13 - Circumcise your heart

Chareen's Thoughts

• Today I read about Melchizedek (means Righteous King). Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek, king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High.  This priest is quite a significant man.
• Interestingly enough his name is translated by Paul in Hebrews. Hebrews 7:2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”  Jesus is known as the Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6
• Hebrews 6: 20 says: Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek. I wish the bible had more about this man. 
• Upon research on Bible Gateway I discovered that his name appears eleven times through out the scriptures. Once in Genesis, once in Psalms, nine times in Hebrews.
• There are three priestly orders.  The line of Aaron (Levitical Priesthood Order [Numbers 3:10]) and the line of Melchizedek (Melchizedek Priesthood Order) and a third priesthood.  The Royal Priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) which we are grafted into through Christ.
• Genesis 14:20 Abram tithed to this priest.The command to tithe is confirmed in Leviticus 27: 30-33
• Genesis 14:19-20 Melchizedek pronounces a blessing upon Abram.
• Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness. Abram's faith must have been monumental.  There have been seasons in my life where I know but do not believe God because the physical evidence is not there.  My LORD has been ever patient with me in these seasons of my walk.  Our belief is credited to us.  Think about it.  Abram believed when the physical evidence was so contrary to what he had been told.
• Genesis 15: 1-21 is the story of the unconditional covenant that God made with Abram. 
• Genesis 16: 11 - 12 As I read here about the prophecy God spoke over Hagars son Ishmael I thought to myself that this has continued through the ages to all his decedents.  His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him. Interestingly Ishmael means: God hears.
• Genesis 17:1 ... "I am God Almighty. Live in My presence and be devout. Being devout is defined as: Yielding a solemn and reverential attention to God in religious exercises, particularly in prayer. To live in His presence and be devout.  What does this mean for you and me ?
• Genesis 17:5 Your name will no longer be Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations. Genesis 17:15 God said to Abraham, "As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah will be her name. A new beginning for both.  God Himself renamed them.  A few years ago I watch a video series where I learned that God put His own name into their names. The 'AH' is the breath/life of God. He inserted this into each of their names. Sarah became known as Princess. She was 90 and he was 99 and God breathed of Himself over them so that they could be renewed before His covenant with them could begin it's fulfillment. So they became known as: Abraham the exalted father of many and Sarah the princess the daughter of the King.
• Six (Ishmael, Isaac, Josiah, Solomon, John and Jesus) were named before their conception and Solomon was given a second name at birth (Jedidiah) by God and Isaac is the second. Genesis 17:19 But God said, "No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. ...  For some reason I always thought that Isaacs name came about because Sarah laughed but now I realise that God named him before he was even conceived and not only Sarah but Abraham laughed too. Genesis 17:17 Abraham fell to the ground, laughed, and thought in his heart, .... Genesis 18:12 So she laughed to herself: ...
• Genesis 17: 9-14 God required circumcision as a sign of the covenant between Himself and His people. 

The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 

 Deuteronomy 30:6

 Blessings

Chareen

For Further Reading:

• Stephen Haskell, Priests & Cross and it's Shadow.
• The different covenants in the bible.
• Got questions.org What is the Abrahamic Covenant ?

12 - All the peoples on the earth will be blessed through you

Abraham's Departure, by József Molnár

Hebrews 11:8

[Urged on] by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go.

Chareen's Thoughts:  

• Abram (Exalted / High Father) and Sarai (Argumentative). One of my pet interests is the meanings of names.  I think that in general we under estimate the value of the meanings of our names.  When we speak a name we speak a blessing or a curse. This in turn made looking for names for my children a bit of a challenge!  Looking at Abraham and Sarah's original names I noticed that Abraham had a name with a positive meaning.  Do you know the meaning of your name ?
• Genesis 12:3 ... and all the peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.  To think that because of the faith of one man ALL the people of the earth are blessed.
• Genesis 12:11-15 Sarai a beautiful woman.  She must have had an amazing beauty at the age of 60 that even the Pharaoh wanted her. I am not so sure I would have submitted to my husband and lived as a wife to a king :'( She must have had a strength of character few know today.  She must have loved Abram very deeply to forgive him and move forward in their relationship.  It intrigues me that God placed His hand against Pharaoh when it is Abram that sinned by omitting that Sarai is his wife. 
• Genesis 13: 14-17 God renews the covenant with Abram.  This is the second time He speaks this blessing over Abram.

This is my favourite verse in relation to the Jewish nation and it is a verse that holds a very special place in my heart.  It is a verse that was spoken in prophecy over someone special in my life.

Genesis 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and ^[a]curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves].

Blessings
Chareen

From Bible Gateway:

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 12:3 To look with disfavor on the Jews was to invite God's displeasure; to treat the Jews offensively was to incur His wrath. But to befriend the Jews was to bring down upon one's head the rewards of a promise that could not be broken.

12 - Abram the father of many nations

Kathleen’s thoughts

Genesis 12-13

God’s Sevenfold promise..take note the number 7

I will make you into a great nation

I will bless you

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

What a beautiful blessing! Abrams journey to Hebron where he and Lot settle and because of Abram compassion for his nephew by allowing to choose the land and Lot chose the best part and God stepped in with His blessing by multiplying everything he had and made Abram a great nation and his wealth was exceedingly in abundance.

Blessings Kathleen