BULLETIN ARTICLE
24 March 2019
KING MELCHIZEDEK

How do you decide to whom to give money? How much should you give? Who do you make alliances with? Our choices reveal our character. Poor choices reveal weak character and result in sad consequences. Wise choices show our dependence on God and result in peace and joy as we rest in the assurance of his presence. Abram’s standards in Genesis 14 serve as a good model for us. Abram rejected the approach of the king of Sodom but he received gladly the king of Salem.

Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything (Gen 14:18-20).

Abram had just rescued his unfortunate nephew Lot from the coalition of four kings. He is then met by this mysterious Old Testament (OT) figure named King Melchizedek. He is the king of Salem which means King of Peace. His name also means King of Righteousness. His function as a priest of God Most High (El Elyon) was also unusual. In the OT, no king could be priest and vice versa. This is understandable to avoid a concentration of the power of government (secular and spiritual) in a single individual since power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The writer of the book of Hebrews chapter 7 likens King Melchizedek as a type of Jesus Christ. Unlike fallible human beings, Jesus is the perfect God-man in his human nature as in his divine attributes. Jesus Christ alone is qualified as priest and king.

King Melchizedek was greater than Abram. We conclude this because Abram was blessed by King Melchizedek. Abram also gave tithes to King Melchizedek. Abram recognized King Melchizedek’s God given authority. The books of Hebrews and Psalms liken Jesus’ priesthood to be in the order of King Melchizedek and therefore superior to the Levitical priesthood (Heb 7:17, Ps 110:4). Jesus Christ is from everlasting to everlasting, a High Priest forever, for those who come to him in faith (Heb 7:3). King Melchizedek gave bread and wine to Abram. Today, Jesus gives us spiritual bread (his flesh) and spiritual wine (his blood) which purifies us from sin and makes us ready for life and service for God’s kingdom. King Melchizedek blessed Abram. Today, Jesus blesses us with all spiritual blessings in him (Eph 1:3). King Melchizedek received tithes from Abram. Today, Jesus receives tithes from us from all that he has given us.

Have you made the important choice to come to God through Jesus Christ? The writer of the book of Hebrews concludes that “because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb 7:24,25).