“And he says in another passage: ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’” (Hebrews 5:6 Phillips).
Much like a preview that appears before a feature presentation, Hebrews 5:6 serves as a prelude regarding someone who will rise to greater prominence later in this book. That person is Melchizedek, the mysterious priest-king who visited the Old Testament patriarch Abraham upon his victorious return from an armed conflict in Genesis chapter fourteen…
“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything” (Genesis 14:18-20 NIV).
Melchizedek is something of an obscure figure in the Scriptures. We know from this passage that he was the king of Salem. “Salem” is a word that means “peace” and is associated with the ancient city of Jerusalem. (1) The name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness.” (2) Thus, we can say that Melchizedek was “the king of peace and righteousness.”
Other than the fact that he was a king, the only other information we are given regarding Melchizedek is that he was also a priest of God. However, this passage doesn’t explain where Melchizedek came from, why he met with Abraham, how he came to serve as a priest of God, or how Abraham knew him. We only know that Melchizedek brought bread, wine, and a blessing. Abraham then responded by giving Him ten percent of the spoils from his victory.
From one perspective, we can view this meeting between Melchizedek and Abraham in a straightforward manner. For instance, we can say that Melchizedek was an important official who welcomed Abraham home following his successful military campaign. After providing Abraham with the hospitality of a meal, Melchizedek gave him a blessing and Abraham responded by honoring him with ten percent of the valuables he recovered during the conflict.
Nevertheless, the fact that Melchizedek gave Abraham a blessing is important, for a lesser person was always blessed by a more important person in that culture. Because of this, we can say that Melchizedek was a greater spiritual figure than Abraham. The bread and wine Melchizedek served would also take on greater significance in the New Testament era. Finally, there was Melchizedek’s dual role as “king of peace and righteousness” and “…priest of God Most High.”
We’ll consider the importance of these elements in the context of Jesus’ priesthood when we reach Hebrews chapter seven.
(1) “Salem” The Online Bible Thayer’s Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon
(2) “Melchizedek” Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers