( HEBREWS 7:1 )

FOR THIS MELCHISEDEC, KING OF SALEM, PRIEST OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, WHO MET ABRAHAM RETURNING FROM THE SLAUGHTER OF THE KINGS, AND BLESSED HIM;

Last week we looked at Melchisedec and how he relates to Jesus Christ. We even talked about something we see here in ( chapter 7 ) where Melchisedec was without father or mother, he was without descent, he was kin to no one. He had no beginning and no end, we never see where he died.

We see here where he met Abram ( returning form the slaughter of the kings ) and ( blessed him ). I’d like to build a Sunday School lesson on the fact that Melchisedec blessed Abram after this slaughter.

I can see how we first must look at Lot, the nephew of Abram. First of all, according to what God had commanded Abram; Lot shouldn’t have been with him at all. In ( Genesis 12: 1 ) God had told Abram to get out of his country and from his kindred. Abram made the choice to take Lot, even against the command of God. When saying this; I can see how Abram must have felt. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother. Haran had died and Lot was his only son. Abram had no children therefore, it appears that Abram felt somewhat obligated to help lot.

However, that’s not what God commanded is it? I’d like for you to notice something here. Abram is in the bloodline of Shem, Noah’s oldest son. We follow that bloodline all the way to Jesus Christ. I only mention that that we might see the picture God is painting for us to see. It is now and, always has been that God honors the part of us that walks with him and never our flesh. As we look at all we see concerning Abram and Lot; it’s the spiritual aspect that God desires for us to see and it never has anything to do with flesh.

As you read through ( Genesis 12 ) you will see that Abram, in his fleah made many mistakes in judgement. He brought Lot with him when he should have left him with his kindred, that was his first mistake. So, let’s look at the spiritual aspect of what he is saying here.

When God spoke to Abram and told him to leave his kindred; it’s a type of salvation. The spiritually powerful point here is that Abram listened to God. Can you see somewhat of the same picture here that we seen with Noah? These men were willing to hear what God instructed them to do. In both instances we also see where the families of these men also were obedient. In Naoh’s case; his wife and children and Abram, his wife.

In effect, these people were allowing their flesh to yield to the will of God, everyone of them. We can asked the question; were any of them perfect? The answer is no, they weren’t. However, God seeks those that are willing to yield their flesh to his will. The only part of any man or person that is worthwhile to God the Father is that part of our flesh that we are willing to allow God to use in his service.

As we look at this we see that God used Noah and his family to bring about even Abram. We see that within the loins of Abram God brought about a whole nation that it was his will to yield themselves to his voice. We also see where they all died! They all were cursed by sin after the similitude of Adam. The point being that ( even in sin- cursed bodies of flesh, God’s will was done and, his will moved foward because of the willingness of men to hear his voice.

Basically, all we see is based on that concept. I’d like to say something here to give you something to think about. Why did it take ( 120 years ) for Noah to build the Ark? What if; let’s say ( 2000 ) other people would have joined in to help him build it? Can you see how, with that amount of people working. seeking to do God’s will that it could have been finished quicker?

The weakness of all flesh and, the enability to yield to the will of God will always create problems. We see that same thing in Abram. First of all, he took Lot which became a hinderance to all God wanted to do, we can see that as we read. Secondly; Abram himsel showed how weak he was in the flesh. A famine came to the place God had sent him therefore, he went to Egypt. ( Genesis 12: 10 ) He made mistakes in Egypt but, he did return to ( the land of the alter ) where God had placed him. We also see that as Abram matured, he seperated himself from Lot ( Genesis 13:5 ).

As time moves foward Abram becomes Abraham. He and his wife, Sarah would be around ( 100 years old ) when the promised seed would be born. Again, can you see how; if Abram could have had the faith to stay where God desired for him to be , how that it’s possible that ( Isaac ) the promised seed could have been born earlier?

If we fast foward until today. We don’t consider this often but. Jesus Christ ; lived, died on his cross and rose again to purchase ( His Church ). Just exactly like the Ark, when any individual believes and excepts Christ for their savoir, they are placed spiritually inside that Church which is ( his body ). The Ark only had one door, Jesus Christ is the only way to get into his Church. We, as believers have now been working on that Church for some ( 2000 years ). Can you see how that if more people were willing to be witnesses, sell out, all for God’s glory, it’s possible that ( Church ) could be complete by now?

The problem; we don’t want to leave ( Lot ). When things get tough ( famine ) we have little faith and we go to where we can trust things in this world. Let’s look at Lot first. It’s often hard for we, as believers to seperate our love for our families and, even friends to do or, go where God would have us go, to simply follow his will. Let’s consider something about each of us. As a husband, if God spoke to your heart as the spiritual leader of your house, leading you to leave the house you live in, the community you live in, even the job you have; could you do it? Would your wife and children follow you as the spiritual leader?

If you look at Abram, we see his willingness to obey God. It made it easier that his wife was willing to go with him. However, it became hard when he had to leave lot. Later he found out that it was best to obey God the father. As long as we are in the flesh, we will never reach spiritual perfection. We can grow spiritually to do great things as we see in the life of Abram, that became abraham.

When we see Melchisedec bless Abram it’s a type of Abram being willing to destroy all flesh or, any part of this world that doesn’t bring glory to God the Father. We often get misguided when we see all the killing in the Old Testament but, it’a all simply a picture of how God desires for this world to be. God will never honor any person that seeks to do his own will. That is, ( walking after the flesh ). If we follow Abraham, notice what we see! When God told him to leave his country and kindred, he took Lot with him. However, as time moves foward, we see in ( Genesis 22 ) that God told Abraham to offer his only son ( Isaac ). Abraham didn’t even hesitat at that command! His faith had grown to understand he could trust God, no matter what he asked him to do.

When we consider the creation of this world by God the Father. His desire was to have a world to was submissive to his divine will. Even the creation of Israel; he desired a nation that would wholly submit to his will. As believers in Christ; his desire is for each individual to hear his vioce and die to their fleshly desires, yielding to his will.

As we look today at a man and his family. It’s not much different that any other situation that God has ever set up. To have a husband, wife and children all willing to submit to God’s will as in aloowing the Man or, head of the house lead them is a very tough call today. However, can you see how ( the will ) within a man is pleasing to God? That is, even in our own flesh. To have the will to die to our own will and to give ourselves completely to God the Father is what blesses the heart of God the Father. The Apostle Paul in the New Testament put it this way:

( Romans 7:18 )

For I know that in me ( that is, in my flesh, ) dwelleth no good thing: for the will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

When we consider the battle we have as individuals with our flesh. What about a family, a Church, a nation and a whole world? It all boils down to how we, as individuals seek to obey his will. I wrote a while back that God the Father has no use at all for a body of flesh that has no desire to follow him or please him. We have never been our own. To think that we have a will of our own is a deceprion of Satan himself. Every move you make is either pleasing to Satan or God the Father.

Jesus, speaking to the woman at the well said this:

( John 4:23 )

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

That’s what its always been! God never desired to have to make people love him, follow his will.When we ( come to ourselves ), realize we are worthless and, we are very deserving of hell if we live as pleasing our flesh. At the very same time, God the Father gave himself freely that we could obtain ( eternal life ) dying to our flesh by simply trusting the finished work of his son; Jesus Christ on his cross.

In essense, we are not trusting in our flesh to get to heaven, we are trusting in ( the flesh ) of Jesus Christ, his perfection to gain our salvation. When we forget our will, the will of our flesh is when God becomes pleased with us. When we seek to know him and his will is when we are pleased with us.

Melchisedec, the king of righteousness, the king of peace, blessed Abram because he sought to create a place ( sold out to God the Father ). About the best I can do is seek to ( sell out myself ) to God the Father. At the same time seeking to reach out to other people, teaching them God’s will for their fleshly lives.

We, as believers ar the salt of the earth:

( Matthew 5:13 )

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under the foot of men.

As individual, just like Abram we realze that we can’t save one person. All we can do is become what God asked us to be; becoming the ( salt of this earth ). When we are ( the will of God ) shedding his will through our ungodly flesh then God can take what we do and draw other people to his perfect will. This world is full of people that seek to do as they please. Consider this: We referenced the verse in ( John 4 ). There, he was speaking to a woman that had been married five times and, the man she was living with at that time was not her husband.

God the father, in the fleshly body of Jesus Christ was sharing ( truth ) with this woman. Now, look in:

( John 4:29-30 )

Come, see a man, which told me all things that I ever did: is not this the Christ? ( 30 ) Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

The women became the ( salt of the earth ) and, a whole city came to Christ! That is the will of God for each of us. He desires that we forget our flesh and seek his will in this world!

If you look at my life, you will see a sinful man, very undeserving of any part of God the Father. However, I choose to live my life seeking to do his will, forgetting my flesh, as in ( killing my flesh ) and seeking all he desires of me as a born again believer.

Have you been born agaim? Are you washed in his blood? That is God’s will for each person! That every person of flesh become all he desires of each of us to be!

Marshall Clayton

2 Timothy 1:7

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!