The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)

This Melchizedek is an enigmatic character to most Bible readers. He is first mentioned in Genesis 14 as part of the biography of Abraham the patriarch, but interpreted and related to Jesus Christ in Hebrews 5:9-10 and chapter 7. Who exactly is he anyway? Long story short, we believe the best understanding is that Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ.

The story as originally told is rather non-descript in its original context. Melchizedek was a king in the ancient land of Canaan, whose possessions Abraham recovered along with Lot and his entourage. The king, whose name literally means “King of Righteousness,” was the monarch of Salem. He was a priest, but obviously not part of the Levitical priesthood that came over 400 years later. What is noteworthy was that Abraham gave 10 percent of his spoils to Melchizedek—an odd thing, it would seem, for the man to whom God had given the pivotal promise of blessing that would affect the whole world.

Psalm 110 is the next time we see a reference in Scripture to Melchizedek, and it is one of the more well-quoted OT verses in the NT. It begins, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet’” (Ps 110:1). Jesus Himself, in confounding the Pharisees who believed that the Messiah would be the son of David (Matt 22:42), asks, “If David [the writer of Psalm 110] then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” (Matt 22:45). Clearly, Jesus was inferring that the Messiah is Lord over David. For the Pharisees this was a dilemma, but the solution—which blind eyes cannot see, but is now revealed to those of faith—is that the Messiah is greater than David and is, in fact, David’s Lord. That refers ultimately to Jesus Himself.

The writer to the Hebrews elucidates this very clearly, that this Melchizedek was:

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 perpetually. (Heb 7:3)

He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Heb 7:25).

In summary, Jesus Christ, our Messiah, was appointed to be our Priest, our one and only Intercessor. And this appointment came long before His earthly birth.

Lord, as Priest, You are my only mediator with God (1 Tim 2:5). Thank You.