Blessed by God

 Abram was blessed by God for his faith in God and his righteous actions. When his nephew Lot was taken captive by the kings who attacked Sodom, Abram did not hesitate, but he gathered his trained men and went to find Lot. He was able to save Lot alive and defeat the ones who had him captive because of God's blessings. After the battle, Abram was met by Melchizedek, the King of Salem, and a priest of God Most High. (Genesis 14:18-20) He was blessed by Melchizedek, and he paid a tenth, a tithe, of all the spoils to him. This was an unexpected meeting between the two, and it causes us to wonder, "Who was Melchizedek? " Let's explore it together.

We do not know any more about this mysterious king/priest, except what is recorded here and the explanation in the book of Hebrews. (Hebrews 7) Some people believe he was just a king/priest in that area, but I believe it was a preincarnation visit of Jesus  to Abram to issue this blessing. Why do I say that? His birth and death are not mentioned, so we could be led to think he had no beginning or end, like Jesus. Also, the King of Salem means "King of Peace." Jesus is the Source of all peace. There were not usually kings who were priests at the same time, either. However, Jesus is The King and The High Priest for us, our Mediator between us and God. Finally, Abram paid a tenth, a tithe, to Him which was an act of worship, and we are not to worship people or angels. Therefore, I believe Jesus Himself came to bless Abram, who later became Abraham, the father of the faithful. I pray that we will all have such faith and live in such a righteous way that Jesus will pour out His blessings on us, and we can give Him all of the praise and worship for all He does for us in this New Year.

#NHBaptistdotorg

Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 15-17.