Genesis 14:18-20
“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’ And he gave him a tithe of all.”
Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek is one of the most interesting and encouraging stories in Scripture. The scene is set for their meeting in the previous chapter, where we find Lot departing from Abram, and moving to the plains outside the city of Sodom. What seemed to be a brilliant business decision, turned out to be a costly moral one, as Lot is soon caught up in the ways of Sodom. When fighting breaks out between nations, Lot finds himself taken captive as a POW, and led to Elam where he will become a slave. The news of Sodom’s defeat, and Lot’s capture, reaches the ears of Abram, who gathers his 318 servants and heads out in hot pursuit. Abram is attempting to do with 318 farmers, what five armies could not do; defeat the forces of Chedorlaomer.
Miraculously, Abram is able, not only to defeat Chederlaomer, but to drive his forces as far north as Damascus. God has accomplished the impossible through the faithful and fearless service of a few men. It is here, the story gets really interesting. Upon returning home, Abram is met by Melchizedek, the King and Priest of Salem. This man, although only appearing briefly in the narrative of Genesis, becomes a key player in the overall story of Scripture. When we come to the New Testament, we are told the ministry of Jesus was patterned after the ministry of Melchizedek. Jesus, unlike the Jewish priests, was both a king and a priest. The encounter Abram had with him, is an illustration of the encounters that we must have with Christ.
Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek happens after a battle, that would have left any army exhausted, and before facing the king of Sodom, who would offer him great riches. It is here, Abram meets with Melchizedek, who offers him bread, wine and a blessing. As Scripture continues to unfold, we will find that bread and wine play a critical role.
Life for the believer is filled with spiritual battles. We face the trials and temptations of life, coupled with the difficulties of winning others to the Lord. This can become exhausting, and leave us vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. The secret is to take a page from Abram’s book, being sure our service includes ample time with King Jesus, and our focus is on the cross. In communion, where we are told to remember Jesus, the bread reminds us of His body, broken for our sin, while the wine reminds us of the forgiveness we find in Him. It is critical, in the midst of battle, we learn to get alone with the Lord and allow Him to strengthen us.
Whatever challenges you may face today, spending time with Jesus will prepare you for it. Before you run out the door to face the next hurdle in life, be sure to take time to look into the Word, and up at the Lord.
Pastor Jim
Life is filled with ups and downs. Sometimes, it seems as if we are living under the sunshine of God’s favor, while other times, we seem to be under a dark cloud of difficulty. Abram and his family were facing a dark time. They were living as sojourners in the land of Canaan when famine struck. This was, no doubt, caused by lack of rainfall. They soon realized, their only course of action, was to head to Egypt. As they journeyed, Abram was gripped with fear. He knew the danger they were stepping into and feared for his safety. Believing that once the rulers of the land saw his wife, they would kill him, and take her. He devised a plan that would keep him safe. He would convince Sarai to claim she was his sister. It seemed as though the plan was working, until the Lord uncovered the sin of Abram.
Genesis is the book of beginnings. In it, we are introduced to many things which play a prominent role as the rest of Scripture unfolds. Here, in Chapter 10, we are introduced to the city of Babylon, which becomes a major player in the Biblical narrative. It is mentioned 257 times in the Bible. We learn Babylon was built by a man named Nimrod (whose name means rebellion); he built Babylon in defiance of God. His purpose in building the city is recorded in Genesis 11:4
Once the waters had resided and the ark settled, Noah and his family exited the ark to begin a new life. They would have to survey the land, build shelter, plant crops, and much more. It is interesting to me, of all the events that must have transpired, the Scriptures only focus upon a few. We read in Genesis 8, Noah offered sacrifice to the Lord. We can assume, after all he experienced, he was still a very godly man. We read in Chapter 9, a covenant between God and man was re-established, based upon the shedding of blood. When we come to the story before us, having settled in the new world with his new life, we find Noah indulging in wine and becoming fall-down drunk. As we continue through the Bible, we will see clearly that drunkenness is both foolish and forbidden. In our text, it is not the sin of Noah that is the focus of our attention, but the sin of his son, Ham.
The last time Noah heard the voice of God he was instructed to enter the ark and shut the doors. Since that time, forty-seven days have passed. These were days of difficulty, unrest, fear and anxiety, as Noah and his family stepped out into the unknown. In a time when Noah needed the voice of God more than ever, it seemed that heaven had gone silent. What a blessing it is to read “God remembered Noah…”
The story of the flood is a story of judgment and redemption. Mankind had turned its back on God. Moses is careful to describe the condition of the world at that time;
As the drama of Genesis unfolds, we are introduced to two of Adam’s sons, and given a glimpse into their lives and occupations. Abel, the younger, was a shepherd, while his older brother Cain was a farmer. It was not their occupations, but their character that determined their destinies. We read, Abel brought an offering of the flocks, while Cain brought the fruit of the ground; God respected Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s. The question we must answer is why? What was wrong with Cain’s offering?
The scene in the garden quickly shifts, and we find Eve face to face with great temptation. This text not only explains how sin and death entered the world, but also serves as an illustration of the temptations a believer will face. The first thing to note is how the devil is described, he is called “cunning.” It is important to remember, whenever facing temptation, that every word out of the mouth of the devil is designed to deceive. Jesus called him the father of lies (John 8:44), so we should expect that he will twist the words of God, in order to lead us astray. As their discussion continues, we see three key truths about temptation.
Jim Gallagher 