Genesis 14:17-24
Do you like mysteries? If so you’re going to enjoy studying the following king. In Genesis 14:18-20, is our first look at this obscure king, “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought our 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 you’re enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him tenth of everything.”
Who is this mystery king, where did he come from, we know that Genesis tells us he was a priest of God Most High. In the book of Psalms, there are psalms regarded as containing either direct or typical references to Christ, these we call Messianic Psalms. Christ as King can be found in Psalms 2; 45; 72; 110; 132:11, but for our purpose in looking into this mystery king, we will gaze at Psalms 110:4, “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” David is prophesying about the coming of Jesus Christ, whom we know to be the Son of God, and David states, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
It is of the utmost importance for each of us to fully understand what the apostle Peter is saying to us about prophesying; “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2Peter 1:20,21) Knowing that it was the Holy Spirit that told David these truths only helps us understand that the Christ is to be a priest forever after the order of this mystery king, Melchizedek, but who is this king of Salem? The Bible gives us more insights in the book of Hebrews 5:6, 6:20, and 7:1.
Beginning in Hebrews 6:20-7:1-3, “where Jesus has gone as a fore-runner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. 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 the 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.” Now you have a full understanding of this mystery king, or are you like me, needing more help.
The Genesis Record written by Henry M. Morris states on page 318 the following; “In Genesis 14:17-24, we have one of the most intriguing stories in the Bible, that of Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek, king of Salem, and “the priest of the most high God.” This fascinating individual is referred to nine hundred years later by King David (Psalm 110:4) and one thousand years later than that by the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews (5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:1-21), where he is mentioned by name no less than nine times!) There is no question that Melchizedek must at least be a marvelous type of Christ. The passage in Hebrews draws many analogies between the two to this effect. But that fact in itself hardly explains the remarkable things revealed about him.” In the third paragraph Morris gives this little gem; “He is the first priest mentioned in the Bible (and this is also the first mention of “peace”), and he obviously had a unique relation to the true God. He used the name El Elyon (the “Most High God”) to stress the absolute superiority of God to the multitude of gods and goddesses worshiped in Canaan.” Last but not least by any measure, Morris gives this insight; “Melchizedek was not alone as a non-Levitical priest; there was an “order” of Melchizedek, and this order was an eternal order.”
For me Melchizedek remains somewhat of a mystery, but this I know, He is King of Righteousness, King of Peace, an eternal order and the priest of God Most High.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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