Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High. Genesis 14:18 NABRE
Melchizedek, king of Salem (Jerusalem) appears suddenly, as someone of great importance to recognize Abrahams’s great victory, which five local kings were unable to achieve. He prepares a feast in Abraham’s honor and declares him blessed and made powerful by God the Highest. Abraham acknowledges the blessing by giving a tenth of the captured spoils as a tithe to Melchizedek. The event is an allusion to David, king at Jerusalem, who also exercised priestly functions. We read Melchizedek as a prefigure of Christ, another king and priest. Melchizedek is the first we read in the Hebrew Scriptures who celebrates with bread and wine. Christ latter celebrates in the same manner and it becomes known as the Lord’s Supper. It is something that is continually celebrated today in assemblies following Christ. To celebrate the success of God in the world and to declare celebration is done as a community and it is done in such a way that God is at the heart. These community celebrations thank God recognizing the dependence they believe they have on God. All things come from God and so all thanks go to God. People who depend on God to provide, thank God for the gifts provided.
Today we think we have more control and we are doing things for ourselves. We work hard for something and believe it is our hard work and effort that provides. Therefore, we celebrate less and we don’t look to God in these celebrations as a source for thanksgiving. We think we did it and so don’t need to be thankful except to our own hard work, intelligence and good fortune. We are mistaken thinking we have control.
Do you celebrate and thank God? How do you thank God?
Today we think we have more control and we are doing things for ourselves. We think we succeed and so don’t need to be thankful except to our own hard work, intelligence and good fortune. We are mistaken thinking we have control. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #thanks #celebrate #Genesis #everybodyalways#god#jesuschrist#jesussaves#godisgood#dailydevotion#biblestudy#scripture#bibleverse#verseoftheday#cross#last#gospels#loveeachother#godisgreat#thisVineyard#youversion#everythingalways