First Sunday of Advent

And Who Is Melchizedek?

Sunday, December 2, 2018

After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with them, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the king’s Valley). Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “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.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Genesis 14:17-20

These four little verses are dropped down in the middle of a segment about battles. The scene occurred before God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and before God gave his great covenantal promise that he would bless Abram with land and children, and would make him a source of blessing to others who would come by faith to God. It’s also before Moses was given the Commandments.

I hope you’ll go and read the whole account, beginning in chapter 14:1. Actually, Abram’s intention was to rescue his kindred Lot who had been captured because he was living in Sodom. Many kings are mentioned in the battles, but in this passage from out of nowhere comes King Melchizedek, called not only king of Salem but also Priest of God Most High!

That’s amazing! Only one person is ever called both Priest and King. Jesus Christ! Melchizedek had not been mentioned in the lists of kings who had fought in the wars with or against Abraham. Yet suddenly he appears, coming from Salem (Jerusalem), the city of peace, bringing bread and wine!

Not only is his appearance amazing, but so are Abram’s actions. Verse 14 says Abram gave him a tenth of all he had! Before he knew God expected a tithe, Abram gave a tithe to a Priest/King!

So who was Melchizedek?

There is a word that we seldom hear – theophany – meaning the inexplicable appearance of God in human form. Some would argue that I stretch the point to call this such an appearance. But I believe that subsequent Scripture will support my theory that Melchizedek is an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ – a theophany! This king came from Jerusalem, the City of Peace, making him the King/Prince of Peace, and he came bringing bread and wine – the very elements Jesus used to encourage us to remember him often. To further support his Deity, he allowed Abram to pay him tithes, which we know only belong to God.

As strangely as Melchizedek had appeared, he disappeared, not to be mentioned again until Psalm 110, and finally not again until Hebrews 7. We know that Christ was present at creation, and in fact, we’re told that he “made everything that was made” (Col. 1). Yet we have allowed ourselves to think only of his coming at Christmas. Is the Old Testament reference in Genesis and the Psalm a theophany – Christ’s appearance to Abram? I know what I believe about this appearance – about the intervention of Jesus before his human birth. I’ll leave that for you to ponder as we move forward toward Christmas.

Prayer: Father, you have limited us so that we are bound by time and space and matter. Yet we are bold to ask you to enlarge our understanding of you so that we do not confine you to our much-too-small box. Help us to grasp that though Jesus actually came to earth to dwell for 33 years on that first Christmas, he might not have been limited to that time. He could have appeared unrecognized before. Enlarge our understanding of Christmas and of you as we contemplate new thoughts about you and your Son. Amen

And Who Is Melchizedek?

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for Rehobeth United Methodist Church, Winter 2012,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

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