Gen 14:18-24 | KingComments | STEP | The moment of success is always the moment of danger. The king of Sodom wants to negotiate. In him we see a picture of satan, who comes “as an angel of light” ( ). But before that meeting takes place, Melchizedek meets Abram first. Melchizedek is a picture of the Lord Jesus, as is clear from the letter to the Hebrews, where this priest is often mentioned ( ). This priest is called “a priest of God Most High”. That is the name of God, that is reminiscent of the millennial realm of peace, when everything will be subject to Him. Melchizedek comes with bread and wine to Abram. That has nothing to do with the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is the memorial meal on the occasion of the death of the Lord Jesus. Here comes (in the picture) the Lord Jesus with what strengthens (bread) and gives joy (wine). He hands out blessings. Abraham, we read in the letter to the Hebrews, gives Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils, thereby acknowledging him as his superior ( ). The right to the tithes is not yet regulated by a commandment of God. Melchizedek does not belong at all to the lineage of Levi for whom God later regulates that right by law, nor to another lineage for whom something is regulated. He takes a tenths of Abraham by virtue of his own person and office. So he is greater than Abraham ( ). After receiving the tithes, he blesses Abram as the one who has received God’s promises. Abram is the owner and keeper of Divine promises. He will become the father of many nations in whom God will bless all the nations of the earth. So the person who blesses Abraham is really someone who can be called great. All true blessing is also for the Christian connected with the Person and the ministry of Christ in heaven. He who blesses is “without any dispute” more than he who is blessed ( ). The fact that the greater blesses the lesser is forgotten in professing Christianity. We see this, for example, in the pastor who blesses the church, as if he is more than the ones he serves. In Christendom, however, the one believer is no more than the other believer ( ). After this meeting comes the meeting with the king of Sodom who is already on his way to him. Abram rejects the proposal made by the king of Sodom, which conceals a great deceit. He sees through the trick. He does not want anything, even the slightest, of what the world offers him, by which the world could make a claim on him. His refusal is all the easier because he has just been blessed on behalf of God Himself, of Whom Melchizedek said, He is the “Possessor of heaven and earth” ( ). What would a believer want to receive from the hands of the devil of earthly blessings, when he is aware that he is connected with the Lord Jesus, to Whom “all authority has been given … in heaven and on earth” ( ) and to Whom the Father has given all things into His hand ( )? What Abram himself refuses because he has seen the riches of the Lord Jesus, he does not refuse for the men who went with him. The restrictions we impose on ourselves in the use of certain freedoms we should not impose on others. The choice we make is a personal choice that we cannot make for others.

‏ Genesis 14:18-24

Two Meetings

The moment of success is always the moment of danger. The king of Sodom wants to negotiate. In him we see a picture of satan, who comes “as an angel of light” (2Cor 11:14). But before that meeting takes place, Melchizedek meets Abram first. Melchizedek is a picture of the Lord Jesus, as is clear from the letter to the Hebrews, where this priest is often mentioned (Heb 7:1-2). This priest is called “a priest of God Most High”. That is the name of God, that is reminiscent of the millennial realm of peace, when everything will be subject to Him.

Melchizedek comes with bread and wine to Abram. That has nothing to do with the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is the memorial meal on the occasion of the death of the Lord Jesus. Here comes (in the picture) the Lord Jesus with what strengthens (bread) and gives joy (wine). He hands out blessings.

Abraham, we read in the letter to the Hebrews, gives Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils, thereby acknowledging him as his superior (Heb 7:4). The right to the tithes is not yet regulated by a commandment of God. Melchizedek does not belong at all to the lineage of Levi for whom God later regulates that right by law, nor to another lineage for whom something is regulated. He takes a tenths of Abraham by virtue of his own person and office. So he is greater than Abraham (Heb 7:6-7).

After receiving the tithes, he blesses Abram as the one who has received God’s promises. Abram is the owner and keeper of Divine promises. He will become the father of many nations in whom God will bless all the nations of the earth. So the person who blesses Abraham is really someone who can be called great. All true blessing is also for the Christian connected with the Person and the ministry of Christ in heaven.

He who blesses is “without any dispute” more than he who is blessed (Heb 7:7). The fact that the greater blesses the lesser is forgotten in professing Christianity. We see this, for example, in the pastor who blesses the church, as if he is more than the ones he serves. In Christendom, however, the one believer is no more than the other believer (Mt 23:8).

After this meeting comes the meeting with the king of Sodom who is already on his way to him. Abram rejects the proposal made by the king of Sodom, which conceals a great deceit. He sees through the trick. He does not want anything, even the slightest, of what the world offers him, by which the world could make a claim on him.

His refusal is all the easier because he has just been blessed on behalf of God Himself, of Whom Melchizedek said, He is the “Possessor of heaven and earth” (Gen 14:19). What would a believer want to receive from the hands of the devil of earthly blessings, when he is aware that he is connected with the Lord Jesus, to Whom “all authority has been given … in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18) and to Whom the Father has given all things into His hand (Jn 3:35 ; Jn 13:3)?

What Abram himself refuses because he has seen the riches of the Lord Jesus, he does not refuse for the men who went with him. The restrictions we impose on ourselves in the use of certain freedoms we should not impose on others. The choice we make is a personal choice that we cannot make for others.