Abraham and Melchizedek

    "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”

    Genesis 14 gives us the first account of war mentioned in Holy Scripture. When the war was over, Lot, his family, and his goods had been carried away into captivity. Lot laid up treasures for himself upon the earth; and thieves broke through and took all his treasures. When Abraham heard what had happened to Lot, his nephew by nature and his brother by grace, he armed three hundred and eighteen of his trained servants and rescued his beloved brother, his brother’s family, his goods, the king of Sodom, and all his people. When Abraham returned from the slaughter of the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. This meeting between Abraham and Melchizedek is recorded for our learning and admonition in Genesis 14:18-20.

    I know that Melchizedek is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 7 makes that perfectly clear. However, as I read this chapter, I am always constrained to think, - “What a blessed picture Abraham is of our Savior!” What he did for Lot is exactly what Christ has done for his people.

    Our Lord Jesus Christ, because of his great love for us, took us to be his brethren from eternity. We were taken into captivity and bondage by sin. We lost everything. Satan thoroughly spoiled us. He held us in the dark dungeon of sin and death. When we could do nothing to help ourselves. Christ Jesus, our Elder Brother, like Abraham, came to deliver us, not with three hundred and eighteen armed men, but by the merits of his blood and the power of his grace.

    He defeated our enemies and took them captive who had held us captive (Col. 2:13-15). He ransomed us from the hands of God’s offended justice (Gal. 3:15). He set us free by the power of his grace, restoring all that we had lost (Eph. 2:1-13). Christ has defeated all our adversaries, forever delivered us from their power, and made us more than conquerors in him by the power of his grace (Rom. 8:33-39).

    Yet, in this particular passage of Scripture I am sure that the Holy Spirit has set Abraham before us as a representative, a type and picture of every believer in this world. Abraham was the father of the faithful, allegorically the father of all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. In the history of Abraham, every believer can read his own biography. His temptations, trials, tragedies and triumphs were prophetic pictures of those things that every follower of Christ must experience. Like Abraham, all the children of Abraham must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. As Abraham here represents the believer living in this world. Melchizedek is a type of our great King and Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Abraham engaged in a warfare, deliberately and purposefully. Though he was a man of peace., he lived among men of war. In Genesis 14, we see this man who was the friend of God taking up arms against his godless enemies, because of the great evil they had done. Like Abraham, the sons and daughters of Abraham are engaged in a warfare so long as we live in this world.

    The believer is a soldier, “a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” In the Word of God, the believer is compared to a soldier engaged in warfare more often than he is compared to anything else, except perhaps a sheep. He is a man of peace. Yet, he is a man of war. We have wars within and wars without. Sometimes our wars arise, like Abraham’s, from erring brethren. Sometimes they arise from providential trials. Often they arise from enemies without, and more often from enemies within; but as long as we live in this world, we are at war. We must, as soldiers on the battlefield, carry our swords always drawn. We must protect ourselves with the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, stand fast having our feet shod with the gospel of peace, and march onward carrying the weapon of all-prayer. The believer must never feel himself at ease as long as he is on this side of Jordan. Here, in this world, we are in the enemy’s land. Expect a foe behind every bush. At the end of everyday, if we have not fallen prey to some hellish foe, let us adore and give thanks to God for his almighty grace which has kept us. Like Abraham, we are on a battlefield. Our enemies are sin, Satan, the world, and error. We must fight the good fight of faith, for ourselves, for our brethren, and for the glory of God.

    We fight against powerful odds. Abraham had only three hundred and eighteen loyal servants at his command. Yet, in the name of God, he marched against and defeated the armies of the kings of the nations around him. He fought in God’s name, for God’s cause. Therefore, he fought in God’s strength. Failure was not even a possibility.

    Our warfare is one that is carried on in faith. Abraham was a man of faith. The spirit of his life was simple confidence in God. Had he gone out against the kings of the nations by any other power than faith in Christ, he would have fallen. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” And the weapon of faith is “the blood of the Lamb.” We fight against our inward sins by faith in Christ, not by resolutions of our wills. We fight against the world by faith, trusting God, not by ingenuity. We fight against heresy by faith, believing the Word of God, not by logic, history, tradition, and popularity polls. We fight against Satan by faith, trusting him by whose omnipotent hand the fiend of hell is bound and governed, not by the strength of our own wills. We would be wise to heed the admonition given by C. H. Spurgeon. -- “Live near to Jesus, rest upon the power of his atonement and the prevalence of his plea, and then go forward against every enemy without and every foe within, and you shall be more than conquerors.”

    We have the blessed consolation of knowing that our battle is right. In this great battle, carried on by faith, Abraham had a God-given right to do what he did. The whole land of Canaan was his (Gen. 13:14-16). The kings of the nations had no business there. They were invaders. God, who gave him the land, promised his unfailing presence to protect him in it (Gen. 12:3; 15:1).

    Is there any way we can properly apply this fact to ourselves? Indeed there is. If you belong to Christ, Satan has no right to hold you (John 12:30-31). If you have been justified from sin, sin has no right to rule you (Rom. 6:14-18). If God is true, error (that which denies his truth) has no right to exist. If Christ is our Master, the world has no right to our hearts. God is with us, and in the name of God we shall be victorious (Psa. 118:11-12).

    The warfare in which we are engaged demands diligence and the use of all means. Abraham did not sit still and say, “Well, the Lord will deliver Lot.” That would not have been and act of faith, but presumption. Believing God, Abraham called upon all his servants and went to war. We must do the same. We must engage all the servants God has given us to fight the good fight of faith. So long as we are on this battlefield, let us be engaged in prayer, skilful in the knowledge and use of God’s Word, mighty in praise, and found in the company of our brethren, our comrades in grace.

    This is a warfare from which there is no discharge until victory is won. Abraham did not lay down his sword until he had gotten all that he went after and defeated every foe. Blessed is that man or woman who, believing God, follows his example (Phil. 3:4-14). We must give ourselves no rest so long as sin is in our hearts, one of God’s elect is unconverted, error is found in God’s earth, or one breath is left in the nostrils of that old dragon, Satan. We must bring back everything that has been lost. Everything must be brought in subjection to Christ. We cannot rest until it is; and it shall be. Victory shall be ours (Rom. 16:20).

    Abraham enjoyed a visitation of grace. Many debate whether Melchizedek was Christ, or just a type of Christ. Either way, he represents Christ visiting his servant on the earth. Battle weary soldiers, engaged in the cause of Christ, may well expect and anticipate a visitation of grace. As Christ showed himself to Abraham, by the appearing of Melchizedek, he will show himself to you. He knows that his warriors need strengthening, comforting, and encouraging. As he came to Shadrach, Meshech, and Obed-nego in the fiery furnace, the Son of God will come to you in your hour of need.

    Why did the Lord Jesus now appear to Abraham under the type of Melchizedek? Abraham was weary and needed refreshing. Being a man of sinful flesh, he may have been somewhat self-elated by his victory (Luke 10:17-20). If that were the case, the best cure for pride is the sight of Christ (Job 42:5-6). The best cure for indifference is his presence (Rev. 3:21). Perhaps the greatest reason for this gracious visitation was the fact that Abraham was about to be tried in a far more subtle way than he had ever been tried before and needed to be prepared for it (vv. 21-24). The king of Sodom, a godless, reprobate man, was about to offer Abraham great wealth and the honor of his ungodly crown. Nothing could equip Abraham or us to honor God and strengthen him and us for temptation like communion with Christ (Song 1:2-4, 12-14).

    Abraham had brought back the captives. He had every right to the spoils. If he had taken them, no one could charge him with any evil. What could be wrong with accepting the accolades of an ungodly king and an ungodly nation? The fact is, believers live by a higher rule than other men. Their concern is not for their rights, their own honor, or the riches of this world. The ungodly live for and seek those things (Matt. 6:32). Believers live for and seek the will and glory of God in Christ.

    How did Christ appear to Abraham? Melchizedek, the Lord Jesus in type, came to Abraham the way he comes to all his people, as a royal, kingly priest. He came to Abraham as a king with power, a king with power over Abraham, his servant, power over his enemies, with power over all things. He who is God our Savior is the sovereign Monarch of the universe. He is also our great High Priest. Melchizedek came to Abraham as a priest with a sacrifice - “bread and wine,” tokens of our Savior’s perfect obedience and blood atonement.

    What did Melchizedek do for Abraham? - “He brought forth bread and wine.” This is the food of faith (the righteousness and atonement of Christ) which we must eat (John 6:53-56). The bread and wine foreshadowed the elements used by our Lord in establishing the blessed ordinance of the Lord’s Supper . When it is truly observed, that gospel ordinance is a spiritual feast, an act of faith. Melchizedek revealed God’s greatness to his servant Abraham. He conveyed God’s blessing to Abraham. He blessed God for Abraham as a priest, and taught Abraham to bless God. In all these things, he portrayed our Lord Jesus Christ, the believer’s King and Priest.

    Some say that Melchizedek was Noah’s son, Shem. Some say that he was an angelic, celestial being. Some say he was Christ. Melchizedek was a man who was a great type of our Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 7:3, 4, 15). “Consider how great this man was!” This man (both Melchizedek and Christ) was without father or mother. If Melchizedek was a mere man, no one knew his parents. Certainly, this is stated to remind us of the eternality of our Savior. He who became a man to save us is God, the eternal Son. He was the priest of the Most High God. He was not of the Aaronic or Levitical orders, a priest of Israel, but of God, God’s special priest. He was not a priest, but the Priest. He was King. Again, he was not a king, but the King, the King of Righteousness and the King of Salem, that is to say, the King of Peace. He is called the King of Righteousness and afterward the King of Peace, because righteousness must be established before peace can be given (Psa. 85:10; Isa. 32:17; Rom. 3:21-26; 5:1; Col. 1:20). This man was both the Priest and the King, as I said, not of Levi; but of Judah. And the Scriptures tell us that our Lord Jesus Christ is not a priest after the order of Aaron, or Levi, but after the order of Melchizedek.

    •The Levitical Priests were unclean; and therefore had to make sacrifices for their own sins and then for the peoples. -- Christ had no sin.

    •The Levitical Priests were mortal. -- Christ is a Priest forever.

    The Lord Jesus Christ, God’s own dear Son, is our Melchizedek. He is the great High Priest (Heb. 7:21-25). He is a Priest by God’s oath (Psa. 110:4). He is a Surety of a better covenant. He is an unchangeable Priest. He is a saving Priest. He is an abiding, prevailing, propitiatory Priest (1 John 2:1-2).

    Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes of all that he had. We recognize that tithing was a requirement of the law; but the law had not yet been given. Like believers today, Abraham here made a free, voluntary gift, compelled by nothing but gratitude. It was a reasonable gift. The tithe Abraham gave was an acknowledgement that all that he possessed belonged to God. By his gift, he was saying, “I am yours.” The tithe he gave was a gift of faith. He gave it with confidence that the God he worshipped by his gift would supply all his needs. If we would worship God with our gifts, we must bring our gifts to him like Abraham brought this gift to Melchizedek. We cannot worship God by paying a tithe. That was a legal necessity in the Mosaic age. We worship God by bringing free gifts of gratitude and faith to him (2 Cor. 9:7, voluntarily, as symbols both of our consecration to him and our faith in him, saying…

    Here, before Your throne I fall! Take not a tithe, but take me all!”