Genesis 14 describes a war that broke out between five kings and their forces on one side and four kings and theirs on the other. When it was over, the city of Sodom had been overrun and the invading army had taken all the city's food, some of the citizens and fled with everything. Lot, the nephew of Abram, God's man in the region, was also taken captive along with all his possessions. When uncle Abram heard about this he put together a special ops force of 318 warriors and launched a nighttime rescue and recovery raid. He was able to retrieve nephew Lot, all his stuff and the others that had been kidnapped.
Abram returned victorious and undoubtably pretty exhausted after the raid. As Abram and his troops arrived home Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God came out to meet Abram and his men with bread and wine and a blessing from God (Genesis 14:18-20). This must have been a refreshing gesture of kindness and encouragement for Abram and his troops; just what they needed after a hard-fought battle. Moved by this expression of divine provision, Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had captured.
Hebrews describes this Melchizedek as a mystery and, in some ways, compares him with Jesus: "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest forever." (Hebrews 7:3).
We are left wondering where this guy came from and we know nothing of where he went. He just seems to appear on the scene with just what Abram needed at just the right time.
God is like that, isn't He? The battle wears us out and seemingly out of nowhere, God shows up in someone to bring us refreshment, encouragement; even forgiveness! Yes, forgiveness. "At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6). That's the glory of the God who loves us.
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