Hebrews 7:2 (NLT) Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of Salem means “king of peace.”
Scholars believe that Salem was the earliest name for Jerusalem—God’s city, “the city where I have chosen to put my Name” (I Kings 11:36). (And where God reigns there is peace and order.) Melchizedek only appears briefly in Genesis 14, yet he earned an honored role in the New Testament Hall of Faith and is often compared to Jesus. Andrew Murray unpacks this: “Jesus Christ came to restore peace on earth and peace in the soul by restoring righteousness. Because He is Melchizedek, King of Righteousness, He reigns as King of Salam, King of peace.”* He fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa. 32:1, 17): A king shall reign in righteousness…and the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. Know this: Christ makes you righteous as you yield to His authority in your life. That plaguing voice that amplifies every memory of failure is muted as you realize the truth that Jesus has forgiven you and made you righteous before God. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Jesus is our king of peace, our Melchizedek.