Blessings from God and to God [Genesis 14]
17Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.
19He blessed him and said,
"Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand."
He gave him a tenth of all.
The priest of God Most High blessed Abram. He reminded him that God Most High was the one who had delvered his enemies into Abram's hand. These few sentences are the only time Melchizedek is mentioned in the Old Testament. He met Abram when he was coming back from rescuing his nephew Lot and all that had been raided. Later in the New Testament he is mentioned again when speaking about Christ as a High Priest, that He came from the order of Melchizedek.
In Hebrews 7:1-3 , we learn a few more things about this mystery priest. "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, 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.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."
We praise You, Jesus, that You are our High Priest. You are our king of peace and our king of righteousness. Even in Abram's time, You were preparing to come to earth to take that priestly role and intercede for Your people.
Verna McCrillis, 2/16/2010