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The Torah portion לח לח Lech-Lecha (Genesis 12-17) includes Abraham being called out of Ur of the Chaldeans. But there’s a specific event in Genesis 14 that deserves special focus: Abraham’s encounter with the mysterious Melchizedek. We meet this ancient pre-Israel king of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) again in the books of Psalms and Hebrews. Why is he so important, and what does he have to do with Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ)?
At this point, Lot and Abraham have separated. Lot has chosen to go to the land towards Sodom and Abraham stays in the Promised Land to the west.
As we read through Genesis 14, we find out that war came to Sodom where Lot and his family were now living. The kings who had come to war against Sodom and the other cities of the area, had kidnapped Lot and his family and taken all their possessions as well.
“Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.” (Genesis 14:13–16 NASB)
Abraham with his 318 men as well as several other local allies and their trained me and chased down the invaders and conquered them and sent them back to the east where they belonged.
“Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’ He gave him a tenth of all. The king of Sodom said to Abram, ‘Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.’ Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share.'” (Genesis 14:17–24 NASB)
My King is righteous
I was asked to specifically focus on the story of Melchizedek. There are many ideas and opinions about who Melchizedek, King of Salem, is and I don’t believe most of them.
I limit my attention to what the Scriptures tell us about him. Melchizedek’s name is in two parts:
- Melchi means my king
- Zedek means righteous or may be a reference to a pagan diety.
We don’t actually know for certain what town Salem is, but in Psalm 76, we are given a big clue. Keep in mind that this was written by Asaph many centuries after the events recorded in Genesis 14.
“God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel. His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling place also is in Zion. There He broke the flaming arrows, The shield and the sword and the weapons of war. Selah.” (Psalms 76:1–3 NASB)
Psalm 76 tells us that the Salem of Genesis 14 is most likely located at the place we now call Jerusalem.
Melchizedek was a real, living human being. He was not spirit. Melchizedek was a Messianic figure, just as Joseph was a Messianic figure. He is an example of what our Messiah looks like.
The only tools we have from scripture to help us understand Melchizedek’s mission are:
- His bread and wine
- His speech to Abram
- His name
What is in a name?
“The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! The LORD is great in Zion, And He is exalted above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He. The strength of the King loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He. Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the LORD and He answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies And the statute that He gave them. O LORD our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds. Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His holy hill, For holy is the LORD our God.” (Psalms 99:1–9 NASB)
A righteous king loves justice, equity and righteousness.
“Present your case,” the LORD says. “Bring forward your strong arguments,” The King of Jacob says.” (Isaiah 41:21 NASB)
YHWH is the King of Jacob. We are looking for a king of righteousness and a king of peace. He will love justice, equity and righteousness.
I know what the words justice, equity, and righteousness mean, but it’s not often we see them practiced.
“Behold, a king will reign righteously And princes will rule justly. Each will be like a refuge from the wind And a shelter from the storm, Like streams of water in a dry country, Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land. Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, And the ears of those who hear will listen. The mind of the hasty will discern the truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly. …“Then justice will dwell in the wilderness And righteousness will abide in the fertile field. And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places; And it will hail when the forest comes down, And the city will be utterly laid low. How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who let out freely the ox and the donkey.” (Isaiah 32:1–4; 16-20 NASB)
Righteousness is like water that brings life to a dry land. It is also a shelter from storms and the hot sun. Righteousness results in peace, hence Melchizedek.
“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, And her salvation like a torch that is burning. The nations will see your righteousness, And all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name Which the mouth of the LORD will designate. You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” (Isaiah 62:1–3 NASB)
God’s righteousness and peace will not be quiet and subdued? It will be like a lamp, it will be bright and obvious. They will see that there is no war, no fighting and no worry.
Solomon was known for not going to war. He wasn’t a fighter. He used his intellect and wisdom to prevent arguments. His name means “peace.”
“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares the LORD. “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. “I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. “In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 23:1–6 NASB)
What is the ‘order of Melchizedek’?
“The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.” Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew. The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His head.” (Psalms 110:1–7 NASB)
The Creator of all things addresses the Messiah in this text. The Levite priesthood was hereditary, but the Melchizedek priesthood was not hereditary.
There is so such thing as a Levite king. There is no such thing as a Judahite priest either in Torah.
Most Levites worked from the age of 30-50. They had to retire from active service at 50.
Melchizedek, on the other hand, did not have a starting of his office or a retirement. A king doesn’t really have a start and they don’t retire. One becomes king when their father the king dies, regardless of their age at the time of their predecessor’s death. We see in history many examples of infant and young kings. Their reign began when their father died and their reign ends when they die.
This is the Melchizedek priesthood combined with kingly authority. This is the same priesthood that Messiah Yeshua possesses.
The author of Hebrews in his discussion of Melchizedek is not making a case for Gentile believers but Jewish ones. The author of Hebrews expects that his readers know the Torah in great detail and even have portions memorized.
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.” (Hebrews 7:1–3 NASB)
Say what? This makes no sense if you read it in English. But all it means is that Melchizedek’s genealogy is not recorded, his birth and death were never recorded in history.
Melchizedek did not inherit his office from his father or ancestors, unlike the Levite priesthood, which came to one though genealogy.
We don’t know how old Melchizedek was when he died. His office is a copy of the Messiah’s office. The Messiah had no beginning or end and holds His office forever since He is eternal.
Melchizedek is a small copy of the Messiah Yeshua. Yeshua earned the office when He died and was resurrected.
Abram offered tithe to Melchizedek. Abram was acknowledging that Melchizedek was not his peer but his superior. Levi, Abram’s future grandson, was also not a peer of Melchizedek, but inferior to him. Levi’s descendants, who worked before God as priests only served for a period of time while Melchizedek served his entire life.
We are all inferior to the Messiah Yeshua who holds Melchizedek’s office for eternity.
The strict letter of Torah says that one man can not hold of the office of priest and king at same time. God gave us an example of one man holding the office of priest and king at the same time in Melchizedek, and this was acknowledged by Abraham himself.
Those who are descendants of Abraham, either physically or spiritually, can’t say that it’s impossible that one could hold the office of king and priest at the same time, but it has to be earned.
Yeshua was already a king but He earned the office of priest with His death and resurrection.
Summary: Tammy
Banner photo: “Abraham meets Melchisedech.” 13th century Mosaic in the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, Italy. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.