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. (He was priest of God Most High.)  And he blessed him and said,

          “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
              and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Genesis 14:17-20

 Melchizedek is one of the most fascinating characters in the Bible.  Mentioned only here in Genesis 14, in Psalm 110, and in the NT book of Hebrews, mystery shrouds this curious figure:

He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.
Hebrews 7:3
Why does Melchizedek appear, then disappear so quickly?  Since a greater sacrifice than that of bulls and goats was needed to remove sin (Hebrews 10:4), a greater priesthood than the Aaronic (Levitical) priesthood was needed to offer such a sacrifice.  To demonstrate the superiority of the priesthood of Melchizedek, Abram received a blessing from Melchizedek, priest of God Most High, and
It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
Hebrews 7:7
Abram also paid tithes to Melchizedek.  The Aaronic priesthood, descendants of Abraham and collectors of tithes, showed the inferiority of thier priesthood in that they themselves paid tithes to Melchizedek:
One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.
Hebrews 7:9-10
Quite simply, Melchizedek belongs (note present tense, per Heb. 7:3) to a priesthood superior to the Aaronic priesthood, which God instituted in order that a sufficient sacrifice for the sins of His people could be made.  Since this sacrifice needed to be infinite (because the sin committed was against an infinite God), an infinite priesthood was needed.  Jesus became a priest in that priesthood
not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.  For it is witnessed of him,

“You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”   
Hebrews 7:16-17

 

Melchizedek not only points to Christ, he gives evidence of God’s eternal plan of redemption by highlighting the necessary provisions made by God long before Christ came to this earth.  Truly He is God Most High, our Sovereign Lord.

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