The Torah portion לח לח Lech-Lecha (Genesis 12-17) includes Abraham being called out of Ur of the Chaldeans. But there’s a specific event in Genesis 14 that deserves special focus: Abraham’s encounter with the mysterious Melchizedek. We meet this ancient pre-Israel king of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) again in the books of Psalms and Hebrews. Why is he so important, and what does he have to do with Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ)?
It’s not easy to leave one’s family, even at 75 years old, but God called Abram out of his father’s house for his own good. This was Abram’s first test.
In the Torah passage לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha/Lekh Lekha (“go forth,” Genesis 12:1-17:27), we learn that Abram’s faith came from both hearing God’s instruction and doing it. Doing matters, not just hearing. Hearing is easy, doing is much more involved and more difficult. When our life is smooth and we get instant gratification, it’s easy to continue walking in a way that brings a quick blessing. But when we are doing something that is right but we do not receive instant gratification, it’s harder to continue doing what is right.
When God tells us to do the right thing but we don’t want to do it, it’s hard to do it anyway.
Apostle Paul called Abraham the “father of us all,” those born in Israel and those who have faith like his (Rom. 4:16). The following is a discussion of Torah passage Lech Lecha (“go forth” or “get going,” Genesis 12-17). In it, we see Abraham’s first move of faith in leaving his homeland for some unknown destination Heaven was leading him toward. His response is an inspiration to us all.
Abraham’s first move of faith was leaving his homeland for some unknown destination Heaven was leading him toward. His journey plus that of Israel from bondage in Egypt parallels our path on The Way from the person we used to be to the “new creation” God has started in us through Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ).
If we consider ourselves his “children” by having similar trust in God, we should follow his way. Lot chose the easy way, but that was not Abram’s way. Why did Abram go to war? Who are these kings? What is the story behind the story? Does God have anything to do with this?
Abram wasn’t a man of war, but he fought a relatively major war for the time to rescue Lot. Afterward, he met the mysterious Melchizedek, who is mentioned in eternal terms in Psalms and the Apostolic letter to the Hebrews. Who is that man?