Week 1: Jesus in Our Homes
SERIES: JESUS IN OUR LIVES
Week 1: Jesus in our homes
Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL
Sermon for February 2, 2020
Pastor Kurt Steinbrueck
Introduction:
This week started the new sermon series, “Jesus in Our Lives.” This series takes a practical look at how having Jesus in our lives changes our lives. How does Jesus change our perspectives, attitudes, and actions.
The series will look at Jesus in four contexts of our lives:
- Home
- Work
- School (both parents and students)
- and Neighborhoods.
Today’s message focused on Jesus in Our Homes.
The message focuses on four gifts God gives us for our home lives:
- God’s Word
- Prayer
- The Church
- Family
Understanding that home look different for each person, these gifts benefit us regardless of our home situation (single, married, kids, parents, etc.), however, how we use them differs depending on our home situation.
Message Notes:
God’s Word
- Not just stories and instructions. God is present and active in His Word.
- He strengthens, transforms and guides us through His Word.
- We should make time ever day to be in God’s Word.
- Personal time
- Family Devotions
- We can focus on God’s promises and guidance instead listening to the world’s advice.
Prayer
- God opens Heaven’s throne to us and asks us to talk with Him.
- Pray about anything and everything.
- We should make time ever day to pray, preferably multiple times a day.
- Personal time
- Family Devotions
- We can bring our concerns to God instead of worrying about our home’s problems.
Church
- Church was created by God for you.
- God gives us blessings (Word and Sacraments) in worship.
- God gives us family to walk this life of faith together.
- By gathering with other believers, we build each other up, teach, correct, and care for one another.
- We should prioritize worship over other activities (this takes an active choice)
- We should also get involved in small groups to build relationships.
- Make this commitment as an individual and do church together as a family.
- We can learn and grow in the church and have the support of others instead of trying to do it all on our own.
Family
- God gives family for support and stability.
- Children honor your parents. They are God’s gift to you for your good. Honor means to love, respect, and obey.
- Parents raise your children in the faith and discipline of God.
- Singleness is a blessing.
- You have opportunities people with families don’t have, use them.
- Remain in the purity God has called you to.
- Marriage is also a blessing.
- Love one another and care for one another.
- Fight for each other and for your marriage.
- Jesus fought for us even though we were the ones who hurt Him and sinned against Him.
- Because we have the grace and forgiveness of Jesus, we can show each other grace and forgiveness as parents and children, husbands and wives, etc.
It’s not all About Your Work
Sometimes practical faith messages end up just being a bunch of stuff you need to do. But that’s not what our faith is about. Our Faith is about what God has done.
Focus on the promises of God.
Upcoming Emails:
Over the next few days we’ll be sending out emails that supplement this week’s message. These emails will contain:
- A List of Some of God’s Promises
- Devotional Materials for individuals and families
- Information about Prayer, Including How to Teach Your Kids to Pray
- Should You Let Your Kids Skip Church?
- What Does it Mean to Honor Your Parents as an Adult?
Watch for these emails.
God bless!
Pastor Kurt
Visit us at https://faithwesleychapel.com/
Follow us at facebook.com/FaithWesleyChapel/
Join us for worship this Sunday at 4 pm.
We use the dance studio at Song and Dance to hold worship services.
Song and Dance, Inc.
27221 Foamflower Blvd.
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
See you Sunday and God bless!
For more sermon videos please visit our Service Archive.
Joseph Forgives
Joseph Forgives
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.” Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt….
Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. – Genesis 42:1-3, 6-7
Sometimes brothers don’t get along. Sometimes the older brothers sell the younger one into slavery. Well, at least that’s what happened to Joseph. He had every reason to be angry at his brothers. He had every reason to exact revenge.
A great famine was upon the land and Jacob and his sons were running out of food. So, they went to the only place they could to get food, Egypt. There is where Joseph now was and he was in charge of the food distribution.
Joseph could have had his brothers arrested and thrown in jail, like he had been. He could have sent them away without food and let them starve. He doesn’t do either of these, though.
First, Joseph tests them.
Joseph hides his identity and accuses them of being spies and then forces them to bring Benjamin, the youngest brother (also Jacob’s new favorite). Once they bring Benjamin, Joseph treats them well and invites them to dinner. Then, however, he sends them home with grain and has one of his servant place Joseph’s silver cup in Benjamin’s bag. He then sends his steward to catch up to them and search their bags for the “stolen” cup. It is found, of course, so they are brought back and Joseph threatens Benjamin’s life as the one who “stole” the cup.
Will the brothers treat Benjamin as they did Joseph so long ago or have they changed? One of the brothers, Judah, offers himself in exchange for Benjamin. Joseph then knows that his brothers have changed.
Joseph then reveals who he is.
Joseph brings all the brothers in and tells them he is Joseph and is still alive. Were the brothers excited? Happy? Nope. Try scared out of their minds. They figure Joseph is now going to kill them all. But Joseph says,
And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. – Genesis 45:5-8
Joseph not only forgives his brothers but shows that he understands that everything that happened was according to God’s will. God was saving lives and preserving his people. He was keeping His covenant. Even though it had been tough on Joseph, he realized that sometimes God takes people through hards times to serve His purposes.
Heavenly Father,
We do not always understand Your ways. Help us to trust that You are with us and are at work in our lives both when things are going the way we like and when they are not. Also, help us to forgive those who harm us just as Joseph forgave his brothers and as Jesus has forgiven us.
Amen.
You can read the full account of Joseph dealing with his brothers in Egypt in Genesis 42-45. Click here to read it.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
God Blesses Joseph…Sort Of
God Blesses Joseph...Sort Of
“So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, ‘Make way!’ Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” – Genesis 41:41-43
If the passage above were the beginning of Joseph’s story, it would be pretty awesome. However, it’s not. It’s more like the middle and what leads up to this point isn’t nearly so great sounding.
Sold into Slavery
If you remember my blog post from last week (link), Joseph was hated by his brothers. They plotted to kill him, but in a last minute moment of mercy, his oldest brother convinced the others to just sell him into slavery and convince their father Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.
Falsely Accused
As a slave, Joseph worked for an Egyptian named Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials. Despite his circumstance, Joseph put forth his best effort as though he were working for the Lord. He did well so Potiphar liked him and put him in charge of his whole household…until Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of attempted rape (she was really the one who tried to seduce him). So Potiphar has Joseph sent to prison.
Sent to Prison
Joseph spent years in prison. Joseph, again, despite his circumstances, decided to serve God however he could in prison. Eventually, he was put in charge of all the prisoners…but he was still in prison.
Left in Prison for Years
Then Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer offended Pharaoh and got tossed in prison. They each had dreams one night and, by the grace of God, Joseph was able to interpret the dreams. They would both be released from prison, the cupbearer to be restored to Pharaoh’s palace and the baker to be killed.
Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember Joseph when he was restored and ask Pharaoh to release him. However, once the cupbearer was restored he forgot all about Joseph and Joseph spent another two years in prison.
Made Second Most Powerful Person in Egypt
Then Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret. The cupbearer finally remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him. Pharaoh sent for Joseph who was able to interpret the dream, a warning that there were to be seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine.
Joseph recommended the Pharaoh that the Egyptians be made to save a portion of the crops from the good years so they were have food for the famine years. That’s when we finally get to our passage. Pharaoh liked Joseph’s plan and decided to put him in charge of it and made him the number 2 person in all of Egypt.
A Difficult Path
Joseph had a difficult path. If we knew Joseph at the time, we probably would have understood if he got mad and threw in the towel. Yet, Joseph, after each disappointing development, chose to trust that God would work through the situation. So, he served God wherever he was.
I’ve told this story with an emphasis on the negative parts, but the Bible is clear that God was with Joseph through this whole journey. He blessed him at home. He blessed him at Potiphar’s. He blessed him in prison. Finally, He blessed him with Pharaoh.
What will your path look like?
For Joseph, God wasn’t just working to bless Joseph, He provides for Joseph’s family (the start of the people of Israel) during the famine through Joseph’s position. He also provides a place for them to move in Egypt where they will prosper. In the bigger picture, God was moving forward His plan of redemption for all mankind.
What has happened in your life? Has it been one success after another or have there been some setbacks along the way, maybe even unfair setbacks. I’m not saying that you’ll end up second in command of a nation, but I wonder if, at the end of your journey, you’ll look back and see some amazing things of how God was working through all of it?
Heavenly Father,
You bless us when things are going well and when they appear to be going badly. You even take the results of our sin and the sins of others and work good for Your people. Help me, like Joseph, to trust that You are working whether things are going how I want or not. Help me to chose to serve You no matter what my circumstance.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
What Would You Do for a Wife/Husband?
What Would You Do for a wife / husband?
Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel. Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” – Genesis 29:16-20
After tricking his father into giving him his brother’s blessing, Jacob went to find a wife. Isaac (Jacob’s Father) had told him not to marry a Canaanite woman and sent him back to his mother’s (Rebekah) home town, also Abraham’s home town. This was common practice in these days. So, he went to his mother’s brother, Laban.
When Jacob arrived, he saw Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter, and fell madly in love with her. In order to marry her, he agreed to work for Laban for 7 years. Laban agreed and Jacob spent the next 7 years working to receive the hand of Rachel. So great was his love for her that the Bible says those seven years felt like days.
When the seven years were finally up, a marriage celebration was held. However, Laban tricked Jacob. Instead of bringing Rachel to Jacob, Laban brings Leah, Rachel’s older sister. Jacob doesn’t realize the deception until after it’s too late. Considering Jacob’s history of deception, it seems dishonesty runs in the family.
Once Jacob realizes the deception, Laban offers him Rachel…if he works for another 7 years. So, in all, Jacob worked 14 years for the hand of the woman he loved.
A Labor of Love
One of the things that stuck out for me in this passage is how the years of labor flew by for Jacob because of his love for Rachel.
We all have things we have to do, but the reason we do them affects our attitude and how we perceive the work. This is true in marriage, families, our jobs, and even our church.
If we do something out of love for another or, especially, for God, we are going to have an attitude of joy and work won’t seem too bad. However, if we do something out of coercion, obligation, or for a reward of some sort (money, recognition, promotion, etc.) that work can quickly become a burden and lead to resentment.
If you start to feel resentful about the things you are doing, rather than looking to complain about the situation, start by looking at your own reasons for doing these things. You may just need to reorient why you are doing them to get rid of the resentment and start feeling contentment and joy again.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” Colossians 3:23
Dear Jesus,
You showed us the greatest example of a labor of love. You loved us so much that you gave your life for us. Keep us from resentment and help us to labor in love.
Amen
You can read the whole story of Jacob and Rachel in Genesis 29. Click here to read it.
A Cheater and a Liar
A Cheat and a Liar
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!”
Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.
When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son…Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”
Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank.
After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting…Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
-Sections of Genesis 25 and 27
Passages like this can be hard and confusing to read. After all, this is Jacob. As in, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is a “hero” of the Bible, yet we see here that he cajoled and cheated his brother out of both his birthright and his blessing.
To be sure, Esau isn’t blameless here either. He sells his birthright for meal and the Bible says “Esau despised his birthright.” Yet, it’s Jacob’s behavior that is most concerning. Jacob isn’t done here, either. He will continue a pattern of bad behavior for quite a while, but he will also grow and God will work on him over time.
There’s another pattern that we’ll see in the Bible. God will continue to work through people who have moral failings as He works out His plan of redemption. Sure, Jacob isn’t perfect, but God still works through Him, continues to fulfill His covenant with Abraham, and continues to bring about the salvation of the world. Of course, if God didn’t work through sinful people, He would have no one to work through. We all sin.
The pattern is one of God’s faithfulness in the midst of our unfaithfulness. I find it reassuring as I read through stories like Jacob and Esau. If God is willing to work with Jacob, then He can work with me. Even in Genesis we see what kind of God we have, a God who loves sinners.
Dear Jesus,
You ate with sinners. You love and died for sinners. Your Father also loves sinners. Thank you for loving me, a sinner, and dying for me. I pray that You would work in my life that through me others would come to know Your salvation.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
You can read the full story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis Chapters 25, 27-32. Click here to read it.
Sometimes It’s Not a Moral Lesson
Sometimes It's not a moral lesson
Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” – Genesis 24:12-14
In Genesis 24 Abraham is getting old. His son Isaac is yet to be married and he wants to make sure Isaac gets married and marries the right girl. So, he sends his servant to find Isaac a wife. Before we start to think this is crazy or Abraham is overbearing, we need to remember that this is how marriages were done in this culture. It was proper for Abraham to do this.
So, the servant returns to Abraham’s homeland, according to Abraham’s command, and arrives at a well. He knows it’s about to be the time when the women would come out to get water. So, he prays the prayer above. Shortly after, Rebekah shows up and offers the servant water for he and his camels.
God has answered the servant’s prayer and the servant proceeds to visit with Rebekah’s family and negotiate the marriage (again, this is how it was done in that culture). Rebekah then returns with the servant, marries Isaac, and the rest is history.
How many of us have tried the same thing, especially when we were young and single?
“Lord, may the next girl/guy who walks through the door be the person of my dreams who I will marry and live happily ever after with.”
Did it work? Probably not. Then we went home sad and alone.
But wait!! God, didn’t you do that for Isaac? Why not for me? I prayed! Did I need to pray at a well? What gives?!!
We do this a lot with the Bible. We read a passage and try to find the moral lesson or guide to life in it. What is God telling me here? We find the five smooth-stone steps to defeating our giants or the character traits for withstanding life’s fiery furnace.
However, sometimes there’s no moral lesson. Sometimes the passage is just telling us the history of what happened and there’s no promise that it will ever happen like that again. In fact, most of the Old Testament accounts aren’t intending to be “life lessons” and we are really reading our own ideas into story when we find moral lessons.
This can be troublesome for a few reasons.
- We can miss the true intent of Scripture, the story of God redeeming man through Jesus and start to see the Bible as instructions for life. This can change our picture of who God is and what He wants.
- We will have a hard time reconciling passages where the “hero” does something bad or sinful. Am I supposed to lie about my wife like Abraham did?
- We can read false lessons into the Bible.
Heavenly Father,
Your Word is powerful, so much more than just rules and instructions. Your Word shows us Your love for us and even works faith in our hearts. Open my eyes and my mind to read Your Work faithfully and understand it.
Amen
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
An Unimaginable Test
an unimaginable test
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” – Genesis 22:1-2
I have two children. I love them dearly. When I consider the test Abraham underwent, it affects me down to the core. What if God were to ask me to sacrifice my daughter or son? How would I respond?
When I consider the answer to these questions I find that my answer has to come not just from me, but from God. In other words, maybe the questions really should be,
- What is God capable of?
- What kind of God is God?
If any human had put this test to Abraham, Abraham would have been right to fear the results. But this wasn’t a human. This was God.
I mentioned that when Isaac was born Sarah and Abraham were already past childbearing age. Simply having Isaac was a miracle. God worked what was impossible for Abraham and Sarah to give them Isaac. God would also be able to do another miracle.
God could give Abraham and Sarah another child, prevent the knife/flames from killing Isaac, or even raise Isaac from the dead. The stories of Daniel and the lion’s den, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and Lazerus come to mind. God could also bring Isaac through death to be with Him.
God is a God of miracles.
What kind of God is God?
So, God is capable of bringing a good ending to this test, but will He? God had already kept His promises in many ways with Abraham. He had given Him a son. He had brought him to the land He promised. He had protected Abraham and given him mighty military victories.
God kept His promises. He also showed great love and mercy to Abraham, forgiving Abraham even when he doubted God.
Hope in the Lord
So, when we consider who God is and what kind of God He is, this test becomes very different, even if it is still difficult. Abraham could approach this test knowing that God was capable of doing a miracle, would keep His promise to provide descendants, and would be loving and gracious in how He chose to act.
This is the hope Abraham had as climbed that mountain and told Isaac,
“God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
In the end, God did stop the sacrifice and provided a ram to be sacrificed in Isaac’s place.
We can trust God
We will, at times, be asked to sacrifice. It may not be a child, but it may be difficult none-the-less. When we consider what God is capable of and what kind of God He is, our response to that sacrifice can change. We can understand that even if we don’t see how good can come out of it or how God can bring us through, that He is a God of miracles who keeps His promises and shows us great love and mercy.
He demonstrated this most of all in another sacrifice. Because of our sin we all deserve eternal death, but like with Isaac, God provided a lamb to be sacrificed in our place. Jesus, the Lamb of God, took our place as God sacrificed His own, beloved Son to save us.
Heavenly Father,
You have sacrificed greatly for us by Your Son, Jesus. Help us to trust Your goodness and Your mighty power, even when we find it difficult.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
- You can find the full account of Abraham and Isaac and this great test in Genesis, chapter 22. Click here to read it.
But That’s Impossible
But that's impossible
Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
Abraham was an old man, 99 years old. Sarah was right behind him at 90. Just as it is today, this was well past childbearing years. How in the world was God supposed to give Abraham more descendants than the sands on the beach if he had no kids and was too old to have them, now. It’s impossible, right?
Nope. Not for God.
Abraham’s question is similar to Mary’s. When the angel told the virgin Mary she would have a child, she asked how it could be. Then angel answered,
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” – Luke 1:37
Later, as Jesus was teaching His disciples, He told them,
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26
God, who created Abraham, Sarah, and everything else, who spoke galaxies into existence, was able. He still is.
With God All Things Are Possible
God certainly provided a son, Isaac, for Abraham and Mary had a baby, Jesus. This, along with Jesus words, shows us without a doubt that God can anything, even what we think is impossible.
Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we know God wants us to do something, but we don’t see how it can be done. In these times, it’s good to remember that you are dealing with the same God who gave Isaac and Jesus.
But Will He?
At the same time, I’ve seen people invoke these passages as proof that God will always do the impossible. It’s important to remember that there were plenty of people Abraham’s and Sarah’s ages at the time of Abraham who didn’t conceive a child.
When Jesus was first starting His ministry and some people just wanted to get some miracles out of Him and some home town fame, he reminded them,
And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed–only Naaman the Syrian.” – Luke 4:27
God certainly can do what would normally be impossible, but that doesn’t mean He always will.
Where does that leave us?
This leaves us walking down the middle of a road of faith. We should be careful not to stray to far to one side and assume that God will always do the miracle we want just because we want it or we think it’s best. At the same time, we should be careful not to stray to the other side and doubt God can do what He says if we don’t see a way for it to be done.
Instead, we walk in faith, trusting God will do what is best according to His will, even when it seems impossible, and trusting that His will is good, even when He doesn’t do the miracle we would have liked.
Lord,
Give me faith to trust Your promises. You are able to do what is impossible for us. You have created faith in me which was impossible for me to do, myself. Help me also to trust Your goodness when You choose not to do a miracle I want.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
- You can read the whole account of God’s promise of a son to Abraham in Genesis 15-17. Click here to read it.
Abram and Melchizedek
Abram and Melchizedek
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. – Genesis 14:18-20
After God told Abram (who would later be named, Abraham) to move to a land He would give Him, God did not leave Abram to go it alone. God went with Him. He guided and protected Abram. Abram and his family, including his nephew, Lot, became very wealthy in livestock, silver, and gold. After a while, the land where Abram and Lot were staying could no longer support them if they remained together. So, they split.
Abram, kindly, gave Lot the first choice of where to settle. He chose the valley of the Jordan near Sodom. Abram had settled in Canaan, what he was then told by God would be the future Promised Land of Israel.
At one point, some kings and their armies sacked Sodom and took everything. This included Lot and all his possessions. When Abram heard what had happened, he took 300 trained men and attacked those kings and defeated them. It is after this battle that meet an interesting person, Melchizedek.
The Strange Case of Melchizedek
Melchizedek’s name means, “king of righteousness.” He was both a king and priest. He was king of Salem, which means “Peace.” Unlike every other priest in that area that we know of Melchizedek was not a priest of some local god or idol. He was priest of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. This is long before Israel and the priestly tribe of Levi.
Melchizedek comes out to Abram, brings him bread and wine, and blesses him. Abram responds by giving Melchizedek a 10th (tithe) of everything.
Then Melchizedek disappears. I don’t mean he vanishes from site, but we don’t learn anything else about his life. He shows up out of nowhere and then disappears just as quickly. In fact, he would probably be a bit of a non-story except that he is mentioned again twice in the Bible, Psalm 110 and in the book of Hebrews several times.
In Psalm 110 it says:
The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” – Psalm 110:4
Jesus the Priest
This Psalm, written by David, is about Christ’s rule.
Jesus is a priest, but for some there was a problem with that. He was not from the tribe of Levi. So, Jesus wasn’t qualified to be a priest under the Levitical tradition. Both Hebrews and Psalms address that issue. Jesus isn’t a priest from the Levitical tradition. He is a priest in the order of Melchizedek.
If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?…The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. – Hebrews 7:11, 18-19
The account of Melchizedek just amazes me every time. It’s so rich how God foreshadows Jesus in Melchizedek, the king of righteousness and king of peace who comes to us bringing His Body and Blood in bread and wine and blesses us.
Jesus is our high priest. He is not a priest of Law, but one of grace and mercy and through whom we are cleansed of our sins and we become righteous by faith, not works.
Praise the Lord!
Dear Jesus,
You are the great high priest who intercedes for us before the Father. You offered Yourself as the one true sacrifice for all sin and have brought us forgiveness and righteousness by Your grace. Thank You for coming to us. Thank You for blessing us.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
- You can read the full account of Lot, Abram, and Mechizedek in Genesis 14, Click here to read it.
- You can also read more about Jesus as a priest after the order of Melchizedek in the book of Hebrews, particularly chapter 7. Click here to read it.