Genesis 14:17-20
One of the glorious aspects about the New Covenant is how it reveals to us Jesus in the Old Testament. Jesus introduced to us the manner in which to preach the Old Testament when He opened the scriptures and expounded to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, “the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). We would do well to remember this lesson, and do our due diligence to see Jesus in the pages of the Old Testament.
Hebrews 7 retells the story of Melchizedek, the priest who meets Abram after his slaughter of Chedorlaomer. Melchizedek is described as the “King of peace” (Hebrews 7:2). That is our first hint that this is Jesus, for Christ is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Next, we learn that he is “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life” (Hebrews 7:3). This is a perfect description of Jesus as God, with no beginning of days or end; with no parents to birth Him and no children left behind. As a man, Jesus had all of these things (you and I are His children, though He fathered none in the flesh (Isaiah 53:8)), but as God He qualifies. Then we get the final, most important piece of information about Melchizedek, he was “made like unto the Son of God” (Heb. 7:3).
When Melchizedek approaches Abram he brings him bread and wine (Genesis 14:18). This action would be repeated by Jesus in the Last Supper, when he broke the bread as His body and offered the cup as His blood. Paul felt such power in the ceremony of Communion that he repeated the words of our Lord, giving credence to the taking of Communion as more than a mere observance of Christ’s death and resurrection. In fact, Paul said that when we partake of the bread and the cup, we “do show the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
This giving of the bread and wine to Abram by Melchizedek was Christ’s pointing forward to the finished work of the cross. Jesus said of the bread, “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24). The breaking of Jesus’ body occurred at Calvary, so the breaking of bread symbolizes what His broken body accomplished. He said of the wine, “This cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25). The blood of Jesus was spilled at the cross, so the wine symbolizes the justification, redemption and sanctification that are provided by faith in the finished work.
Abram’s response to this pre-incarnate meeting with Jesus was to tithe of everything that he had just taken (Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7:4). A tithe is a tenth of what you have, and this practice has been around every since. No one instructed Abram to do this; he simply did it out of worship due to the revelation of the bread and the wine. Many are tithing to this day under the law, paying the Lord by obligation, not realizing that their giving should always be out of revelation, not of obligation (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Communion shows forth Jesus’ death, while tithing shows forth His life (Hebrews 7:8). Abram’s response to the death of the Son of God was to speak of the new life of the Son of God. When we dwell on Christ’s finished work, we show forth His resurrected life. Hallelujah!
One of the glorious aspects about the New Covenant is how it reveals to us Jesus in the Old Testament. Jesus introduced to us the manner in which to preach the Old Testament when He opened the scriptures and expounded to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, “the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). We would do well to remember this lesson, and do our due diligence to see Jesus in the pages of the Old Testament.
Hebrews 7 retells the story of Melchizedek, the priest who meets Abram after his slaughter of Chedorlaomer. Melchizedek is described as the “King of peace” (Hebrews 7:2). That is our first hint that this is Jesus, for Christ is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Next, we learn that he is “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life” (Hebrews 7:3). This is a perfect description of Jesus as God, with no beginning of days or end; with no parents to birth Him and no children left behind. As a man, Jesus had all of these things (you and I are His children, though He fathered none in the flesh (Isaiah 53:8)), but as God He qualifies. Then we get the final, most important piece of information about Melchizedek, he was “made like unto the Son of God” (Heb. 7:3).
When Melchizedek approaches Abram he brings him bread and wine (Genesis 14:18). This action would be repeated by Jesus in the Last Supper, when he broke the bread as His body and offered the cup as His blood. Paul felt such power in the ceremony of Communion that he repeated the words of our Lord, giving credence to the taking of Communion as more than a mere observance of Christ’s death and resurrection. In fact, Paul said that when we partake of the bread and the cup, we “do show the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
This giving of the bread and wine to Abram by Melchizedek was Christ’s pointing forward to the finished work of the cross. Jesus said of the bread, “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24). The breaking of Jesus’ body occurred at Calvary, so the breaking of bread symbolizes what His broken body accomplished. He said of the wine, “This cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25). The blood of Jesus was spilled at the cross, so the wine symbolizes the justification, redemption and sanctification that are provided by faith in the finished work.
Abram’s response to this pre-incarnate meeting with Jesus was to tithe of everything that he had just taken (Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7:4). A tithe is a tenth of what you have, and this practice has been around every since. No one instructed Abram to do this; he simply did it out of worship due to the revelation of the bread and the wine. Many are tithing to this day under the law, paying the Lord by obligation, not realizing that their giving should always be out of revelation, not of obligation (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Communion shows forth Jesus’ death, while tithing shows forth His life (Hebrews 7:8). Abram’s response to the death of the Son of God was to speak of the new life of the Son of God. When we dwell on Christ’s finished work, we show forth His resurrected life. Hallelujah!
No comments:
Post a Comment