13 - Abram and the Covenant God made with him.

Kathleen’s thoughts

Melchizedek, the King of Salem (king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, which means king of peace.)(Hebrews 7:3 Without (record of) father or mother or ancestral line, neither with beginning of days nor ending of life, but resembling the Son of God, he continues to be a priest without interruption and without successor) Salem is later known as Jerusalem, he brought bread and wine. He was a priest to God Most High. Hebrews 7:4 Now observe and consider how great (a personage) this was to whom even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth (the topmost of the pick of the heap) of the spoils. Jesus is known as Prince of Peace and he too used the bread and wine.

Genesis 17 is where God makes a covenant with Abram and changed his name to Abraham and his wife Sarai to Sarah. God told Abraham that He will make him the father of many nations.

Haggai the servant of Sarai who gave her to her husband Abram so they could have children as she was barren, gave birth to Ishmael, and God blessed him and said he will be fruitful and will multiply him greatly and he will be father to the 12 tribal leaders. And I will make him into a great nation But God will confirm His covenant with Isaac, who Sarah will bear to you at this time next year… When He finished talking with Abraham God withdrew from him. It was after this that Abraham and his household carried out God’s orders of circumcision

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 ?