Good Morning.
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. (Genesis 14:18-20)
After the battle with the four kings, Abraham was greeted with a mysterious figure named Melchizedek. Many have struggled to identify just who this person was; rabbinical commentaries argue that it was Shem. Others contend it was a convert of Abraham who headed a school that taught of the one, true God. Still others believe it was the pre-incarnate Messiah. We do know that he was a “priest unto God the Most High” and the king of Salem (שלם shalem, in Hebrew) and that his name means,“my king of righteousness or “my king is righteousness.” But look at what he says to and of Abram: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High.”
Abram is blessed by the priest-king, Melchizedek, and is also linked to the Most High God by this man. The point is that Abram is recognized by those he encounters — both great and small — as someone who serves the Most High God. Can there be any greater accolade than to be recognized as someone who represents the Almighty?
Many years later, some of Abram’s descendants were taken captive by the king of Babylon and found themselves faced with a life and death decision. Bow to an idol and live or refuse and die. Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego were tossed into a burning pit because they refused to bow to an idol. They understood that to obey Nebuchadnezzar’s law would require them to break a higher law. After having them thrown into the fire and then seeing that they were loose and joined by a fourth man, the king of Babylon said:
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” (Daniel 3:26)
The most powerful man then on earth had to acknowledge that these men served the Most High God, in fact, the Only God. Their commitment to the Creator was put to the test and then rewarded when one like the Son of Man joined them in the pit. As a result great men gave glory unto God. Messiah said:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
When we walk in obedience to our King, people notice. Some may not like the stand we take but there will come a time that they will acknowledge that we serve the one and only God and will give glory to Him. That’s what Nebuchadnezzar come to understand about those three Hebrew men and what the priest-king Melchizedek acknowledged in Abram. Who is going to acknowledge this attribute in you? Somebody’s watching.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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