Chaos to Blessing to Questions to Me
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Chaos
Chaos
After creation, everything really falls apart fast… Brothers Kill each other and people build a tower to become like gods.
Then
The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s household for the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation and will bless you. I will make your name respected, and you will be a blessing.
God starts a new thing, again!
God starts a new thing, again!
God has selected Abram to start a new family, to be a new people who will take all of God’s creation in a new direction. God is trying to get the Chaos of his creation back into order. We are good at breaking the order.
Where in your life have you created Chaos?
So much that’s easy to miss
So much that’s easy to miss
After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
What kind of King is Melchizedek?
Kings are kings of an area, a people group but he is one of “The Most High God” His name translated means Melchizedek is the king of “righteousness.”
Abram is then blessed by Melchizedek
To be a Blessing you Must be Blessed Yourself
To be a Blessing you Must be Blessed Yourself
Abram has attacked and defeated people in his way. He has the support of God. He is about to do some more of that but here a mystery king shows up and instead of fighting Abram, he blesses Abram.
Have you ever been blessed by surprise?
Abram responds to the Blessing
Abram gives Melchizedek a tithe
Who gets your tithes?
A God!
It is the very next verses in Genesis here that transform Abram to Abraham, the father of the great nation of Isreal who is literally a blessing to all people.
Abram was blessed so that he might become Abraham, a blessing.
So, the Priesthood of Melchizedek?
So, the Priesthood of Melchizedek?
The Lord has sworn a solemn pledge and won’t change his mind: “You are a priest forever in line with Melchizedek.”
The priestly lines were a family thing, you were born into it and this was a custom for all ancient religions.
Melchizedek, again using translation of his name, is a king of righteousness… he is a priestly person and a priestly line that does not come by the old standard but by a divine appointment. It is the righteousness of Melchizedek that makes him a worthy priest.
He is the king of Salem...
What does it mean to be the king of Salem? That translates to be the king of peace.
The Psalmist says that this man is to be a priest for all time, a person of righteousness and peace.
This is about to make my mind explode, bring it home pastor
This is about to make my mind explode, bring it home pastor
See how great Melchizedek was! Abraham, the father of the people, gave him a tenth of everything he captured. The descendants of Levi who receive the office of priest have a commandment under the Law to collect a tenth of everything from the people who are their brothers and sisters, though they also are descended from Abraham. But Melchizedek, who isn’t related to them, received a tenth of everything from Abraham and blessed the one who had received the promises. Without question, the less important person is blessed by the more important person. In addition, in one case a tenth is received by people who die, and in the other case, the tenth is received by someone who continues to live, according to the record. It could be said that Levi, who received a tenth, paid a tenth through Abraham because he was still in his ancestor’s body when Abraham paid the tenth to Melchizedek.
So if perfection came through the levitical office of priest (for the people received the Law under the priests), why was there still a need to speak about raising up another priest according to the order of Melchizedek rather than one according to the order of Aaron? When the order of the priest changes, there has to be a change in the Law as well. The person we are talking about belongs to another tribe, and no one ever served at the altar from that tribe. It’s clear that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, but Moses never said anything about priests from that tribe. And it’s even clearer if another priest appears who is like Melchizedek. He has become a priest by the power of a life that can’t be destroyed, rather than a legal requirement about physical descent. This is confirmed:
You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.
On the one hand, an earlier command is set aside because it was weak and useless (because the Law made nothing perfect). On the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. And this was not done without a solemn pledge! The others have become priests without a solemn pledge, but this priest was affirmed with a solemn pledge by the one who said,
The Lord has made a solemn pledge
and will not change his mind:
You are a priest forever.
As a result, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. The others who became priests are numerous because death prevented them from continuing to serve. In contrast, he holds the office of priest permanently because he continues to serve forever. This is why he can completely save those who are approaching God through him, because he always lives to speak with God for them.
It’s appropriate for us to have this kind of high priest: holy, innocent, incorrupt, separate from sinners, and raised high above the heavens. He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests, first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. He did this once for all when he offered himself. The Law appoints people who are prone to weakness as high priests, but the content of the solemn pledge, which came after the Law, appointed a Son who has been made perfect forever.
The New Testament Author is using this story to try and tell us about Jesus. He is trying to tell us what Jesus is about. He is trying to tell us what he intends on accomplishing.
The Author here is connecting Jesus to this mysterious person who had no connection to the past in negative way… this means he lets the past go so a new tomorrow can be born… as the scriptures say “a better covenant.”
Jesus is about righteousness and peace… Abram and the rest of the world was about waring first. All Melchizedek did was be a blessing, broke bread and wine before we knew what breaking bread and wine was and disappeared back unto whatever permanent priestly past he came from. People wanted a priestly connection they could touch, see and understand but with this, the priest who blessed all other priests in the line of Levi due to them being of the family of Abraham could not. So to it is with Jesus, he does not conform to our wants but fully takes care of our needs.
So welcome, welcome to this Bible and all of it’s messy beautiful and life giving blessings…