The Lord has sworn an oath and will not change His mind. He said, "You are a priest forever like Melchizedek." (Verse 4)
Melchizedek. King of Righteousness. King of Peace. As King of Salem, Genesis 14 seems to indicate He is King of Jerusalem, also called Salem. Abram's nephew, Lot, was taken prisoner when several kings mounted war against each other. So into the fray rode Abram with 318 members of his household whom he'd trained for war. In a nighttime raid, the men of Abram defeated them. After they'd chased the surviving troops north of Damascus, Abram and his men took for themselves all the plunder left behind in the hasty retreat. Lot was rescued and his belongings restored. The defeat was miraculous and profitable. The King of Sodom came to meet Abram in the King's Valley. But before they could have a conversation, Melchizedek approached Abram, carrying bread and wine. Abram recognized him to be a priest of the Most High God, although it's clear neither man knew where Melchizedek came from or where he was going.
"Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and I give praise to God Most High Who has handed over your enemies to you." Melchizedek pronounced this blessing over a humbled Abram. Though there is no mention of further conversation, Abram immediately desires to give the King and Priest a tenth of all the spoils. He understood the blessing as Yahweh reminding him that the miraculous defeat was from God, not from Abram's own hand. It isn't clear what the priest and king did with the bread and wine, but it must have been part of the blessing. The sharing of it.
Melchizedek was eternal, showing up out of nowhere, never returning quite that way again in the history the Bible records. Biblical scholars understand the verse, quoted again in the New Testament book of Hebrews, to be about the coming Messiah. For no earthly priest and king is eternal. They all die. Only One is both King and Priest. He also came offering bread and wine. At once the priest over the sacrifice and the sacrifice itself. Jesus.
I'm interested in the response Abram had to Melchizedek, the King of Righteousness and Peace. Not king of Asia, or France or Italy. This is a different kingdom altogether. Abram didn't commit a tenth of his spoils to a man who ruled a land nearby. The act was spiritual. Physical stuff given to a spiritual king. More an act of the heart's willingness to part with some of what God provided as an acknowledgment of God's being the provision all along. The Bible doesn't say what Melchizedek did with the offering. That doesn't seem to matter to Abram. His heart was so overwhelmed with thankfulness and so awed by the presence of the priest, that he gave. It's what knowing Jesus does to us...
The unpopular little tax collector made his money off the backs of the hard working people of Jericho. Stole from them, really, by cheating them on their tax reports. Too short to see Jesus when He came into town, the man, Zacchaeus, ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a tree that was next to the path where the Man soon be standing. Legs dangling, head bobbing, trying to get a look from his aerie. To the crooked collector's amazement, Jesus stopped right beneath the tree. "Zacchaeus, hurry up and come down from there. I must stay at your house today!"
"What?!" The people not only stunned, by disgusted. The man with ill-gotten gains. The cheat! The liar! Why him?
"I will give half my possessions to the poor!" the little man declared as he stood to his feet looking up at Jesus. "And, if I've cheated anyone, I'll pay them back four times more!" Just blurted it out. Couldn't help himself. The spoils he'd taken from others now presented to his very own Melchizedek.
"Salvation has come to your house today, Zacchaeus!" Jesus beamed. "The Son of Man came to find lost people and to save them!"
A sinful woman heard that Jesus was eating at the home of Simon, a Pharisee. Her heart got the better of her head as she grabbed some perfume and ran brazenly into the home of the Jewish ruler. He was standing speaking to Jesus when she came up behind Him and threw herself at His feet. Touching them, being near Jesus, shame caressing righteousness, the woman burst into tears. They flowed in grief and remorse, washing the sand sprinkled ankles and arches of the Teacher. It's not what she planned. To cry this way. How to clean up the mess. Quickly, before He could notice, she took her hair down and wiped the mess she'd made from His feet, kissing them as she dried the tears away. The perfume! She'd almost forgotten in her cleansing that she'd wanted to give the Man this gift. She grabbed the bottle from her belt and poured its fragrance in abundance all over the feet of Jesus. Rubbing its scent into His skin. Wiping her uncleanness from His purity.
"Hmmph!" thought the Pharisee, "If Jesus were truly a prophet, He'd know what a sinful strumpet is touching Him!"
"Simon," said Jesus, looking him straight into his accusing eyes. "Let me tell you a little story."
"Uh..sure," stuttered Simon.
"There were two men who owed the same banker. One owed him five hundred coins. One owed him fifty. Neither had the money to repay him. The banker forgave both debts. Which one will love him more?"
"I think it would be the one who owed him the most money," answered Simon.
"Right!" Jesus looked at the woman at His feet. "You didn't even offer me a bowl to wash My feet when I entered your home, nor did you kiss Me in greeting. But she washed My feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed Me with perfume. I'm telling you, she has many sins and they are forgiven. That's why she showed me such great love." The woman dried her eyes and looked up at Jesus. "Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace." The blessing of her very own Melchizedek to Whom she offered her thankful gift.
"You see, Simon," said Jesus as he turned to the man, now red faced with embarrassment, "the one who's forgiven only a little will love only a little."
Something about our Priest and King makes us want to reciprocate somehow. Without being told to. "Here, take everything. And more. For I was nothing before You found me."
Therefore, since we have a great high priest Who has passed through the heavens--Jesus, the Son of God--let us hold fast to the confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time. Hebrews 4
Melchizedek. King of Righteousness. King of Peace. As King of Salem, Genesis 14 seems to indicate He is King of Jerusalem, also called Salem. Abram's nephew, Lot, was taken prisoner when several kings mounted war against each other. So into the fray rode Abram with 318 members of his household whom he'd trained for war. In a nighttime raid, the men of Abram defeated them. After they'd chased the surviving troops north of Damascus, Abram and his men took for themselves all the plunder left behind in the hasty retreat. Lot was rescued and his belongings restored. The defeat was miraculous and profitable. The King of Sodom came to meet Abram in the King's Valley. But before they could have a conversation, Melchizedek approached Abram, carrying bread and wine. Abram recognized him to be a priest of the Most High God, although it's clear neither man knew where Melchizedek came from or where he was going.
"Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and I give praise to God Most High Who has handed over your enemies to you." Melchizedek pronounced this blessing over a humbled Abram. Though there is no mention of further conversation, Abram immediately desires to give the King and Priest a tenth of all the spoils. He understood the blessing as Yahweh reminding him that the miraculous defeat was from God, not from Abram's own hand. It isn't clear what the priest and king did with the bread and wine, but it must have been part of the blessing. The sharing of it.
Melchizedek was eternal, showing up out of nowhere, never returning quite that way again in the history the Bible records. Biblical scholars understand the verse, quoted again in the New Testament book of Hebrews, to be about the coming Messiah. For no earthly priest and king is eternal. They all die. Only One is both King and Priest. He also came offering bread and wine. At once the priest over the sacrifice and the sacrifice itself. Jesus.
I'm interested in the response Abram had to Melchizedek, the King of Righteousness and Peace. Not king of Asia, or France or Italy. This is a different kingdom altogether. Abram didn't commit a tenth of his spoils to a man who ruled a land nearby. The act was spiritual. Physical stuff given to a spiritual king. More an act of the heart's willingness to part with some of what God provided as an acknowledgment of God's being the provision all along. The Bible doesn't say what Melchizedek did with the offering. That doesn't seem to matter to Abram. His heart was so overwhelmed with thankfulness and so awed by the presence of the priest, that he gave. It's what knowing Jesus does to us...
The unpopular little tax collector made his money off the backs of the hard working people of Jericho. Stole from them, really, by cheating them on their tax reports. Too short to see Jesus when He came into town, the man, Zacchaeus, ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a tree that was next to the path where the Man soon be standing. Legs dangling, head bobbing, trying to get a look from his aerie. To the crooked collector's amazement, Jesus stopped right beneath the tree. "Zacchaeus, hurry up and come down from there. I must stay at your house today!"
"What?!" The people not only stunned, by disgusted. The man with ill-gotten gains. The cheat! The liar! Why him?
"I will give half my possessions to the poor!" the little man declared as he stood to his feet looking up at Jesus. "And, if I've cheated anyone, I'll pay them back four times more!" Just blurted it out. Couldn't help himself. The spoils he'd taken from others now presented to his very own Melchizedek.
"Salvation has come to your house today, Zacchaeus!" Jesus beamed. "The Son of Man came to find lost people and to save them!"
A sinful woman heard that Jesus was eating at the home of Simon, a Pharisee. Her heart got the better of her head as she grabbed some perfume and ran brazenly into the home of the Jewish ruler. He was standing speaking to Jesus when she came up behind Him and threw herself at His feet. Touching them, being near Jesus, shame caressing righteousness, the woman burst into tears. They flowed in grief and remorse, washing the sand sprinkled ankles and arches of the Teacher. It's not what she planned. To cry this way. How to clean up the mess. Quickly, before He could notice, she took her hair down and wiped the mess she'd made from His feet, kissing them as she dried the tears away. The perfume! She'd almost forgotten in her cleansing that she'd wanted to give the Man this gift. She grabbed the bottle from her belt and poured its fragrance in abundance all over the feet of Jesus. Rubbing its scent into His skin. Wiping her uncleanness from His purity.
"Hmmph!" thought the Pharisee, "If Jesus were truly a prophet, He'd know what a sinful strumpet is touching Him!"
"Simon," said Jesus, looking him straight into his accusing eyes. "Let me tell you a little story."
"Uh..sure," stuttered Simon.
"There were two men who owed the same banker. One owed him five hundred coins. One owed him fifty. Neither had the money to repay him. The banker forgave both debts. Which one will love him more?"
"I think it would be the one who owed him the most money," answered Simon.
"Right!" Jesus looked at the woman at His feet. "You didn't even offer me a bowl to wash My feet when I entered your home, nor did you kiss Me in greeting. But she washed My feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed Me with perfume. I'm telling you, she has many sins and they are forgiven. That's why she showed me such great love." The woman dried her eyes and looked up at Jesus. "Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace." The blessing of her very own Melchizedek to Whom she offered her thankful gift.
"You see, Simon," said Jesus as he turned to the man, now red faced with embarrassment, "the one who's forgiven only a little will love only a little."
Something about our Priest and King makes us want to reciprocate somehow. Without being told to. "Here, take everything. And more. For I was nothing before You found me."
Therefore, since we have a great high priest Who has passed through the heavens--Jesus, the Son of God--let us hold fast to the confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time. Hebrews 4
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