“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated ‘king of righteousness,’ and then also king of Salem, meaning ‘king of peace,’ 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. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils” (Hebrews 7:1-4).
Two powerful points are made in these verses which were intended to be potent evidence for Jewish Christians to be unwavering in their loyalty to Christ.
First, the patriarch Abraham recognized the divine appointment, and thus the legitimacy, of Melchizedek as God’s priest. The Most High God had authorized King Melchizedek’s priesthood.
Second, the patriarch Abraham recognized the superiority of Melchizedek. He paid a tithe of all he had when he met this king-priest. Just as kings (who are superior in authority and rank) do not pay taxes to their subjects, priests (who are superior in authority and rank) do not pay tithes to those they bless. Conversely, Melchizedek recognized the inferiority of the patriarch Abraham. The king-priest blessed the patriarch, and “beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better” (Hebrews 7:7).
These self-evident truths are potent proof of the superiority of Jesus’ High Priesthood.
Like the patriarch Abraham, his physical descendants ought to recognize the divine appointment, and thus the legitimacy, of Jesus as God’s priest. The Most High God predicted His priesthood via the prophet David in Psalm 110:4. Because God had the authority to make Melchizedek His priest, He likewise has the authority to make Jesus a priest like him.
Like the patriarch Abraham, his physical descendants ought to recognize the superiority of Melchizedek’s priesthood over the priesthood of Abraham’s great grandson Levi and the High Priesthood which began with his great, great, great, great grandson Aaron.
Though only three verses of Genesis (14:18-20) focus on Melchizedek and Abraham, there are two important, relevant truths to be gleaned and applications to be made.
