Who:

Melchizedek, was the King of Salem by translation that is “King of Righteousness” and “King of Peace.” He is considered by some to be a:

Theophany.

An appearance or manifestation of God; a compound word derived from the Greek noun for God and the Greek verb “to appear.”

In its broadest meaning the term has been applied to many forms of divine revelation in both Testaments, whether occurring in a vision or dream or in normally perceptible realities such as unusual natural phenomena, appearances of the Deity in human form in the OT, or the incarnation of Christ in the NT. The use of the term theophany is restricted here to manifestations of God in temporary forms perceptible to the external senses, and thereby excludes divine manifestations in dreams or visions and the incarnation of Christ.

Theophany is regarded as one of the means by which God’s special revelation comes to man. God’s special revelation may be divided into two basic forms, that of word and deed. God’s revelatory deeds may be further divided into the categories of theophany and miracle. A theophany is then a form of divine revelation in which God’s presence is made visible and recognizable to man. God therefore reveals himself not only by word and miracle, by prophecies and signs, but also by making his presence perceptible to men.

(Elwell, Walter A. and Barry J. Beitzel. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1988.)

Jewish tradition held that he was Shem, the son of Noah, a sentiment Luther says he had no problem with, even defending the genealogical record which supports that Shem lived beyond Abraham’s death according to the biblical record and his number of years.

Both Josephus and Philo record Melchizedek as an actual historical figure; this appears to be in line with the Biblical record where he is recorded as the King of Salem in the Genesis record. Calvin also found the teaching of the Epistle to the Hebrews, sufficient evidence to identify him as a real and historical figure, whose virtue and gifts were directly accorded to God’s blessing and sanctification.

(Genesis 14:13-15:17, NKJV)

¹³ Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. ¹⁴ Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. ¹⁵ He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. ¹⁶ So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. ¹⁷ And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. ¹⁸ Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. ¹⁹ And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; ²⁰ And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all. ²¹ Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” ²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, ²³ that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’- ²⁴ except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” ¹ After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” ² But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” ⁴ And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” ⁵ Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” ⁶ And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. ⁷ Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” ⁸ And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” ⁹ So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰ Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. ¹¹ And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. ¹² Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. ¹³ Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. ¹⁴ And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. ¹⁵ Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” ¹⁷ And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.

(Genesis 14:13-15:17, NKJV)

What:

Melchizedek was a man. We are not told what man he is , that is his tribe, or genealogical background and this is important in the providence of God. The conversation between Melchizedek and Abram, is important, as Abram and the Priest are worshipping the same God, El Elyon “God Most High” maker of heaven and earth. Also, the priestly distinction accorded to the position of Melchizedek in Psalm 110 and Hebrews 5-7, is of essential importance in deciphering what Melchizedek is concerning his Priesthood.

He was a Priest, part of an Order, the chosen of God, established and sustained by God. The recognition and contrast of Melchizedek to the other kings around him is characterized in his recognition of the living and true God (El Elyon), the God of Abram, who was the maker of heaven and earth. The evidence that El Elyon is the true and living God, is found in the pronouncement of YHWH the covenant God, as Abram holds up YHWH to the King of Sodom (Gen 14:22) adding the phrase “maker of heaven and earth” when he chastises the King. It is YHWH which later appears and speak the oath upon the pain of death, YHWH’s death, a fact attested to in the imagery of Genesis 15:1-17.

The blessing received from Melchizedek along with the tithe paid to him from Abram, is the evidence found in Hebrews authenticating the superiority of the Priesthood of Melchizedek over, Abram and the Levitical Priesthood then present in his loins.

Where:

We are told that Abraham received the blessing of Melchizedek in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley) in Gen 14:17, it is unclear if the King of Sodom is present at the same time, but the text seems to suggest this is the case.

Additional antidotal information is seen in that Melchizedek is the King of Salem, and while this is widely accepted as Jerusalem, there is no specific passage which indicates this fact for us.

This lack of a meaningful where, adds to the importance of the person of Melchizedek in terms of his origin. It is not his Origin which should concern us but instead his actions.

When:

Perhaps most important is the timing of Melchizedek appearance at this event in God’s providence, and the fact it proceeds the covenant ceremony recorded in Gen 15. This is important because Melchizedek is an type of Christ, in human terms, as we see in Hebrews, concerning the superiority of the Priesthood of Christ. Also because the evidence of an Order of Priest, exists before the Abrahamic covenant is ratified with the oath in which YHWH promises to fulfill every word he has given to Abraham upon the pains of death.

Why:

We must be careful when asking this question. God is never required to give us an answer, the fact that He communicates His love and dedication to His Elect, is an extension of His Mercy!

Why? Here the depth of the meaning grows as or since God’s providence is the correct response. God wanted it to happen. God’s glory is the ultimate end. His Purpose is being served.

Part of the reason is revealed in Psalm 110

(Psalm 110, NKJV)

A Psalm of David. The Lord said to my Lord,”Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head.

(Psalm 110, NKJV)

To understand the significance this passage we have to go to Hebrews:

(Hebrews 5:5-11, NKJV)

So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”; who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

(Hebrews 5:5-11, NKJV)

For your Homework read Hebrews 5-9, and look for all the links to our study.

How:

Through the restoration of better promises, in which Christ is evidenced as a better Priest than those established by the promises which came after the origination of the Priesthood of faith and life, called the Order of Melchizedek. God established Melchizedek, as he established Christ, according the same order, an order which had been temporarily displaced until the time of restoration (Heb 9:10.)

The additional verses in Hebrews 6-7 discuss the superiority of Christ, on the basis of the establishment of the Order of Melchizedek, the progenitor of the Israelites, Abraham, and the descendants to which the oracles of God came establishing the 10 Commandments and all of the Jewish laws, including the order of Levitical Priests, who by the testimony of Abraham, submitted to a superior in the faith and priesthood, namely Melchizedek, while still in Abraham loins.

What can we do with this information?

1. Christ is glorified and God receives honor.
2. The appearance on Melchizedek over a span of thousands of years in the biblical record supports the authenticity of God’s word.
3. The establishment of the promises of the Order God created, prior to the Levitical law, was superior and assures us of His Sovereign control over us and all things, He has planned and is accomplishing all His holy will!
4. It provides us with the knowledge that we like Christ and Melchizedek before us are Priests and Kings, and it establishes the certainty that we are established upon the same promises which have been present from the beginning, demonstrating that God does not change!
5. We can better understand the blessings we have received through Christ and the Father!
6. We can pray and worship more meaningfully, with this knowledge because of our understanding.

All Glory be to GOD!

Got a great question from James the other day! Thanks James and keep up the study!

The term Host of Heaven occurs 19 times in the KJV, (Libronix: Bible Speed Search Deut 4:19, Deut 17:3, 1 Kings 22:19, 2 Kings 17:16, 2 Kings 21:3, 2 Kings 21:5, 2 Kings 23:4, 2 Kings 23:5, 2 Chron 18:18, 2 Chron 33:3, 2 Chron 33:5, Neh 9:6, Isaiah 34:4, Jere 8:2, Jere 19:13, Jere 33:22, Dan 8:10, Zeph 1:5, Acts 7:42) Of these quotes there is a definite ring of personification, where the host, is described in personal terms as performing some action which would usually be something we think of in human or personal terms. The term “Heavenly Host” occurs only in Luke 2:13.

The word Host occurs more than 450 time in the scriptures (Libronix: H6635 .) It’s meaning relates the idea of an army, or large number, it is used to reflect both the great number of the celestial (heavenly) and terrestrial (earthly) elements of creation, this can be most notably seen in the biblical description of armies, (Num 10:14, Num 10:18, Num 10:22, 1 Sam 17:45 contrast) The idea of the heavenly host is one of magnitude, a number greater than can be counted easily.

In the Nehemiah 9:6 passage:

You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.
(Nehemiah 9:6, NKJV)

We see all of the combined meanings behind the idea of “host.” Not only are host reflected in creation, but the declaration of the host worshiping the LORD, is plainly stated as well. A thorough study of the available biblical reference can help us to better understand the usage of this word, and how it is applied.

An error would be to think that the word host when connected to heaven always refers to angels, or to the stars, or to armies. Context will always help us in this regard, you can find additional topical references in by searching for the topic H6635 Strong’s on Google, or the Blue Letter Bible site.

5     I am the Lord, and there is no other;

There is no God besides Me.

I will gird you, though you have not known Me,

6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting

That there is none besides Me.

I am the Lord, and there is no other;

7     I form the light and create darkness,

I make peace and create calamity;

I, the Lord, do all these things.’

8     ”Rain down, you heavens, from above,

And let the skies pour down righteousness;

Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,

And let righteousness spring up together.

I, the Lord, have created it.

9     ”Woe to him who strives with his Maker!

Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!

Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’

Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?

10     Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’

Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’ ”

11     Thus says the Lord,

The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:

“Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons;

And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.

12     I have made the earth,

And created man on it.

I-My hands-stretched out the heavens,

And all their host I have commanded.

13     I have raised him up in righteousness,

And I will direct all his ways;

He shall build My city

And let My exiles go free,

Not for price nor reward,”

Says the Lord of hosts.

The Lord, the Only Savior

14 Thus says the Lord:

“The labor of Egypt and merchandise of Cush

And of the Sabeans, men of stature,

Shall come over to you, and they shall be yours;

They shall walk behind you,

They shall come over in chains;

And they shall bow down to you.

They will make supplication to you, saying, ‘Surely God is in you,

And there is no other;

There is no other God.’ ”

15     Truly You are God, who hide Yourself,

O God of Israel, the Savior!

16     They shall be ashamed

And also disgraced, all of them;

They shall go in confusion together,

Who are makers of idols.

17     But Israel shall be saved by the Lord

With an everlasting salvation;

You shall not be ashamed or disgraced

Forever and ever.

18     For thus says the Lord,

Who created the heavens,

Who is God,

Who formed the earth and made it,

Who has established it,

Who did not create it in vain,

Who formed it to be inhabited:

“I am the Lord, and there is no other.

19     I have not spoken in secret,

In a dark place of the earth;

I did not say to the seed of Jacob,

‘Seek Me in vain’;

I, the Lord, speak righteousness,

I declare things that are right.

20     ”Assemble yourselves and come;

Draw near together,

You who have escaped from the nations.

They have no knowledge,

Who carry the wood of their carved image,

And pray to a god that cannot save.

21     Tell and bring forth your case;

Yes, let them take counsel together.

Who has declared this from ancient time?

Who has told it from that time?

Have not I, the Lord?

And there is no other God besides Me,

A just God and a Savior;

There is none besides Me.

22     ”Look to Me, and be saved,

All you ends of the earth!

For I am God, and there is no other.

23     I have sworn by Myself;

The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,

And shall not return,

That to Me every knee shall bow,

Every tongue shall take an oath.

24     He shall say,

‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength.

To Him men shall come,

And all shall be ashamed

Who are incensed against Him.

25     In the Lord all the descendants of Israel

Shall be justified, and shall glory.’ ”

(Isaiah 45:5-25 NKJV)

Creation is an essential element of the Scriptural Doctrines regarding the teachings from God about Himself; the revelation (holy scriptures) are a supernatural demonstration of creation.  God creates all things.  The ALL here is absolute.  There is nothing which has been made which He did not make.

1     In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
(Genesis 1:1 NKJV)

2     Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
(Genesis 2:1-3 NKJV)

11     Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.  3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
(Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJV)

Creation is the absolute act of the Eternal Father, demonstrating ultimate power possessed of He alone, calling from nothing everything which has been made. Creation is subject to the will of God, subject to vanity at God’s command and designed to serve the Good will and purpose of God.

26 Lift up your eyes on high,
And see who has created these things,

Who brings out their host by number;

He calls them all by name,

By the greatness of His might

And the strength of His power;

Not one is missing.

(Isaiah 40:26 NKJV)

24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,

And He who formed you from the womb:

“I am the Lord, who makes all things,

Who stretches out the heavens all alone,

Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;

(Isaiah 44:24 NKJV)

7   I form the light and create darkness,

I make peace and create calamity;

I, the Lord, do all these things.’
(Isaiah 45:7 NKJV)

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. (Romans 8:20-22 NKJV)

Creation encompasses the imagination of humanity.   Everything within creation can only reflect creation, therefore there are no original ideas found within creation.

9     That which has been is what will be,

That which is done is what will be done,

And there is nothing new under the sun.

10     Is there anything of which it may be said,

“See, this is new”?

It has already been in ancient times before us.

11     There is no remembrance of former things,

Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come

By those who will come after.

(Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 NKJV)

Creation …

Accomplished

By God.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Gen 2:4-5 This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;

Psalms 19:4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

Psalms 33:9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

Psalms 135:6 Whatever the Lord pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places.

Prov 16:4 The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.

Prov 26:10 The great God who formed everything Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.

Isaiah 42:5 Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it:

Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

2 Pet 3:5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,

Rev 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

By Christ.

John 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

By the Holy Spirit.

Job 26:13 By His Spirit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

Psalms 104:30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.

Demonstrates

The existence of God.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

The power of God.

Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

The glory and handiwork of God.

Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.

The wisdom of God.

Psalms 104:24 O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions-

Psalms 136:5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever;

The goodness of God.

Psalm 33:5 He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

God as the sole object of worship.

Isaiah 45:16 They shall be ashamed And also disgraced, all of them; They shall go in confusion together, Who are makers of idols.

Isaiah 45:18 For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Acts 17:24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.

Acts 17:27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

God to be praised for.

Neh 9:6 You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.

Psalms 146:5-6 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever,

Psalms 145:10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, And Your saints shall bless You.

Psalms 148:5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created.

Leads to confidence in God.

Psalms 124:8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalms 146:5-6 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever,

Insignificance of man seen from.

Psalms 8:3-4 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

Isaiah 40:12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?

Isaiah 40:17 All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.

What can we gain from this knowledge of the creation?

We can…

1.       Gain a deeper reverence for God.

a.       Through incorporation in our prayers

b.      Daily reflection upon the creation around us.

c.       Recognizing God is fully in control when we are completely out of control.

2.       Recognize the awe of God in the Creation around us.

a.       The Sun, Moon, Stars

b.      The air we breath

c.       Trees, grass, flowers

d.      Mountains, beaches, desserts

e.      Our ability to understand and use our understanding

3.       Grow in our depth of understanding Gods love for us.

4.       Find opportunities to share our faith through the shared experience of the Creation.

a.       All of the signs and wonders in the heavens are for signs and seasons:

i.      Eclipses, Comets, Meteors

b.      The conditions in the world:

i.      Earthquakes, Floods, Famines, Melting Glaciers

In short there are countless ways in which the knowledge of the creation, directed by the hand of God, can and should inspire us to live fuller richer lives in the liberty and blessings of His gracious gifts to us.; gifts which came to us through the hand of our Creator, and are distributed in and through the process and presence of the creation as a whole.

Romans 11:33-36

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

34     ”For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has become His counselor?”

35     ”Or who has first given to Him

And it shall be repaid to him?”

36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.