If you’re in the reading program, you’ve noticed several references and nearly an entire chapter devoted to “Melchizedek.” Say what? Who is he, and why does he matter?

It’s often said, although I know of no single scripture that states this, that Jesus is “Prophet, Priest, and King.” We’ve seen Jesus as prophet, and he even announced himself as king. But priest? Hebrews is the only book to address this subject, beginning early:

That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins… (Hebrews 2.17, MSG)

But what kind of priest? He couldn’t be king (in the line of David of the tribe of Judah) and priest (descended from Aaron of the tribe of Levi) at the same time. The author of Hebrews explains, quoting a Psalm:

So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him… “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5.5, 6, ESV, quoting Psalm 110.4)

We have another short reference in Hebrews 6 and then most of Hebrews 7 is given to explaining and drawing applications from the story of Melchizedek which occurs after Abraham’s (still called “Abram” in Genesis 14) defeat of the kings who had defeated Sodom and captured his nephew Lot:

After [Abraham’s] return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14.17 – 20, ESV)

That’s it. There’s nothing more about Melchizedek in Genesis and only the short reference in Psalm 110.

Hebrews 7 goes into detail about Melchizedek and shows how Jesus is a priest of that order – not the Levitical order, especially since “death prevents them from continuing in office!” (See Hebrews 7.23)

• Jesus always lives
• Jesus is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
• He doesn’t offer the sacrifice daily but rather once for all
• Jesus is “perfect forever”

Jesus is better than the priesthood and the law which establishes the priesthood.

As I read Hebrews 9, perhaps the real significance of Melchizedek comes through even though he is no longer mentioned. It talks about the place and the rituals.

Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared…[and] the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. (Hebrews 9.1 – 7, ESV)

Melchizedek had neither place nor rituals. He met Abraham outside, served him bread and wine(!), blessed Abraham, and Abraham gave him the tithe. That’s it. 

Jesus fulfilled the place and the rituals:

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9.24 – 26, ESV)

We continue to complicate what Jesus came to simplify. He’s the high priest, and the rest of us are all priests – 1 Peter is clear about that – and our work is “outside” also.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2.9, ESV)

Portions of this blog first appeared on March 19, 2022.