Note: The AMI QT devotionals from November 7-12 are provided by Cami King. Cami, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is about to complete her M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary. She is currently serving as a staff at Journey Community Church in Raleigh.

Devotional Thought for Today

Hebrews 7:1-10

 

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. 4 Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. 5 And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham.6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. 9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

The Bible is an amazing text! We understand Scripture to be a revelation of God to the world – something precious that He made and preserved so that we may know Him. He revealed Himself (who He is and what He’s like) in the lives of His people, so that those within the community of faith would come to know Him as they did life together with Him and one another. Then He preserved that revelation in the Scriptures (which tell the many stories of God and His people) for those who would come later on (that’s us!), so that we too might glean from what was revealed to and through them—all to the end of a greater knowledge of who God is.

And this was not done haphazardly. Our passage today, drawing from the life of a man who lived during Old Testament, reminds us that God is carefully, intentionally, and creatively writing a Grand Narrative through the lives of His people. It reminds us that He has great plans for the world and has been (and continues to be) at work through the generations to bring them about. It reminds us that God loves us so much that He reveals to us Himself and His plans so that we may know who He is and partner with Him in what He’s doing.

Through Melchizedek, a prototype for Jesus, we are clued in to what Jesus is like. Melchizedek means “righteous king.” And that is what he was – not only a king, virtuous and good in his rule, but also a priest, blessing the people, most notably Abraham, with peace. His lineage was not recorded, neither was the day of the end of his reign (v. 3). Why? Because the one of whom he was a mere shadow, Jesus, would be the eternal God Himself and have a Kingdom that would never end. Today, may we thank God for the Scriptures and the revelation of Himself found in them. And may we thank God our Priest and King Jesus – whose eternal reign is one of righteousness and whose priesthood affords us the blessing of wholeness and peace.

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, I do not take it for granted that I get to know You. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me through Your word and through the lives of those who’ve gone before me. May that revelation affect the way I do life today. Thank You for Jesus and His coming Kingdom. In His name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Malachi 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 110: The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” 2 The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.” 3 Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, your youth are to You as the dew. 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath.6 He will judge among the nations,
He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country.
7 He will drink from the brook by the wayside; therefore He will lift up His head. 

Questions to Consider 

1. In this Psalm, David is overhearing a conversation within the Godhead, between the Father and Jesus. What do we learn from God’s words in vv. 1-3?
2. What does God promise in verse 4? How is that an encouragement to us today?
3. The LORDS words in vv. 5-7 show us that victory promised will be a great victory. Jesus has defeated sin and death, and we will one day live forever with Him in His Kingdom, in a perfect world, in wholeness and peace. In what areas of your life does this truth offer hope?

Notes

1. Jesus is told to sit at the right hand of the Father, until He brings forth a full victory over His enemies. And many (faithful believers) will willingly join in the fight (Eph. 6:12) – those who believe in the Lord and long for His reign.
2. God promises that Jesus will be our priest forever in the order (or manner) of Melchizedek. This is an encouragement to us because just as Melchizedek was a righteous King who blessed his people, Jesus will be the Righteous King and bless all creation. And His victory will have complete victory and His reign will last forever.
3. Spend some time in personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

Take a moment to read the passage below meditatively (aloud and slowly). Reflect on God’s great love for you, His finished work to save you, and the complete victory you have in Him. Spend some time responding in worship.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39)