Genesis 14

Teaching 4-22-10

• Start off with towns rebelling and fights going on
• There were disasters such as people being killed and taken and treasure were stolen
• Genesis 14:12
• “They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.”
  • Lot is Abraham’s nephew
• Genesis 14:13-14
• “One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan”
  • Abraham gets pulled into this mess of his nephew being kidnapped
  • Leaves with 318 trained men, that’s a lot of guys
• Genesis 14:15-16
• “During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.”
  • Abraham is victorious
  • He brings back all the treasures and freed all the captives
• Genesis 14:17
• “After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).”
  • King from Sodom wants to thank Abraham
• Genesis 14:18-20
• “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
  • King of Salem and priest of God Most High blessed Abraham
  • Abraham gave 1/10 of the treasure to Melchizedek
  • Very strange scene between Abraham and Melchizedek
  • Abraham was okay with Melchizedek blessing him
• Melchizedek means King of Righteousness and is the king of Salem (Peace)
• Melchizedek is higher than Abraham
• Priesthood
• God created the priest system
• A priest is supposed to be a picture of Jesus
• We need someone to interact with between us and God
• Priests came from the Tribe of Levi, Levitical Priesthood
• Many years later, Jesus comes and he comes from the line of Judah (The Kingly Line)
  • Jesus took over the priesthood in the New Testament
  • However Jesus was from Judah NOT Levi
  • It seems like a contradiction
• Melchizedek was BEFORE the tribe
  • A high priest in the Old Testament before the lineage of Levi
• Psalms 110:1-4
  • “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’”
    • The Jews realize that this is talking about the Messiah
    • The Messiah isn’t going to come from the lineage of Melchizedek
    • Messiah is going to be greater than the Levi priesthood
• Hebrews 7:11-12
  • “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.”
    • There’s something wrong with Levitical priesthood
    • We’re having a change of priesthood so a change in the law
    • We’re no longer bound by the priesthood of the law
• Hebrews 7:18-19
  • “The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.”
    • Levitical priesthood was USELESS
    • Why was the law useless?
      • The law didn’t do anything to solve the problem, it just showed us our problems
• Hebrews 4:15-16
  • “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need ”
    • We can relate with God on a personal level
    • Jesus died for our sins (past, present, and future)
    • We don’t need a priest to talk to Jesus or God
    • This eliminates a HUGE barrier
    • We no longer need the priesthood of Levi
    • The priesthood of Melchizedek cancelled the priesthood of Levi out