”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, 2 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. 3 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. 4 Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. 5 And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. 6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. 9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.” NASB
“This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. 4 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. 8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.” NIV
We have finally come to this sometimes difficult portion of this letter to the HEBREWS; difficult in that, as the author himself has said, many in the church are still in need of milk and cannot fathom the portions of scripture that go deeper and farther than the basics.
This teaching of Melchizedek as a type of the Messiah is confusing to many and even people in places of higher learning have debated it to distraction.
So instead of staying right here in our text today and sifting through it phrase by phrase, I’d like for us to go to Genesis and get our answers there. I want to read an entire portion to you as you follow along, from Genesis 13:14 through 15:6 {and if you are reading this sermon, please go and read this section before going any further here}.
THE STORY
Now what had happened prior to the section we’ve just read, is that Abram and Lot had stood atop the mountain to choose separate grazing lands, and Lot had chosen the fertile grasses of the Jordan valley, and had subsequently pitched his tents toward Sodom; a city well known for its debauchery and evil. Then after he went his way, God made this promise to Abram that we have just read.
ABRAM WAS FAITHFUL
Please observe that God made this promise to Abram prior to Abram doing anything that we would gauge faithful. Yes, he had responded to God’s call to go out from his homeland to a place he did not know.
And although we also know that he was rather slow in doing even that much, the author to the HEBREWS credits him with faith in doing so with no criticism. But even as recently as chapter 12 we have witnessed Abram’s human side in his willingness to basically give Sarai to the Pharaoh to secure his own safety.
That is followed in chapter 13 by this trip to the mountain with Lot and God’s promise comes immediately after. So I think we can rightly say that Abram had not done anything to earn such a grand assurance, that his descendants would be as the dust of the earth.
I just wanted that said, because we are going to talk about the fundamental faithfulness of the heart of this great patriarch. Before we do though, let’s not miss this amazing invitation God gives him in verse 17.
“Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you”
Is God a cheerful giver? Yes! “This is all going to be yours and for your descendants, Abram, My friend, go ahead; check it out! Walk about and get the ‘feel’ of it. It’s yours, from Me – a gift.”
“Blessed are the meek, (the humble) for they shall inherit the earth”. That’s a promise for those who have come in humility and submission and belief to Jesus Christ in faith-response to His call. Go ahead; walk around. You may be living in a tent now, but what the rich and godless leave behind in death you will inherit in eternity.
By faith Abram lived as an alien in the land of promise, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob; fellow heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Are you?
“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.” 2 Cor 5:1-5
The Holy Spirit in and with you, believer, is the pledge, the assurance, that you have something everlasting waiting for you to replace the frail and failing thing you dwell in now. Abram believed the promise without wavering. Do you?
There is another sense in which Abram was faithful. He was faithful to see things the way God sees things.
When Lot and his family and goods were caught up and taken hostage by the kings and their armies who marauded Sodom and Gomorrah, Abram cared. He could have written his nephew off as a loss and probably not many in his camp would have blamed him.
Lot, younger than Abram and probably a part of Abram’s traveling family by the grace of his uncle alone, should have deferred to Abram when given the choice of grazing lands. Out of respect he should have at least said, “No, Uncle, you choose first; it is your right”. When Abram repeated his offer, Lot should then have left the choice of the best grazing lands to his uncle; again, out of respect.
But neither of these things happened. Lot had an offer before him and with apparently little thought he grabbed for the best. In so doing, he put himself in proximity to the base sin and debauchery of Sodom. It was filled with evil – the men there living in a lifestyle of abomination, reveling in their homosexuality and every kind of perversion that goes with it. We know from future chapters that Lot followed a downward path that took him from pitching his tents near the city, to sitting and doing business in the city gates, to finally living in a house within the city walls. Did he know this was wrong?
The Apostle Peter tells us that he did, when in his second letter to the church (2:7) he says that Lot’s soul was tormented daily as he witnessed the sensual conduct of unprincipled men. Yet when it came time to leave in order to escape the destruction we’re told that the angels sent to save him had to take his hand and the hands of his wife and daughters and drag them out of the city.
And before we move on can I add a word of warning here to those who think that God cannot and will not deal justly with sin? Verse 6 of second Peter chapter two says that what God did to Sodom and Gomorrah was an example for those who would live ungodly lives thereafter.
So the marketers can boast that what happens in their city stays in their city, implying that you can do what you want with whom you want when you want, but God has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness, and whether you are steeped in the filthiest, most vile of same-sex perversions, or you’re a pious, clean cut upstanding citizen, if your life is without God and therefore in rebellion against God, you need to go read 2 Peter 2:6 and beg God grant you repentance and eternal life – because as sure as Sodom and Gomorrah are so obliterated that they cannot be found, you will just as certainly be crushed by the coming judgment.
Stop gloating, stop boasting, stop mocking, run as fast as you can to the foot of the cross of Christ and die there so He might give you life.
Abram cared for his nephew and rose up with his small army, trusting in God for strength and deliverance, and pursued the captors until he caught them and took his family back.
It is not in our text, but you will also remember that when God visited Abram and told him what His plans were for the wicked twin cities, Abram bargained for all the lives he could get, and God was willing to make him and offer.
Why? Because like the One he bargained with, Abram was not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.
I am reminded of Jim Elliot, who when asked if he would take a rifle into the jungle for protection, replied that he would not, because the indigenous tribes there were not ready to go to Heaven, not having heard the Gospel, and he could not take their lives while in that lost condition.
This is the heart of God, folks – who did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many; who did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. Mtt 20:28, Lk 9:56
Abram’s faithfulness made him both caring and involved. He didn’t just sit and hope things would turn out alright. He didn’t go to Sarai in the privacy of their tent and express his wishes that God would do something to intervene. He didn’t send an envoy to the marauding kings offering a trade. His concern made him active and involved in moving out to rescue the perishing. Of course he was putting his trust in God as he went. He went out knowing full well that the mere 318 men he had from his own camp and the few that his neighbors were willing to loan to him for help were not nearly enough to defeat five kings and their armies. He had to believe that God was with him to bring the victory. But – he – went.
ABRAM WAS PREPARED
Next let us observe that Abram was prepared. What do I mean by that?
Well, think about the text. Abram comes back victorious in battle and is approached by the king of Sodom, who, by the way, has been cowardly hiding among the tar pits of Siddim while the rest of his people headed for the hills, and basically what transpires here is that he offers Abram protection through alliance.
Hey, Abe, let’s make a deal. Give me the people and you can keep all of the goods. He assumes that Abram is like him. He assumes that Abram went out and took these people and their possessions away from their captors so that he could be their new captor.
Folks, an observation I have made over the years in evil people is that they always think everyone thinks like they do. They are shocked and usually angry and if the opportunity arises, vindictive, when they find out that you don’t see things like they do; think about life the way they do; share their evil thoughts and intentions.
The king of Sodom wanted the people and bargained for them as though Abram had the legal and moral right to give them away. What do you suppose this evil king wanted to do with these people? I think we might get a hint in chapter 19, when the men of the city are trying to knock Lot’s door down to get at the two male visitors in his home.
Abram’s response though is what is interesting, and this is why I assert that Abram was prepared.
“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, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’.”
People of God, take this to heart and meditate on it today. When trouble comes, when temptation comes, when opportunity for sin arises in your path in life, your response will be according to how well you have or have not prepared yourself to meet it.
If prayer is part of your lifestyle, and if you are routinely thinking about God Most High and all that He is to you and for you, then your response to the evil the world throws at you is going to be a Godly response.
Abram had sworn an oath, to the One who is possessor of heaven and earth.
He pledged allegiance to the One who owns everything, so when the tempter comes and offers him the world’s wealth his automatic response is “NOT A SHOELACE!”
Hadn’t he very recently been told by God that the very ground on which he stood was to be his and his descendants’? So while this king thinks he is offering much, in Abram’s mind and heart what he has offered is paltry; not only paltry but evil, since Sodom’s king bargained with the lives of people.
So Abram was prepared. He believed a promise, and he swore an oath. When you have come fresh from your prayer closet, believing every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God, Christian, nothing can trip you up. That’s a fact.
ABRAM WAS BLESSED
Well, Abram was faithful in belief and practice and he was prepared by his faith in God for what the world might throw at him. Now we come to the part of this that ties with our HEBREWS study, and see how Abram was blessed.
First, we have to talk about this Melchizedek because he is the one who came out to bless Abram, and we won’t understand the blessing if we don’t understand some things about this priest. Anyway, this is the part everyone wants to talk about, right? Who is this mystery man, Melchizedek?
Y’know what I think is a little humorous? The writer to the HEBREWS tells them there is much to say about Melchizedek, but they aren’t ready to hear it because they’ve become babes needing milk, then he goes on to teach about Melchizedek. Fortunately though he invokes God’s help in doing so, in chapter 6 verse 3, as we do now, for none of us will understand what Melchizedek teaches us without the Holy Spirit’s enlightening.
Here are the facts given to us about Melchizedek, and I won’t go into a great deal of explanation; just want to break it down in pieces for you.
He is called priest of God Most High. Now Abram had not yet received circumcision and the nation that came from him had not been born. The Levitical priesthood was still a long way off.
But God has always had believers, even when it was down to a remnant few as in the case of Noah; but He has always had believers. So whatever sect this priest belonged to, we know that he belonged to an order of priests within that sect because in Psalm 110, quoted in Hebrews 7, the Messiah is designated a priest forever ‘according to the order of Melchizedek’.
We’ll talk more of that.
Next, he was a king. In Hebrews 7 we’re told that his name, translated, is king of righteousness, and he is also king of Salem, which means peace. So it is widely accepted that he has come out of the city of Salem, which was probably Jerusalem, and this meeting probably took place in the Kidron valley in front of Jerusalem where Jesus and His disciples went to pray on the night He was arrested.
So Melchizedek is king of this ancient city, belonging to an order of priests who serve God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth.
King and Priest.
In this he is a very clear type of Christ, and that is what I want you to be clear on before we go farther.
Abram clearly saw this man as his superior and one who deserved subservience, which is indicated in his paying tithes to Melchizedek. Remember, this is before the Law was given, so tithing as a religious institution had not been established. But since Levi was in Abram’s loins when he gave a tenth of the choicest spoils to Melchizedek, even Levi was credited for paying tithes, as we read in Hebrews 7:9-10.
So this priest to whom Abram paid tithes is greater than Abram and since the lesser is always blessed by the greater, Melchizedek in his priestly office, blesses Abram.
Now here is my question and I’ll give you about three seconds to consider it before I go on.
Why did Melchizedek bless Abram?
Let me help you think this through. Had Abram done anything special for God that he would deserve a blessing?
In chapter 12 he tried to give his wife away.
In chapter 13 he unselfishly let Lot choose the better grazing land, and in chapter 14 he saves silly Lot and his family from kidnappers, but all of that just shows Abram’s good character.
I think the most we can say about his spirituality at this point is that he believed God. Right? He believed Him enough to leave Ur and come to this place, and now we have seen that he believed God for help in rescuing Lot.
So why would this priest come out to bless him, serving him bread and wine and putting a blessing on his head?
Stuck? If you are it’s because we’re looking at the picture askew if we’re asking ‘why’.
Instead, we should be just looking at the fact that he did, and considering the act, not from the standpoint of what Abram has done, but who Melchizedek is and who he represents.
That is why I have spent so much of this sermon highlighting Abram and his actions; so you could see that this event recorded in Genesis 14:18-21 seems ‘out of the blue’, so to speak; almost a random act.
Christians, God blesses because He wants to.
What we’re really talking about here is grace. Abram has just been tested. He has just been in battle and come back home, but although trouble has been left behind there is still trouble ahead. He has established himself as a local ruler of a society of people and a man to be reckoned with, and now he will face having to deal with the evil king of Sodom.
Here he comes, riding up, tar still fresh on the hooves of his horses, when out of Salem comes a priest/king to offer Abram encouragement, refreshment and blessing, the content of which reminds him that he is Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, who is the One who has delivered his enemies into his hands.
God blesses according to His grace, my friends, and He does so just when we need it the most.
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” Rom 5:6-9
The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin, like sunshine at noonday, His glory shone in! Just in the nick of time! The Light of the world, is Jesus! (You might recognize some words from Philip Bliss’ THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS JESUS above)
HIS PERPETUAL PRIESTHOOD
One final thing and I’ll end.
David recognized that the priesthood of Messiah would not be like the Levitical priesthood, which had a beginning and would have an end.
The other thing we’re told about Melchizedek is that he had no mother or father, nor end of days.
This is what has confused many and caused many to presume that this was a Theophany, which means an appearance of God in the form of a man, such as we see in the visit of the three visitors to Abram, when the Lord talked with him about what He was about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah, and the visit to Samson’s parents when Samson’s birth was announced, and several other places in the Old Testament where we know the Lord appeared to people. That is not what happened in the case of Melchizedek.
The book of Genesis is a book about beginnings and it is a book of records and genealogies. This causes the lack of information on Melchizedek to stand out all the more. There is not a record of his ancestry, there is not a record of his birth date nor the date of his death.
Because of this, he just ‘is’. Here he is in this snapshot – this one scene in all of history and nowhere else, and by the total lack of any further information about him he fits the type of the eternal High Priest who had no beginning or end – who remains a priest forever in the likeness of Melchizedek.
Melchizedek was not a pre-incarnate appearance of Messiah. Melchizedek is not a mystery. Melchizedek was a faithful priest of God Most High, who was recorded for us by the Holy Spirit as a picture of our High Priest, the Son of God, who has no beginning or end as the priests of the Levitical order, but remains our priest forever.
The important lesson for us to learn from Melchizedek then, is not about Melchizedek at all, but about the One of whom he served as a type; the One who blesses, not to reward, but simply out of His infinite, marvelous, matchless Grace, just in time to encourage, just in time to help, just in time to save – the Possessor of heaven and earth whose riches that He bestows make all the wealth and power and riches this world has to offer appear less than an old shoelace.
As King of Righteousness He paid our debt of sin with His blood, turning the Father’s wrath away from us forever.
As King of Peace He has now made peace between us and God, ushering us by faith into this grace in which we stand.
As High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, ‘…He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them”.
For you.
