Melchizedek

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

Genesis 14; Psalm 110; Hebrews 5-7.

The area south of the Dead Sea, where Sodom and Gomorrah lay, had paying tribute to the empire of Elam, which was located in modern day Iran, on the north end of the Persian Gulf. They had paid tribute for 12 years, but around the year 1900 BC, they stopped paying the tribute money. So Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, with some other rulers marched their armies to the valley of Siddim, where Sodom and Gomorrah lay, to attack the area and reestablish their tribute payments.

The Elamites conquered the tribes in the entire area, then descended down on the valley of Siddim. The Elamites met the army of Siddim and defeated them, then pillaging the cities of the valley. The valley was full of slimepits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell into them. Some of the leading men of the valley were taken as captives, in this number was Lot, the nephew of Abram.

Up to this point Abraham and his possessions had avoided the invasion of the Elamites. But when he had heard about the capture of his nephew Lot from some Amorites, who were allied with Abram, Abram gathered the 318 trained men that were his servants. The men that Abram had was a tiny force compared to the battle hardened Elamite Army. 

Abram and his men pursued the Elamite army had found them near the town of Dan (unrelated to the future tribe of Dan), in modern day Syria. Abram viewed the situation and split his men into two forces. Abram then, during the night, attacked and defeated the Elamites. Abram was originally from the area of Elam and so knew those people!

Abram then pursued the defeated Elamites till just west of Damascus, where Abram took back Lot, his family and goods, all of the goods and women of the valley of Siddim. During the return journey, at the valley of Shaveh, on the east side, halfway up the Dead Sea, Abram met the king of Sodom and Melchizedek, the king of Salem (Means peace, and future Jerusalem) who was the priest of the most high God. 

Melchizedek (means Righteousness) brought Abram bread and wine (Symbolic of Christ). He was both king and priest. Kings ruled over people and priests served as a conduit between God and the people. No Jew has ever held both offices. He blessed Abram saying,  "Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which has delivered your enemies into your hands." 

The king of Sodom asked Abram to return of of the people and he could keep all of the goods (Abram had a right to keep or sell the people as slaves). Abram responded that he had swore to the Lord that he would take nothing from the king of Sodom, lest he say that he had made Abram rich (that honor belongs to the Lord). So Abram handed over the people of the valley of Siddim, except what Abram's men had eaten and their portion of the spoils.

Abram then gave Melchizedek tithes of all. Apparently, Abram knew Melchizedek. Abram gave God authority over him by giving tithes to God's representative priest, in this case, it was Melchizedek. Abram gave tithes to Melchizedek long before the Aaronic line was established. The lesser pays tithes to the greater. Jesus came in the order of Melchizedek, NOT in the order of Aaron established in the Torah. The order changed so the law must have changed. Jesus lives forever so His Priesthood lives forever.

Abram didn't tithe to get a blessing, he tithed out of thankfulness of the blessings he had already received!

Lessons from this story:

1. Protect your family and friends, even if this means force.

2. If God is blessing you then be bold in all things.

3. Honor the Lord and give his priests the tithes.

4. Melchizedek gave blessings and gifts. the king of Sodom just had his hand out.

5. Be separate from the world, especially the wicked, they can pay you for debts, but that is it.

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

Roop-Crappell Ministries

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