v 19 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.
In this series we are thinking about how God prepared the way for Jesus in the world. Abraham was the Father/Founder of the Jewish nation from whom sprang a family, a nation, and ultimately Jesus. But right here at the beginning of the story of Abraham there flashes across the page another significant character who also appears in the New Testament in the letter to Hebrews. His name is Melchizedek, a priest of God Most High, who is referred to in Hebrews 7. No ancestry is recorded for him, and his priesthood is explained as being forever. If you can find the time, read Hebrews 7 over the weekend. This chapter outlines the nature of Jesus as the permanent High Priest, making the one final sacrificial offering of Himself. It establishes that Melchizedek is superior to Abraham, and that as Jesus is in the same line of Priesthood, Jesus also is superior to Abraham. That would have spoken volumes to Jews who had come to believe in and follow Jesus.
The chapter is a tough read, but gives plenty for us to reflect on.
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