Genesis 14 contains the matter-of-fact account of a most amazing battle, in which Abraham (then Abram) takes on and defeats a coalition of four kings in order to rescue his nephew Lot. Obviously, he could never have done this in his own strength. God was clearly the one who gave him the victory.
Upon returning from the battle, Abraham is met by a somewhat obscure person:
"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said,'Blessed be Abram of God Most High,And he gave him a tenth of all." -- Genesis 14:18-20 (NASB)
Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.'
This little feast is loaded with typology and meaning. The primary purpose was apparently to commemorate the great victory that had been won. Bread and wine were brought out to celebrate. And the feast seems to be characterized by fellowship between Abraham and God, with both parties receiving a special blessing.
The feast was provided by Melchizedek, priest of God Most High. His priesthood was not like that of Aaron's and his descendants. It is called a different order of priesthood in Hebrews 7:11. The contrasts between the Melchizedekian priesthood and the Levitical (or Aaronic) priesthood are significant. The Melchizedekian priesthood is permanent. God swore that Christ would be "a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4). And Christ takes on that office not on the basis of human genealogy, but "according to the power of an indestructible life" (Hebrews 7:16).
The Levitical priesthood could never be permanent, because it could never take away sin. The sacrifices that the Levitical priests offered had to be repeated time and again. "In those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year" (Hebrews 10:3). But Christ "offered one sacrifice for sins for all time" (Hebrews 10:12). "Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin" (Hebrews 10:18).
It was Christ's supreme sacrifice of Himself which put a final end to all sacrifice and offering for sin and inaugurated Him into the office of priesthood. "Christ appeared as a high priest...through His own blood" (Hebrews 9:11-12). He won for us the victory over sin. And so His priesthood is characterized not by weakness and reminders of sin, as was the Levitical priesthood, but by perfection and cleansed conscience. The old order of things, prescribed by God through Moses, has passed away. "For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also" (Hebrews 7:12). In its place there is a new and living way into the very presence of God.
How appropriate then, that Melchizedek's priesthood was marked by a victory celebration with Abraham. God gave Abraham a great physical victory in Genesis 14, but that was only a foreshadowing of the far greater spiritual victory that Christ has won for us on the cross, if we receive Him. And just as Melchizedek brought out bread and wine to commemorate that victory, so Christ brought out bread and wine at the Last Supper to commemorate His victory.
When we celebrate the Lord's Supper, we are not taking part in a continuing sacrifice for sin. The bread and the wine are not about receiving grace or forgiveness; they are about commemorating the grace and forgiveness that God has already granted us. We celebrate the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He gained once and for all when His body was broken and His blood was shed for us. Just as Melchizedek blessed both God and Abraham during that original feast, so the celebration of the Lord's supper is now a time of special blessing for both God and us, since our fellowship is based on the very thing we are commemorating, the cross of Christ.
In the feast of Genesis 14, the exalted figure was the priest himself, Melchizedek. "Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils" (Hebrews 7:4). Similarly, the Lord's Supper is to be celebrated in His honor. "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). Our "Melchizedek" is "king of righteousness and...king of peace" (Hebrews 7:2), having secured these things by His crucifixion and resurrection. He is worthy of our utmost praise and worship. "God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name" (Philippians 2:9). Truly "we have a great high priest" (Hebrews 10:21).
It is interesting to note that Abraham's "mountain-top experience" with Melchizedek was quickly followed by a time of testing. In Genesis 14:21, the king of Sodom (whom Abraham had rescued along with Lot) offered to pay him very richly for his help. But Abraham would have nothing to do with these worldly rewards, as tempting as they might have been, for he had sworn to God that he would not take anything from this king (vv. 22-23). So we too are exhorted, "Do not love the world nor the things in the world" (1 John 2:15).
Abraham was no doubt strengthened in his resolve to resist this temptation by his experience with Melchizedek. So also Christ, in His high-priesthood, is "able to come to the aid of those who are tempted" (Hebrews 2:18). Because of Him we can "draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). The Levitical priests could not really offer mercy and grace to help in time of need. All they could do was sacrifice another animal, which was just another picture of the one true sacrifice for sin. But Christ "does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself" (Hebrews 7:27). So the superiority of His Melchizedekian priesthood is again evident. He can give us practical, day-to-day assistance and victory. It is through Him and to Him that we can "pray that you may not enter into temptation" (Luke 22:40). "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).
In thinking about the victory commemorations that go along with the Melchizedekian priesthood, we can't help but be reminded of that ultimate celebration feast that is still in the future. When the Lord passed the cup of wine to His disciples, He promised that there would be a coming day "when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:29). Christ is high priest "of the good things to come" (Hebrews 9:11). In that day there will no longer be any sin to cloud the fellowship and blessing that we share with God. The glory and beauty of our great High Priest will then be seen in full. May we be found ever looking forward to that great celebration of our Lord's supreme victory!
This page copyright © 2001 Edward A. Morris. Created May 7, 2001. Last updated May 11, 2001.