Genesis 14:17-15:6 - "Jesus:
Forever, After The Order of
Melchizedek..."
 Read Passage
 Prayer
 Intro. - "All good things must come
to an end." – In many ways, we find
this to be true…
 Nice things, like summer vacation,
youthful energy, and classic car
designs.
 Serious things, like the influence of
a good politician or judge, or our
ability to protect our children.
 So the statement is true in some
circumstances, but is it true in all
circumstances?
 Based on our passage, the best
things last forever.
 Pause
 Review of the Creation, Fall, Flood,
Babel storyline of redemption that
now flows into the life of Abraham,
all with the parallel themes of
judgment and gracious, merciful
blessing.
 The point has been Christ all along,
from Genesis 3:15 (read) to
Genesis 12:1-3 (read), as seen in
Galatians 3:16 (read).
 The OT is Jesus Christ concealed;
the NT is Jesus Christ revealed.
The OT is the “shadows,” while the
NT is the reality.
 God has been working in
interesting, impossible ways to grow
Abram's faith, requiring him to let go
of earthly security and trust God's
word.
 In chapter 12, he was called to
leave the security of family, which
was crucial back then.
 In chapter 13, God allows a
famine that pushes Abram down to
Egypt.
 In chapter 14, Abram must go up
against remarkable “odds” to
rescue Lot.
 "God's word is the most certain--the
most fixed--point in the universe." –
Dever
 God is teaching this to Abram;
teaching him to trust His word.
 "Faith is not believing what you
know ain't so (Twain), or a blind
leap in the dark. It's a person who
has come to the end of himself and
has fallen on God alone as HIs
mercy and grace are held out in the
gospel." - Michael Lawrence
 Hebrews 11:1 (read)
 Main Point for Today: The faith that
God grows in HIs people sacrifices
the temporary and is blessed with
the eternal.
 It’s the best things that last forever.
 Today's narrative demonstrates this
truth in the life of Abram.
 1. Abram's Temporary Sacrifice
 2. Abram's Eternal Blessing
 Pause
 1. Abram's Temporary Sacrifice
 Review the story of chapter 14,
including the impressiveness of
Abram’s victory and how in the
beginning of chapter 15 it seems
Abram has sacrificed his "nation" in
the process of giving glory to God.
 Abram had every right to keep the
plunder he had won, but
Melchizedek emphasizes that it was
God Who had done the winning.
 Read verses 22-23.
 This victory was not how God
intended to give Abram the land.
The point of this victory was to point
people to God.
 For one who really loves and
worships God, nothing is greater
than more worshippers of God.
 But would he get a reward?
 Abram was joyfully willing to
sacrifice in order to point people to
God, but he has some doubts about
how God will follow through on His
promises of blessing.
 We see this as we move into
chapter 15. (read vv. 1-3 and 8)
 In Hebrews 11, though, we see that
Abram eventually “got it.” How did
that happen? Let’s move on to
point #2.
 2. Abram's Eternal Blessing
 We see indications of Abram’s
eternal blessing in the person of
Melchizedek, and in God’s
statements to Abram in 15:1 and to
us in 15:6. The Blessing was
Christ. The reward was
righteousness.
 Read verses 17-20.
 Let’s start with examining
Melchizedek, and how he was to
point to Christ, in Psalm 110 and
Hebrews 7.
 Jesus as King
 Read Psalm 110
 This psalm is written by David, and
is a declaration of Messianic
authority. The greatest king Israel
had ever had (David) declares this
One after the order of Melchizedek
to be greater than himself.
 Melchizedek, “king of peace” and
“king of righteousness” is to point to
the Messianic King.
 Story of Jesus when He asks the
Pharisees about Psalm 110 in
Matthew 22:41-46.
 So God’s eternal
blessings/promises to Abram
include a perfect, eternal King. The
great nation Abraham would father
needed a King—a perfect King, a
King of Righteousness.
 This world is full of people looking to
be seen as good.
 But in God’s book, a person is
either perfect or eternally damned,
and nothing in between. We need a
King of Righteousness.
 This world is also full of people
looking for peace. There will be no
peace, though, without embracing
this King Jesus.
 How can this King of Righteousness
and Peace give those things to His
citizens? He’s also their Priest.
 Jesus as Priest
 Hebrews 7
 Read verses 1-3
 Was Melchizedek an angel, or a
preincarnate appearance of Christ?
 I think verse 3 highlights how
Melchizedek, and ordinary man,
was described in Genesis: no
geneology or record of death. This
description was for the purpose of
pointing to our eternal King/Priest.
 Read verses 4-7.
 Describe how these verses
emphasize the greatness of Jesus.
 Read verses 8-10.
 Jesus is greater than the Levitical
priesthood.
 Read verses 11-16.
 Jesus is an eternal Priest because
of being specially appointed, not
because of being in a certain tribe.
 Read verses 17-28.
 At the moment of Abram's greatest
victory, God points us to the only
victory that is truly abiding.
 Summarize Christ’s earthly ministry.
 Return to Hebrews 7:25.
 Some of us are in a victorious
season of life, while others are in a
season of trial/defeat. But what
matters most for any of us is
whether Christ is interceding for us.
 We must not believe that any
person is only blessed when they
get salvation in Jesus plus other
stuff going their way. A person is
infinitely blessed if the only thing
that every goes right for them in this
life is Jesus.
 Is Christ interceding for you?
 1 John 2:1-2
 We get a taste of this intercession in
Luke 22:31-34 with Peter.
 Christ does not just sit in Heaven
waiting for His chance to return as
King. He is interceding and
imploring that we would not fail,
pouring grace into our lives.
 Conclusion:
 A person is infinitely blessed if the
only thing that goes right for them in
this life is Jesus, because that
person is eternally blessed with a
King and a Priest.
 Some believers, like Abram, are
blessed in other ways too; but the
reason for this is so they can use
that blessing to point people to their
savior God, Like Abram in this story
and 12:1-3.
 There is a King of the Universe. We
may not see in clearly now, but…
 Are you like the 5 foolish kings
thinking you'll get away with
insubordination?
 There is another King Who is going
out to war one day and His enemies
will stand no more of a chance than
Lot did before Cheddorlaomer.
 Are you His friend or His enemy?
 Pause
 Some good things must come to an
end, but the best things—the
priesthood and reign of Jesus—last
forever.