“He blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;’” (v.19)
What do we know about the mysterious Melchizedek who appears in today's text? Not much. He was king of Salem, also known as Jerusalem, and his name means “king of righteousness.” He seemed to have been acquainted with the one true God. Abram gave him a tithe, which could be simply a sign of respect, though it is not recorded that he ever did so for anyone else. The blessing that Melchizedek gave Abram might also be a normal cultural gesture; notably, we don't have a record that anyone else ever blessed the patriarch (v. 19)
This episode also shows how rich and strong Abram had become. He had allies. He had a sizable, trained militia. And, he probably had military experience already, for he showed a general's leadership and good tactical strategy in his pursuit of the enemy. After his victory, Abram showed the purity of his motives by declining any share of spoils or reward. Though he allowed his men to accept some, he refused because he didn't want to obligate himself to a pagan king and because he wanted God alone to receive the credit for his wealth—a lesson learned in Egypt (vv. 22-23).
Here Melchizedek, the king and priest, blessed Abram, who, unknown to him (Abram) at the time, was to be the father of Isaac, grandfather of Israel and that Christ should descend from him (Genesis 12:3, 22:18). Some have misunderstood this verse, thinking it meant that Abram is the “possessor of heaven and earth,” but that’s not what it means. It is “God Most High” who owns the title to everything, including you and me.
If we will just entrust ourselves to Him, we will be “blessed” with the blessings that come from God.
The Truth: “Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5)
