Melchizedek. Word.

So…. yeah, apparently I need to work on this whole “blogging with consistency thing” haha…

I’m continuing on with the last post about how we view the story of God as presented in the Bible. Last time I concentrated more on the thought that “the more personal the story, the more universal the application or emotion.” So, God chooses a man, and his tribe and we follow this group through the centuries. We hone in on this group so we can fully explore what God’s relationship with this people looks like. Not only are they God’s chosen people, but they become an example for us today so we get a feeling for how Yahweh interacts with those He calls His own.

So, to continue this theme and expand on it, I’m going to throw up some parts of a paper I wrote at school on something I’m calling the reflexivity of mission. Basically, “mission” is the spreading of God’s word to all the nations, but we can’t assume that the message flows simply from us outward. Many times it flows back to us as well. Several times in the Bible there are examples of “outsiders” having a message for God’s people. We can’t ever forget that the message is from God, not from us, and we have to always be attentive to what He is saying, no matter who brings the message to us.

Here’s the excerpt:

Mission in the Old Testament appears to be a rather new discovery in the life of the church. Although God’s concern for all nations has always been a prominent feature of the Old Testament, it is nevertheless seen as a “less” missionary text than the New Testament. It is important to note the cross-cultural existence of the early Jewish people, and to note that there are examples of non-Israelites giving insight to what we commonly refer to as the people of God.

Genesis 14:18-24 – Melchizedek

Melchizedek is certainly one of the most puzzled-over figures in the Old Testament. Where did he come from and how does he seem to know so much of God? It is obvious to even the casual observer that God has blessed Abram through Melchizedek, but there are two aspects of the King-Priest of Salem that deserve closer attention.

Melchizedek as a Believing Gentile

Walter Kaiser is quick to note the importance of even the existence of a person such as Melchizedek. To Kaiser, Melchizedek is a beneficiary of the “outreach of the grace of God,” and a person who was “coming to know the One who would later be called the Messiah, or Jesus” (Kaiser 2000:40). Arthur Glasser reiterates this theme by stating that all those on mission should be alert for “Melchizedek people” in their travels (Glasser 2003:63).

It is important to note that Melchizedek is also set in contrast to the King of Sodom in this passage as well. It is not every Gentile who should be welcomed as such, but the ones who are obviously consumed with the love and grace of God. The assessment should not be made on outward appearance, or ethnicity, but rather by what the Spirit reveals.

Trading Names of God

There is also a trading of names, where Abram and Melchizedek seem to commune in a way that is not seen before in the book of Genesis. Melchizedek is a priest of the God Most High (El Elyon), which is a name at times associated with Baal (Glasser 2003:115). It is obvious, however, that Melchizedek is worshipping the same God and hoping in the same Messiah as Abram. Melchizedek praises blesses Abram by God Most High, and Abram in turn shares God’s personal name, Yahweh, with Melchizedek.

There is a trading of blessings and Abram’s understanding of who God is is enlarged by Melchizedek’s presence. Here is a Gentile obviously following Yahweh, and Abram accepts him and his gifts. The name God Most High is ascribed to Yahweh, as opposed to Baal, and Abram reveals that God’s true name is Yahweh, who is the possessor of both heaven and earth.

Mission is reflexive here in the sharing of information and blessings between these two followers of God. One gets the impression that Melchizedek has been called just as Abram has been called, but one story has been preserved for posterity and one has not. We must not allow these small incidents to pass us by without the scrutiny they deserve.