Melchizedek served as confirmation of Christ’s ministry of eternal priesthood (see above). He was also a King, like Christ, over His Kingdom of Salem, a Kingdom of Peace. He could be identified as a prophet (Genesis 14:19-20), speaking the Word of God over Abraham after his victory.
Christ (Messiah) was also identified as a prophet, priest and King. When Christ came to the earth as God, He restricted Himself and walked as a man within human limitations. He came as a prophet (speaking The Father’s word) and was a priest (see above), after the order of Melchizedek—that divine priesthood which was instituted when God, in human form, ministered on this earth in the priesthood which preceded the Levitical priesthood. That He is also a King requires no explanation. This is called the three-fold ministry of Christ (prophet, priest and King), three being the number of unity (Father-Son-Holy Spirit; spirit-soul-body etc.).
So we see Melchizedek for what he is--a confirmation of Christ’s ministry. Any more identification other than what is written in the Word of God is fruitless human speculation. The mention of Melchizedek as part of God’s priesthood is meant to glorify Christ and further solidify our understanding of His great sacrifice for us.
Abraham was called upon by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. Isaac was spoken of God to be the child of promise and had been born miraculously to his parents, who were far beyond child bearing age. Yet Abraham did not hesitate but set out to fulfill God’s word. “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him…. “Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. This place was in the region of Moriah (v. 2; later the temple mount- 2 Chron. 3:1) Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Gen 22:3, 9-12). Thereafter there appeared a ram, stuck in the thicket, and Abraham sacrificed the ram instead of his son. This episode had been merely to test Abraham’s faith, albeit a severe test.
This was a completely illogical request by God since He had gone to great effort to produce Isaac. Abraham already had had to reject his first son Ishmael and God had made many promises about the son that was to come from Sarah’s womb. Yet never did Abraham question God but was immediately obedient. There could be no greater test put on a man than this. Imagine what Sarah thought! Yet the main point of Genesis 22:9-14 is the portraying an obedient servant worshiping God in faith at great cost, and in the end receiving God’s provision. Abraham did not withhold his son. Similarly Paul wrote that God “did not spare [epheisato] His own Son, [Jesus] but gave [delivered] Him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32). A form of the same Greek word is used of Abraham in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament “Thou hast not spared [epheisō] thy beloved son” (Gen. 22:12). This reveals the greatness of Abraham’s faith; he was willing to obey God by sacrificing his son, even though it appeared as God was acting against His own plan and what Abraham had lived for. It also reveals the greatness of Isaac’s faith in submission; he had everything in the world to live for but willingly followed his father’s words, believing that God would provide. The lamb ultimately sacrificed by Abraham in place of His son is symbolic of God providing the “lamb of God” to die in place of everyone on the earth. This goes back to Abel who offered a lamb which was acceptable to God.
As a result “Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, [Heb YHWH-jireh] as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.” Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed [descendents] shall possess the gate of their enemies. “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Gen 22:14-18).
This promise was not only to Israel but to the whole world. The religious Jews, confronting Christ, defended themselves by saying they were the sons of Abraham so whatever they were doing was right. Christ replied sternly to that:, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. “But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. “You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me….“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:39-44).
Paul explained the covenant with Abraham as applying to Christ and those who are His: “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” [Gen 15:6]. “Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS [not just the jews]will be blessed in you” [Gen 12:3]. So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer” (Galatians 3:5-9). In Abraham God foresaw Christ who would justify everyone by faith. But the same promise was given to Abraham long ago. In Abraham’s time, and now, it is those who are of faith who inherit the promises.
Now Abraham took another wife, after the death of Sarah, whose name was Keturah. She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah. “All the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people” (25:1-2, 7-8).
The child of God’s promise, Isaac, married Rebekah. It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi near the Negeb, (Heb. Negev), a dry parched, south country, the southern part of Judah, and the largest region in the modern state of Israel. Abraham had sternly warned Isaac not to marry a girl from the Canaanite tribes. Rebekah became pregnant with twins who struggled in her womb. “So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.” When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; . [one