Second, Abraham recognized the priest-king Melchizedek by receiving his blessing and offering him tithes. Christ, like Melchizedek, is a priest by divine appointment and His priesthood does not depend upon hereditary ties. First, Melchizedek has no genealogy in the Old Testament, and his priesthood is not based on heredity. In contrast to the Levitical Priesthood is the Priesthood of our Lord, which Melchizedek foreshadows. Also, these priests offered the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. The priests following Aaron were of his family, the House of Levi, and appointed priests because of their heredity. Paul then compares and contrasts the priesthood of Melchizedek with that of Aaron, the Levitical Priesthood: The priesthood of Aaron was based on his ancestry from Abraham. Despite human weakness, a man is called by God to be a priest. Paul begins, “Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Hebrews 5:1). Paul used the person of Melchizedek to illustrate the doctrine of the sacrificial priesthood as established by Christ. Paul, the traditional author of the Letter to the Hebrews, was the greatest promoter of Melchizedek. This psalm is considered one of the most important of the Messianic psalms, identifying the forthcoming Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, as King, Priest, and Conqueror.
Melchizedek is mentioned again in Psalm 110: “The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: ‘You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek’” (110:4). After this encounter, however, Melchizedek disappears from the Genesis story.
Accepting this blessing and offering, Abraham gives to Melchizedek a tithe of one-tenth the booty from his campaign. Although Melchizedek is technically a pagan priest, he recognizes the one supreme deity, using the title, “God Most High,” just as the Jewish people would. Keep in mind that bread and wine were customarily offered in sacrifice among the “first fruits” of the earth in thanksgiving to the Creator. Abraham had defeated King Chedorlaomer and the other three allied kings, and then was met by Melchizedek, the Canaanite King of Salem and “a priest of God Most High.” (Interestingly, the word Melchizedek means, “my king is righteousness,” and Salem, “peace.”) Melchizedek presented bread and wine to Abraham, and blessed him with these words: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of Heaven and earth and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand” (Genesis 14:19-20). Melchizedek (also spelled Melchisedech) appears in the Book of Genesis (14:18-20).
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