Who was Melchizedek?

“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,”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.7.1.NASB1995

Let us take a look at Melchizedek. We first meet him approaching Abraham in the book of Genesis.

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” 

He (Abraham) gave him (Melchizedek) a tenth of all.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭14‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.14.20.NASB1995

So we have learned that Melchizedek was the King of Salem and a priest of God Most High. This is before the establishment of the Levis becoming priests after Aaron. It is also before the Rule of the kings after David. David set up his kingdom of Jerusalem which I believe is the same as Salem in Melchizedek’s day. Sometime he was forced out of his kingship of Salem and another king took over who eventually gave it to the Jebusites. David took it from them to make it once again a place of worship for God. Salem means peace. So Melchizedek is the King of Peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

I think it is neat that Melchizedek came out with bread and wine to meet Abraham. The bread and the wine signifies fellowship between men and God. We gather around the table to break bread as Jesus did at the last supper in remembrance of what God had done to get the Hebrews out of Egypt in the first Passover where they broke bread together as a family or neighbors. But it was first Melchizedek who blessed Abraham with Godly nourishment after the war with the inhabitants of Chedorlaomer.

“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.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭3‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.7.3.NASB1995

Melchizedek had no record of parents or kids, birth or death. But he remained as a priest of the Most High God forever. Just as Jesus is now our high Preist. 

“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession;”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.3.1.NASB1995

So who was Melchizedek? Was He just a man that ruled men in Salem and was a good priest for God? Or was He Jesus an excellent ruler of Salem and the perfect priest of God? On this side of Eternity, we may never know! But He was a shadow of what Jesus became after the cross and the empty tomb. For He now resides in heaven sitting by God making intercession on our behalf to God as our great high priest. And is building His kingdom through one converted soul at a time. And longs to establish His kingdom of Peace throughout the land.