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Shem Cannot Be Melchizedek

by Elias Thema
(Pretoria, South Africa)

It is to be understood that Shem is Abram's grandfather, and as such they could have known each other very well.

Another point is that Shem possessed a mother and a father, whereas Melchizedek had no mother and father.

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Jun 11, 2012
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Melchizedek -- Appointed by God
by: Jon H Benson

The reference to Melchizedek as being "parentless", comes from Paul, specifically, Heb. 7:3 -- "Without father, without mother, WITHOUT GENEALOGY, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but RESEMBLING the Son of God, he remains a priest forever."

However, in the context of Hebrews, Paul was trying to get across to his Jewish audience how Jesus, having no priestly lineage, could be both a priest AND a king, "in the order of Melchizedek" who "resembled" the Son of God, inasmuch as he (Melchizedek) also was a king and a priest, with no discernible title or lineage to hold those positions.

Certainly not the priesthood, which would come through Levi, who was three generations in the future at this time. That he "remains a priest forever" is significant inasmuch as Melchizedek's appointment was from God, and not from men, nor by inheritance. It could not be taken from him, except by God.

Therefor, there is nothing to keep us from speculating that Melchizedek may have been Shem, or at the very least, one of the last of Shem's righteous offspring remaining in the mostly pagan land of Canaan. In fact, it would have been the duty of this last representative to bestow on Abraham the ownership (blessing), as it were, the responsibility of the spiritual welfare of the Canaanites, through the means of his future progeny.

Melchizedek, whoever he was, was passing the torch from the last remnants of the Noahic/Shemitic order of priesthood, to the next generation, the next phase that God had planned for the salvation of man, His chosen nation of Israel. And Jesus, as a priest in the "order of Melchizedek", would pass the torch from Israel to His apostles, and give them the responsibility to "feed my sheep", the Christian church.

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