Who was Melchizedek, and what is his message for us?

Melchizedek is one of the most mysterious characters in the Bible.  He is introduced to us in Genesis 14, where he is, seemingly, a side character to one of the tales of Abram.  He would seem insignificant if it wasn’t for the words used to describe him, and the way he was treated by Abram; a man of God.

His Introduction

There were four great kings (rulers of city-states), that had conquered and subjugated the other kings around them.  Those they ruled over, had paid them tribute for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year, those kings all rebelled against their submission to the four.  In the fourteenth year came the response; the four kings took the battle to those rebelling, reclaiming control of the lands, and the wealth they contain.

Their last planned battle was with the five kings of; Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, zeboiim, and Bela.

⁸ Then 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 they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim ⁹ with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. ¹¹ So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. ¹² They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.

One of Lots men was able to escape and contact Abram, who gathered his trained fighters, of over 300, rallied his neighbors (Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre) to join him in battle, and went after them.  He split his forces, and engaged in nighttime guerilla warfare, against the battle fatigued armies of the four kings, and was able to defeat them and reclaim all the possessions and people stolen; including his nephew Lot.

When Abram was in the Valley of Shaveh, in victory, we are introduced to Melchizedek.

¹⁸ And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) ¹⁹ And he blessed him and said,

Abram, recognizing that this was a Genuine Blessing From God, gave him a tenth of everything.

His name means: king of Righteousness.  He is the king of Salem (Peace).  Salem being an early name for Jerusalem, which means City of Peace.  And, most importantly he is called the priest of God Most High.  Which is validated by Abram (an already identified man of God, who knows and communicates with God Most High) through his acceptance of his blessing, and the giving of the tithe.

Mysterious.

There is a more detailed story that could be inferred from those few verses.

There would’ve been casualties among Abram’s men, and those of his allies.  There would have been great pressure to keep more of the possessions for his clan.  But, he knew that his life was a testimony to the Lord, so he would not want anyone to think there was ever anything, other than God, that was giving the blessings he was receiving.  But, those pressures would’ve been great.

Before he is faced with the moment of decision (if he will keep the possessions for himself) Melchizedek comes to him with bread and wine, and a blessing reminding him of the all encompassing role of the God Most High, and that He is the Possessor of All things in Heaven and on Earth.

I think, at that moment Abram recognized a fellow Spirit, known by God, and who knew the Character of God.  He had just saved him from (possibly) committing an act not done in Faith, but fleshly fear.  Abram saw the Iron Faith of the king of Salem, and it sharpened his own.

Once his heart was right, and he recognized the reality of the situation; he gave a tenth of everything to a man he knew would hear and follow the Will of God when putting it to use, or sacrifice.  He may have even taken an oath to that effect after receiving the blessing.

Once he was done speaking with Melchizedek, and his men are gathering the tithe; the king of Sodom arrives…

²¹ And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” ²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, ²³ that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

Abram gives the earned shares to his men and allies, but refrains from any himself, so that nobody could ever say there was anything, but the Will of God, as the foundations of his success.

How did Abram get caught up in this war?

Previous to all this, Abram had already had encounters with God.  It was those encounters that had brought him to Canaan:

12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

It would truly take great Faith to just pack up and leave for a place you’ll hear about on the way!  But, that is what he did.  And, sure enough, as he traveled through Canaan he did hear more:

When they came to the land of Canaan, ⁶ Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷ Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

God seemed to say that Abram had arrived at the place He had chosen for him and his offspring.  But, Abram didn’t understand that, and kept moving on.

 ⁸ From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.

He called upon the Lord, but Scripture records no reply.  God is mid conversation back at the first alter Abram built in Canaan.

⁹ And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

Abram is still moving away from where God wants him, and is outside His Will.  Maybe, Abram had moved on in fear.  Verse six had told us, the Canaanites were in that land, and the Canaanites were a horribly evil and violent people.  He probably couldn’t imagine God wanting him around these gross people.  But, we are only to use God’s imagination and not ours!  That is not acting in Faith, and not acting in faith, is Sin.   The consequences of his sin is revealed:

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. ¹¹ When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, ¹² and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” ¹⁴ When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. ¹⁵ And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. ¹⁶ And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

¹⁷ But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. ¹⁸ So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” ²⁰ And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

Chaos and famines are his companions as he travels away from God.  While making his own daily decisions, the only “good”, one could say he achieved, was the acquisition of earthly wealth.  But, strife and division followed him in his wealth, causing issues with his nephew Lot.  Once they had returned to the place between Bethel and Ai, and the alter he had built there, (where it had said, “and there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.” But, again, no response was recorded.) there arose strife between their herdsman, because they each owned so much livestock that they were competing for pastures.  So,  Abram gave the choice of who gets what land, to his nephew Lot.  Lot chose what was most pleasing to the eyes, and the fallen heart of man… the lush valley with the Big City, with its fleshly delights; Sodom.

Abram moves back into Canaan, where God had been leading him, and:

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, ¹⁵ for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. ¹⁷ Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” ¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

And, the blessing started rolling in again.  He gained allies, more wealth, and the time and ability, to train and outfit men for battle; no small affair.  Which brings us back to the start of this story.

So, what has happened?

God the Most High has Chosen a lineage, and He has called Abram, to be the Father of His Chosen People.  Even though God had been leading His people towards Canaan, it was Abram who was chosen to move past Haran, and into the Promised Land.

Abram had the ability to hear the Voice of God.  To do that, one must have demonstrated the knowledge of God, and the submission to His Righteousness, that reveals itself in our being Spirit led.  It’s a rare person with the ability to quiet the voices of their fallen mind and body, to hear the Voice of God through their Spirit.  (To this very day, few can control their disobedience and fear enough to hear His Voice, or take the time to hear His Words given to us in the Bible, so they can recognize it, when He does speak.)

God led him into Canaan, shared His Promises, and then asked for Patience and Faith.

A pattern appears very quickly in Abram’s actions; God calls, Abram does as He is told, then, without waiting to hear from God again, decides to act on his own.  He gets to another place, builds an alter for the Lord, gets no immediate reply, and he moves on again.  He does it all the way into Egypt and back.

When he finally returns to the land God had chosen for him, God also returns to his side, and repeats His Promises to Abram, about the land and his offspring.  And, says to walk the land with NO fear!  Have Faith, and trust in God, and His Promises.  Walk in Faith, being led by the Spirit, and putting no trust in your own ways and means.

Every time Abram didn’t wait to hear the plan of action from God, and instead created his own plans and schemes, long term damage is done!  (The great schism of the Abrahamic religions, is created because of these man made decisions and schemes followed by Abram.)*

God still sends another to reinforce his message, and be an example of how a great life of Faith can be lived.  He sends him, Melchizedek.

Who is this guy?

Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² 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 king of Salem, that is, king of peace. ³ 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.

He was a man of faith, living a righteous and blessed life.  He had even risen to be the king of Salem, a city located in a coveted location for strategic, and natural reasons, and yet, he was at peace with all those warring states around him.

That state of peace is, seemingly miraculous.  Might makes right, in every way, during this time.  If you were strong, you came in, took all the crops and wealth of a land, then promised to come back and only take a percentage next year; if, they were cool about the whole thing.  If not, the strong would kill and destroy the weaker completely.

How did Salem survive?  “…by the power of an indestructible life.”

⁴ See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! ⁵ And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. ⁶ But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. ⁷ It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. ⁸ In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. ⁹ One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, ¹⁰ for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

What does it mean that… “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.”?  And, what does he have to do with the Levitical priesthood?

¹¹ Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? ¹² For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. ¹³ For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

Melchizedek was of an order before the order of Aaron, before man demanded a system to follow.  The Freedom filled order of a life led by God’s Will Through Faith.  The Higher Order that even Levi paid tribute to, through Abram’s tithe given to Melchizedek.

¹⁵ This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is witnessed of him,

But, when Our High Priest, Jesus Christ arrived, He led the only true Perfect life.  Melchizedek was a very Faithful man, but he was still a man.  He communicated directly with God, and in Faith did the best he could to submit to His Will (without the Helper, that we now have) to God Most High.  More complete than the Levitical Priesthood, but still inferior to our Savior Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

²⁰ And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, ²¹ but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

²² This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

²³ The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

 

We have a High Priest who has, and will, eternally know us.  He has given us an example of a perfect life of Obedience and Submission, then He Blessed Us with Bread and Wine, His Body and Blood, being a propitiation for Our sins, creating a narrow path that leads to the Throne of God and Salvation!

 

God had chosen a people to be the witnesses and testimony of his message and instructions, for dealing with the Fallen Natural world.  Their lineage through Adam to Abraham, and ultimately to Jesus, is used as His testimony of Himself, to His people and the world.  Because Melchizedek was outside that lineage; one could say …”He is without father or mother or genealogy…”

God’s chosen people, and their Levitical Priesthood and Law, are Systems for the temporary Natural world.  Which are there because of their transgressions; for their inability to live by the Spirit.  They were and are, a people of works.  Given great blessings in intelligence and industriousness.  Wherever they went (and go) they turn barren land into productive land.  They turn opportunities into victories, and have changed the world for the better.   But, their fallen hearts corrupted their blessings!  As they looked to those around themselves, and not to God and His Word, they began to believe they were the superior.  They started believing it was not God, but them.  And, if that is the case then gods are irrelevant, and they can just use their own intelligence to get all the wealth they want; by crook or by hook.  Using their fallen intelligence and works to guide them, they became the most religious of the religious!  And, did so with hearts full of pride and pleasure, in their systems and schemes, for this temporary natural world that has a beginning and an end.

The Christian Church of today has fallen into the same trap.  We don’t Love Him and His Word, we too just love standing on the coattails of His Blessings!  Not ever having to listen to our Spirit, or His Word, which condemn us!

God’s Plan is one of Eternal Harmony with the totality of us, mind, body, spirit.  The Spirit is Eternal, “… having neither beginning of days nor end of life…”  The mind and body have been corrupted by the Fall (and will be replaced.)  But, the Spirit is only corrupted by the mind and body!  God presented a plan that showed the corruption of the flesh and heart of man (mind and body), pointing to the Better Way, the Spirit Way.  But, man still follows his heart, and not his Spirit; which will lead you to His Word, His Faith, and His Salvation!

Melchizedek was a High Priest of the Higher Order of the Eternal Spirit, that has direct connection and submission to, God Most High.  He wasn’t perfect, but he was a perfect reminder to Abram!

He wasn’t anything more than…a Man of Faith.  A truly mysterious and rare creature.

 

¹⁵ And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.

Hebrews 6:15

 

* If Abram had waited at the alters, like he does in Chapter 15; perhaps things would be very different today.

¹¹ And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

¹² As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him.

And that is when God further reveals His Promises.

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. ¹⁴ But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. ¹⁵ As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. ¹⁶ And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

¹⁷ When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. ¹⁸ On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, ¹⁹ the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, ²⁰ the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, ²¹ the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

God may have given those Promises at the alter near the oak of Moreh. If he had stayed there fighting off the scavengers all day until nightfall.

If he had shown the patience God always demands, he wouldn’t have moved on to Egypt, where Sarai found a servant girl name Hagar.

If Sarai didn’t have Hagar, maybe she wouldn’t have devised “a plan” to help God create the children He Promised to Abram.  In reality, she wanted the stigma that was on her because of her barrenness removed.  She wanted to be rid of her shame and ridicule.  (God had a better plan for her, and did remove all her ridicule.  She is honored now as Sarah, mother of many nations.)

Shockingly, even after receiving the Promise, The Covenant with God, and his encounter with Melchizedek, Abram still concedes to Sarai’s plan.

And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. ³ So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. ⁴ And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.

See how immediate and persistent the consequences of Sin show in our lives?  How much and how long it can affect others?

 

 

Galatians 4

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

 

 

Mutemandeafcat