More Precious than Gold - PART 63

 Melchisedec, the priest of the most high God, creator and possessor of Heaven and earth, met Abraham and when He did, He brought forth Bread and Wine. The Bread and Wine (now to be observed by us), represented this Priest’s own sacrificial death at Calvary. For without the blood of Jesus the Christ, there would be no priesthood. The life was the life of God Himself as a son, without which there would be no priesthood.

For He who is now our great high priest who is none other than the one who sacrificed His own holy spirit life as a son. At which time He by Himself purchased our redemption once and once for all. Melchisedec’s priesthood ruled and reigned because He had something to offer, and that something being offered was Himself. He bridged the gulf of our sin which separated God from man. He was represented here as the bread and wine.

Therefore, it becomes apparent that apart from His earthly ministry as a man, pure, holy and undefiled, no priesthood would or could exist. Now the Priest Melchisedec with His own natural sacrificed life represented by the bread and wine in His hand proceeded to bless Abraham. And as the only High Priest and the only mediator between God and man renders these words on our behalf. Blessed be the Most High God, which has delivered your enemies into your hands.

You must notice here that the blessing on Abraham was placed upon Abraham by the High Priesthood of God. God reached out to man. God made a way when there was no way. For God commends His love toward us, in that while we rolled around in sin, He was laying down His life redeeming us. God had already decided His plan of salvation before we were born.

Yes, we have been redeemed but not with silver and gold. We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus that washes white as snow. When you or I approach God's throne of grace, we bear nothing in our hands. The price of our redemption and our now justification has been paid in full. The Holy Spirit of God ministers to us because we come in the name of the Spirit of God‘s holy child Jesus. The same Jesus who is now our great high priest after the Order of Melchisedec. Jesus on earth was touched with the feelings of our infirmities. He also was moved with compassion. He wept. The God who created us wept for us. Therefore ought we to call upon Him while He is talking to our heart!

No one every cared for you like Jesus ... and no one else has the capacity to love you the way that Jesus loves you. This love, the love of God is far greater than a tongue or a pen can tell. Unfortunately, Abraham jumped the gun, something like Peter (the apostle) was in the habit of doing. It is recorded in the scriptures that Abraham offered to Melchisedec one tenth of all the spoils, or the loot. The blessing was free. A gift of God. A gift from God.

So make sure you do not intertwine your good works with grace in a manner that suggests that your works are more favourable than the gift of salvation. Jesus is the tree of life. As such, God wants you to be taught of Him through the ministry of His indwelling Spirit. For it is written, that we shall all be taught by God.

Abraham made the same plunge (as previously touched upon concerning circumcision). The promises to Abraham were already delivered to him. If he had wanted to add circumcision then he was on his own because it was not contained in the delivered promises. What is being said here is that tithing, like circumcision, was mentioned only by Abraham after the blessing was administered by Melchisedec holding the bread and the wine. Period.

Yes, if one is led of God to give, then give. But it is not a condition to obtaining salvation. However, it is a work of love that emulates from the circumcision of the heart. Here is the new testament presentation of giving ...  “give as unto the work of the Lord, not grudgingly, nor of necessity for God loves a cheerful giver."