Melchizedek, the Priest-King

A weary man is coming home from battle. Two kings come out to meet him. One brings bread and wine, and a blessing. The other brings an offer. Which one will Abram listen to?

Not long before, war had swept through the land. Four kings from the east had raided the cities of the Jordan plain, including Sodom, and carried off people and possessions. Among the captives was Abram’s nephew Lot, who had been living in Sodom. When Abram heard, he gathered three hundred and eighteen trained men from his own household, chased the raiders far to the north, and brought everything back: the goods, the women and the other people, and Lot too. Now he is on his way home.

In the Valley of Shaveh, also called the King’s Valley, the king of Sodom comes out to meet him. But before we hear what he says, another king steps forward. His name is Melchizedek, king of Salem. He brings out bread and wine, food for tired and hungry men. And Genesis tells us something surprising. He is priest of God Most High. Here, in the middle of Canaan, outside Abram’s family, is a king who knows and serves the true God.

Melchizedek blesses Abram. “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Notice what that blessing does. Abram has just won a stunning victory against four kings. Melchizedek reminds everyone, Abram included, who really won it. And Abram responds by giving Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

Then the king of Sodom speaks. “Give me the people, and keep the goods for yourself.” It sounds generous. Abram could walk away a very rich man. But Abram answers, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and made a solemn promise. I will accept nothing that belongs to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, I made Abram rich.”

Abram makes only two exceptions. His young men may keep what they have already eaten. And the men who fought alongside him, Aner, Eshcol and Mamre, may take their share. But for himself, he wants nothing from the king of Sodom. Think about the two kings. One blesses God and gives freely. The other rules a city already known for wickedness, and offers a deal. Abram has just used the very words of Melchizedek’s blessing, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. He wants it to be clear to everyone that whatever he has comes from God.

Melchizedek appears in just a few verses of Genesis, and then he is gone. But he is not forgotten. Psalm 110 speaks of a king who is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And the letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament spends a whole chapter on him, explaining that his name means king of righteousness, and that Salem means peace. Hebrews sees in him a picture of Jesus as priest and king. As for Salem itself, Psalm 76 sets Salem side by side with Zion, and most interpreters, ancient and modern, identify it with Jerusalem, though not all agree.

Melchizedek, the priest-king of Salem. You’ll find this story in Genesis chapter 14, verses 17 to 24. Abram gave generously to God’s priest, and refused a gift that would have left him owing the king of Sodom. So here’s the question to think about. When good things happen to you, who do you thank, and are there any offers you should say no to?