Hebrews 7:9-10

Hbrews 7:9-10

Abraham's DNA

These enigmatic verses make a curious and profound argument, let’s try and follow what is being said here. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, and Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob was born. We don’t know exactly the age of Jacob when Levi came into the world but let’s say his father was 40, and let’s say that Levi was 30 before He was appointed a priest. Add this all up and we find that at least 230 years must have passed between when Abraham was making a tithe to Melchizedek and the Levites started to collect the tithes of the Israelites. 

The author of Hebrews may not have done the maths, but he clearly believed that the blood of the descendants of Abraham was present in the old patriarch when he encountered the King/ Priest of Salem. Today we would say that it is our genes that are passed on down the generations, in fact modern science has proved the point, there is something of you and me that gets passed down the line to our children and then grandchildren, and beyond. And maybe it’s not just genetic, maybe there is a spiritual thread that moves through the generations! Of course there is, it’s Yahweh we’re talking about here! King David’s inheritance and spiritual code passed down the line to Jesus Himself, and the prophets were aware that this would happen. The Lord already knows who our descendants are going to be and the time and date of their birth. He has already chosen and ordained the lives of our successors especially if they believe in and follow Him. We are told in Ephesians that we were “chosen in Him before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight.”Ephesians 1:4. 

So, the logic goes that the Levites, who collected the tithes from Israel, were actually making a tithe to Melchizedek because their DNA was already present in the body of the old patriarch Abraham, their father in the faith, when he made his tithe! That is why Paul makes the argument, in Romans 4, that we are children of the promises that were made to Abraham because his spiritual DNA is in us. (Paul of course, does not mention DNA but you take my point!) One of the mysteries of the genetic code is that Jewish genes are some of the strongest known to man, studies have shown that despite all of the ups and downs of their history and their interaction with other nations, their “Jewishness” remains strong and clearly traceable. 

This is incredible, there is not only a link between us and Adam and Eve, the original human beings, but the righteousness and faith of men like Abraham has been passed down through generations in order that we might receive it! That suggests that there are men and women of faith in our ancestry maybe, and our faith is a gift to our children and grandchildren. None of this is random or coincidental, God had it all planned before the world was even created! If this is correct, then all we can say is WOW! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more
Psalm1:5       Our earthly journey will allow us, at times, to stand with the redeemed in holy awe and worship exhilarated by the presence of our Father.  In the Psalmists’ day these “assemblies of the righteous” would have been joyful times of worship at God’s sanctuary where music played, choirs sang and the people joined in the excitement and corporate wonder of being together in God’s presence. If our own church worship is anything, it should be a prelude to the time when we will join with a numberless throng and sing the praises of the Lamb and the One who sits upon the throne of heaven. Many go to events like Spring Harvest, Keswick Convention, New Day and the rest, primarily for this experience of joy and exhilaration.  Our earthly, joyful experiences are but a foretaste of what is to come and we are promised that we will join with heavenly choirs and our song will be “Worthy is the Lamb.”   Such music and exalta...
Read more

Psalm 119:83

Psalm 119:83 Wineskins in the smoke Well, this verse has caught us by surprise! What does it mean? As we will be aware, in ancient times, wine was not stored in purpose-made glass bottles but in animal skins. In order to keep the skin pliable and soft it must not be allowed to dry out for it would soon shrivel and crack. It follows that the last thing you would do with your treasured wineskins is to hang them up over a smoky fire, not only would they quickly wither but the smoke would clearly ruin the flavour and texture of the wine!  What does the author mean when he says that he is like such a wineskin?  It denotes the uncomfortable condition he was in or at least thought himself to be in; being caught in the midst of smoke is very uncomfortable, and he considered himself to be in darkness with sin and afflictions, like a wineskin in smoke, black and sooty. He felt like an empty wineskin with nothing in him. Maybe he was worn out with cares and old age and had become pale an...
Read more