July 13 - Melchizedek

July 13 - Hebrews 7:1-3 - Melchizedek

Melchizedek is only mentioned in two Old Testament passages. He is introduced in Genesis 14:18-20. Now, in Genesis 12, God makes a covenant with Abram and promises to make him into a great nation. Abram travels to Egypt after that because of the famine and then allows Pharoah to flirt with Sarai, claiming she is just his sister. All sorts of trouble happens and Abram leaves, heading up to the Negev (Gen. 13:1). He and Lot separate for awhile, but then has to rescue the idiot (Gen. 14:1-16). He defeats all of these armies and the King of Sodom rides out to meet him.

However, who should show up but Melchizedek, the king of Salem, which is modern day Jerusalem. Remember - Salem means 'peace.' It's really interesting. Melchizedek is identified as a priest of God Most High and he blessed Abram (Gen. 14:19-20). Abram turned over a tenth of everything he owned to Melchizedek in response to this blessing.

When the king of Sodom set out to make a bargain, Abram refused because he did not want the King of Sodom, who was not a man of God to ever be able to say that he had a hand in Abram's wealth. Abram was a man of God.

So, where did Melchizedek come from? No one really knows. But, he is a precursor to Jesus Christ. He was a king and a priest. No other priest achieved that until Jesus.

Psalm 110:4, in prophecy, declared that "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." The Messiah does not come from the Levitical priestly line. These men were limited by their lineage. They couldn't own land, they had nothing except what the other tribes would bring them as offerings. They couldn't rise above their position to become king. Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, he was from the line of David. His was a royal line.

Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews declare the Jesus Christ was royalty and part of the priesthood. This sets the tone for 1 Peter 2:9 where we are told that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood. Not common priests, but royal priests. We are made this way because of the relationship that we have with Jesus Christ. He established the royal priesthood and we follow Him.