Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchizedek was king of Salem, kohen of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,
Hebrews 7:7 Now it is beyond dispute that the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Our life, the life of faith, is pervaded by paradox. Life faces us with apparently irreconcilable conditions and realities that we struggle to understand and integrate, sometimes throughout an entire lifetime. The Lord himself exemplifies this reality in his dual identity as the expressed image of God and a fully human male who suffered the worst consequences of sin...without deserving them. We live daily within the paradox of God's perfect holiness and our fundamental human imperfection, constantly needing to accept His grace as we strive toward His perfection.
Much of the life of faith is learning to abide in love and peace within our paradoxical existence, and Yeshua gave us His Holy Spirit to make it possible. He also offered us a pile of "paradoxical" advice exhorting us to behave or respond opposite to human nature. Do you want to be great in the Kingdom? Become a servant to all. An enemy strikes your left cheek? Turn to him the right one. Overcome evil with good. There are many of these if you look for them, and they begin to describe a lifestyle that distinguishes a true believer in ever-increasing uniqueness.
This passage in Hebrews reveals that Melchizedek blessed Abraham according to this principle: the lesser is blessed by the greater. Given the greatness of Abraham, we might be surprised to discover the dimension of Melchizedek's status. His name means "My King is Righteousness," suggesting that he is a type of Messiah and quite (paradoxically) qualified to bless the father of faith.
This paradoxical life, perplexing, frustrating, tempting, tormenting as it is, incites most of us to react badly in one way or another, producing endless cycles of revenge, hatred, retribution, and remorse. But God, who is the greatest of all, blesses us who are "lesser." And He also invites us to the greatness of blessing...our neighbors, our children, even our enemies. The temptation of paradox is overcome by the opportunity to bless. It's a way of God whose life and heart are full of blessing. If we desire to be like Him, increasing in stature and overcoming evil, we'll seek the Spirit's power to bless others.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Genesis 24 recounts the marriage of Issac and Rebekah. As the offering of Isaac by his father Abraham was a clear picture or type of our Heavenly Father’s offering of His Son Yeshua, we may also view this marriage as a picture or type of Yeshua’s marriage to his Bride.
One of my heroes of the faith, Watchman Nee, once said something profound about entering the rest of God. He said, “Carnal Christians crave works; yet amid many labors, they are unable to maintain calm in their spirit. They cannot fulfill God’s orders quietly as can the spiritual believers… their hearts are governed by outward matters. Being “distracted with much serving” (Luke 10:40) is the characteristic of the work of any soulish believer. They have not yet entered the rest of God.”
I just read an interesting article discussing how the current crisis is spawning worry and anxiety syndrome amongst many people. An emotional environment is sweeping the land. The effects may be subtle, but they’re serious. Do we want to contribute to this?
In Israel, we often see goats and sheep roaming the countryside. Driving through rural Israel often involves suddenly stopping to allow a herd of sheep or goats to cross the road. But interestingly, I have never seen “sheep kill” on the side of the road in all the years that I’ve lived in Israel. It’s because sheep don’t roam without a shepherd!
Set my mind on things above where my life is hidden with Christ…
…every problem, every issue, every fear, every practical matter concerning nature and flesh, to be reckoned in the light of a spiritual identity, a reality which I cannot see, a Heaven which is somewhere outside my universe. And Paul says, “Seek that!” How do I do that? How do I stretch my attention into the Heavenly realm…set my mind on things above?
The Sabbath is a weekly experiential reminder of the FREEDOM we experience from bondage to sin. In the above passage, Moses explicitly connects the celebration of Shabbat with deliverance from slavery. Isaiah 61:1 beautifully expresses Yeshua’s saving work bringing good news to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, proclaiming liberty to the captives, and opening the prison to those who are bound, a wonderful message of deliverance and freedom.
The apostle Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians contains clear and powerful exhortations concerning the will of God for believers. These exhortations express the specific will of God in relationships with others, with ourselves, and with the Lord. Packed into these short verses are patterns of life and behavior which receive His blessing in all these relationships.