The sermon by David Green explores the character of Melchizedek from Genesis 14, highlighting his mysterious nature and his significance as a type of Christ. Melchizedek is described as the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, who blessed Abram and received tithes from him. His priesthood, not based on lineage, prefigures the eternal and unchangeable priesthood of Jesus Christ, who is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The speaker draws parallels between Melchizedek and Christ, emphasizing Jesus's dual role as king and priest. Melchizedek's lack of genealogy and his titles as King of Righteousness and King of Peace further align him with Christ, who transcends the traditional Levitical priesthood. The sermon underscores the importance of recognizing Christ's role as the great high priest and encourages believers to draw near to God with confidence, receiving mercy and grace.

Genesis chapter 14. Genesis chapter 14 this evening. And we're going to read for our text verses 17 We'll read all the way down to verse 24. Genesis 14, begin verse 17, then after he came back from striking down Kedur-Leomor, the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom, went out to meet him at the valley of Sheva, that is the King's Valley. And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine.

Now he was a priest of God Most High. Then 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. Then he gave him a tenth of all. The king of Sodom said to Abram, give the people to me but take the possessions for yourself. Then Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have raised my hand to Yahweh, God most high, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, so that you would not say I have made Abram rich, I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten.

The share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eskel, and memory, let them take their share. Tonight I want to look at a particular individual from this text and that is Melchizedek. Melchizedek, king of Salem. Melchizedek. Melchizedek king of Salem.

He's a very mysterious individual, this Melchizedek. One that we read about here in the Bible, what we know about him is very little. We know absolutely nothing about his family, which is interesting. He's named in a book of genealogies and yet we don't know anything about his genealogy. It's not recorded here.

It's not recorded in any other book. We don't know anything about how long he lived. We have no clue about his birth date. We don't have anything about his death date. We do know that he lived about the same time as Abraham, but that's all we know.

That's all we've got. The name Melchizedek is a name that means the righteous king. He was king of Salem, which later became known as Jerusalem. You can see that in history, you can see that in the Bible. Psalm 76 in verse 2 says, His tabernacle is in Salem, His dwelling place in Zion.

His dwelling place in Zion. As though even before there was King Saul or King David, there was King Mocizideq. Not only was he the king of Salem, but he was the priest of the Most High God. Now his priesthood was not based on any inherited rights, but Abram gave him ties and was blessed of him. And so, even in this time before the law of Moses was given, even before Mount Sinai, God had a man and there was tithes being given.

God had a priest in Jerusalem, Salem, long before Aaron. So before Moses and Aaron there was some things going on there. Now, in all of this, Melchizedek was very important. Like Melchizedek, Yahweh, Jesus Christ, combines the offices of priest and king. Go with me to the book of Psalms.

The book of Psalms. Psalms chapter 110. So the 110th Psalm and verse 4. Yahweh has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." And so when we read about Machizadeq, you might first kind of scratch your head and say, well, why is this all important?

Well, it's important because Jesus is priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. You see, when Jesus was born, it was important that he was born after the lineage of David, so he would have right to the throne of David, but he was also a priest, but he wasn't after the order of Aaron, he was after the order of Melchizedek. When we think about this and consider it, I've often said and others have said before me that Jesus is the golden thread that ties the Bible together from the beginning of the Bible to the end of from Genesis to Revelation from the Old Testament to the New Testament. What we know about Melchizedek is very very little, but when we begin to read in other scriptures and we begin to see the big picture here, we see that there is a major very important reason why we're introduced to Melchizedek in the Old Testament. Melchizedek is a type of Christ.

Indeed, indeed it may very well be that Melchizedek was the pre-incarnate Christ, meaning that this is Jesus before he was ever born. When we talk about types, a type is a person, event, or thing so fashioned as to resemble someone else. There are personal types in the Bible that but they are there to typify Jesus. And so there's personal types such as Adam, Joseph, Moses, and so on and so forth. There's also types that we find in the Bible that are historical types.

And so like the wilderness journey for instance, that's a type of the Christian walk through life. There's also ceremonial types such as the priesthood, the offerings, and so on. Melchizedek would be considered a personal type at the very least, but like I said, he may also be pre-incarnate Christ. As we look through this we'll see how it's very possible that not only was Melchizedek not only a type of Christ, but he may have been Christ himself. You say, well how is this the case?

Well, in his name he's the king of Salem, the king of peace, the King of Righteousness. Over in Hebrews, Hebrews is a very good book of the Bible to study and learn from when it comes to knowing about the Old Testament. If you want to get to know the Old Testament better, from a New Testament perspective, get into the book of Hebrews. One of the early books that I preached through back in when I was in New Mexico was the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 7 and verses 1 and 2.

Look at what it says there. It says, 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, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all was first of all by the translation of his name King of Righteousness, then also King of Salem, which is King of Peace. So he was King of Righteousness, King of Peace. And we see how that, how that the, as Paul put it in Romans chapter 14 and verse 17, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Well, not only Is he like Christ in his title and his name, but also in his genealogy as the writer of Hebrews goes on in chapter 7 and verse 3 he says, and I already mentioned this, without father, without mother, without genealogy having either beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest continually.

So Jesus, like Melchizedek, had no ancestor to qualify him for priesthood. So there was no lineage, no ancestry to qualify him for priesthood. Melchizedek also received tithes. We give an offering in our day for the Lord, for the work of the Lord, and that sort of thing. In the Old Testament they give tithes and it was for the work of the Lord in those days.

And going all the way back even before the law we find Abraham, Abram as he was known then, giving tithes to Melchizedek. We read that in Genesis 14 verse 20. We read of it in Hebrews 7 verse 2. But look there verse 4. Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils.

Verse six, he says, but the one whose geology is not traced from them had collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. So he gave him, gave him ties. There's nobody in this world alive today that you give ties to or offerings to. What we give to the Lord. In fact, in 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 2, Paul wrote to the church at Corinth and remember what he says?

He says, on the first day of the week each one of you is to set something aside, saving whatever he has prospered, so that no collections be made when I come. We give to the work of the Lord. It's not to some particular man or preacher. It's for the Lord's work. It's for God.

It's for Christ. It's for Yahweh. Back yonder in Genesis 14 and verse 9, this Melchizedek, This Melchizedek, remember Abraham has just come back from this battle. He's rescued Lot. He's got his armed men with him, all this stuff.

He's done some great things. And in Genesis chapter 14 and verse 9, Sorry, Genesis 14 and verse 19. Then 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. Mekizadeq blessed Abram and so we see that there.

You know, Christ blesses his people, doesn't he? Even today, today, I'm sure that you have experienced the blessings of God. And you say, well preacher, you don't know what kind of a bad day that I've had. Well, you're breathing God's air, aren't you? You have experienced God's sunshine.

You are walking on God's earth. You have been blessed by God. We are blessed in so many ways. And certainly, we see similarities between this Melchizedek and the fact that there is an unchangeable priesthood. The writer of Hebrews brings this out as he wrote there in Hebrews Hebrews chapter 7, in verse 3.

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 continually. A priesthood doesn't change. And then if you skip on down to verse 17, 17, for it is witnessed about him. Well let's go back up just a little bit To verse 11. Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood, for on the basis of it the people received the law, what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek not be designed according to the order of Aaron?

For when the priesthood is changed of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe from whom or from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. This is clear still if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not according to a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed about him, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

For on the one hand there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand, there is a bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God. And inasmuch as it was not without an oath, for they indeed became priests without an oath. But he with an oath through the one who said to him, the Lord has sworn will not change his mind, you are a priest forever. So much more Jesus also has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

And so Jesus, Not like the priests of the Levitical priesthood, but better, unchangeable priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. The writer of Hebrews says that Melchizedek was made like unto the Son of God. The New Testament tells us that Christ is the Son of God. In fact, In fact, while this Melchizedek, we know nothing of his genealogy. Christ was without father on earth as to his humanity and without mother as to his deity.

And as we go into the Old Testament mystery of Machizadeq, What we find is that while he may be a mystery to us, or somewhat of a mystery, if you go to Genesis chapter 14, right there to our text. Abram sure knew who he was. And as I bring this to a close, I want to point out one other thing here about him and the relationship that Abram had to him. Because in verse 22, notice what happened there. It says, then Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have raised my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth.

Abram worshipped no Canaanite deity, but called him Yahweh El Elyon, Yahweh God Most High. He knew exactly who this Melchizedek was. When we get into the scripture here, we can rejoice. And when we compare scripture with scripture, we may not know him as Melchizedek, but we have a priest after the order of Melchizedek. And indeed, and And indeed, and indeed, He is our great high priest.

And what a joy that is. What a joy it is to know Him because in Hebrews chapter 4, the Bible tells us in this passage, and I'll close with this. And I'll close with this. Hebrews chapter 4 verses 14, 15, and 16. He says, Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us take hold of our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, for one who has been tempted in all things like we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Do you know this Do you know this high priest? Have you trusted him? Are you able to draw near with all confidence?

What a joy it is to know him. May God add the blessing to the preaching of his word.