Tested by Attack

Tested by Attack

14 September, 2025

Thesis: Jesus Christ is our deliverer, righteous king, and interceding priest who grants us victory when we are tested by attack.

Summary: The sermon, titled "Tested by Attack," examines Genesis chapter 14, focusing on Abram's response when his nephew Lot is taken captive by a coalition of kings. The preacher recounts Abram's decision to engage in a rescue mission with his household army, achieving victory that is framed as an unlikely triumph enabled by God. This narrative is presented as a foreshadowing of Christ as a deliverer who overcomes spiritual enemies. The discussion then shifts to Abram's encounter with Melchizedek, described as a priest-king who offers bread and wine and receives tithes from Abram, portraying Melchizedek as a significant Old Testament type of Jesus Christ, combining roles of royalty and priesthood, righteousness and peace. Conversely, Abram's rejection of spoils from the king of Sodom is highlighted as a demonstration of trust in God as his reward, further drawn as a parallel to Christ's own temptations. The sermon concludes by tracing Melchizedek's significance through Psalm 110 and the book of Hebrews, emphasizing Christ's eternal, perfect, and superior kingly and priestly roles.

Sermon

Good morning, everyone. We’re diving into Genesis chapter 14 today. Genesis 14. Let me say, I truly appreciated the time we spent in worship this morning—the spirit of worship here is incredible. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing the body of Christ united in song and praise. Worship isn’t about performance; it’s about partnership. We’re not singing *to* you, we’re singing *with* you, lifting our voices together to the Lord. That unity transforms everything, and I’m grateful for those who consistently use their gifts to honor Him in worship.

As we begin our study in Genesis 14, we’ll see how these moments of worship connect to the greater story of God’s deliverance through Jesus. Our focus this morning is on how, when faced with attacks, we discover in Jesus a deliverer, a righteous king, and an interceding advocate who secures our victory.

Genesis chapter 14. Have you ever faced an attack that felt overwhelming, like Abram did in this passage? The title of my sermon this morning is "Tested by Attack." And we are still learning lessons from Abram's life. Our main point this morning is that when faced with times of attack, we find in Jesus a deliverer, a righteous king, and an interceding King who gives us the victory.

So let me ask you a question this morning. Have you ever faced something in your life that feels completely overwhelming? Have you ever done spiritual warfare, and you're like, Lord, I don't know if I can ever get the victory? Have you ever faced an enemy so powerful, it feels like you will never win? Maybe it's a sickness. Maybe it's a diagnosis, and you feel like, Lord, this thing is going to defeat me. Maybe it's a struggle with sin. Now, y'all never struggle with sin, right? Everybody completely sanctified in here? How many of you find yourselves in daily battle with the flesh?

Maybe it's a battle against fear, worry, or anxiety. Maybe it's conflict with another person. Do you have neighbors or co-workers who rub you the wrong way? Maybe you want to go to war, but it's a different kind of warfare—one that's not a spiritual battle.

Have you ever wished that someone could step in? Someone would stand up for you? Someone who would defend you? Someone who would come to your rescue? Have you ever been tested by attack? Have you ever been tested by spiritual warfare? Well, Abram faces warfare here in Genesis 14. And as we know, this is Abram's third exam in the school of faith. Remember, the first exam came through adversity. There was a famine in the land, and Abram fails this exam, doesn't he? Because what does he do? Anybody remember? Instead of trusting God, what does he do? He flees to Egypt, right?

His second exam was through abundance. Have you ever found yourself in a place of prosperity where conflict still arises? He had become so prosperous that he and his nephew Lot faced conflict over the land. But this time, Abram passes this exam by trusting God to give him the land—and he keeps His promises. This trust in God, this reliance on divine promises, foreshadows the ultimate deliverer who would come—Jesus Christ, the true priest-king.

Now he comes to the third exam, and this comes through attack. Because a coalition of kings has attacked Sodom, and Lot, his greedy, selfish nephew, has been taken captive. And now the pilgrim becomes the rescuer. In the first recorded military campaign in the Bible, the father of faith steps temporarily into the role of a warrior. He leaves the Promised Land to go on a rescue mission for his little nephew, Lot. But in this passage, we're going to see that Jesus Christ is the true deliverer. Jesus Christ is the true priest king. And we're going to look at Jesus from Genesis to Hebrews.

So first, we see the warrior. Let's look in verses 1 through 12. And by the way, I probably won't read all these, and you'll see why here in just a moment. "And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of nations, that they made war with Bera, king of Sodom, Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, Shemem, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is Zoar. All these joined together in the valley of Siddim, that is the salt sea, that is by the Dead Sea. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled."

Now if anybody else wants to try these names, by all means, take a stab at it. Now they don't always teach you how to pronounce these bad boys in seminary. They teach us a lot of stuff, but there are some things a country boy can do, and there are some things he can't do, okay?

Now the king of Sodom, verse 8, and the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is Zoar, went out and joined together in battle in the valley of Siddim. Five against four. They should be able to take them, right?

Now, verse 10, the valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits, that is, slime pits. And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled. Some fell there in the slime pits, the tar pits, and the remainder fled to the mountains. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

Long story short, we have four great eastern kings: Amraphel, whose name means darkness; Ariok, whose name means lion-like; Chedorlaomer, whose name means servant of Lagomar. Who is Lagomar? Lagomar is a pagan goddess associated with the nether realm, with Sheol, or the grave. We would say she is the goddess of hell. And Tidal, king of nations, his name is Fearsome.

So think about this. You've got kings of darkness. You've got lion-like kings. These kings are fierce. They're mighty. They're associated with death and destruction and hell. And they instill fear and panic in those they conquer. But the five kings are like, It's all right. We've got it. There's five of us, and there's only four of them.

We can see these kings were a symbol of human power, pride, wickedness, conquest, rebellion, and subjugation. Now, the coalition of these four mighty kings had crushed these nations and subjugated them for 12 years. They had even subdued races of giants like the Rephaim. But in the thirteenth year, these Dead Sea kings, including the king of Sodom and Gomorrah, dared to rebel. They were like, We've been under your thumb for 12 years. We're done. We're fighting against you. Bad idea.

Because the coalition strikes back. They strike back with overwhelming force, and the Dead Sea kings flee before them. They fall into the tar pits. Their cities are sacked and plundered. Men, women, children are hauled off to captivity. And where's Lot? Lot's gone too.

Now, think about this. Think about the irony. Last chapter, Lot looks towards Sodom, and he thinks, This is the place to live. How's that working for you, Lot? The very place that promised wealth and safety and prosperity, despite the wickedness, leads to his captivity.

Now, word reaches Abram, and now Abram's faced with a choice. Does he pursue a coalition, a coalition of battle-hardened kings, with names like Darkness and Fierce and Lion-like, with only a household army, by the way? Or does he watch his nephew perish in captivity? What would you have done in his place? I know which way I would have leaned. Lot, you got yourself into this mess. Good luck getting out. We're just being serious here, right? Lot, you chose the best of the land. Look what that got you. But instead, Abram mercifully goes to Lot's aid.

Look in verse 13. One who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew. For he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eschol and brother of Aner, and they were allies with Abram. Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his 318 trained servants who were born in his house and went in pursuit as far as Dan. Abram takes up the bow, the sword, and he goes to battle.

Friends, if you remember Psalm 2, it tells us that the kings of this earth rage against God. Are we involved in a battle ourselves today? You better believe it. If you don't, turn on the TV or look around you. There are forces of darkness at work. There is evil in high places. We are in a battle. We are in a war zone, with people like Lot being taken captive by Satan at his will. And we as believers have entered into a war, and we daily engage in spiritual conflict. That's the reason why Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the armor of God—the belt of truth, the boots of peace, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10 that our weapons are spiritual and mighty through God. Friends, there are times when believers must go to war. When you got saved, you didn't enter a retirement plan—you entered into battle. You didn't know it. But you just strapped on your armor, and you got a target on your back. And there's an enemy who hates you and who wants to destroy you and your family. That's why you are to stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. You are to use the Word of God as your offensive weapon. You are to pray, being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

There are times when believers are called to take up arms. Amen. We are not to be passive. We are to storm the gates of hell. We are to advance the kingdom of God by force. We are to pray in the Spirit. We are to stand up and speak truth. We are to speak out against sin. We are to fight for the souls of the lost. And like Paul told Timothy, we are called to fight the good fight of faith. It's not always going to be easy or convenient. You're not always going to be loved or be popular for it. But so be it. You are called a soldier of the cross. We're not called to remain in the shade of the tree.

Abram had been living under the trees of Mamre for a while, but now the call to action was clear. It is time to go to war. It is time to stand firm on the truth, to pray fervently, to witness boldly, and to spread the gospel with unwavering commitment. It is time to ignite a holy zeal and fervency within us like we've never experienced before.

Let's look in verses 11 through 12. We know that Lot is the captive. He's been taken captive by the coalition of these kings, and he's a picture of humanity in bondage, enslaved by sin, and we cannot free ourselves, for we are powerless to save ourselves. Therefore, we require a deliverer. We need someone to come to our rescue.

So what does Abram do? He takes 318 men of his own household. They have been trained in combat by himself. And he goes to war against this coalition of kings. Notice how he does that. Verse 15, he divides his forces against them by night. And he and his servants attack them, and they pursue them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. So through guerrilla warfare, divide and conquer, they surround them at night.

Now think about it. They thought that they had everyone conquered. Evidently, they did not know about Abram and his trained men. They don't know who was attacking them. It's at night. They don't know the size of the army. And they are in panic. They're in confusion. Most importantly, it is God Himself who is attacking them. He has hidden them. It is God Himself who gives Abram and his army strength, and they overcome these forces.

And they chase them as far north as Damascus in verse 16. So he brings back his brother to Lot. He brings back the goods, and all the women and the people. Abram rescues Lot. Abram rescues everybody. This is an act of mercy. Let's consider this moment of mercy. Does he deserve rescue? Absolutely not. Abram mercifully comes to his aid. He lays it all on the line. Is that not what has been done for us? Did we deserve mercy? Absolutely not. Thank God He sent a rescuer. Thank God He sent His Son as a deliverer. This is a picture of the coming Messiah, the righteous King, the interceding Priest, who would one day rescue us from the power of sin and death.

Now listen. Abram is one of the first examples of God giving an unlikely victory over an unconquered foe using an unexpected deliverer. Do you know that our weakness makes God's power even more evident? It does. Abram, a small band of fighting men, overthrows these powerful kings, showing that salvation belongs to who? To the Lord. Some trust in chariots. Some in horses. But we will trust in the name of the Lord our God. Salvation comes from God. And if God be for us, then who can be against us? It really doesn't matter. Because by every human measure, these odds are hopeless. And yet, Abram trusts in the God who has called him. And God delivers. Against all expectation, Abram strikes down the enemy and rescues Lot.

Friends, I want you to know, word of application: the same God who fought for His people then is the same God who fights for His people today. If God is on your side, you cannot lose. You need to understand that. It doesn't matter what enemy attacks you. It doesn't matter who comes against you. If God is for you, who can be against you? You already have the victory, loved ones. You are already more than a conqueror through Christ who loved you and gave Himself for you. And I believe all this is a foreshadowing of Christ. Abram as a type of Christ. Because like Abram, Christ enters enemy territory. Like Abram, Christ triumphs through apparent weakness. And like Abram, Christ rescues His people.

Do you know that Christ came to this earth on a mission? The Bible says, "This is the reason the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). Jesus proclaimed peace on earth, goodwill toward men, but not for the devil. He came to crush his head, as prophesied in Genesis 3:15. Through His death at Calvary, Jesus destroyed the one who holds the power of death—the devil—and delivered us from our lifelong fear of it (Hebrews 2:14-15). By rising again, He abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10). Now, for all who believe, Christ delivers us from darkness's domain and transfers us into His kingdom (Colossians 1:13), just as Abram was delivered from his enemies in Genesis 14. Sin is cancelled, death is defeated, Satan disarmed, and His people are delivered and set free forever.

Now we meet a very interesting person. We see Abram, the warrior, the deliverer. Now we meet a man known as the priest king. Look in verses 17-20. "And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh, that is the king's valley, after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of the Most High God. And he blessed him 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.' And he gave him a tithe of all."

After rescuing Lot, Abram is met by two different kings. We'll look at the first one. He goes by the name of Melchizedek. Melchizedek, by the way, is one of the most fascinating, one of the most intriguing, and may I say, one of the most mysterious figures in Scripture. The few verses that mention him, by the way, are separated by hundreds of years. And we're going to look at everywhere in the Bible where this man is mentioned. He appears, and then he disappears. As quick as he comes, he goes. Yet in this brief appearance, he gives us one of the clearest and most powerful Old Testament types of Jesus Christ.

After this battle, Abram's met by Melchizedek. He is known as the king of Salem, the king of peace, and the priest of the Most High God. Now, by the way, this is the first mention of a priest in the Bible. Now, what kind of priest he is—if it is a recognized priesthood or not—and the extent to which he offers sacrifices and mediates for people is unknown. We don't know much at all about Melchizedek. One thing is for sure, though: this man, in the midst of post-flood wickedness and the decaying culture of the Canaanites, is a representative of the Most High God. He worships the one true God.

Now let's look at his name—Melchizedek. It's a combination name in Hebrew: Melchizedek means "king of righteousness," and also "king of Salem," where we get "Shalom," meaning peace. By the way, where he is king of Salem, it's likely the location of the future site of Jerusalem. So he is a righteous king, a king of peace, and he is king over what will be known as Jerusalem. So he's a righteous king in the midst of unrighteous pagans, and a peaceful king in the midst of kings who only know war, death, and carnage. But he also foreshadows Christ—the perfect righteous king and the prince of peace. This mysterious figure combines the roles of priest and king like none before or after him, except Jesus Christ. No one else in Scripture is a king and a priest. It was tried one time before by a man by the name of Uzziah, who was king of Judah. He went to burn incense in the temple, and God struck him with leprosy. Why? Because it wasn't his job—you were either a king or a priest; you couldn't be both. It's only two men in the Word of God who are able to unite those two offices: Melchizedek and Jesus Christ.

Notice the blessing he brings—bread and wine. How fascinating! This indicates a full banquet spread before Abram and his men. No doubt they are tired, weary from the battle, and refreshed by this banquet Melchizedek provides. More importantly, the bread and wine anticipate Christ’s body and His blood at the new covenant—the supper of the new covenant, the Lord’s table. Melchizedek issues a two-fold blessing: he blesses Abram in the name of the Most High God, and then he blesses God who delivered Abram’s enemies into his hands. Notice what name he uses: Abram is blessed in the name of the Most High God—El Elyon. El means God, the mighty one, the strong one. Elyon means the Most High, the exalted one, the supreme one. I want to tell you this morning: our God is the one true God, and He is God Most High. There is no name, no force, no power—whether man, government, or demon—higher than our God. There is no name greater than the name of Jesus Christ. That is the name to which every knee will bow and every tongue will confess: He is Lord. He is God, supreme, preeminent.

Notice what Abram does: Abram gives him a tithe of all. By the way, this is the first mention of a tithe in the Bible. In Scripture, this obviously predates the tithe of the Mosaic covenant. What is a tithe? A tithe means a tenth—ten percent. Therefore, Abram gives Melchizedek ten percent of what he has. Why does he pay tithes to Melchizedek? Tithing is an expression of Abram’s worship of the Most High God. Friends, why do we give? It’s an expression of worship. Giving is not because the preacher begs you for money. It’s not because the church browbeats you and guilts you into throwing money in the offering plate. You give because you love Christ. You give to advance His kingdom. It’s an act of worship. It also indicates that Abram knows where his help comes from. It also means he recognizes the superiority of Melchizedek over himself.

This act of tithing reveals Abram's true worship. He recognizes the superiority of Melchizedek over himself. Now, what happens? He worships God, the one who blesses him with salvation. Friends, if Abram worshiped the Most High God through his tithing to Melchizedek, how much more should we worship Jesus Christ, who has already given everything for us? How much more should we not lay ourselves on the altar and say, "Lord, here's not just my money, here's my time and my talents and treasures. Here I am. Take it all as an act of worship and offering to you." How much more worthy of worship is Jesus Christ?

And let's look at Abram's refusal. Look at verses 21 through 24. Now he meets king number two. "Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons. Some translations like the King James say, Give me the souls. I actually prefer that. Give me the persons and take the goods for yourself." But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the Lord God Most High, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take anything from you, from a thread to a sandal strap." He said, "I'm not going to take anything from you, so that you will not say, 'I have made Abram rich,' except only what the young men have eaten and the portion of the men who went with me. Amen. Let them take their portion."

The second king that meets Abram after his victory is the king of Sodom. He is the complete opposite of Melchizedek. While Melchizedek stands for righteousness and peace, the king of Sodom stands for depravity and destruction. The first king, Melchizedek, represents Salem. The second represents Sodom. And Abram will have to choose which king he will honor. Friends, today you have to choose which king you're going to serve. Either the usurper of God's kingdom, Satan, who tries to take the glory that belongs to Christ alone, or you will worship the true King, the Lord Jesus Christ. But you have a choice this morning. Which king will you give your allegiance to? Salem or Sodom? What city are you a citizen of?

We see that Abram's great test comes after his victory—not the war, as we initially thought—but a more difficult one, since Abram deeply values his possessions. He loves his stuff. So much so that when he went to Egypt, he told Sarai, "I have a plan. Let's say you're my sister, and I'll get all kinds of stuff." A weaker Abram might have given in to this temptation. Sodom offers him all the riches and trinkets he could desire. "Take the spoils," the king says, "but give me the souls." Can you not hear the serpent's hiss in that? Isn't that exactly what Satan does to us? You can have this and that and so much more. I'll offer you the whole kingdoms of the earth. Just bow and worship me. Just give me your soul.

Friends, that is exactly what the king of Sodom does. That's what Satan does. He'll throw this at you, that at you, pleasure, money, fame. He knows your price. All in exchange for your soul. Because Jesus asked, what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Friends, what is more valuable for your soul? Furthermore, let me ask you this. What in heaven, on earth, or beneath the earth could possibly be worth enduring eternal torment? It is not worth it. There's temporary pleasure in sin, but it always leads to death. Because you know what the name Sodom means? Sodom means burning—ruin.

All these kings, they're wicked. Even the ones who were defeated. Evil, wicked, burning, ruined. Abram knows that if he takes something from Sodom, he's given allegiance to this evil, corrupt, and doomed people. Abram refuses. He says, I won't take a thread. I won't take a sandal strap. Why? Because he knows that God is his reward. It says in the very next chapter, God appears to him. He says, Abram, I am your shield and your exceeding great reward. Friends, we don't need what Sodom gives. We have God. God is the portion of the righteous. And what better thing, what better person, what more abundant riches are found in the person of God? He's all that we need. He's all we could ever desire. Like Abram, our trust is in God, in His provision, and in His promises.

But I believe this is also a foreshadowing of Christ. Because remember, Satan came to Him as well. And during His wilderness temptations, he took Him up on the high mountain and showed Him the kingdoms of the earth. He says, all this can be yours. So you just bow and worship me. Just one compromise, Jesus. And what does Jesus do? Get behind me, Satan. You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Jesus chose obedience. He chose the cross. He chose the glory of God. So we see the fulfillment in Christ. Abram's victory points to Christ's greater victory. Abram defeated earthly kings. Christ defeats the spiritual powers of sin and death. Abram rescued Lot, but Christ rescued us and transfers us from the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom, even though we, like Lot, are undeserving and get ourselves into such a mess. Abram's blessed by Melchizedek, but Christ is the eternal priest-king who blesses His people with righteousness, peace, and eternal life. Christ's obedience on the cross fulfilled Abram's trust in God.

Here's the big gospel truth of this text: I believe with all my heart that Abram's victory in Genesis 14 foreshadows Christ's cross and resurrection. Jesus, our warrior king, entered enemy territory by coming to this world, yet His own people rejected Him. He endured the cross, overthrowing the powers of darkness. Remember those kings? One worshipped the goddess of hell, the other worshipped the goddess of hell. Now see the gospel perspective: Jesus, as the light, extinguished darkness. He defeated the enemy who prowls like a lion, seeking whom to devour, and vanquished all forces of hell through His resurrection. Because Christ entered the grave, He dethroned death's tyrant and emerged victorious. Like Abram, Christ rescued captives, slew the enemy, and now reigns forever as priest and king, like Melchizedek.

Let’s not waste time—just a couple more places where Melchizedek is named: Psalm 110. Melchizedek disappears from Scripture; we don’t hear about him again for another thousand years. David, under the Spirit’s inspiration, is reflecting on this story we’ve just read, and he writes Psalm 110. He writes about this mysterious figure named Melchizedek—and by the way, this is the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament. Did you know that? Number one: Jesus, the greater Melchizedek, is a purposeful king. "The Lord said to my Lord"—the Lord said to my Lord—this is the Father speaking to the Son: “Set at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.” Friends, Jesus is a purposeful king. His reign is purposeful, directed toward the final subjection of all His enemies. Friends, Christ rules with the end goal of complete domination. He will reign completely on this earth; He will reign over a new heavens and a new earth, with sin and death fully and finally vanquished. So that means for us believers—we can endure trials, we can endure hardship, we can even endure persecution—why? Because we know our God reigns, and we know who wins in the end.

Secondly, He's a powerful king. Look at verses two and three: "The Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion; rule in the midst of your enemies. Your people shall be volunteers in the day of your power, and the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning you have the dew of your youth." In other words, He's going to rule with the rod of divine power. He's going to extend the borders of His kingdom despite the opposition of the enemy. Friends, listen—the heathen may rage, but they imagine a vain thing. Why? Because the Lord has set His king on His holy hill. Let me say: Jesus is not waiting to be crowned king. He is king right now; His kingdom has already been inaugurated. We are simply awaiting His return when it is established and when it is visible. We are waiting for Him to return, coming with clouds and power and majesty and great glory, with His angels and flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not obey the gospel. Friends, Jesus Christ reigns. He's a powerful king.

And notice, thirdly, He's a priestly king. Verse four: "The Lord has sworn and will not relent, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." As described in Psalm 110, Christ is not merely a king who rules over His people, but He's a priest who mediates for His people. We are ruled by His power, and we are reconciled by His sacrifice. Psalm 110 teaches us Christ is the true Melchizedek. He is a purposeful king who fulfills God's plan as seen in the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek. He's the powerful king who reigns victoriously over all men, and He's the priestly king whose ministry is eternal.

One more place where He's found. Turn really quickly. Book of Hebrews. Psalm 110 teaches us that this Melchizedek is king. Hebrews teaches us that this Melchizedek is priest. Now He's mentioned very briefly in chapter 5, verse 10. The writer of Hebrews is quoting Psalm 110, by the way. Then he goes on a tangent in verse 6 before picking back up here in chapter 7. And he talks about Melchizedek. So we see Melchizedek's pattern is a pattern for Christ's priesthood. The pattern of Melchizedek's priesthood, verses 1 through 3. First we're going to look at Melchizedek's identity. For this Melchizedek, a thousand years has elapsed since David wrote about him. He appears, then disappears for a thousand years. David writes about him, and then he vanishes for another thousand years before the writer of Hebrews mentions him again. But this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham, returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated as king of righteousness, then also king of Salem, meaning 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, remains a priest continually. This is a perfect pattern for Christ's own priesthood, isn't it?

Like Melchizedek, Jesus is the king of Salem. He's the king of peace. Jesus Christ is also the king of righteousness, just as Melchizedek was. Jeremiah 23:5-6 tells us that God will raise up a righteous branch from David, whose name will be called "The Lord our righteousness." The believer has no righteousness of their own—only Christ's. Praise God, for this righteousness is imputed to believers by faith. Through faith in Christ, we are forgiven of all our sins and declared justified in the sight of a holy God. Furthermore, Jesus is the king of peace, as Isaiah 9 calls Him the prince of peace. How does He create peace? First, He reconciles sinful man with the holy God. He unites us into one body, creating peace among us. He also grants us peace during times of attack and battle, for we know He has already won the victory. Like Melchizedek, Jesus is the true king of Salem—Jerusalem—because it is from Jerusalem that Christ will ultimately reign over the earth.

We also see a picture of Jesus' eternality in Melchizedek. It says Melchizedek was without father or mother or genealogy, without beginning or end recorded. Now, this does not mean Melchizedek was never born or never died. It simply means the record of his birth and death is intentionally omitted by the writer Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the type of Christ. Because Christ is without beginning or end of days. Yes, He was born—His humanity had a beginning—but He has always existed. He is eternal. Remember, John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Who is the Word? It's the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who was, is, and is to come. Jesus Christ is eternally God. And that is good news. Because this king-priest is eternal, it means His rule will never end—but it also means His priesthood will never end. It means He ever lives to make intercession for His people. He ever lives to reconcile sinners to God. He ever lives to pray for His people and represent them before the throne.

Now, for time's sake, I'm not going to read this. Please go home and read this whole chapter. It won't take you long, but it is so good. I'm going to point out the highlights. The writer of Hebrews says that Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek because Melchizedek was greater than Abram. And that Melchizedek, being greater than Abram, blessed him. The whole thesis of the writer of Hebrews is that Melchizedek's priesthood is superior to Abraham, superior to Moses, and superior to the Levitical priesthood. Why is that? Why is Christ's priesthood preeminent? It's because the Levites were priests, but they weren't perfect people. They were sinners. Jesus Christ never sinned. Secondly, they had to be replaced because what happened? They would die, and another priest would have to take their place. Guess what? Jesus' priesthood is an eternal priesthood, and no one ever has to take His place. No one can anyway. He ever lives to make intercession for God's people and to reconcile sinners to God. His priesthood is superior, and His sacrifice is superior. Back in the Old Covenant, they had to sacrifice animals whose blood could never wash away sins. But Jesus has appeared, and by His perfect sacrifice on the cross, He made perfect atonement. He satisfied the just demands of God, and He made complete atonement for sins forever by one sacrifice. And therefore, it is a done deal. Nothing can be added to it or taken away from it. It cannot be improved upon. The Lord has sworn forever and will not change His mind. You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. You are the true king of righteousness, the true king of peace. You are a king greater than Melchizedek, a priest greater than Melchizedek, and ultimately greater than Levi and Aaron's priesthood. It is without limit.

And I love what it says in verse 25. Because, like Melchizedek, it's an eternal priesthood, He ever lives to make intercession for us. In verse 25, He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. What does it mean that Jesus is our Melchizedek priest, that He's able to save to the uttermost? In the Greek, uttermost simply means completely. It means perfectly. It means forever. Friends, salvation that is given to us by Christ is full and perfect. It lacks nothing. There's nothing you could ever do to earn it, and there's nothing you could ever do to improve upon it. Therefore, you can rest, not in your performance, but in His perfection. He's able to save us forever. Because, like Melchizedek, He is without beginning or end. The salvation that He gives never ends. You never have to worry about losing it. You could never earn it. Therefore, you could never lose it. And it is without limit. That means that there is no sin so vile, no sinner so far gone, that Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, cannot save. We see His priesthood as a permanent priesthood. It's a perfect priesthood. It is a predicted priesthood. All the way back in Genesis 14, it's a peaceful priesthood.

And what happens after Jesus made atonement for sin? Hebrews 10:12 tells us that when Christ had offered for one time a single sacrifice for sin, what does He do? He sits at the right hand of the Father. What does that mean? It means that Christ's atonement is complete. It's one sacrifice, once for all, never needing to be repeated. And it means Christ's exaltation as King is secure. He sits at the right hand of the Father with all power and all authority. Therefore, Jesus' session at the right hand of the Father indicates a finished work and ultimate authority.

I'm going to close with this, guys. We're going to recap, summarize, Melchizedek, and see how he is a type of Christ. So we've looked at Melchizedek from Genesis 14 to Psalm 110 to Hebrews 7. Melchizedek is King of Salem. He's unique in that he combines the roles of King and Priest. Jesus is the only one after him who does such things. He is the Priest-King. He rules as King of Kings, and He intercedes as our High Priest. He's the true King of Righteousness, the true King of Peace. He too is eternal, without father or mother, without beginning, without end. He's the one who blesses His people with salvation and every spiritual blessing in Christ. And like Abraham worships Him, worships the Most High God through Melchizedek, we should honor Christ with our worship, our obedience, and our devotion.

Let me address a key point. Remember what Melchizedek offered Abram? Bread and wine. It foreshadows the Lord's Supper—Christ's broken body and His blood poured out. So what do we do when we celebrate the Lord's table and partake of communion? Are we just doing it because it's 5th Sunday? I hope not. Is Christ's presence literally here with us? Absolutely. You better believe it. We are recognizing that our sustenance comes from Him. We are recognizing that our victory through battle comes from Him. We are recognizing and celebrating the Lord's own triumph through His death, burial, and resurrection. We are celebrating the initiation of the new covenant. And we are proclaiming the Lord's death until He returns and sets up His kingdom over a renewed heaven and earth, where He will reign eternally. That's what we do when we celebrate the Lord's table.

Application for us. Know that Jesus is the great deliverer. Indeed, His very name, Jesus, means Savior. And He can rescue anyone who is taken captive by Satan. And just as Abram risked everything to rescue Lot from the hands of these mighty kings of wickedness, Jesus gave Himself completely to rescue us from far greater enemies—sin, death, and the devil. Jesus' victory is not only cosmic but also eternal, spanning the entire universe and lasting for all eternity. So, friends, I want you this morning to trust your warrior Savior. Trust that God is mighty to save. And rest in Him, friends. Trust that Jesus has already conquered every enemy you will ever face. So when you are tested by attack, you say, "I know the one who has won the victory." Therefore, I fight not for victory, but I fight in victory. My Savior has already triumphed.

And I could preach another hour, but I got to end here. Like Melchizedek, Jesus is predicted long ago. He is perfect and eternal in His person. He is sufficient in His sacrifice. He is powerful to save through the uttermost. And He is the peaceful King who unites man and God. Come and worship your King, for He is the powerful Savior who delivers through the uttermost, and this altar is open for all who seek Him.