This man Melchisedek has been the subject of much study and I would like to throw in my "two cents" worth if I may.  First, this man started a priestly ORDER which the Son of man joined.

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Psalm 110:

1 A Psalm of David. 

The LORD [the Father] said to my Lord [the Son], “Sit You at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool [by My Spirit until You return to earth]. 2 [Then] the LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion: rule You [then] in the midst of your enemies.  

3 “Your people shall be willing in the day of Your power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: You have the dew of Your youth. 4 The LORD has sworn, and will not repent, ‘You are A PRIEST FOR EVER after the order of Melchizedek’.”

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Christ didn’t ask for this but was given it because of a certain condition.

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Hebrews 5:

5  So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made a High Priest; but He that said to Him, “You are My Son, today [the day of the resurrection] have I begotten You” 6 as He says also in another place [the Old Testament] , “You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” [See Acts 13:33.]  

7 Who in the days of His flesh [while on earth as a Man], when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him that was able to save Him from death [the Father], and was heard in that He feared [He requested power to overcome]. 8 Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience [how to overcome] by the things which He suffered [the temptations He faced]; 9 and being made perfect [as a Christian Man], He became the author [the Pattern] of eternal salvation [through the crucifixion] to all them that obey Him; 10 called of God a High Priest after [in] the order of Melchisedec.  

11 Of whom [Christ] we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing you are dull of hearing.

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It is as one of those Melchisedec priests that He works in heaven for us.

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Hebrews 6:

17 Wherein [in this] God, willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel [the certainty of His advice], confirmed it by an oath. 18 That by two immutable [unchangeable] things, in which it was impossible for God to lie [His life and His word], we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil [into the sanctuary]; 20 where the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

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Note that He is one of an order.  He is not Melchisedec, but belongs to the same group of priests, of which He is the High Priest.

So who was Melchisedec? 

Here are my thoughts.

We are told,

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Hebrews 7:

1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all;

FIRST, [his name] being by interpretation [means] “King of righteousness,”

and after that also [he is] king of Salem [aka Jerusalem], which is, “King of peace”; 

3 [and he is]

   without father,

   without mother,

   without descent [children],

   having neither beginning of days, nor end of life;

 

   but made like to the Son of God;

   abides a priest continually.  

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Here the apostle Paul sets out a very detailed description of this MAN and asks us to consider him.  He is not Christ, nor is he the Holy Spirit, for he is called “a man” – LIKE to the Son of God who is both divine and human. 

His name first of all means KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.  This tells us that he is a Christian, for Christ is a King of kings.  He was also the king of Jerusalem at that time, which is “the city of peace”, so he is THE KING OF PEACE as all Christians should be.   

Then comes the best bit.

He has no father, mother or children!  This does not mean that they are not known, but that they do not exist as such for him.  No children could be OK, although it would be very rare in those days.  But no mother?

What we have here is an inspired description which can only fit one kind of a person.  A Christian human.

Every Christian (born again person) no longer has an earthly father or mother, or children.  They have ALL become his brothers and sisters in the LORD. (Matthew 12:46-50.)

Christians have no beginning of days because they are connected with the everlasting life of Christ by rebirth, and in this very fact have no end of days either!  

And we are certainly made like the Son of God for that’s what the word “Christian” means –  Christ-like.

It’s the last line of the description which hits the jackpot though.  This man abides a priest continually, or for ever!  Of course, with no end of life, this should come as no surprise to us.  But Paul is making the point that Melchisedec was alive in his time, 2,000 years after Abraham.  He was trying to tell the Jewish Christians of the day that Melchisedec was alive and well at that moment.

This also means that he is alive and well today.

See you next week?

Bye,

Ron

Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library.  No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.

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Matthew 12:

46 While He yet talked to the people, behold, His mother and His brothers and sisters stood without, desiring to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Behold, your mother and your brethren stand without, desiring to speak with You.”

 

48 But He answered and said to him that told Him, “Who is My mother?  And who are My brethren?” 49 And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples [who were both men and women], and said, “Behold My mother and My brethren!

50 For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.”

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Acts 13:

32 And we declare to you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made to the fathers, 33 God has fulfilled the same to us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are My Son, this day have I begotten You.’

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