How often have I been captivated by the masked man, the man of mystery, in stories and film? The Man in the Iron Mask was reputed to be the wrongly imprisoned heir to the throne of France, and was restored to his reign by the Three Musketeers. The masked Lone Ranger, a good-hearted Spanish landowner, who rode on a white horse named Silver, bravely helped the underprivileged. The Phantom of the Opera was a disfigured and disgruntled musical genius, masked to hide his ruined face, who took over the Paris Opera to kidnap his beloved Christine. There are many masked Marvel heroes who battle evil and defend the good. Each man of mystery plays a pivotal role in the story, or influences it from the background. Did you know that the Bible features a man of mystery, too? His name was Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:1-3 – For 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 "king of righteousness," and 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. (NKJV)

Melchizedek was a mysterious priest who appeared briefly in Genesis 14 in the story of Abraham, caught up in a war between tribal leaders, and intent on rescuing his nephew Lot, captured by one of them. Upon his victory, Abraham was offered tremendous war booty, but he did not want to be compromised by a cozy deal with the defeated enemy, instead choosing to give ten percent of the spoils as tithe to the man of mystery, the king of Salem and high priest of God, Melchizedek. Because of this faith-filled decision, Abraham was blessed.

Why does Melchizedek matter to us now? He matters because he was preview of the Messiah to come, two thousand years later. God shows us through Melchizedek what the Messiah would be. Like the mysterious priest, Jesus is a King and High Priest Who rules forever, without start or finish. Melchizedek was not a Levite, born into the priesthood, and neither was Jesus. We think of priests as those who speak to God for us, offer sacrifices for us, and receive God's forgiveness for us. Melchizedek doesn't fit that role in the story. Our Lord often doesn't do what we expect Him to do, and Melchizedek helps us to understand that. The mystery man reminds us of the importance of the person of Jesus over religious practice.

Do you find yourself wondering what the Lord is up to, when it seems that all that surrounds us is unrest and anxiety? Does the Lord Himself seem like a man of mystery, doing good, but unknowable? The ancient priest has much to show us about the character of our Lord, always present with us, always only a breath of prayer away. Today, lift your soul from the chaos that surrounds us, in prayer to Him, our High Priest forever.

Prayer: We thank You, God our Father, for the gift of Your Son, Who offered up prayers and supplications for us to You Who was able to save Him. But He accepted death for our sins so that we who believe may enjoy His blessing and the eternal salvation that He won for us. Hallelujah! Amen.

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About the author:

Shirley Moulton <shirley_moulton@yahoo.ca>
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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