By Jill Roberts and Michael Canalé
Recently, Michael was talking about about the spiritual journeys on which we all are traveling He said,
“We hear of people seeing a bright light when passing from this world. What we need to actually remember, is that you can move toward the light while you’re still here.”
Today’s Scripture takes us on the spiritual journey of Abram and is, as Michael says, “a lesson to learn,” about that light and how God will help us achieve it, the goal of our spiritual journeys.
Michael and I ended the last blog with Abram as the victorious rescuer of captive Lot and all of his many possessions. At great risk to himself and to his men, Abram launched a dramatic rescue and now, wouldn’t it stand to reason that he would enjoy a victory lap as he returned home to Sarai, his completed task well in hand?
Have you ever experienced a significant victory and deliverance of yourself and others, only to find yourself in the midst of spiritual warfare which made the war through which you had just triumphantly soldiered, pale in comparison? If so, you will be able to closely relate to Abram and what he was about to experience. It would reveal to Abram and to his world what he was made of – something God had long since known and authored.
Scripture picks up where we last left off:
“AFTER Abram returned from defeating Kedoriaomer and the kings allied with him, the King of Sodom came out to meet him…”
(emphasis added)
Genesis 14: 17) NIV
As we say, today, “Here comes trouble!” You recall from our last blog that this was a very evil King. While Abram overcame this man’s enemies, Kediriaomer and his cohort of Kings, he did so for a very specific purpose – to rescue Lot. The King of Sodom was just an incidental beneficiary to this. So, we ask ourselves, what was Abram’s view of this King? Furthermore, why was this king approaching Abram?
Scripture has us wait for the answer to this question with three verses, a short Biblical interlude, of which books have been written and Bible scholars have argued, as to its meaning. What is this? It is the storied verses about Melchizedek, king of Salem:
“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) NIV
That’s it. In all of Scripture, only a few verses have mentioned him. And yet, as noted, volumes have been penned about this Melchizedek. For purposes of our blog, we will focus on just a few highly relevant points as to the encounter between Abram and this mysterious Scriptural luminary.
When he is introduced, it is as the king of Salem. What and where is Salem? The bulk of Biblical scholarship believes that Salem is short for Jerusalem. Certainly, if you remove the first four letters from the word, Jerusalem, you have Salem. So, there is substantial evidence that Melchizedek was actually the King of Jerusalem. And he was powerful. He had the power to bless Abram, as he was priest to God Himself.
Importantly, Abram recognized Melchizedek’s authority and tithed to him. There was bread and wine. Clearly, this priest and king was sent to Abram by God.
The question becomes, “Why?” Hadn’t Abram already won his battle? Why then, did he need to then be shored up as Melchizedek accomplished? Because, Abram’s battle was not over and, if he had left all his trust in God on the battlefield, he needed to be revived for an even more intense and meaningful war – one of spiritual warfare. It would come in the form of a temptation:
“The King of Sodom said to Abram, ‘ Give me the people and leave the goods for yourself.”
(Genesis 14:21) NIV
Of course, evil, which the King of Sodom epitomized, will always be willing to lead with giving possessions in exchange for the souls of man. Can’t you imagine that this king had studied Abram and the likely legendary stories of all his great wealth, gotten in Harran and in Egypt? Don’t you know that he thought such a man would be an easy mark for a deal that increased his possessions?
Was Abram vulnerable to such a temptation at this later point in his life? Scripture is nuanced and not explicit as to this. Certainly, God had, in His perfect timing, sent Melchizedek to build up Abram’s faith and resolve for good. Now, Abram was, like us, the reader of this passage, about to surprise the King of Sodom, and, perhaps, himself, by his amazing response:
“But Abram had said to the king of Sodom, ‘With raised hand, I have sworn an oath to the Lord God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me – to Amer, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”
(Genesis 14: 22-24) NIV
To say that Abram did well is to understate the facts. As Michael says,
“Abram took nothing from this king, not even a shoelace!”
Several blogs ago, we said that Abram would begin to grow into the name, Abraham. How clear these verses make it that, at this point, he is clearly evolving. Yes, he rescued Lot and all of his possessions. But, he did so out of his lifelong protective spirit, instilled in him by the Almighty. Otherwise, he wanted nothing tainted by the stain of King Sodom’s infamy. He had changed. As Michael says,
“Abram had moved into the light. He had not waited until death to see a bright light. He had done so here and now.”
What a man is being transformed before our eyes! What a God Who has this power to exact change. What a God to send his own priest, Melchizedek, the King of Jerusalem, to buoy Abram up to be his best in a materialistic world, to which he had once subscribed.
Michael always reminds us that we, also, are the children of God. The children of God – what a name to live up to. May we always, “move toward the light,” and do so now. God will send us our own Melchizedek. May we allow Him to minister to us, always, and never more than now, in this hour, in this life.
A rescue, you feel the accomplishment. Then the next battle begins. Wish I was better prepared.
Well done, and much appreciated by me.
A very timely message for me.
Thank you so much!