Master, Lord, Priest, Messiah

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post in the archives, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog. Please, I encourage you to add in any reflections or comments you may have.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Friday, January 22, 2010
Devotions: Ps 31, 35; Gen 11:27-12:8; Heb 7:1-17; Jn 4:16-26

Lord, I seek refuge in You, my Rock and Fortress. Into Your hand I commit myself, my Redeemer and Lord. God hates idolaters; I will trust in Him alone. In my weakness, God provides my strength; in my folly, He gives wisdom. My times are in Your hand, my God. Shine on me, and keep me from shame. Hide me from the plots of evil men. God hears, answers, saves! I will be strong and courageous, as I wait for the Lord. God will fight my battles and put my enemies to flight and dishonor. No one is like my God, mighty and compassionate. Cripples I didn’t know were slandering me; but God has vindicated me, and I praise Him in the assembly of the righteous. I stand on God’s integrity and watch Him put my enemies to shame and confusion. Great is YHWH Sabaoth, Who delights in His servant’s prosperity.

These are Terah’s descendants: his sons were Abram, Nahor and Haran; Haran was Lot’s father. Haran died in their homeland, Ur of the Chaldeans. Abram and Nahor took wives, Sarai and Milcah, respectively. Sarai was barren, childless. Terah took Abram, Sarai and Lot and set out for the land of Canaan. They settled in Haran, where Terah died at the age of 205. Then YHWH addressed Abram: ‘Go from your country and kindred; I will show you a new land and make a great nation from you there. I will bless you and make your name great; you will be a blessing; I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. By you all families of the earth will bless themselves.’ So Abram did as YHWH directed, with Lot and Sarai, and all their household, servants and domestic animals. Abram was 75 when he left Haran. They traveled to Canaan, and stopped at Shechem at the Oak of Moreh. There, YHWH appeared to Abram and said, ‘I will give your descendants this land.’ So Abram built an altar there, and then moved on to a mountain east of Bethel and west of Ai, where Abram built another altar, and called on YHWH’s name.

Melchizedek was priest of God Most High; he met Abraham who was returning from defeating Canaanite kings; Abraham tithed the spoils to Melchizedek, whose name means ‘King of Righteousness and King of Peace.’ In legend, he had no genealogy, no parents; ‘resembling the Son of God’, Melchizedek ‘continues a priest for ever.’ Later, God would establish the priesthood of Aaron and his descendants. But in that the patriarch Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, who then blessed Abraham, the Hebrew writer argues that Melchizedek is greater than Abraham, and his priesthood superior to the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood. For, he argues, Levi, ancestor of Aaron, ‘was still in the loins of his ancestor Abraham when he met and was blessed by Melchizedek.’ And the greater receives tithes and gives blessing. Therefore, Levitical priesthood was not sufficient, and a change in priesthood was needed, necessitating also a change in the law—and so Jesus, from the clan of Judah—has become the eternal High Priest, though Moses and Torah say nothing of priests from the line of Judah. All this is emphasized by the climactic ministry of Jesus, another priest in the likeness of Melchizedek, attested by the power of an indestructible life—as it is written, ‘You are a Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Ps. 110:4)

Jesus told the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in Sychar, ‘Go, call your husband and come here with him.’ She answered, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said, ‘That’s right; you have no husband—you have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband. In this you spoke truth.’ She said, ‘Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.’ Jesus said, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you don’t know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour approaches and now is here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such are the worshipers the Father seeks to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must do so in spirit and truth.’ The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah is coming, and when He comes, He will show us all things.’ Jesus said: ‘I Who speak to you Am He.’