Mysterious King

Do you have any mysterious people in your family? A strange character or shadowy figure that appears briefly at a family reunion who you can’t place and do not know exactly how they are related to you. King Melchizedek’s name appears in just three places in the bible, but what the New Testament Bible writers infer about this mysterious fellow is quite intriguing. 

In Genesis 14 after Abraham and Lot part company and go their separate ways, trouble appears in the Holy Land. As the chapter opens a battle is brewing between 4 Kings from the North and 5 Kings from the South. Just as an aside, this is the first mention of war in the bible. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, is captured in Sodom as the battle nears an end. His entire family, their workers, livestock and belongings become spoil of war. Abraham receives word that Lot has been captured as the victors head home with all their prizes. Abraham was able to arm 318 of his workers and pursues the Kings from the North. The 318 men would have only been men capable and trained to fight.  All others including women, children and older men would have stayed back to care for the household. This one detail points out just how much wealth Abraham possessed through his business of raising livestock.

God delivers the kings from the North into Abraham’s hands and Lot’s entire family is rescued from their fate. Now, seemly out of nowhere, appears King Melchizedek, a mysterious figure with no mention of a family line. He is referred to as the King of Salem which would have been an earlier form of the present city of Jerusalem.  King Melchizedek not only congratulates Abraham on his victory but also brings out bread and wine. Melchizedek is described as a priest of God Most High. He pronounces a blessing over Abraham and then seems to vanish from scripture for about a thousand years.  

The next mention of Melchizedek is in the book of psalms. It says in psalm 110:4 that when the Messiah does finally appear he will occupy a different kind of role than the Levitical Priesthood. “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” Melchizedek was both a King and Priest. The Levitical priesthood was set up by God to allow the Israelites a way to atone for their sin through annual ceremonial animal sacrifices. We now look back in retrospect to the fact that Jesus Christ became The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Once Jesus died on the cross all sin past, present and future was cancelled or paid in full. So Jesus becomes our priest forever and will bear the marks of the crucifixion in His body forever. The wounds in His hands, feet and side will be the only man-made things in heaven.

In chapter 14 it’s also recorded that Melchizedek brought out bread and wine. Now these elements have always pointed to the Messiah, who will bring in a New Covenant of grace and mercy. Where the bread represents the body of Christ and the wine represents the blood of Christ. Here on the night of the Last Passover while Jesus was with His disciples He took the bread and the wine and made a covenant with humanity. The proposition was really a marriage proposal where Jesus invites the whole world into a New Covenant with Him. He took the bread and poured the wine and then bought us with a price. By Melchizedek bringing out these same two elements He is reminding us, rather pointing out to us that there would be One coming who was not only worthy but capable of redeeming the world.

The book of Hebrews is really the key that unlocks the door that separates the Old Testament from the New Testament. In chapter 7 the writer of the book uses the only scriptures he had in the Old Testament to illuminate us on The blessing of the New Covenant where our new Priest and King has no more need to offer anything for our sin. Hebrews 7:19 “For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and its unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.”

The appearance of Melchizedek in Genesis chapter 14 is called a “Christophany” or an appearance of Christ on earth in human form. Jesus himself seems to hint at this as He confronts the Jewish leaders of His day as they are questioning His authority. Jesus says in John 8:56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” It’s truly wonderful that God would give us glimpses of Jesus in the Old Testament. I can’t wait to meet all the saints when I too one day arrive at the greatest family reunion in the history of the world!