I apologize upfront for my over-the-top use/abuse of alliteration in the title of this article, but truly, the character Melchizedek of Genesis 14 is both mysterious and mesmerizing. He is mysterious because there is not much that is known about him in the Old Testament, where he is introduced, other than two verses in Genesis 14 (vs. 18-20) and one verse in Psalm 110 (vs.4). He is mesmerizing because there is a whole chapter devoted to him in the New Testament book of Hebrews (ch.7) and how he is a typology of Jesus Christ.

The events and appearance of Melchizedek in Genesis 14 is significant because it occurs in the lifetime of Abram (Abraham) and specifically between two great godly events in his amazing life. The first event was when God made a covenant with Abram giving ownership of the land of Canaan to him and his offspring forever, as described in Genesis 13:14-17. This occurred, according to my calculations, in approximately 1876 BC. The second great godly event occurred in 1852 BC when God confirmed the covenant with Abram, as described in Genesis 15:9-21.

The backdrop of Genesis 14 is the Battle of the Vale of Siddim, also called the War of Nine Kings or the Slaughter of Chedorlaomer. The Vale of Siddim (Salt Sea) was the battleground for the cities of the Jordan River plain revolting against Mesopotamian rule. The five city-states of the plains and their kings were: Bera, king of Sodom; Birsha, king of Sodom; Shinab, king of Admah; Shemeber, king of Zeboyim; and the king of Bela (Zoar). The four kings of Mesopotamia were Chedorlaomer, king of Elam; Tidal, king of Goyim; Amraphel, king of Shinar; and Arioch, king of Ellasar.

Genesis 14:10-12 describes the results of the war and how the four kings defeated the five kings. “Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.”

A man of the plains who had escaped came and reported all that had transpired, including the capture of Lot, to Abram the Hebrew (first mention of Hebrew in the Bible). Abram called out 318 of his household trained in the art of war and pursued the armies of the four kings as far north as Dan. Abram surprised the Mesopotamian forces when he divided his men and attacked them at night when they were sleeping. Abram and his elite fighting men routed them and pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. Abram recovered all the stolen goods and brought back Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

Two kings came out to meet Abram in the Valley of Shaveh (King’s Valley) when he returned from his great victory. The first king to meet Abram on that fateful day was the king of Salem, Melchizedek. “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: ‘Blessed be Abram of 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 tithe of all” (Genesis 14:18-20).

The second king to meet Abram was the king of Sodom, who told Abraham he just wanted his people back and for Abraham to keep the goods for himself. Abram replied, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion” (Genesis 14:22:24).

In this account of Abraham and Melchizedek’s meeting, we are only given a few facts concerning this mysterious king. 1) His name. 2) He was a priest as well as a king. 3) He was a believer and priest of the same God that Abram worshipped, El Elyon (translated as Most High God). He was not a worshiper of false gods/idols as the surrounding nations were.

Melchizedek’s name in Hebrew is Malki Tzedek (sedeq) which means “king of righteousness,” and he is the king of Salem (later named Jerusalem). Salem or ‘shalom’ means ‘peace,’ so Melchizedek is also a “king of peace.” The words righteousness and peace are associated with Jesus Christ. In Jeremiah 33:15, Jesus is described as a Branch of righteousness, and in Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called Prince of Peace.

So how is it that a king of a Canaanite city is a worshiper and priest of the one true God and not of Baal, Anath, Moloch, or some other heathen god? In John Calvin’s commentaries, he points out that it is remarkable that Melchizedek lived with Sodom on one side and the Canaanites on the other; yet, he was a righteous king and priest. This shows that God can raise up a godly witness for Himself when and where He pleases. The other question is why did Abraham pay a tithe (first mention of a tithe in the Bible) to Melchizedek? More on this later.

“Everything we know about Melchizedek comes from Genesis 14:18-18, Psalm 110:4, and Hebrews 7. The first text is historical, the second is prophetic, and the third is theological.” {1}

We have discussed the historical aspect of Melchizedek in Genesis, so now let’s look at the prophetic passage in Psalm 110.

This chapter was written by David and is referring to the Messiah’s future reign. The first verse is a conversation between the Lord (God the Father) and the Lord (God the Son, Yahweh, Jesus) where God tells Jesus to “sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” In verse 2, the Lord Father is discussing the Lord Son’s future rule as king of Israel. “The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!” It is in verse 4 that David prophesies Jesus’ future role as priest of the Most High God, “The Lord has sworn and will not relent: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” In this Psalm, David is prophesying that the Lord (Jesus) will be both a king and a priest (according to the order of Melchizedek) forever.

Of course, Melchizedek is only a foreshadowing of Jesus in this regard. In David’s time (and Moses before him), a priest could only come from the tribe of Levi (the great-grandfather of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam). Aaron was the first High Priest of Israel. This Levitical ‘law’ continued until the time of Jesus and afterward. In ancient Israel, a king could not also be a priest, according to the Lord’s own law.

Take, for instance, the case of King Uzziah, who by all accounts was a good king and “did what was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 26:4). However, “when Uzziah was strong, his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense” (2 Chronicles 26:16). Only a priest was allowed to burn incense according to God’s law which He gave to Moses. For Uzziah’s disobedience, God struck King Uzziah with leprosy, and he remained a leper until the day of his death.

Regarding the prophecy of Psalm 110:4, it must have been quite a shock to David when he received this word to learn that the future Jewish Messiah would not be of the priestly order of Aaron and the Levites but of the priestly order of Melchizedek (who had no recorded genealogical background).

Now, let us look at the theological aspect of Melchizedek and his relationship to Jesus Christ. The anonymous writer of the book of Hebrews (possibly Paul, Barnabas, etc.) discusses Melchizedek in the entire 7th (number for spiritual perfection) chapter of Hebrews. The first and second verses talk about the historical context of Melchizedek, as we have already discussed.

The 3rd (number for divine perfection) verse gets into the theological aspect of Melchizedek and gives new information about him. Melchizedek was “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, and remains a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:3). Now, this is a truly amazing revelation. Is this chapter and verse, 7:3, telling us this man was Yahweh/Jesus, a theophany, an angel, or just a man without any kind of background or record of birth and death? We will try to answer this question in the remainder of this article.

If this priest/king was a mere man, it’s amazing that there are no records or genealogy regarding him, especially with all the genealogies listed in Genesis (as I wrote about in The Genealogy/s of Jesus of Nazareth :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready. Genesis emphasizes genealogies and the number of years that the patriarchs lived and when they were born.

As I mentioned before, in Israel, all priests came from the tribe of Levi. If you could not establish your family heritage, you were not able to become a priest, so genealogies were especially important in the ancient world. Even Jesus’ human lineage is given in scripture, yet none is given for Melchizedek. This is rather remarkable, especially with the importance that the authors of Genesis, Psalm, and Hebrews ascribe to Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:4-10 describes how great this man, Melchizedek, was that even the patriarch Abraham, whom God made promises to, gave a tenth of the spoils to as a tithe. Hebrews 7:7 says, “now beyond all contradictions the lesser is blessed by the better.” This verse is saying that Melchizedek was greater even than God’s faithful servant and friend, Abraham.

Hebrews 7:11-18 explains the need for a new priesthood that is superior to the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament that was instituted by the law of Moses. The fact that God describes a priest according to the order of Melchizedek in Psalm 110:4 shows there is something lacking in the priesthood according to the order of Aaron. Levitical priesthood is associated with the law of Moses. The priesthood of Melchizedek is associated with the faith of Abraham, not with Moses or the law.

The very mention of the order of Melchizedek in Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 7:11 shows that God wanted the priesthood to be changed (as well as the law of Moses). “For He [Jesus] of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [other than Levi/Aaron], from which no man has officiated at the altar” (Hebrews 7:13). Hebrews 11:14 explains that the Lord Jesus came from the lineage of Judah, “of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.”

According to Hebrews 11:15-17, “Jesus, in the likeness of Melchizedek (a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek), has not come to be our high priest by the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.” The saying, “you are a priest forever,” could never be said of a priest according to the order of Aaron, none of whom were immortal, and each one only served a limited time as priests.

Melchizedek is said to have no end of life (either as a pre-incarnate Jesus/Yahweh or as a believer in the Lord who will live forever because of his faith). And, of course, Jesus showed His priesthood was superior when He was resurrected and triumphed over death. Because of the weakness and unprofitability of the law and the Levitical priesthood, it has been annulled and replaced by a new and perfect priesthood and covenant. It is the covenant of faith (by the grace of God) in our High Priest and King Jesus Christ.

The Levitical priest became priest without an oath by God, but Jesus and Melchizedek were declared priests forever by God, as declared in Psalm 110:4. Because Jesus continues forever, He has an unchangeable priesthood, unlike his human counterparts. “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

As believing Christians, we are considered undefiled and do not need daily sacrifices by high priests who have to offer sacrifices for their own sins. Our High Priest, Jesus, offered up Himself as a sacrifice for our sins once and for all. His sacrifice only had to occur one time, for His blood doesn’t merely atone (cover over) for our sins but cleanses us from all sins, past, present, and future. “The word of the oath, which came after the law appoints the Son who has been perfected forever as our High Priest” (Hebrews 7:28).

In part II, we will examine the three main theories of the identity of Melchizedek, and I will include a new lineage.

Randy Nettles

nettlesr@suddenlink.net

Endnotes:

{1} Bible.org – Lesson 20: Why you need to know about Melchizedek

Have you ever experienced a feeling deep inside your soul that something was terribly wrong? That’s what I feel at the moment.

Perhaps it’s a case of deep sadness as I look at the state of my country and the world. My president abandoned hundreds if not many more of American citizens in Afghanistan. He gave the Taliban a list of the Afghans who helped the U.S. forces while stationed there – a kill list if you will. The Taliban have already begun brutally and sadistically murdering these former allies of America. I shudder to think of the fate of Americans left behind in that nation.

It gets worse. The Biden administration has gifted the Taliban, ISIS, and Al Qaeda with a treasure trove of weapons beyond their wildest dreams. Don’t let anyone deceive you; these three groups are interchangeable and fully support each other. These demonic killers will most certainly use these weapons to murder many more innocent civilians and Bible-believing Christians in Afghanistan. How long before they export such terror?

Lara Logan from Sixty Minutes recently stated that everything Biden and his cohorts have told us and continue to tell us about the situation in Afghanistan is a total lie. Back in July, Biden told the president of Afghanistan to deceive the world about the insurgent strength of the Taliban. Biden knew well in advance that his plan would lead to the disaster we saw take place and the horrors that remain for those still there. Everything that happened after that was and is intentional.

How do we as redeemed saints avoid anger when we look at the deceit and great lawlessness afoot in our world? I believe the Lord inspired Psalm 37 to calm His followers during times such as this.

Do Not Fret

Psalm 37 tells us not to “fret” (vv. 1, 7-8) at the evil we see all around us. The word in the Hebrew signifies a deeper passion than what one might expect; it depicts a person burning with anger, furious at the evil he or she sees. It accurately depicts how we often react to the out-of-control lawlessness in our world, does it not?

The Lord knew the sight of evil people succeeding in their “wicked devices” would kindle anger inside us (v. 7). At the end of verse 8, He tells us why we must not continue in such a state. “It tends only to evil.”

He also provides us with a reason to remain calm in times such as these; it comes through contemplating the end of those promoting violence and immoral behavior in our world.

In verse 9 of Psalm 37, the Lords tells us that “evildoers will be cut off.” Verses 12-17 assure us that the Lord will judge the wicked and the violent. Those who murder innocent children in the womb, engage in sex trafficking, and promote the myriad of evil and violence we see all around us will surely pay a terrible price, both in the coming Tribulation period and in eternity.

Psalm 94:21-23 adds this about the end of those who “condemn the innocent to death.” In verse 23, the Psalmist writes, “He will bring back on them their iniquity / and wipe them out for their wickedness; / The Lord our God will wipe them out.” Although God does not immediately punish evil, we know that He will certainly do so. That time is ever so close at hand.

The phrase “condemn the innocent to death” literally refers to condemning the shedding of innocent blood, which certainly refers to abortion. Amid the fury of the Biden administration to overturn the Texas prohibition regarding abortion after six weeks, we know that the Lord’s judgment will certainly fall on all those promoting this horrendous murder of the most innocent among us.

Trust, Trust, Trust!

Though the instruction to “trust” the Lord (vv. 3, 5) only occurs twice in Psalm 37, it’s really the theme of the entire Psalm. God remains sovereignly in control of all things; the events of 2021 are working out exactly as God anticipated thousands of years ago. We can have confidence in His plan even though, at the moment, we do not see Him intervening to stop the bloodshed in our world.

The Bible also tells us that those working to create a tyrannical world order will succeed for a while in enslaving all nations under their Marxist state. Although this kingdom will prosper for a short while, Jesus will utterly destroy the Antichrist and his realm at His Second Coming (Daniel 2:44-45; Revelation 18-19).

It’s difficult to wait, which just so happens to be another key theme of Psalm 37.

Wait Patiently

In verse 7, David writes, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” We know that God will judge the wickedness of this world, but we do not know when. In the meantime, we wait and seek to put aside our desire that the Lord act now to destroy the wicked.

The realization of the Lord’s patience with me during my life helps me put this into perspective. If He had judged me immediately for my sins, I would no longer be alive, deserving of a fate worse than death. How can I gripe about His longsuffering with the world in light of the steadfast love and mercy he continues to show me every morning of my life? (Lamentations 3:22-24)

Furthermore, as New Testament saints, we are not waiting for God’s wrath to fall upon the world, such as will happen during the seven-year Tribulation. We are waiting for the Lord’s appearing when He will take us to the place that He’s now preparing for us (John 14:1-3).

In Philippians 3:20-21, Paul wrote, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” In the Greek, the word for “wait” denotes an eager anticipation of something.

So many believers today think it’s fashionable to ignore the Rapture or even ridicule our hope. However, this confident expectation helps us remain calm as we watch lawlessness and deceit grow exponentially in our world. I’m not sure how I’d cope without this joyous anticipation.

Focus on Your Eternal Inheritance

We have a huge advantage over King David in that we have the New Testament, and with it, many more details of our future in eternity. For the Jews in about 1000 BC, their heritage was the Land, which the Bible says they will fully enjoy during the millennium. I believe this explains the emphasis on the Land as the “heritage” of believers in Psalm 37.

For us, Ephesians 1:11-14 speaks to our inheritance as New Testament saints, which includes our immortal bodies that we receive at the time of the Rapture, our reign with Jesus for a thousand years, and our eternal home in the New Jerusalem with a new earth to forever enjoy. These things make up our inheritance, the paradise Jesus promises to us as New Testament Saints.

If we tend to live with the perspective that this life is all we have (and most believers today have such an earthbound outlook), the violence, wickedness, and grief inherent in his world will either kindle burning rage inside us or cause doubt and despair to grow inside us as we fear what might lie ahead. The only other alternative is to believe the mainstream media lie that “we can do this,” that life can and will return to normal someday.

At the moment, lawlessness proceeds unchecked across the world. The most ruthless and demonic killers of our time now have an incredible stash of high-tech weapons. The perilous times in which we live will grow darker in the weeks and months to come (although the Rapture might happen at any moment).

1 Corinthians 15:19 says, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” While all those in Christ will agree with the Apostle Paul, most do not live as though his words in this verse are true. They believe in eternal life but place all their hopes in earthly outcomes.

Those with such a perspective often state their faith in spiritual-sounding words that impress many, but they fail to express any hope beyond the grave. Though genuine saints, they walk as though eternity does not exist, which makes them prime candidates for doubt or despair when they watch tragedy unfold in the world or even in their lives.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 sums up the perspective we must have for such a time as this. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

It’s when one takes paradise out of eternity that his or her fondest hopes become those with earthly outcomes. Why focus on life ever after if it’s not that much different from today?

On the other hand, when we set our fondest hopes on the realization that this vale of tears might end at any moment with the Rapture, we find that an unexplainable hope and calmness invades our hearts. We know the Lord will deal justly with this world after He takes us to the place that He’s preparing for us in His Father’s house.

So yes, I feel sad at the great deception and lawlessness overtaking my country. However, there remains a crazy, unexplained peace deep in my soul that soon returns even when I briefly give in to fretting over what I see.

Jonathan Brentner

Website: Our Journey Home

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