The Life of AbrahamSample

Melchizedek: The First Tithe

When Abram and Lot enter the land God promised, their prosperity becomes so great that the two families cannot practically live in the same area. Lot decides to settle near the city of Sodom. Soon after, Sodom is invaded and Lot is taken into captivity, as well as his family and other people.

Abram mobilizes his servants and rescues Lot, his family, and the other captives, along with the loot the raiders had carried away from Sodom and its four allied cities.

On his way back home as a prosperous and conquering hero, Abram is greeted by two leaders. The first leader is one of the most mysterious characters of Scripture: Melchizedek. He is a king as well as a priest. He greets a conquering Abram with a gift of bread and wine. Melchizedek reigns over the city of Salem, which means peace—the city is later known as Jerusalem. Melchizedek renders a picture of Jesus Christ, the coming Prince of Peace and true High Priest, who gave humanity the gift of His body as bread and His blood as wine.

Abram gives to Melchizedek, the priest of God, a tenth of everything he recovered from the raid. The book of Hebrews tells us this was a tithe (Hebrews 7:1–10). Abram’s gift to Melchizedek is the earliest mention in Scripture.

The second leader, the King of Sodom, has a different approach. He starts to bargain to regain only the people. He tells Abram to keep the goods. Abram answers by declaring that he doesn’t plan to keep a single thing for himself. He doesn’t want the King of Sodom to have any claim on him. His integrity and freedom are of greater importance.

Abram is on a mountaintop. He has had a great victory and, with that victory, great material wealth. But he does not cling to it.

We are often faced with a similar choice. Will we use our wealth, opportunities, relationships, and commitments in a way that pleases the Lord, or will we bow to the empty idol of more? Will we tithe to God, or cling to ‘our’ possessions? 

Will we pay homage to Melchizedek or Sodom?