The following insight - published previously - reveals how there is a deeper lesson in the fact that Abrahan paid tithes to Melchisedec.
Some farmers from the same area decided to have a business meeting. Of particular issue in the discussion, was a group of fruit trees which had failed to yield the expected crop. It wasn't that the trees produced pears or even apples instead of peaches. No, the trees yielded peaches alright, but they were consistently sour. Nope, nobody was happy, and everybody wanted something done -- right away. So, the farmers were all meeting this day, to decide the fate of their peach trees. You see, they were all concerned because collectively, year after year, the farmers had attempted various things to remedy the problem with their trees but to no avail. Now, every farmer was fed up, and each came to one conclusion -- they had all purchased the seeds of sour peach from the same shop.
A traveling consultant, having heard of the farmers' dilemma, offered his services. He indicated that if allowed, he would study the situation and present his findings at the end of a specified time. Hopeful, all of the farmers agreed, and the consultant began his analysis. Today, however, was presentation day, and the farmers were eagerly awaiting the results of the study.
At the opening of the meeting, the consultant stood to speak and said, "after analyzing your situation, I have determined that all of you have utilized sour seed." Irritated because they knew this, the farmers urged the consultant to tell them something they didn't know. Unfazed, the consultant continued, "there are several remedies available, and each is pricey." "One is to treat the trees with additives to increase the fruit size, which will probably change its taste." "Another is to uproot the trees and sow new seeds." At this point, one of the farmers asked, "If we go for the first solution, would we have to do this every year?" The consultant nodded and answered, "Yes, sir, you would."
Looking at their copy of the report, the farmers silently estimated how much the intervention would cost them. Then another stated, "but if we uproot the trees, wouldn't that mean we would have to replant?" "And if we do that, there won't be a harvest for several years -- that doesn't sound good to me --you know what they say, 'no harvest, no produce, no produce, no money." Frustrated, the farmers began talking amongst themselves. After they quieted down, the consultant answered, "Yes, what you've said is true -- but.." Just then, another farmer asked the question they had all been thinking. "What guarantee do we have that the new seeds will not be sour?" Simultaneously, all of the farmers started talking again. After they quieted down, the consultant responded, "unfortunately, there are no guarantees -- you know about that more than I do." "Apparently, not as much as we should," said another farmer joking. They all laughed. Suddenly one of the quietest farmers said softly, "I think what we need is brand new seed -- from another source." Slowly the laughter subsided, and all agreed, a brand new seed is just what was needed.
In this story, human beings are the trees that produce sour fruit, having come from bad seed. The seed's name was Adam. When God created Adam, He created all of us in him. The Bible says in Genesis 2:7, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." In the original, the text says that God breathed the "breaths of life into man." Surprisingly, the plural form of the word is used, and not the singular. So, the text reads "breaths" and not "breath," as is written in most of our bibles. From this, we can understand that God breathed into Adam the breath of lives -- all of humankind's lives. So the lives of the whole human race were created in one man: Adam. (Adam in Hebrew means Mankind.) Acts 17:26 confirms this thought: "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." So it is no surprise that if God created all human beings out of one man when this man sinned, we all sinned. Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" This is the basis of the biblical principle of "Solidarity" or "corporate oneness." The book of Hebrews illustrates this principle is when Paul speaks of Levi paying tithes to Melchizedek, even though Levi was not yet conceived (Hebrews 7:1-10.) How did unconceived Levi pay tithes to Melchizedek? Let's take a look at Hebrews 7:
Hebrews 7:9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes to Abraham
Hebrews 7:10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
How does this fit our situation today? How does the concept of "corporate oneness," or "solidarity" affect us? Well, although we were not yet conceived -- we were in the loins - inside - of Adam -- so when he (Adam) sinned, and his nature changed, all he could bequeath to us was his nature of Sin. Therefore we created sinners. Because of this, we suffer the consequences of Sin and must pay the penalty of the second or eternal death, which, as we know, is not sleep. This death is eternal separation from God.
Unlike the characters in our story, God is neither a farmer nor a consultant. He foresaw our Adam's Sin and, therefore, ours, and before there was a need, he formulated a solution. We needed Brand New Seed in the form of Adam the 2nd. Among the many places in the Bible in which we find the answer to Sin, Romans 5:18 is one of them. It reads: "Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." God solved the Sin problem by putting us all human beings in Christ. The whole of the human race, you and I and every human being from Adam to the last person, were put into Christ. Christ became the second or the last Adam. Just as we were in Adam, God, by His act of incarnation through the Holy Spirit, put us into Christ so that we were corporately in Him. In bearing us -- our corporate human nature, He bore our Sin /s.
How does this help us? Since we are in Christ, all that He did we did. His life's history has become our history. So when He died the second death, we died with Him, and as He was resurrected on the third day, so were we. Christ has accomplished Salvation complete and final and has given it to us. This Salvation is God's gift to Mankind. Why? So that none would perish. For in John 3:16 it says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God the Father desires that none should be lost. He has made Abundant provision, and if we at the end are lost, it will be because we have fully and finally rejected His gift of love. So yes, Christ objectively justified and saved the whole world, but only your and my full and personal acceptance His gift (subjective Salvation) will allow us the reward of being the new fruit from the incorruptible seed. Receipt of this Truth (by faith) sanctifies us from Sin's consequences and fits us for Eternal Life. In the personal knowledge of truth is power, for "you shall know the truth, and it shall set you free." (John 8:32)
This expression of "In Christ" is used in Hebrews 1:3-14 approximately ten times. Let's read this passage:
Hebrews 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Hebrews 1:4 According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:
Hebrews 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
Hebrews 1:6 To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Hebrews 1:7 In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace;
Hebrews 1:8 Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Hebrews 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself:
Hebrews 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him:
Hebrews 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will:
Hebrews 1:12 That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Hebrews 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your Salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,
Hebrews 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.
Based on this passage we can conclude that in Christ were are not: cursed, left to ourselves, to prove ourselves worthy, we are not lost and forlorn, hopeless, aimless, and excluded from God. On the contrary, we are in Christ: blessed, chosen, predestined to adoption, redeemed through His blood, forgiven of Sin, given wisdom and understanding, purposed to know the mystery of His will, first to hope, and included. Christ has justified all Mankind and qualified us for eternal life. So, Jesus is near us -not only in proximity and in sympathy but - because He has chosen us in Himself. Now, He wants to be "in us," to make us fit for Heaven. If we decide to accept Him, one day, we will be living with Him eternally.
| RR |
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