February 11 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

After the battle a very significant event took place: Abram received a blessing from Melchizedek. This king, who was also a "priest of God Most High," is a mysterious figure in the history of the covenant. He does not really belong to the clan of God's own people.

(He is further mentioned in Psalm 110. And there is a long piece about him as a "type" of our Lord Jesus in Hebrews 5 and 7.)

This happening is strange indeed. After all, there was nobody in the whole world more important than Abram and his tribe. But here the head of the blessed nation, on whom all of God's promises rested, knelt before this stranger who had the power to bless. (Heb. 7:7 comments: "And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.") Moreover, Abram acknowledged the religious authority of Melchizedek by paying a tax to him: "Abram gave him a tenth of everything."

This meeting with Melchizedek shows that Abram expected more than many children and a good country. This story is an indication that the hope and joy of Abram and his seed centered on a figure who would be more than a natural son of Abram. We know that, of course, because we have learned to read the Old Testament through the glasses of the New. We know that the ultimate hope of Abram was Jesus. "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day," said Jesus (John 8:56).

Jesus was the greatest son of Abram. But he is also the Son of God. Without the history of the natural children of Abram, we would not have Jesus. But the history of Abram's children is not enough to explain the coming of Jesus. He also came "from the outside," "from elsewhere"—a little like Melchizedek. And even Abram must kneel before this Priest-King to receive his blessing.

REFLECTIONS

How would you express your "ultimate hope"?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.