Who is Melchizedek?
We are to have the point of view that ALL scripture is given for a good reason and for our benefit.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
As we go along we will see it was the subject of a lot more talk in the New Testament, but yet as we read over it in Genesis, there is a quick mention.
What is it that we can glean from it?
Genesis 14:1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations,
Genesis 14:2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
Genesis 14:3 All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
Genesis 14:4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
Genesis 14:5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
Genesis 14:6 and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness.
Genesis 14:7 Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.
Genesis 14:8 And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim
Genesis 14:9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
Genesis 14:10 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.
Genesis 14:11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way.
Genesis 14:12 They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. [sojourner if you recall the story from before when Abram gave Lot the choice of which land to go and live in. so wasn’t a part of the people there]
Genesis 14:13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram.
Genesis 14:14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
Genesis 14:15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.
Genesis 14:16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
Genesis 14:17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.
How powerful was this!
Then note what this man of great means then does:
Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
Genesis 14:19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all. [apparently the spoils of the attacking kings b/c of what Abram says in the next verses]
Genesis 14:21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.”
Genesis 14:22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth,
Genesis 14:23 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’—
Genesis 14:24 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.”
Let’s go back and analyze a few things about these verses
Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem
King of Righteousness
Consider that Melchizedek means “King of Righteousness.”
Not a good idea to take a name like this unless you are this way–
King of Salem / King of Peace
Melchizedek had the title of King of Salem which is– “King of Peace.”
What does the bible say about man kind and their pursuit of peace?
Romans 3:10 As it is written: “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE;
Romans 3:11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS; THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD.
Romans 3:12 THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE; THEY HAVE TOGETHER BECOME UNPROFITABLE; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NO, NOT ONE.”
Romans 3:13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN TOMB; WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY HAVE PRACTICED DECEIT”; “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
Romans 3:14 “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS.”
Romans 3:15 “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD;
Romans 3:16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR WAYS;
Romans 3:17 AND THE WAY OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
Throw in with King of Righteousness
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Jeremiah 6:14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.
King of Salem which is the King of Peace [Hebrews 7:2 (we will turn there later) actually verifies this for us “king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,”]
Isaiah 57:18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners.
Isaiah 57:19 “I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the LORD, “And I will heal him.”
Isaiah 57:20 But the wicked [sinners and all have sinned] are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
Isaiah 57:21 “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.”
Elsewhere Jesus Christ is referred to as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah: 9:6)
Salem is Jerusalem
Psalm 76:2 In Salem also is His tabernacle, And His dwelling place in Zion.
Jesus Christ was referred to as King of Jerusalem and King of Israel, the King of Zion.
Of course, we know that He will come back to rule the world as King of kings with His headquarters being in Jerusalem
Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
This is a foreshadow of Passover symbols, that Christ would later give.
Genesis 14:19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.
Abram Gave Melchizedek a Tithe
Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
Genesis 14:19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.
Melchizedek was in position to receive tithes and give out blessings, He and he was a Priest of the most High God … who else could this have been?
Let’s notice another reference in Psalm 110 where this same individual is mentioned–
Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
Psalm 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
Psalm 110:3 Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth.
Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
Psalm 110:5 The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.
- He shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath
- He shall rule and judge the nations
- He shall fill the places with the dead bodies
Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL”?
Psalm 110, a Davidic Psalm, is a clear Messianic prophecy and identification in the Old Testament that Melchizedek is the one that became Jesus Christ
Hebrews 8:1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” This verse is quoted again in Hebrews 5:6, 10.
Hebrews 5:6 As He also says in another place: “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK”;
Hebrews 5:10 called by God as High Priest “ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK,”
Peter Acknowledges that it is Christ
Acts 2:30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
Acts 2:31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.
Acts 2:32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
Acts 2:33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
Acts 2:34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,
Acts 2:35 TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL.” ‘
Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Peter says that King David was not speaking of himself in Psalm 110. So, we have the self-admission of Jesus that He is the individual of Psalm 110. We also have Peter’s witness of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. We have the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit upon the multitude at Pentecost — all involving and relating to Psalm 110, particularly verse 1. If verse 1 applies to Christ, so does verse 4, which talks about the high priest “after the order of Melchizedek.”
Peter also says (in Acts 2:32 above) that what was sworn to in Psalm 110:4 was an oath prophesied by David. It was God’s oath to Himself. That oath was fulfilled. The evidence of that fulfillment was Jesus’ resurrection from the dead that they had witnessed.
This information was likely explained to the apostles after Christ’s resurrection and before His ascension.
Christ Admits that He is the One Spoken of in Psalm 110
Matthew 26:62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
Matthew 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Matthew 26:65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
Matthew 26:66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
If there still is some doubt…
Coming to Hebrews 7, we find Melchizedek identified:
Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
Hebrews 7:2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,”
God names individuals what they are, that, then is what this man is.. “King of Righteousness.”
Human Self-Righteousness is, Before God, as Filthy Rags!
None can be righteous but God and by His power and by what He deems to be righteous
Psalm 119:172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Hebrews 7:3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
Therefore, He has always existed from eternity! He was not even created, like angels. But He is now eternally self-existing. And that is true only of GOD deity, not humanity!
This narrows it way down
…and then
Not the Father
Yet Melchizedek cannot be God the Father because He was the “priest of that Most High God.”
And…
John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
John 5:37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.
Abraham saw Melchizedek. He cannot be God the Father, but rather, “made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:3).
Notice again: Melchizedek, this scripture reveals, abides that is, remains permanently, continually, a priest.
Are there two High Priests’? No! Impossible!
The Conclusion is Inescapable
Acts 2:24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
Hebrews 7:4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.
Hebrews 7:5 And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham;
Hebrews 7:6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
Hebrews 7:7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.
Hebrews 7:8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.
Hebrews 7:9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,
Hebrews 7:10 or he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
Hebrews 7:11Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?
Hebrews 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.
Hebrews 7:13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.
Hebrews 7:14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.
Hebrews 7:15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest
Hebrews 7:16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.
Hebrews 7:17 For He testifies: “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”
Hebrews 7:18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness,
Hebrews 7:19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
Hebrews 7:20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath
Hebrews 7:21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: “THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT RELENT, ‘YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK’ “),
Hebrews 7:22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.
Hebrews 7:23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing.
Hebrews 7:24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.
Hebrews 7:25 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 7:26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;
Hebrews 7:27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
Hebrews 7:28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.