Abram Meets Melchizedek

January 5th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

Genesis 14:18-20 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” He gave him a tenth of all.

Genesis 14:18 speaks of king who also came to greet Abram (later Abraham) after his victory over the king of Sodom, namely Melchizedek—the priest-king of Salem, or Jerusalem. The text makes a point to recognize the fact that he was a priest of “God Most High” (Heb. El Elyon). He blessed Abram in v. 19, and then he blessed Abram’s God in v. 20 who had delivered Abram’s enemies into his hands. Then Abram gave Melchizedek “a tenth of all,” that is, a tenth of all the spoil Abram brought back from the raid of King Chedorlaomer’s spoils.

Melchizedek is a mysterious biblical figure. He ruled in Salem where the Jebusites lived—one of the people groups later targeted for extinction by God (Deut. 7:1; 20:17; Josh. 3:10). Hence, Melchizedek was a Canaanite priest-king living in the future capital city in the Promised Land. His kingship and priesthood in Jerusalem and his knowledge and worship of Abram’s God is puzzling. One wonders how he held those offices in the midst of such pagan peoples.

David wrote in Psalm 110:1-4 of the coming Messiah whose right to rule as king would stem from his descent from Judah but who would also be a priest of the line of Melchizedek. In Israel a priest could only come from the tribe of Levi, specifically from Aaron’s lineage. But Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, so He was not qualified to be a priest in the Levitical order. Yet, through Melchizedek, who was a priest 600 years before Levi was born, Jesus is not only the promised King from the line of Judah but also a priest of the order of Melchizedek. Some believe Melchizedek was Christ himself; others surmise he was Shem who was still alive at the time. Neither are likely, for Melchizedek is a type of Christ—both as a king of righteousness (as befits his name) and as a king of peace (as befits “Salem,” the city of peace).

The point here is that Abram recognized Melchizedek as his spiritual superior and accepted his blessing. He then gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoil he had obtained in battle to honor the priest-king. In turn, Melchizedek refreshed Abram, bringing him “bread and wine” (v. 18a). Now if bread and wine were for the refreshment of kings (1 Sam. 16:20), then Melchizedek was laying out a royal banquet for Abram and his men! Accompanying the bread and wine, Melchizedek also offered a blessing to Abram. In this, Melchizedek brought blessing to himself, for God had previously told Abram that all who bless him shall be blessed (12:1-3). Third, Melchizedek blessed Abram’s God, worshiping Yahweh.

Food For Thought
Whoever Melchizedek was, it should be noted that he recognized Abram was blessed by God. Knowing this, he blessed Abram too, speaking well of both him and his God and giving honor to both. Melchizedek therefore serves as a reminder to us as Christians. If Abram’s descendants are twofold, that is, Jews who have received Christ as Lord and Savior and Gentiles who have done the same, then all who call on the name of Christ should be received, loved, and served as blessed by God. Clearly giving one’s blessing to God’s children brings praise and gifts from God Himself. It is part of the unconditional promise God gave to Abram and his descendants. By recognizing and blessing God’s children, we unite ourselves with God’s eternal promises given to Abram. Let us all therefore receive our fellow brothers in Christ with love, respect, and honor. And if we love our enemies as we love ourselves (Matt. 5:43-47), then we are obedient to God whether we encounter a brother in Christ or an enemy of God.