The Old Testament and the New Covenant Part 7
“And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. Now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed Abram and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand’ “ (Genesis 14:18-20).
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 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” (Hebrews 7:1-3).
Look at these New Testament descriptions of Melchizedek, King of Salem. “King of righteousness … king of peace … without father or mother … no beginning or end of days … made like the Son of God … and a perpetual priest.” These are all descriptions of the Jesus we know.
The book of Hebrews goes to great lengths to explain how Jesus is a forever priest after the order of Melchizedek; a forever priesthood that predated and outlasted the priesthood of Aaron and the Law. Here is just a snippet, “And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement (a description of the priesthood of Aaron’s line), but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is attested of Jesus, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’ “ (Hebrews 7:15-17).
Jesus was present on the plains of Salem, because Jesus was there from the beginning!