The Ministry of Melchizedek - Imparting Life to the Believer

 

MELCHIZEDEK

Gen. 14

17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him (Abraham) after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. (As we shall see here, there is no time so dangerous to the Christian as the morrow after a great spiritual victory.)
18 And Melchizedek (this man appears on the scene, who is a King and a Priest and, above all, who is a Type of Christ [Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:5–6]; some Scholars believe that Melchizedek could actually have been Shem, the son of Noah; Shem was alive at this time, and actually lived for about 60 years more; in fact, some think he died when Abraham was about 150 years of age; his name means, “King of Righteousness” and “King of Peace” [Heb. 7:2]) king of Salem (Jerusalem) brought forth bread and wine (the “bread and wine” symbolize the broken Body and shed Blood of our Lord, which was necessary for the Salvation of mankind [Mat. 26:29; Mk., Chpt. 14; Lk. 22:15; Rom. 8:21]): and he was the Priest of the Most High God. (Melchizedek, as a Priest, symbolized the coming Christ, Who is our Great High Priest [Heb. 7:15–17]. David prophesied, about a thousand years after Abraham, “The Lord has sworn, and will not repent, You [Christ] are a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” [Ps. 110:4]. Abraham is here introduced to God by a different name than he had previously known, “El Elyon,” meaning “Most High God.”)
19 And he (Melchizedek) blessed him (Abraham), and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and Earth: (Melchizedek blessing Abraham means that the standing of Melchizedek was greater than that of Abraham. The reason? Melchizedek was a Type of Christ [Heb. 7:4, 7].)
20 And blessed be the Most High God, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. (We find here that Melchizedek did not come forth when Abraham was in pursuit of Chedorlaomer, but when the king of Sodom was in pursuit of Abraham. This makes a great moral difference. Mackintosh says: “A deeper character of communion was needed to meet the deeper character of conflict.”) And he gave him tithes of all. (This is the first time that “tithes” are mentioned in Scripture. It refers to a tenth part. Abraham paid tithe to Melchizedek, who was a Type of Christ; consequently, Abraham’s children, which make up the Church presently, are to continue to pay tithe to those carrying out the Work of God.)

Swaggart, J. (2005). The Expositor’s Study Bible (pp. 26–27). Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.