Genesis 14:18-20

MELCHIZEDEK

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him a tenth of all."

Neil gave the only secret of understanding this place when he declared that: "We must be guided by the N.T. writers and by our Lord himself."[13] The N.T., of course, has a magnificent discussion of this event in Hebrews, where it is mentioned in Hebrews 5:5,6,10; 6:20, and repeatedly throughout Hebrews 7. The only other reference to Melchizedek in the Bible is in Psalms 110:4. This account in Hebrews is discussed thoroughly in my commentary on Hebrews, Hebrews 5:5-7:28, to which reference is made for those wishing to explore the meaning further.

We shall summarize briefly the significance of this great type of the Son of God.

1. The manner of deployment of this account in the Genesis record stands for the eternal existence of Christ, "without beginning of days or end of life." Incidentally, this point made by the inspired author of Hebrews is the positive and emphatic denial of the notion that this material in Genesis was "added by a later hand."[14]
   
2. "He brought forth bread and wine ..." The fact of this being mentioned first leads to the conclusion that something significant is meant by it. Of course, the Lord's Supper comes instantly to mind; and we cannot agree with scholars who ignore or contradict the symbolism certainly apparent in this event. The Holy Spirit knew the term "victuals," as used earlier in this chapter; and if that was all he meant here, why this significant terminology? Abram already possessed all of the booty recovered from the defeated kings, and thus Melchizedek's "bread and wine" had no place whatever in this narrative except as a symbol. And there is nothing else, in heaven or upon earth that could be symbolized by it except the Lord's Supper, a paramount feature of the kingdom to be established, in time, by Christ. The Ante-Nicene fathers were doubtless correct in the affirmation that:

   "Also in Melchizedek we see prefigured the sacrament of the sacrifice of the Lord, according to what divine Scripture testifies, and says, and Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine."[15]

   Willis called such views "fanciful,"[16] suggesting that it means nothing more than that Melchizedek offered "the weary Abraham and his companions food."[17] However, as we have pointed out, the last thing on earth that triumphant Abram needed at that time was any food supplies; all of the looted booty of half of a dozen cities was in his hands and at his disposal, and, we must repeat, this "bread and wine" offered by Melchizedek has utterly no place whatever in this narrative except as a symbol.

3. The very meaning of Melchizedek is "King of Righteousness," one of the titles of the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:1).
   
4. The term "Salem" means "peace"; and therefore, "King of Salem" is the same as "King of Peace" (Hebrews 7:2), another of the glorious titles of the Lord Jesus Christ.
   
5. Melchizedek was both king and priest, thus being amazingly typical of the Son of God. The author of Hebrews makes much of this.
   
6. Melchizedek blessed Abram; and Jesus Christ blesses all who follow him.
   
7. Melchizedek served both Gentiles and Jews, as witnessed by his receiving Abram. In the same manner, Jews and Gentiles alike are in the kingdom of Christ.
   
8. The high priesthood of Christ has no formal beginning and no end whatever, and as this remarkable narrative appears in the Genesis record, somewhat like a little cameo cut into the very heart of it, it brings into view neither the beginning or end of Melchizedek's priesthood and kingship. And the inspired author of Hebrews received this as a type of the endless priesthood and kingship of Jesus Christ. (See also at the end of the comments on Genesis 14:18-20, for (9).)
   

"A priest of God Most High ..." It is a gross error to suppose that "Melchizedek was a pagan priest."[18] First, it is absolutely inconceivable that the N.T. would have hailed a pagan priest as a great type of Jesus Christ, but over and beyond that, there are the most solid and sufficient reasons why such a view could not possibly be correct:

MELCHIZEDEK WAS NOT A PAGAN

1. Both the O.T. and the N.T. refer to him as a "Priest of God Most High," possessor of heaven and earth, a concept that never pertained to any heathen god.
   
2. Abraham would never have paid tithes to a pagan. An essential element of Abram's answering God's call to leave Ur, was that he would worship the true God, not a pagan god. Therefore, his worshipping through Melchizedek proves that Melchizedek was worshipping the same God that Abram was worshipping.
   
3. God Most High is not a title that ever belonged to a heathen god. Parts of this compound name, indeed have been ascribed to heathen deities, but the full title, never.
   
4. No pagan priest would have blessed Abram.
   

As Yates said, "Abraham recognized Melchizedek's God [~'El] [~'Elyon] or [~Yahweh], the same God that Abraham worshipped.[19] As Payne put it, "The story would have been far different if Melchizedek had been a devotee of Baal."[20]

Another significant thing in this passage concerns Abram's use of the term [~Yahweh] (Jehovah) at a time long prior to the event in Exodus 6:3; revealing that it was of a "more complete knowledge" of that name that God spoke to Moses. Whitelaw commented that, "The use of Jehovah here proves the antiquity of its use as a designation of Deity."[21]

For a more thorough study of this most interesting narrative, reference is again made to my commentary on Hebrews, Hebrews 5:5-7:28.

"And he gave him a tenth of all ..." The antiquity of tithing as a part of the worship of God is seen here. For discussion of this, see more in my commentary on Hebrews 7:8. One of the principal theological facts established by this episode around the name of Melchizedek is that the coming high priesthood of Christ was both superior and prior to the priestly system "added" in the law of Moses. Also, it buries forever the widespread nonsense about the Jews having invented, or discovered monotheism. The truly discerning scholars of all ages have instantly recognized in Melchizedek, "A Canaanite prince by whom the true faith was retained amid the gloom of surrounding paganism."[22] We have lingered a little on this marvelous episode, true and accurate in itself, but also serving in the precise manner of its appearance in the sacred record as a witness of the Coming King.

"He gave him a tenth ..." The antecedent of the first "he" in this verse is Abram, indicating that Abram paid the tithes to Melchizedek, a fact of which we are absolutely certain because of Hebrews 7:1,2, which speaks of Melchizedek, "to whom Abraham divided a tenth part of all."

The fact of Melchizedek's receiving tithes is also made to be typical of Christ's receiving the tithes of Christians in heaven.

"There, he receiveth them (tithes)" (Hebrews 7:8). This should be added as (9) to the typical utility of Melchizedek cited above.

The sudden way in which the Scriptures draw back and close the curtain on Melchizedek is the divine way of making him a type of Jesus, the King-Priest, who like Melchizedek, stands alone unique in his priesthood and is absolutely distinct from the long Aaronic succession of priests.[23]

The inspired use of such a thing as the very placement of this passage in Genesis speaks volumes concerning the authenticity of the passage. This divine N.T. authority with reference to the passage here countermands and refutes all the criticisms ever made against it. Blessed be the word of the Lord!