Hebrews 7:1-3

1: 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.

*** 

Paul gets back to Melchizedek and how his priesthood was like Christ’s, as he said back in Hebrews 5:6 when he quoted Psalm 110:4, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

The account of Melchizedek is found in Genesis 14 in what was called the war of the kings. Abraham (then still called Abram) received word that his nephew Lot and his possessions were captured from where he was living in Sodom. Abraham went out with his own trained men and brought back all the goods, Lot, his possessions, all the women and people.

Melchizedek was king of Salem and a priest of the Most High God. His name means king of righteousness, his city name means king of peace. After the battle, he brought out bread and wine to Abraham while he was speaking with the king of Sodom. Melchizedek blessed Abraham and blessed God, serving in a priestly role between the two. Abraham then paid him a tenth of all the spoils from the battle (Genesis 14:17-20). This first mention of the tithe was long before tithing was instituted in the Levitical priesthood.

Melchizedek was a priest of the true God, but not a Levitical priest under the Law of Moses for that wasn’t instituted until many years later. He was not part of a priesthood which was based on genealogy (his was unknown), or whose days were documented (his were not). By not having a recorded historical account of his ancestry or time he was “made like the Son of God,” remaining a priest perpetually. He was a sign of the eternal priesthood of Jesus which was yet to come.


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