Who is Melchizedek? Someone asked this question years ago during a Bible study, and I’ve been pondering it ever since. If I remember correctly, the Bible study focused on a parallel between Melchizedek and Jesus. The proposed theory was that Melchizedek was some sort of mysterious yet holy king, and that’s why Abram gave him a tithe of 10 percent. I don’t know. I understood the theory as this person was rolling it out in front of me, but I noticed something as I read it this time that I had never seen before: Melchizedek wasn’t just any old king. He was king of Sodom. We all know what Sodom represents. Also in Sodom, however, is Abram’s nephew, Lot. Remember, in Chapter 13, Lot chose this land to be his. It was full of wicked people, except two, apparently – Lot and King Melchizedek. We can consider that maybe Lot had a hand in Melchizedek’s faith in God, or maybe Melchizedek knew God from some other source, but either way, Abram trusted him enough to receive a blessing from him and then gave him one-tenth of the belongings which Abram had recovered while rescuing Lot – and the entire Siddim Valley – plus everything that belonged to Sodom in the first place. Abram did so with a bit of oomph, though. At the very end, he adds: I don’t want you to ever think you helped me or made me rich in any way. Basically, he said, I don’t want anything to do with you or your people. Interesting.
I added the story of Melchizedek to my list of “Things to ask Jesus” a long time ago. I’m going to keep it on there, too, because every time I read through it and study it, I see something new.
Writing prompt: mystery
What’s your take on Melchizedek? Solve the mystery by writing your version (based on what you know) of Melchizedek’s life, faith and regal role.
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