Godly Character
Today’s Passages – Genesis 38 – 40 (Click on the references to listen to the passages. Click here to view today’s passage on Blue Letter Bible.)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 1 – 2; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 89:1
Read the “0115 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “What About Judah?“ and “God’s Perfect Plan“
“And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:7-9)
Joseph was a man of great godly character and is a wonderful picture, or type, of Christ in that regard. He is simply not like other men. He has the ability to say no to his flesh and completely yield to the will of God for his life. This attribute of godly character can be exhibited in many examples from Joseph’s life, but a particularly vivid picture of this is painted for us in the verses above. Joseph, a young, single man, was being tempted in the area of sexual purity by the wife of his employer. Joseph had the perfect opportunity to yield to the the lusts of his flesh, but instead refuses. He says, “NO!” He knew that yielding to Potiphar’s wife’s wishes was foremost a sin against God and was also a sin against Potiphar, a man that had been very good to Joseph up to this point. How many young men in Joseph’s position would have been able to resist the temptation and say no to this kind of proposition?
Sexual impurity is not limited to just the act of committing adultery with another man’s wife. It is just as wrong for unmarried people to commit fornication regardless of what our very carnal contemporary culture would say. It is also dangerous to view images portraying sexual impurity on the internet. It is very difficult for both men and women to say no to their flesh and yield to God in these areas, but it can be done through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says:
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
I realize that the Holy Spirit did not work in quite the same way in the Old Testament time that Joseph lived, but I know this: Joseph had a deep and abiding relationship with God, which is exactly what walking in the Spirit is for the New Testament Christian today. Joseph’s love for God and His will superseded Joseph’s fleshly desires. Joseph did not have “better flesh” than other men; he was not superhuman. He just was in love with God.
Peter wrote about this level of Christian discipline:
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8)
Notice two of the seven attributes that Peter states can and should be added to every Christian’s life: virtue and godliness. These are the two that Joseph exemplified in his encounter with Potiphar’s wife. However, Joseph also demonstrated the other five attributes listed by Peter throughout his life. And so can we, if we are walking with and filled with the Spirit of God, and yielded to God’s will. It is not easy to “just say no” to our flesh, but it is certainly not impossible with God’s help.
By the way, we see quite a contrast in Joseph’s godly character in chapter 39 with the character of Judah and his family in chapter 38. Notice the language used in v. 2:
“2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.” (Genesis 38:2)
It does not say that he married her; it just states that he “went in unto her.” There is all kinds of other weirdness going on in this chapter also including immoral behavior by Judah’s sons and also Judah sleeping with his daughter-in-law whom he thought was a harlot.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 7 comments.
The Green Eyed Monster
Today’s Passage – Genesis 36 – 37 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 27 – 28; Proverbs 14; Psalms 66 – 70
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
Read the “0114 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.” (Genesis 37:11)
“And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,” (Acts 7:9)
“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on; …” (“Othello” – Shakespeare)
“For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.” (Mark 15:10)
“Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:26)
“Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” – (Proverbs 27:4)
You have probably heard the expression, “Jealousy is a terrible thing.” There can be no clearer illustration of this truth than the example given here in Genesis 37. Here Joseph’s brothers are so jealous (envious) of Joseph that they first conspire to kill him, but finally acquiesce to selling him into slavery. What would cause them to envy there brother so much that it would cause them to sin so against him (not to mention against their father)? I believe we can see three ingredients that fueled the jealousy.
1 The Favoritism of the Father – Joseph was one of only two boys that was born to Rachel, the wife he loved dearly; and he was the second youngest of all of his children. Jacob did not attempt to veil his love for this child, either He made it clear to all others inthe family that He had a very special place in his heart for Joseph. He made him a beautiful coat of many colors. The other brothers received no such token of the father’s affection. It is not wrong to treat our children individually, based upon the needs that each may have; but it is wrong for parents to love their children differently. I confess, that at times this can be difficult; but we must strive to assure each of our children that we love them, and that our love for each does not exceed the love of another.
2 The Folly of the Son – I may be off base here; but Joseph did not show much wisdom in his bold declarations of the dreams to his brothers. God had obviously revealed a special plan for Joseph: a plan which involved him being placed in a position of authority over, not only his brothers, but also his father and mother. Maybe it was just because of his honest nature, but Joseph seemed to almost rub it in the face of his brothers.
3 The Finger of God – God obviously had his hand on the boy’s life. He had a special plan for Joseph. God’s hand upon Joseph was clearly evident to his brothers, and I believe this was the real problem. They saw in Joseph something they had lost. Joseph had a purity about him, that we have already seen to be lacking in some, if not all, of his brothers. They saw in Joseph what they should be, and instead of rejoicing in his devotion to the Lord, they attempted to destroy the reminder.
Envy is a terrible thing. I fight it all of the time in my life. I hear of a preacher being blessed of God in his ministry, and often the “green eyed monster” rears his ugly head. I sometimes have to force myself to rejoice in the victory that God is giving to my pastor friends. I bet that some of you have this problem as well. God blesses somebody in your life, maybe financially or materially, and you get jealous. Maybe your peer at work receives a promotion, and you don’t. How does it make you feel? Ask God to help you rid your heart of this monster. This green beast does not come from the Spirit of God; he is purely a product of your sinful nature. Don’t allow him to influence you to such an extent that you sin against God and others with your words or actions. The “Green Eyed Monster” needs to be put to death in all of our lives. Remember, God is not a repecter of persons. He loves no one more than he loves you, and He has a special plan for your life, just as much as He has used others.
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 8 comments.
Worried Over Nothing
Today’s Passage – Genesis 33 – 35 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 25 – 26; Proverbs 13; Psalms 61 – 65)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 55:17
Read the “0113 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s reading – “Lead On Softly;“ and “Boys Will Be Boys.“
“Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; … Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.” (Genesis 32:7, 11)
“And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.” (Genesis 33:4)
For twenty years Jacob lived with the fear that his brother Esau was going to kill him. His fear of Esau was likely part of the reason why Jacob spent so many years in Padanaram working for his father-in-law in a less than ideal arrangement. But when Jacob finally got fed up with Laban and his in-laws Jacob determined to go back to Canaan and face his brother. For more than two decades Jacob had the fear of his brother in the back of his mind, but all of his worries and fears were for nothing. Not only did Esau not want to kill Jacob, He actually welcomed him in love.
I remember when I worked as a salesman in my father’s wholesale candy and nut business. My job was to service supermarkets, making sure they had enough product, etc. For most of the accounts I took care of, I would need to be in the store at least once per week. Every once in a while, I got backed up and could not get to the stores, sometimes for two or three weeks. I would dread facing those store managers when I was late, and I always imagined the worst-case scenario. In my head, all kinds of bad stuff was going to happen – “the stores are going to be completely empty or a mess,” or “the manager is going to fire my company as a supplier” – but rarely, if ever, did my fears ever prove to be true.
Jacob’s fear of Esau did not go away until he faced him head on, and your fears will not go away either until you face your problems. Don’t allow your problems (or your worry about them) to become larger over time by not dealing with them. Jacob finally resolved his problem with Esau, but it was only after a few things happened:
- Jacob could no longer run from Esau. God made Jacob’e situation so unpleasant in Padanaram, that Jacob finally realized that he would be better off going back home.
- Jacob spent a lot of time on his knees getting right with God. Much of Genesis 32 records Jacob praying and preparing to face his brother.
- Jacob made things right with Esau. Esau was legitimately wronged by Jacob twenty years earlier. Jacob and his mother had deceived Isaac into giving him the blessing that was intended for Esau. Notice in Genesis 33:10 – 11, however, that Jacob wants to make things right. He wants to give the blessing to his brother.
“And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.” (Genesis 33:10-11)
So if you are worried about something, face it head on, but only after you have thoroughly prayed about it and are willing to do whatever is necessary to fix it.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
Perspective
Today’s Passages – Genesis 31 – 32 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 23 – 24; Proverbs 12; Psalms 56 – 60)
Read the “0112 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “No More Jacob,” and “Following the Will of God.“
“And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.” (Genesis 31:1)
The dictionary would define perspective as “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view” (Apple Dictionary)
In the very first verse of our text today in Genesis 31, we see that Laban and his sons had a completely different perspective or point of view than Jacob did. From Laban’s family’s perspective, Jacob had received all of his prosperity from Laban: that Jacob had actually taken it from him and his other sons. From their point of view, Jacob owed them greatly. However, Jacob had a completely different perspective. He saw things in a completely different way than Laban and his boys. Jacob’s side of the story was that Laban’s family did not have very much when Jacob joined them, and because of the hard work and blessing of God upon Jacob, God had increased both Laban and Jacob tremendously. We know from the text that Jacob’s perspective was right:
” … for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.” (Genesis 31:12)
My point, however, is that Laban and Jacob had completely different perspectives on the exact same set of circumstances. It is like those pictures that were circulating around the internet a while back. The image would be of a dress, and some people would sware that the dress was green, and others were absolutely positive that it was another color. People often see things from different perspectives.
Again, we know that Jacob’s particular point of view in this case was the accurate one according to God, but that does not change the fact that Laban’s sons truly believed that they were right also. They were not, but they thought they were. They could not see things from Jacob’s persepective. Oftentimes, people see things through the lense of what is in their best interest. Jacob was benefiting more than the sons of Laban were from the arrangement that Laban made with Jacob, so they naturally thought that somehow something was amiss; they thought Jacob must have been stealing from them, which simply was not true.
There are a couple of lessons here that I think we need to learn. First, when it comes to conflicts between two people who are, in most areas, likeminded, there needs to be a sincere attempt to try to understand the other’s perspective: try to see things from their point of view. Oftentimes, if an open mind is kept, conflicts can be easily resolved.
However, when trying to understand people who come from a completely different perspective, a little more care will have to be taken. Christians have a God perspective; especially those believers who are well-grounded in the Scriptures. We see things from God’s perspective (at least for the most part). The lost world and even some carnal Christians have a totally different perspective, partially because of the fact that they have been blinded to spiritual Truth. Satan has blinded them:
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
The lost world believes that Christians are foolish for believing what we do. They simply do not understand us:
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
As believers, we need to try to understand that the problem is a spiritual one. We are simply living in two different worlds; we have totally different mindsets or paradigms. There needs to be a paradigm shift. We need to pray that God will open their eyes to the Truth of the gospel. If they were to get saved, the problem of different perspectives would be solved. Like you, I get very frustrated watching and listening to the politicians and television personalities who “simply don’t get it.” But, they can’t get it because right now they are blind to the Truth. God needs to open their eyes. We need to pray for them, and compassionately love them and try to preach the Truth to them.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
Rebekah
Today’s Passage – Genesis 27 – 28 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 19 – 20; Proverbs 10; Psalms 46 – 50)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Read the “0110 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “A Disfunctional Family,” “I am with Thee,” “The House of God” and “Savory Meat“
“5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, 7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. 9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: 10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. 11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: 12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. 13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. 14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. 15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: 16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: 17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.” (Genesis 27:5-17)
I have considered these two chapters from our reading today for many years and have previously written on many different aspects of this story involving Jacob and Esau. We have in the past covered the carnality of Isaac and the deception of Jacob but my thought this morning is on Rebekah.
In chapter twenty-seven, we have the story of Jacob tricking his father into giving him the blessing that was intended for his brother Esau. He did this by disguising himself and pretending to be his brother, even going as far as wearing goatskin on his hands to deceive his father who was old and could not see very well. But Jacob did not come up with this idea on his own; the plot was actually hatched by Rebekah, Jacob and Esau’s mother, and Isaac’s wife. It seems a little bizarre to me that this scheme could really work. What I mean is that surely Isaac would eventually discover the truth, which in my mind should nullify any blessing that was pronounced upon Jacob. It seems to me that Isaac could have just renounced the blessing once he found out that he was tricked, but apparently that is not the way it worked in Bible times. I am reminded of the covenant that Joshua made with the Gibeonites after being tricked by them. God expected Israel to honor that covenant even though they were deceived into making it (see Joshua 9:3 – 15). In both of these cases, however, the deception could have been prevented had both Joshua and Isaac consulted the Lord before opening their mouths. And in our story here, I am very sure that God would have stopped Rebekah also had she prayed about it before deceiving her husband. God may also have stopped her husband from what he was about to do had she prayed.
Personally, I cannot agree with some who have said that what Rebekah did was right in the eyes of God. Their reasoning is that because God had pronounced at the time of the birth of the twins (Genesis 25:23) that the elder (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). The theory is that Rebekah was attempting to assist the ultimate will of God by plotting and implementing a plan to deceive her husband. In other words, Rebekah did something wrong in order to accomplish something that was good. But isn’t that situational ethics? Is it ever right to do something wrong in order to accomplish something that is right? That is a hard question. The biblical example of the Rahab the harlot lying to the leaders of Jericho regarding the Israelite spies that she had hidden on her roof comes to mind (see Joshua 2). God commended her for what she did and she is even included in the lineage of Christ (see Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25; Matthew 1:5). There is also the example of the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah who refused to kill the male babies at their births as the Egyptian government instructed and then lied to Pharaoh about how they survived (Exodus 1:15 – 22). Peter and John also disobeyed the command of the religious authority about preaching the gospel because the commandment of God was higher than the commandment of men (Acts 5:29).
However, I do not think that Rebekah’s case is the same as Rahab’s or the case of the midwives. First, Rebekah was not a harlot from a heathen city; she was the wife of a man who knew the Lord and surely came to know the Lord herself. The Lord had spoken directly to her when her twins were born (Genesis 25:23). She knew that lying was wrong and she also knew that she should have been in submission to her husband instead of deceiving him and plotting against what he was trying to do. Now, I do believe that she could have spoken up to her husband and strongly reminded him of what God had told her about their sons. And, she should have prayed fervently about the situation to the Lord. The Lord was not dependent upon the sinful actions of Rebekah to accomplish His will. Esau was going to serve Jacob regardless of what Rebekah decided to do, and the descendants of Jacob (Israel) were going to be God’s chosen people.
Another sad part about this story is that as a result of what happened, Esau becomes angry and plots to kill his brother, which causes Rebekah and Isaac to send Jacob away, back to the Rebekah’s family’s homeland. Jacob would be deceived himself there by Rebekah’s brother, Laban, and will not be free to return home for many years. Rebekah would never again see the son that she loved so dearly because she would die while he was away.
What do you think? Was Rebekah right to act in the way that she did? Was she right to deceive her husband, even if it was for what she may have thought to be a good reason?
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Keep Digging Wells
Today’s Passage – Genesis 25 – 26 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 47:1
Read the “0109 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree;“ and “From A Father To A Son”
“12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. 13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. … 23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake. 25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well. … 28 And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; … 32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water. 33 And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.” (Genesis 26:12-14, 23-25, 28, 32-33)
In our reading today, in chapter twenty-five, we discover that Abraham took another wife, Keturah, after the death of Sarah and they will have six more children who will ultimately receive gifts from Abraham upon his death, but the majority of Abraham’s estate will be given to Isaac. Abraham also sends them away from Isaac unto the “east country” presumably to prevent any conflict that might arise between them and Isaac.
In chapter twenty-six, we learn of the death of Abraham at the ripe old age of 175, and we also learn of the births of Isaac’s two sons, Esau and Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when his wife, Rebekah, had these twins.
In this chapter, the focus is now on Isaac and his family. We see that Isaac, like his father and all of us, had his struggles with sin. Like Abraham, he lied about his wife and told the Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, that she was his sister. God, in His grace, blessed Isaac in spite of his flaws and reaffirms the covenant to him that he originally made with Abraham (Genesis 26:2 – 5).
In verses 12 – 14, we read about the abundant blessing of the Lord upon Isaac and his family. While he sojourned in the land of the Philistines God had increased his wealth “an hundredfold,” but Isaac’s prosperity also caused the Philistines to envy him. They did everything in their power to hurt Isaac. They filled in some of his wells with earth, and for others they strove with him, stealing the water from him. You will notice, however, that there is nothing recorded here about Isaac fighting back. It seems that he just kept moving away from the strife and continued digging new wells until he finally gets to a place where they no longer fight with him. Abimelech recognizes the hand of God upon Isaac and at first drives him away but finally concedes and makes a covenant of peace with him. They each promise that they will not hurt one another in the future.
The chapter closes up at a place called Beersheba, which means “the well of a seven-fold oath.” This is the place where Abraham also made a covenant with Abimelech back in Genesis 21 after he also had some conflict with him over a well. Abraham also planted a grove there and called upon God:
“33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.” (Genesis 21:33)
Isaac learned a lot from his father Abraham. He learned to lie, which was not good; but he also learned to get along with his neighbors and, most importantly, he learned how to walk with God. God appears to Isaac in Beersheba and reaffirms the Abrahamic Covenant with him. Isaac builds there an altar to the Lord similar to the grove that Abraham had planted. You will notice that Isaac also dug a well in Beersheba as Abraham had done, but at first there is no water, but after the covenant is made with Abimelech and the altar is made to God, Isaac’s servants report that they had found water.
God’s hand was certainly upon Isaac at this point in his life. Apart from lying to Abimelech about his wife early in the chapter, Isaac is doing the right things. He is trusting in the Lord and he is trying to get along with the people of the land. Even though they are fighting him, he is resisting the temptation to fight back. He kept searching until he found a place where he could prosper. He found the place of God’s will, and that’s the place where he found water.
If you have not yet found the place of God’s will, keep digging wells until you find it. If you know you are where God wants you to be (Isaac was – see Genesis 26:3), and you are doing what God wants you to do, keep digging until you hit water.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
The Blessing of the Lord
Today’s Passage – Genesis 23 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 15 – 16; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 34:6
Read the “0108 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Taker or Giver?,” “Praying for Clear Direction,” and “The Bride of Christ”
“And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.” (Genesis 24:1)
“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22)
Once again, I am having a hard time deciding what to write about from these rich chapters from Genesis. As I read through these two chapters in the Bible reading schedule this morning, I considered quite a few ideas that could have been developed for today’s devotion. Some of these thoughts I have already considered in previous posts (see above links), and others I need to give some more consideration to before I write about them. These chapters in Genesis are full of great pictures of Christ as well as many wonderful foundational truths, and it benefits all of us to slow down and carefully read each verse.
My thought from the passage surrounds Genesis 24:1. “the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.” What a privilege it is to have God’s abundant riches and blessings bestowed upon our lives. To some degree, all of us on this earth are recipients of the blessing of God. We all eat the food that God provides and we all drink His water. Most of us, especially here in America, live very comfortable lives and enjoy the many good things that God provides. However, the blessings referred to here in this passage go beyond what most people in the world experience. Abraham had God’s abundant provision, protection, and guidance throughout his life; much more so than others.
In today’s reading, in chapter 23, we see that Abraham needed a burying place for his wife Sarah. He wanted to acquire a small piece of land in Hebron that would be a cemetery of sorts so that he could bury his wife at that time, but could also be used as a burying place for future generations. Not only did God grant favor for Abraham in the eyes of Ephron, the Hittite owner of the land, but Ephron even offered to give it Abraham for free, which Abraham refused. I am reminded of a similar situation in 2 Samuel 24 where David was purchasing the threshing floor of Arunah the Jebusite, which would eventually become the place where Israel’s Temple would be placed. Arunah was willing to give David the piece of ground for free, along with the wood and oxen needed for a burnt offering, but David insisted on paying for it. The point is that these non-Israelite men (Ephron and Arunah) were willing to give property of great value to Abraham and David because they recognized God’s grace upon them.
This is quite a contrast to what we often see today. Too many people, and unfortunately, many preachers, are often always asking and trying to get people to give them stuff. I have had more than one preacher ask me to “pray about” some need that they had. I may be a little bit cynical, but I could not help but wonder if their “prayer request” was really just their attempt to get me (or our church) to buy it for them. Abraham and David were both so blessed by God that they didn’t need a handout and also insisted that they pay themselves for what they wanted or needed, and would not allow the former owners to give it for free.
Another thought that crossed my mind as I was considering this topic is this: why were Abraham, David and others like them so blessed of God? There is no doubt in my mind that they were blessed for two reasons: First, they were men of great faith; they believed God:
“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Galatians 3:6)
Secondly, their faith was evidenced by the fact that they obeyed God. Of course, neither Abraham nor David were perfect, in the sense that they never disobeyed the Lord, but their lives were characterized by the fact that they both desired to live for the Lord and please him. Most of the time they got it right, and as a result, God blessed them abundantly.
I want to have that kind of blessing upon my life, upon my family, and also upon my ministry. Notice again the verse from Proverbs:
“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22)
Often, when we try to force or finagle good things to happen in our lives, there will be guilt associated with it. But when God is blessing us and making us rich, there is no guilt. And by the way, this is not just talking about monetary blessings or possessions. God is good to us and blesses us in so many ways. I remember once having dinner with a preacher friend, and he said something to me that at first surprised me. He said: “Brother Erickson, you are one of the richest men I know.” At first, I thought he was crazy because I certainly was not “rich” in possessions. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that he was right. God has been very good to me. I have always had every need provided for me; I have a wonderful wife and family; good friends who would take a bullet for me; and a great church family to serve with. God is good!
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
Waiting on the Will of God
Today’s Passage – Genesis 20 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click hereto view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 13 – 14; Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7
Read the “0107 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34
Read previous posts from today’s passage – “The Whole Truth“, “When God Withholds You,” and “God Will Provide Himself a Lamb“
“1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.” (Genesis 21:1-7)
God had been promising Abraham that he would give him a son for a long time. Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left Haran, after his father Terah died. At that time God had promised Abram that He would make of him a great nation and when he arrived in Canaan, God promised that He would give Abraham’s “seed” the land (Genesis 12:1 – 8) God reaffirmed the promise in Genesis 13:15 after Lot had departed from him and there He promises Abram that He would make his seed as “the dust of the earth.” God reminded Abraham of the promise again after Abram rescued Lot from the four kings who attacked Sodom (Genesis 15:1 – 6), and there we are told that Abraham believed the promise:
“4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.“ (Genesis 15:4-6)
Abram and Sarai get out of the will of God and try to make God’s will happen by allowing Abram to sleep with Sarai’s Egyptian handmaid Hagar, which resulted in the birth of Ismael. Abram was eighty-six at this time, which was eleven years after God had originally promised him a son. I am sure Abram and Sarai thought that God surely was not going to give them a child through Sarai as she was beyond the normal child-bearing years. She would have been seventy-six at this time. So, they figured that God must have meant that a surrogate mother would give Abram the promised “seed.”
Practical Point – Make sure that you have clarity from God before you make any major decisions. Do not just assume that you know what God wants. God will clearly reveal His precise will to you through the Word of God, prayer, godly counsel, and often – waiting on the Lord!
In Genesis 17, when Abram is ninety-nine, God reaffirms that Abram will have a son through Sarai. By the way, it is here in this chapter that God changes Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning “father of many nations,” and Sarai’s name to Sarah, meaning “princess.” Abraham laughs when God verifies this because it would surely be miraculous for Sarah to bear children at her age and after she had been barren. I think that Abraham might have been a little upset about the fact that God was not considering Ishmael to be part of His promise (Genesis 17:18).
In Genesis 18, God appears to Abraham again with two angels, and this time has dinner with him. Here God once again reaffirms his promise regarding Sarah bearing a child, and this time it is Sarah that laughs. God rebukes her for being faithless and Sarah denies that she laughed, but the Lord obviously knew even the secret thoughts of Sarah’s heart.
In our passage today in Genesis 21, Abraham and Sarah finally receive the long-awaited child of promise, Isaac. It was just twenty-five years after God had originally promised him. Abraham was now one hundred years old, and Sarah was ninety-one.
Here is my thought. God rarely operates on our timetable. Sometimes we expect immediate blessing from the Lord and instantaneous answers to our prayers, but God does not often work that way. I have been a pastor here at Jersey Shore for many years now. I honestly expected God to move a lot faster than he did in the ministry here. I thought we would have had thousands of people and many large buildings by now, but it did not work that way, and it probably will never happen as I anticipated. God is doing what He wants to do, and He is doing it in His time. We just have to be faithful to keep doing what God has called us to do and allow Him to bring the increase when and if He is ready. I have discovered that the Christian life, and particular the ministry, is not about the short-term but instead about the long haul. God has blessed and is continuing, and will continue to bless in His time.
How about you? Had you been waiting for God to do something for a long time and have since given up hope. Unless God has revealed to you a change of plans, just keep praying and keep serving, and be patient as you wait for God to do His will.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Walk Thou Before Me and Be Thou Perfect
Today’s Passage – Genesis 17 – 19 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 11 – 12; Proverbs 6; Psalms 26 – 30
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 25
Read the “0106 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage –“Don’t Look Back,” “Abraham Did a Little Walking With God, Too,” “The Prayer of a Friend,” and “God Knows You.”
“1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” (Genesis 17:1)
I did not get very far in my reading this morning until a thought jumped out at me, on the first verse. I immediately dismissed it thinking that it was too quick. The more I read, however, the more other verses started popping into my mind regarding what God said to Abraham in verse one – “walk thou before me, and be thou perfect.” God gave me three other verses in connection to that statement. I’ll give you the verses as God gave them to me and then try to make an application from the text:
“48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
“20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
“18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
The word, “perfect,” is found in the Bible many times in connection to the life of a believer, or the lives (plural) of believers. I did a search on Blue Letter Bible and saw that many of the uses of the word, “perfect,” involved the heart of a believer (Click here to see those verses). the Bible indicates many times that various believers were “perfect,” or had a perfect heart, or could have a perfect heart. But, what does that mean? We know that we are not perfect, at least in the way we understand the meaning of the word today. We use the word “perfect” today to indicate something or somebody that is completely flawless, without any errors or blemishes. None of us qualifies to meet that definition. Ecclesiastes 7:20 (above) clearly teaches that none of us is perfect in that way.
So, what does it mean to be “perfect” the way the Bible means it? In the New Testament, the Greek adjective, τέλειος (teleios) is often translated into the English word, “perfect.” Strongs Concordance and Thayer’s Lexicon both describe the meaning as being “mature,” or “of full age.” So the word, “perfect,” does not mean sinless; it means full grown or mature. the Bible states that after we have been saved for a while we should no longer be “babes” in Christ (1 Corinthians 3; Hebrews 5). Too many believers never grow up spiritually. God wants us to be “perfect,” or mature spiritually. He actually commands it (Matthew 5:48). He wants us to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Growth means that we are moving toward maturity.
The secret to growth is continuing to walk with the Lord. Notice that God told Abraham to “walk before [him].” Walking with God involves being in communion with Him in prayer, through reading the Scriptures, and through obeying and serving Him. At the start of this New Year, try to determine that you are going to walk with the Lord continuously – daily – throughout the year. Start your day with the Scriptures and prayer, and then pray without ceasing throughout the day. You will never be completely perfect (sinless), but we can become more perfect, more mature, more full-grown spiritually.
Late add on – Brother Gary brought up a good point regarding this topic. Positionally, all believers are seen by God as completely righteous because of the blood of Christ (Genesis 7:3; Romans 3:21 – 22). However, the idea here is not justification, but rather sanctification.
“9 For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.” (2 Corinthians 13:9)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
Who is Melchizedek?
Today’s Passages – Genesis 13 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 9 – 10; Proverbs 5; Psalms 21 – 25)
Read the “0105 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Scripture Song – Psalm 119:105
Read previous posts from today’s passage – “Plain Stupid;” “Back to Square One – Almost;”“Balanced and Biblical Separation;”“Relationships are More Important than Riches;” “Gardens and Green Grass or God’s Will?;”and “Good Friends are Hard to Come By.”
“18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” (Genesis 14:18-20)
“4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)
“10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. 11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.” (Hebrews 5:10-11)
“1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: 6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. 7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. 8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.” (Hebrews 7:1-10)
What do we know about Melchizedek? (Note – the New Testament spelling is Melchisedec)
Genesis 14 gives us our initial glimpse of this mysterious character who is mentioned in only one more verse in the Old Testament (Psalm 110:4), but the New Testament unlocks the door of understanding who He was.
A His name means king of righteousness. (Hebrews 7:2)
His name is derived from two Hebrew words: melek, which means king; and tsedek, which means right.
Jeremiah 23:5 – 6 refers to Christ and gives us one of the names for God – Yĕhovah tsidqenuw, which means “The Lord Our Righteousness”:
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
B He was the king of Salem. (Hebrews 7:1 – 2)
Salem means peace and is also an older name for the city of Jerusalem:
“In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.” (Psalm 76:2)
Note – righteousness and peace work together:
“And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.” (Isaiah 32:17)
“Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (Psalm 85:10)
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”(James 3:17-18)
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Hebrews 12:11)
C He was the priest of the most-high God. (Hebrews 7:1)
He was both priest and king. This distinguishes him from the kings of Judah, for they could not serve as priests. (2 Chronicles 26:16 – 21). It is also a contrast from the Levitical priests who did not serve as kings. Note – Christ is Prophet, Priest, and King.
D His lineage is unknown, and he had no known descendants. (Hebrews 7:3)
Some would say that Melchisedec is actually a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is certainly a type of Christ. The language used here merely indicates that we know nothing about where he came from and we also know nothing about the rest of his life and priesthood. Some believe that he is Noah’s son Shem who was still alive during this time.
Vernon McGee stated this regarding Melchisedec:
Here Melchizedek is a picture of Christ and a type of Christ in another way. The Lord Jesus comes out of eternity, and He moves into eternity. He has no beginning and no end. He is the beginning. He is the end. You can’t go beyond Him in the past, and you can’t get ahead of Him in the future. He encompasses all of time and all of eternity. Now how can you find a man who pictures that? Melchizedek is in the Book of Genesis, a book that gives pedigrees—it tells us that Adam begat so-and-so, and so-and-so begat so-and-so, Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob and Esau, and you follow the genealogies on down—it is a book of the families. Yet in this book that gives the genealogies, Melchizedek just walks out onto the pages of Scripture, out of nowhere, then he walks off the pages of Scripture, and we do not see him anymore. Why did God leave out the genealogy of Melchizedek? Because Melchizedek was to be a type of the Lord Jesus in His priesthood. From the prophecy given in Psalm 110 we see that Melchizedek is a picture of Christ in that the Lord Jesus is the eternal God, and He is a priest because He is the Son of God, and He is a priest continually. That is, He just keeps on being a priest—there will be no change in His priesthood because He is eternal.[1]
The Bible is very specific regarding genealogies. It was important that a priest be able to prove his lineage. (Ezra 2:61 – 63; Nehemiah 7:63 – 65) Yet, Melchisedec has no genealogy. He appears mysteriously and suddenly on the pages of Scripture and leaves the same way.
Consider Wiersbe’s comments on Melchisedec:
Melchizedek was not an angel or some superhuman creature; nor was he an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ. He was a real man, a real king, and a real priest in a real city. But as far as the record is concerned, he was not born, nor did he die. In this way, he is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. Though Jesus Christ did die, Calvary was not the end; for He arose from the dead and today lives in “the power of an endless life” (Heb. 7:16). Since there is no account of Melchizedek’s death, as far as the record is concerned, it seems that Melchizedek is still serving as a priest and king. This is another way in which he is like the eternal Son of God.[2]
The New American Commentary presents many of the different historical interpretations of Melchisedec:
The identity of Melchizedek has been the source of considerable discussion and debate. At least seven major views can be delineated. He has been identified by some as a divine being. There are four variations of this view that developed during the Patristic era. A second century Gnostic text identified him as Jesus himself. A sect known as the Melchizedekians arose early in the third century AD. Composed mainly of Jewish converts, it affirmed Melchizedek was a heavenly being superior to Jesus since Jesus was a mediator of men, but Melchizedek was considered a mediator of angels. In the third century, according to Epiphanius (fourth century bishop of Salamis), Melchizedek was identified as the Holy Spirit by the Coptic heresiarch Hieracas. Others understood Melchizedek to be a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus.
A second interpretation suggests Melchizedek is an angelic being, perhaps Michael the archangel. A third view, suggested by some Jewish rabbis in the time of Jerome, was that Melchizedek was Shem, the son of Noah. Philo took Melchizedek to be an actual human high priest who represented nous (mind) in an allegorical fashion. Carmignac suggested Melchizedek is a symbolic name for the human Davidic Messiah.551 Kobelski regarded Melchizedek as a historical and a heavenly figure, but not an angel. He was superior to angels but inferior to the Son. Davila suggested he was a tutelary deity of the Davidic house along the lines of ancestral deification in West Semitic royal cults.553 A seventh view takes Melchizedek to be a Canaanite king-priest of Salem (Jerusalem) who was a worshipper of the true God.[3]
E He was honored by Abraham. (Hebrews 7:2; 4 – 10)
Melchisedec came out to bless Abraham and Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils from the battle. This passage points out that since Abraham honored this man, then so did Abraham’s seed. The Nation of Israel looked to Abraham as their greatest patriarch, yet Abraham submitted to one who was even greater.
Note – the practice of tithing was commanded under the Old Testament Law (Leviticus 27:30 – 32) and was to be given to the Levites (Numbers 18:21 – 25). However, we see from this passage in Hebrews and from Genesis 14 that tithing commenced before the Law. (also Genesis 28:20 – 22 regarding Jacob, also before the Law) Tithing was also commended by the Lord Jesus:
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”(Matthew 23:23)
Note also that Melchisedec met Abraham with bread and wine which foreshadow the Lord’s death and shed blood. It appears that Melchisedec and Abraham observed something similar to the Lord’s Supper that we observe today, only their observance foreshadowed and prophesied the death of Christ, and our’s remembers it.
Was Melchizedek a Christophany or a type of Christ?
The verse that seems to be the main source of controversy is Hebrews 7:3
“Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” (Hebrews 7:3)
Of the many theories put forth by good men on this subject, I have concluded that there are really only two strong arguments:
- Melchisedec is a type of Christ
The description given of Melchisedec here in Hebrews, and also in Genesis 14:18 – 20 indicates that the mysterious Melchisedec was a person recognized by Abraham as being superior to him. Remember, Abraham was a priest himself, in that he interceded for others and offered up sacrifices to God. (Genesis 12:7 – 8) He also was a king, though the title is never used in reference to him. He ruled over 318 servants (Genesis 14:14), and their families. Abraham had no respect for the kings that he rescued in Genesis 14, nor for the kings that he conquered, but he did have respect unto Melchisedec (meaning king of righteousness), the King of Salem.
The phrase in Hebrews, “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life”, means that there is nothing recorded about them in the Genesis record. Again, it is important to note that Genesis is a book of genealogies, but there is no genealogical record of Melchisedec because he is a type of Christ. We no nothing of where or who He came from, nor do we no anything about his descendants. Notice again the phrase “without father, without mother”. Taken these words literally, we could not possibly understand them to refer to any human being, but neither could we perfectly attribute them to Christ, who certainly had a Father, and even in terms of His humanity, had a mother.
The phrase, “like unto the son of God”, is also very interesting. “Like unto” always indicates a comparison; comparing something to something else that is similar in some respect. If Melchisedec was, in fact, the Son of God, the wording is very unusual. The oft repeated statement in Scripture that “there is none like unto the Lord our God” does not refute the fact that Melchisedec, though not God, was like Him in a limited way. There are many people in the Old Testament who are types of Christ, and as such are like Him in a limited way, though no human being could be completely, or even close to completely like God. Melchisedec, as recorded in Genesis and Hebrews is said to be like Christ, in that he did not descend from Levi, and in that his priesthood had had no recorded beginning or ending.
- Melchisedec may have been a Christophany (or Theophany) – Christ (or God) in the flesh
Below are some of the views of good men regarding the subject of Melchisedec.
Here is what Spurgeon writes regarding Melchisedec:
“Consider how great this man was” as to the singularity of his person, “without father, without mother, without descent”: that is to say, we know nothing as to his birth, his origin, or his history. Even this explanation hardly answers to the words, especially when it is added, “Having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.” So mysterious is Melchizedek that many deeply-taught expositors think that he was veritably an appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are inclined to believe that he was not a king of some city in Canaan, as the most of us suppose, but that he was a manifestation of the Son of God, such as were the angels that appeared to Abraham on the plains of Mamre, and that divine being who appeared to Joshua by Jericho, and to the three holy ones in the furnace. At any rate, you may well consider how great this man was when you observe how veiled in cloud is everything about his coming and going-veiled because intended to impress us with the depth of the sacred meanings which were shadowed forth in him. How much more shall this be said of him of whom we ask- “Thy generation who can tell, Or count the number of thy years?”[4]
Harry Ironside takes this position:
There is no reason to think of Melchisedec as in himself a mysterious personage, possibly supernatural, or even as some have supposed a pre-incarnate appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. If any ask, “Who is Melchisedec?” the only proper answer is “Melchisedec.” He was not Shem the son of Noah, nor Job of the land of Uz, nor Cheops the builder of the great pyramid, as some have endeavored to prove. He was, as is distinctly stated, Melchisedec, King of Salem. All that we know of him is given us in the book of Genesis, chap. 14:18–20. This historical account depicts him as a royal priest reigning in Salem, the city that was afterwards known as Jerusalem. Long before the Levitical economy had been established and a special family set apart for the priesthood he, like Job and Abraham, offered sacrifices as a priest of the Most High God. In the divine providence he met Abraham and his triumphant band as they returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and his allies. It is noticeable that the King of Sodom was on his way to meet Abraham when the latter was intercepted by Melchisedec, who came to bless him in the name of the Most High God, and whose spiritual authority Abraham recognized by giving him tithes of all the spoils. Strengthened by the bread and wine administered by Salem’s king-priest, Abraham was prepared to refuse the blandishments of the King of Sodom, representative of the world in all its impurity and debasement.[5]
The Bible Knowledge Commentary has this to say:
To begin with, the writer set forth the personal greatness of the Old Testament figure Melchizedek. As a fit prototype for Christ Himself, Melchizedek was both a king and a priest. He both blessed … Abraham and received his tithes. Melchizedek’s name and title suggest the messianic attributes of righteousness and peace. So far as the Old Testament record is concerned, he was without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life. In saying this, the author is often taken to mean that the silence of the inspired record presents Melchizedek as typologically like the Son of God. But though this is possibly true, the statements do not sound like it, particularly the assertion that Melchizedek remains a priest forever. The word “forever” translates a phrase (eis to diēnekes) that occurs only in Hebrews (here and in 10:12, 14) and means “continuously” or “uninterruptedly.”It seems more natural that the author meant that Melchizedek belonged to an order in which there was no end to the priesthood of those engaged in it. (He later said in 7:8 that Melchizedek “is declared to be living.”) If this is correct, Melchizedek may have been an angelic being who reigned for a time at Salem (i.e., Jerusalem). If so, the statement that he was “without beginning of days” would not mean that he was eternal, but simply that he had a pretemporal origin. Nor would this concept of Melchizedek as an angel elevate him to the same level as God’s Son, since the author painstakingly asserted the Son’s superiority to the angels (1:5–14). There is indeed evidence that, at Qumran, Melchizedek was regarded as an angelic personage. If this is the case in Hebrews, then the Son of God is the HighPriest in an order in which Melchizedek is simply a priest.[6]
[1] McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 5, p. 552). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 300). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] Allen, D. L. (2010). Hebrews (pp. 408–410). Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.
[4] Spurgeon, C H – from a sermon preached at The Metropolitan Tabernacle on April 12, 1885.
[5] Ironside, H. A. (1932). Studies in the Epistle to the Hebrews (pp. 85–86). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.
[6] Hodges, Z. C. (1985). Hebrews. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 797–798). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.