King Melchizedek, the Pre-Incarnate Christ - Genesis 14:18-20
The Lord Jesus Christ's priesthood was not patterned in Mose's type of priesthood but after King Melchizedek's priesthood who is both King and Priest at that time in ancient Jerusalem, we all know that a human being can't be both king and priest at the same time, you can either be a priest, but not a king and vice versa, only the Lord Jesus Christ occupies this office. King Melchizedek occupies this office and received tithes from Abraham (our father in the faith) thus saying we have also given King Melchizedek our tithes, because He is the Pre-incarnate Christ.
Genesis 14:18 Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, also went to meet Abram. He brought bread and wine.
Gen 14:19 He blessed Abram and said, "Abram, may you be blessed by God Most High, the one who made heaven and earth.
Gen 14:20 And we praise God Most High, who helped you defeat your enemies." Abram gave Melchizedek one-tenth of everything he had taken during the battle.
Psalms 110:4 The LORD has made a promise with an oath and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever-- the kind of priest Melchizedek was."
Hebrews 5:6 And in another part of the Scriptures God says, "You are a priest forever-- the kind of priest Melchizedek was."
Hebrews 6:20 Jesus has already entered there and opened the way for us. He has become the high priest forever, just like Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:1 Melchizedek was the king of Salem and a priest for God the Most High. He met Abraham when Abraham was coming back after defeating the kings. That day Melchizedek blessed him.
Hebrews 7:2 Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had. The name Melchizedek, king of Salem, has two meanings. First, Melchizedek means "king of justice." And "king of Salem" means "king of peace."
Hebrews 7:3 No one knows who his father or mother was or where he came from. And no one knows when he was born or when he died. Melchizedek is like the Son of God in that he will always be a priest.
Hebrews 7:4 You can see that Melchizedek was very great. Abraham, our great ancestor, gave him a tenth of everything he won in battle.
Hebrews 7:5 Now the law says that those from the tribe of Levi who become priests must get a tenth from their own people, even though they and their people are both from the family of Abraham.
Hebrews 7:6 Melchizedek was not even from the tribe of Levi, but Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had. And Melchizedek blessed Abraham--the one who had God's promises.
Hebrews 7:7 And everyone knows that the more important person always blesses the less important person.
Hebrews 7:8 Those priests get a tenth, but they are only men who live and then die. But Melchizedek, who got a tenth from Abraham, continues to live, as the Scriptures say.
Hebrews 7:9 Now those from the family of Levi are the ones who get a tenth from the people. But we can say that when Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth, then Levi also paid it.
Hebrews 7:10 Levi was not yet born, but he already existed in his ancestor Abraham when Melchizedek met him.
Hebrews 7:11 The people were given the law under the system of priests from the tribe of Levi. But no one could be made spiritually perfect through that system of priests. So there was a need for another priest to come. I mean a priest like Melchizedek, not Aaron.
Hebrews 7:12 And when a different kind of priest comes, then the law must be changed too.
Hebrews 7:13 We are talking about our Lord Christ, who belonged to a different tribe. No one from that tribe ever served as a priest at the altar. It is clear that Christ came from the tribe of Judah. And Moses said nothing about priests belonging to that tribe.
Hebrews 7:15 And these things become even clearer when we see that another priest has come who is like Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:16 He was made a priest, but not because he met the requirement of being born into the right family. He became a priest by the power of a life that will never end.
Hebrews 7:17 This is what the Scriptures say about him: "You are a priest forever--the kind of priest Melchizedek was."
Hebrews 7:18 The old rule is now ended because it was weak and worthless.
Hebrews 7:19 The Law of Moses could not make anything perfect. But now a better hope has been given to us. And with that hope we can come near to God.
Hebrews 7:20 Also, it is important that God made a promise with an oath when he made Jesus high priest. When those other men became priests, there was no oath.
Hebrews 7:21 But Christ became a priest with God's oath. God said to him, "The Lord has made a promise with an oath and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.'"
Hebrews 7:22 So this means that Jesus is the guarantee of a better agreement from God to his people.
Hebrews 7:23 Also, when one of those other priests died, he could not continue being a priest. So there were many of those priests.
Hebrews 7:24 But Jesus lives forever. He will never stop serving as a priest.
Hebrews 7:25 So Christ can save those who come to God through him. Christ can do this forever, because he always lives and is ready to help people when they come before God.
Hebrews 7:26 So Jesus is the kind of high priest we need. He is holy. He has no sin in him. He is pure and not influenced by sinners. And he is raised above the heavens.
Hebrews 7:27 He is not like those other priests. They had to offer sacrifices every day, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus doesn't need to do that. He offered only one sacrifice for all time. He offered himself.
Hebrews 7:28 The law chooses high priests who are men and have the same weaknesses that all people have. But after the law, God spoke the oath that made his Son high priest. And that Son, made perfect through suffering, will serve forever.
Proof #1: Abraham gave tithes of all his belongings to King Melchizedek.
Genesis 14:19-20:
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.' Abram gave him a tenth of all.
Hebrews 7:4:
Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best spoils.
Proof #2:
The greater/better blessed the lesser.
Genesis 14:19-20:
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.' Abram gave him a tenth of all.
Hebrews 7:7:
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
King Melchizedek is obviously better/greater than our father in the faith- Abraham. Actually, the Lord Jesus Christ mentioned this when He saw Abraham way back then, but because the Jews don't believed in Him, He was about to be put to death by stoning which is not God's will of course, for the Lord Jesus Christ way of death but thru the Cross.
John 8:56 Your father Abraham was very happy that he would see the day when I came. He saw that day and was happy."
John 8:57 The Jews said to Jesus, "What? How can you say you have seen Abraham? You are not even 50 years old!"
Johns 8:58 Jesus answered, "The fact is, before Abraham was born, I AM."
Proof #3:
King Melchizedek is King of Righteousness.
Hebrews 7:2:
to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is King of peace;
Romans 3:23:
for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
We know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) not even a king like Melchizedek is exempted if he's mere human being. King Melchizedek is also called King of Peace - being King He's the source of Peace the same title ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Proof #4:
Lord Jesus Christ is High Priest forever to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:20:
where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:6:
As he says also in another place, 'You are a priest forever, After the order of Melchizedek.'
Hebrews 5:10:
named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Psalms 110:4:
Yahweh has sworn, and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.'
Take notice of the phrases ascribed to King Melchizedek, "forever (repeated several times) , and "has sworn, and will not change his mind." Only God does not change mind and will never end so is King Melchizedek.
Proof #5:
He is called King of Peace.
Hebrews 7:2:
to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is King of peace;
Genesis 14:18:
Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.
Only Christ can give true peace to us, how come King Melchizedek is called King of Peace?
Proof #6:
He has no beginning or end, no genealogy, no father, no mother.
Hebrews 7:3:
without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually.
Every human being King or not has ancestry, has a genealogy but King Melchizedek doesn't have all of these, for he was not physically born and is the Pre-Incarnate Christ.
Proof #7:
He is called Priest of God Most High.
Genesis 14:18:
Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.
