Melchizedek, the King of Justice

Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God. He IS very much like Jesus Christ but that was around during the Old Covenant, the rules of the Law of Moses. Genesis 14:17–20 "After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered."

• Priest of God Most High

• Melchizedek gave Abram a blessing and offered BREAD AND WINE (this is a symbol, equivalent to the “Flesh and Blood” of Jesus Christ)

• Abraham gave him a tithe offering (explained below)

Psalm 110

David gives glory to God and sings about the One who was still to come; Jesus Christ. Verse 4: "The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 5:1–10 “Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs. And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” And in another passage God said to him, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 7:1–28 Melchizedek Is Greater Than Abraham “This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of Salem means “king of peace.” There is NO RECORD of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—NO BEGINNING OR END TO HIS LIFE. HE REMAINS A PRIEST FOREVER, RESEMBLING THE SON OF GOD. Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham. But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on."

• MELCHIZEDEK IS IMMORTAL.

"In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him. For although Levi wasn’t born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him. So IF the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?"

• Because the blood of animals did not remove the sins; people kept sinning and offering needed ritual repetition. This system was flawed.

"And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests. What I mean is, our Lord came from the TRIBE OF JUDAH, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe. Jesus Is like Melchizedek This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, “The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow: 'You are a priest FOREVER.’”

• JESUS CHRIST IS IMMORTAL.

"Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God."

• Jesus Christ, the Son of God, poured His own blood, which removes sins completely and does not need repetition. Something an animal's blood could never do. This is the NEW COVENANT. If someone is still sinning; they haven’t truly repented and still live under the law of the Old Covenant. Old Covenant has been made obsolete and is invalid. Repentance is the only way out of it.

"There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, ONCE AND FOREVER, TO SAVE THOSE WHO COME TO GOD THROUGH HIM. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, UNSTAINED BY SIN. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the HIGHEST PLACE OF HONOR in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when HE OFFERED HIMSELF AS THE SACRIFICE for the people’s sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.” Note: Melchizedek is the king of Salem, meaning "King of Peace" Jesus Christ is called the "Prince of Peace" Isaiah 9:6 "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." John 14:10 "Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me."