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!

The passages we have reviewed so far reveal (in part) the relationship established between God and his creation. As we continue to review passages with regard to Gods Covenant promises, we will find a clear and distinct ownership which moves away from less direct contextual assent toward a clear directive from the scripture regarding God’s proclamation of ownership in total. At least 50 times the scriptures resound with the prophetic proclamation: “My covenant…” (Listed below) This term, reduces all doubt as to the origination and sustenance of the covenant. In the Noahidic accounts, God says “I will establish my covenant” with you, with your descendants, and with the earth and its creatures. God is the clear author of the covenant.

Additional scripture tie the name of God, the tetragrammaton (the four letters), relating the essential nature of the relationship between Yehweh (YHWH) and the distinct characteristic of the covenant with in creation. These passages signify a depth of ownership in the covenant, as they often say of the covenant “made by YHWY.” The descriptions in these passages tie the name given to Moses on the mount before the burning bush, YHWH, the great “I AM” the self existent almighty God, directly to ownership of the covenant.

The idea of a covenant which we have made with God is not found in scripture, in terms of its establishment or implementation. Even in the past tense in reflecting on the establishment of the covenant, it is remembered, that YHWH established, He made, and He keeps the covenant, even when those upon whom it has been imposed break the covenant.

Next Time: Is the covenant itself a part of the creation? Since the covenant is not creature, nor has any semblance to creation in terms we would normally consider when relating to creation, (matter, space, elements) is the covenant a part of the creation as God has expressed the creation? Can we define from scripture the relational connection between creation and covenant? Is there a difference?
My Covenant:

Gen 6:18; Gen 9:9; Gen 9:11; Gen 9:15; Gen 17:2; Gen 17:4; Gen 17:7; Gen 17:9-10; Gen 17:13-14; Gen 17:19; Gen 17:21; Exodus 6:4-5; Exodus 19:5; Lev 26:9; Lev 26:15; Lev 26:25; Lev 26:42; Lev 26:44; Num 25:12; Deut 31:16; Deut 31:20; Josh 7:11; Judges 2:1; Judges 2:20; 1 Kings 11:11; Psalm 50:16; Psalm 89:28; Psalm 89:34; Psalm 132:12; Isa 56:4; Isa 56:6; Isa 59:21; Jere 11:10; Jere 31:32; Jere 33:20; Jere 33:21; Jere 33:25; Jere 34:18; Ezek 16:60; Ezek 16:62; Ezek 17:19; Ezek 44:7; Hosea 8:1; Zech 11:10; Malachi 2:4-5; Romans 11:27; Hebrews 8:9

While studying the covenant, it seems simple enough to begin at the first appearance of the word covenant and move forward in the scriptures, this however is not sufficient to grasp the biblical idea of covenant. The isolated instances of the word even in the immediate context, grant us only part of the picture. To see the whole picture we have to look at the entire context of the teaching surrounding and intimately integrated with covenant throughout scripture.

Covenant is based, as we have said previously, in the establishment of the relationship between God and those He has entered into covenant with. God entered into covenantal relationship unilaterally, or to put is a different way, God imposed the covenantal relationship upon his creation, and his creatures.

But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark-you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
(Genesis 6:18, NKJV)

“And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
(Genesis 9:9-15, NKJV)

The passages above represent the first appearance of the word covenant (the Hebrew “Berit” Strongs H1285) which has a literal meaning of “to cut.” The language in these passages is not that of a question posed. The instructions are commands. This makes them imperative; they are “you will” commands, not “if you want to” requests. With the entry of the term and idea of covenant, YHWH says, “I will establish my covenant with you.” This is later extended to include Noah’s descendants, the earth, and every living creature of all flesh.

The simplest terms for covenant, an agreement or compact, a formal, solemn and binding agreement; cannot be limited to a two sided or dual participation equation. While this understanding is legitimate, it is not complete. For instance, the father of a child, who fathers that child during a one night stand with the mother, is held responsible for the child financially in America, even if he was willing to pay for the adoption process following, and or abortion of the child prior to its birth. His actions in performing copulation, bind him to the child. His actions result in his responsibility for the creation of a life. Even if he denies the creation of the life, he is under obligation to it as long as the life remains. He cannot disown the life, he cannot undo the creation process, he is forever the father and progenitor of that life.

This is true of God as well. He has created the universe. Within the universe He created human beings, with living souls, the ability to reason, and a moral system over which He proclaims himself the ruler. He says of Himself:

A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
(Proverbs 16:9, NKJV)

I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior.
(Isaiah 43:11, NKJV)

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;
(Isaiah 45:6, NKJV)

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.
(Isaiah 45:18, NKJV)

But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.
(Jeremiah 9:24, NKJV)

The above examples attempt to demonstrate the nature of the relationship which is dependent upon the Originator managing and keeping the agreement or covenant.

Would we enter into a contract or agreement with, animals? Can we enter into a contract or agreement with our daughters, daughters, daughters, daughters, daughter, before she is born? What about a painting we have created? The answer to all of these questions is yes. As pet owners, we enter into an agreement with our pets, all trainers and animal performers will attest to this, however as is the case in the other two hypothetical’s, we are entering into this from our side only. We can direct an inheritance to a distant relative even supplying a conditional clause upon which the inheritance may or may not be received. We can do the same with an object or gift. But in each of these instances, we would have to initiate the relationship, we would have to impose our wills in order to establish the relationship, and in the case of the painting and our descendent we would have to create them first.

This illustrates the depth and the nature of the covenantal relationship on a very small scale. The LORD is not small, as creator there is a clear establishment of relationship with His creation (Isa 45:18.) This is manifested to us in the form of covenant. The directive seen clearly in the language of Genesis 6:18 is emphatic. In restating the nature of the covenant to include the earth, unborn children, and all flesh of every kind (Gen 9:9-15,) there is a clear demonstration of ownership in the covenant. However the nature of the relationship is based upon righteousness, this is found in Genesis 7:1:

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
(Genesis 7:1, NKJV)

This righteousness is stated prior to the covenant made with Abraham, and is predicated upon Gods promise of redemption, as stated later in much more detail in Romans and Hebrews. Since there are none righteous no not one (Rom 3: 10-18,) the indication here of righteousness is based in the salvation of Christ; His righteousness, and salvation based in faith (Heb 11:7.) This is an important detail in the line of faith, since Gen 7:1 tells us only Noah was found righteous. It was his righteousness which is attributed with saving his family.

Before moving forward, we must also see the LORD establishing of His covenant. This is not singular in the sense the covenant was only about the promise made to Noah, not to destroy the world again by flood. Rather, the promise not to destroy by flood again is part of the whole everlasting covenant, a covenant which promised salvation beyond the scope of human existence:

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
(Hebrews 11:13-16, NKJV)

Noah is listed among those who had note receive the promises, the final outcome of the covenant established by the LORD from the beginning.

let me know what you think!