We often overlook or ignore the story of Melchizadek. In fact, many have never heard of him. But as it turns out, this ostensibly insignificant story in Genesis is actually very important. Understanding Melchizadek helps us to more tightly grasp the reality that no fact in the Bible can be simply glossed over; all details are included for a reason. Through Melchizadek, we also get a better sense of how the Old Testament cannot be fully understood without Jesus.
Mystery Man
In “The Better Promise,” we talked about Abraham and Lot’s decision to go their separate ways: Abraham chose to live in the land of Canaan, while Lot chose to live “among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom (Genesis 13:12). Lot’s outwardly “good” choice of prime land put him in the middle of a power struggle between two groups of warring kings. Sodom was invaded by Mesopotamian kings who captured the people and their goods. Because Lot lived in Sodom, he and his family were taken captive. When Abraham found out about his nephew, he pursued the enemy army and rescued Lot, his family, and the other captives from Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 14:1-16).
After Abraham’s victory, Abraham and the King of Sodom met near Salem (Psalm 76:2) to discuss the return of the King’s people and goods. Before Abraham and the King of Sodom could talk, Melchizedek appeared. There are not a lot of details about him, but here is what we are told in Genesis: Melchizadek was the King of Salem, which would later become Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, and the central place of Jewish worship. Melchizadek was also a priest, not a pagan priest, as might be expected, since the world at that time was mainly pagan, but a priest of El Elyon, the Sovereign Lord, the same God, Yahweh El Elyon, that Abraham served.
Order of Melchizadek
Although seemingly obscure, Genesis is not the only Old Testament reference to Melchizedek. As if his sudden appearance and then disappearance were not mysterious enough, the Psalmist David in Psalm 110:4 adds more intrigue to this character when he refers to the coming Messiah as a priest forever according to the “order of Melchizedek.” What at first seemed like a random reference to Abraham’s meeting with the King of Salem, just became vastly more important. Through the person of Melchizedek, David points the nation of Israel towards the eternal priesthood of the coming Messiah.
Although a priest of God Most High, Melchizidek did not descend through the order of the Levitical priesthood established later through Aaron, a priesthood that could only mediate on behalf of the Jews. Instead, Melchizedek’s priesthood was universal; he interceded for both Jews and Gentiles. Likewise, Jesus did not descend from the priestly line of Aaron; His priesthood was also universal. Through His work on the cross, He gives everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, access to God.
Type of Christ
Later on in the New Testament book of Hebrews, the outwardly unimportant character of the Old Testament, Melchizadek, is mentioned eight times, not so that we can learn more about him, but so we can better understand Christ. The author of Hebrews goes to great lengths to show that Jesus is superior to all priests that came before Him and that He fulfilled the priestly functions set out in the Old Testament not just in their entirety but for eternity.
The book of Hebrews confirms Melchizadek as a type of Christ. The name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness” (Hebrews 7:2). Jesus is our “king of righteousness” because he purchased our righteousness for us on the cross (2nd Corinthians 5:21). Melchizedek is King of Salem, which means King of Peace. Jesus is our Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) because he brings eternal peace between us and God. Melchizedek has no record of parents, having neither his beginning or end recorded in scripture; similarly, Jesus is eternal, having neither beginning or end (Hebrews 7:3).
Melchizedek Greater than Abraham
Melchizedek was portrayed in Genesis as being greater than Abraham in a couple of ways. First, Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Remember, earlier God had blessed Abraham and told him his blessing was so he could be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:1-3). But now Melchizadek is blessing Abraham. Melchizadek has to be greater than Abraham because the greater can bless the lesser, not the other way around. Abraham accepted his blessing and then gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:17-20 Hebrews 7:1-2)
Second, Melchizedek did not trace his descent from Levi, the tribe designated by God to serve as priests, but yet Abraham tithed to him. The author of Hebrews reasons that in a sense, Levi also tithed to Melchizadek since Levi was still in the body of Abraham (not yet born) (Hebrews 7:6-10). These two things show that the Melchizedek priesthood is greater than the Levite priesthood. If Melchizedek is greater than Abraham and Levi, and Jesus is from the order of Melchizadek, then Jesus is greater than both Abraham and Levi. Like the Law itself, God never meant the Levite priesthood to be permanent; He meant it to lead us to Christ.
Jesus Greater Than Melchizadek
Jesus is the greater high priest. “He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven” (Hebrews 7:26). Jesus is King, and all must pay tribute to Him. “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:10-11). And when we declare that He is Lord, we will receive his blessings in abundance just as Abraham did.
Conclusion
Abraham would have known about the promised Seed of Genesis 3:15, but how much he understood about Melchizedek when they met is unknown. Nevertheless, he demonstrated his faithfulness to God Most High by honoring God through God’s representative, the mediator between heaven and earth, the high priest Melchizedek. Abraham also honored God by refusing to accept anything from the King of Sodom because he did not want to give this earthly, fleshly king credit for his blessing. Abraham knew that all blessings come from God and he gave God all the glory. (Genesis 14:17-24)
Although, at first glance, the account of Melchizedek seems like a story you can read and quickly forget, one that certainly has nothing to do with Jesus, when you dig a little deeper you see that this man shrouded in mystery is very important to the story of Jesus after all. Through Melchizedek, we can more fully understand Jesus, the ultimate priest of the Most High God who is King and Priest forever.
