The book of Hebrews continually references one obscure figure, a man of somewhat mythic proportions who appears in only 4 verses of the Old Testament: Melchizedek, the priest/king of Salem. In Genesis 14:18-20, he shows up out of nowhere to bless Abram after a victory over the King of Sodom, after which Melchizedek disappears again just as quickly. The psalmist then references Melchizedek in Psalm 110:4, lifting up his style of priesthood as the proper role for the king and giving us the refrain used throughout Hebrews: “you are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” Speaking of Hebrews, in Hebrews 7, the author takes these 4 verses from the Old Testament and reconsiders them through the lens of Jesus. With centuries of folklore and scholarship now heaped onto Melchizedek, the author of Hebrews must first address the many mysteries surrounding the character:

Melchizedek predates the Law,
and yet he is presented as an ideal ruler.
Melchizedek predates the Priesthood,
and yet he appears as an ideal priest.

He comes to Abram with bread and wine,
the traditional hospitality of an ancient ruler,
but he also offers a priestly blessing in the name of El Elyon,
whose name means “God Most High”
and who is described as “Maker of Heaven and Earth.”
Melchizedek rules over Salem, which literally means peace,
and his name translates to the “Lord of Righteousness.”

He has no known history.
He has no named parents.
He has no named offspring.
His birth and death are unrecorded (if he died at all).
He appears from nowhere (as if somehow eternal).

He doesn’t pay tribute to Abram;
rather, Abram pays tribute to God through him;
and with Abram, the whole priestly line of Aaron pays tribute as well
(as Abram’s tribute is passed on to his descendants through this act).
And then Melchizedek vanishes,
the subject of speculation among scholars ever since,
one of those scholars being the author of Hebrews.

The author of Hebrews sees a clear connection between Melchizedek and Jesus, with the former very much foreshadowing the latter. And so, the author uses Melchizedek to teach us about Jesus:

Born apart from the traditional line of priests,
seeming to come out of nowhere
as the offspring of a young woman in Bethlehem
who married into the line of Judah (not Levi),
Jesus is a priest not like Aaron, but like Melchizedek.

Jesus is a priest because he unites us with God,
but he is also a king, always knowing what is best for us and wanting that for us.
Because he is both a priest and a king,
we need never fear any tyranny from him;
we can instead rejoice in his love.

He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices or receive sacrifices;
He already was the sacrifice, and that one sacrifice covered it all,
so his priesthood is eternal just as he is eternal.

Melchizedek was the King of Salem;
Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
Melchizedek greets Abram with bread and wine;
Jesus calls on us to remember him with bread and wine.
Melchizedek has no known family;
through Jesus, we all become brothers and sisters, children of God.
Melchizedek offers Abram a blessing;
Jesus extends the blessing to all.

And so, Jesus is a priest in the line of Melchizedek,
and yet, he is also much more.