Bible Lesson July 19th, 2020: (Story about Melchisedec)

Bible Lesson July 19th, 2020: (Story about Melchisedec)

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God;

From July 19th, 2020 Bible Lesson Citation 5 from Hebrews 7 : 1-3


Commentary for Melchizedek by Martha Wilcox

It was at least ten years after Abraham left his father’s house before he found Melchizedek, the Christ, or the perfect concept of God and man, that delivered him from the hand of all his enemies. He was assailed by temptation and fear, by loss, and besieged by enemies. At Bethel he separated from his beloved Lot, that Lot might have the richest of the pasture lands.

But during all these years, while gaining an understanding, Abraham was proving his faith in the only living and true God. Abraham knew he was a witness to the stupendous truth which was destined ultimately to conquer every false system of worship, and form the basis of one demonstrable religion, that God is One and All.

Abraham knew that in order to find the city that hath foundations, which is the true understanding of God, he could not be wanting in patience and obedience and fidelity. He knew he could not gain this understanding by fleeing when evil pursued him. He knew that evil, when undestroyed, would pursue him, because God or Truth does not let evil rest until it is entirely destroyed. A false peace is no peace.

Abraham made mighty demonstrations through his faith in God, and through his fidelity to his vision that God is One.

Many of us, when wrestling with the problems of this day, receive much comfort and courage from the narrative where the Assyrian armies swooped down upon Abraham and his tribes, and were shouting their cries of victory, when Melchizedek, the Prince and Priest of the Most High, appeared in the distance with the supposed army.

The Assyrian armies, when they beheld the oncoming host of Melchizedek, which appeared to them to be as numerous as the sand of the desert with their shields and spears glistening in the sun, turned back their armies in such haste and confusion as to fall on their own spears, and were thus self-destroyed.

The enemies of Abraham fled when the host of Melchizedek burst upon their sight; but Melchizedek came not with arms nor with great numbers, just Melchizedek and a few attendants; but Abraham’s enemies, mortal mind as always, saw its own concept and fears personified, and fled before what was, in reality, the vision of Omnipotence.

Likewise, we learn slowly but surely that our enemies are but our own concepts, human thoughts and fears that are personified. These seeming enemies are turned back and self-destroyed, when once Melchizedek, the Prince and Priest of the Most High, the understanding that is absolute Truth, becomes our consciousness and demonstrates the everpresent fact that God, Truth, is supreme power.

Melchizedek

What a grand character was Melchizedek. There is some question about who Melchizedek was humanly, but we know the reality of the Christ was all there was of him. He was without human father or mother, without beginning or end of days. In the days of Abraham, there dwelt on the earth sacred and mysterious kings of righteousness and peace, and the greatest of these was Melchizedek. He was a spiritually minded servant of the One God; he was a great administrator of justice, and such as he believed God, Himself, would be.

Melchizedek subdued Egypt and overthrew their idolatry, and did it without bloodshed or strife. How was this done? Through his understanding of God as One. He knew that materiality, personified evil, has no power to interfere or defeat that which is spiritual fact. Melchizedek was the type of that greater Priest who was to come as a sinful world’s Messiah. I often think of those who dwell on earth today, who move among us as a divine afflatus, invisible to us, because our eyes are holden.

The great Prince and Priest of the Most High alone can lead us to that city which hath foundations; and we shall find that city when we seek the spiritual alone; when we abandon the belief that things are matter; when we cease to fear that evil has presence and power; when the belief in evil ceases to contest our faith in God as All. Our Most High Priest is always at hand. Our Redeemer liveth, and He stands upon the earth today as our Great Deliverer.

— “The Scriptures” by Martha Wilcox found in Adresses, page 443-445




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