Today´s reading:
OT: Genesis 13:5-18, Genesis 14-15
NT: Matthew 5:27-48
Ps: Psalm 6
Pr: Proverbs 1:29-33
Gospel Thread - OT:
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Genesis 14:18-20 (NIV)
The mysterious Melchizedek! Melchizedek is another type of Christ, which Paul explains:
1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.
Hebrews 7:1-3 (NIV)
15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.
Hebrews 7:15-16 (NIV)
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6 (NIV)
The bedrock of Christianity: righteousness credited by God through the faith of the one who believes (see Romans 4:18-25).
17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates- 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."
Genesis 15:17-21 (NIV)
And here is the fourth of six Old-Testament covenants. The Abrahamic covenant confirms God's promise and blessing to Abram (whose name is very soon to be changed to Abraham) - a promise that, through Christ extends to all believers.
Gospel Thread - NT:
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48 (NIV)
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is explaining the more complete/more perfect understanding of Mosaic laws concerning adultery, divorce, making oaths, vengance, and loving one's neighbors and enemies. In so doing, Christ demonstrates that the Mosaic law was a shadow of God's ultimate law and standard. The Mosaic law intended to show man how not to sin; Christ shows man how to be holy.
Gospel Thread - Psalms/Proverbs:
No direct gospel/messianic references in today’s Psalms/Proverbs reading.
The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.
