When We Receive Salem, It's Easy to Reject Sodom

I have learned so much about the ministries that help people escape from unnatural affection (same-sex temptations, etc). For too long, however, in the Body of Christ, there is still an insistence on what we must do to get right with the Lord. It's all about our efforts, and in all too many cases, there are so many Christians who still believe that they need to stop doing the wrong so that they can be in the right and receive all that they need from Jesus.

In fact, the Bible is Christ-al (crystal) clear that the Holy Spirit transforms us, not we ourselves:

"18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

and

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2)

Notice that we receive the transformation. This is not something that we do. This is something that the Holy Spirit does.

Now, to the specific issue for those who struggle with unnatural affection.

In Genesis 14, we read about an incredible victory wrought by our father of faith Abraham (at the time, he was still called Abram):

"13And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. 14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. 15And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people." (Genesis 14:13-16)

With only 318 men, Abram defeated four kings, and he rescued all the people who had been captured, and reclaimed all the goods that had been looted by those kings.

Now, who was the first person to reach out to Abram after this incredible victory?

"17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale." (Genesis 14:17)

The King of Sodom arrived first. This king is the picture of our flesh, and for those who struggle with unnatural temptations, that struggle. 

Then who comes to Abraham?

"18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God." (Genesis 14:18)

First, there is the King of Sodom, but then comes the King of Salem. This Melchizedek is a type of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

"18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God." (Psalm 110:4)

and

"14For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. 15And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life." (Hebrews 7:14-16)

More comparisons ...

"Sodom" means "scorching" or "burning fire." This name is appropriate, since the LORD God would destroy Sodom in fire and brimstone (Genesis 19:24-25)

Lusts, fleshy demands in our minds and in our bodies, war against us, like a consuming fire:

"15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough." (Proverbs 30:15-16)

and

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;" (1 Peter 2:11)

That fire also speaks of the fiery darts of the Enemy, who seeks to condemn us for our wrong thinking and feeling, the lusts in our flesh (Ephesians 6:16)

"Salem" means "peace" or "paid for." Jesus is our peace (Ephesians 2:14), for He has paid for our sins--and all the sins of the world (1 John 2:2)

Now, notice that Melchizedek (which means "King of Righteousness") not only comes to Abraham, but he brings bread and wine.

He also blesses Abraham--and he blesses him before he blesses the Most High God! (Genesis 14:19-20)

Then Abraham tithed to Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods that he secured from the four kings.

Then consider what he says to the King of Sodom after this burning king asks for the people whom Abraham had rescued:

22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:" (Genesis 14:22-23)

Here are a few wonderful revelations which Daddy God showed me in this passage, which can help people who still struggle with unnatural affection:

1. The King of Sodom did come to Abraham first, but Melchizedek did follow. In the same way, all of us who are saved, who are called by God to great things, will find these struggles burning at our flesh from the outset, but Jesus comes to us. Again, notice that Abraham did not go to Melchizedek, but rather this wonderful King of Righteousness came to Abraham first.

2. The King of Righteousness and Peace blessed Abraham, and the word "bless" is used three times in the passage. We must rest in this gracious truth that our Savior, our High Priest Forever at the order of Melchizedek has a priesthood that blesses only, that does not curse.

3. Then this revelation came to me: Melchizedek provided Abraham bread and wine, and he blessed him--but at no time did Melchizedek tell Abraham to break off his meeting with the King of Sodom first. In other words, Melchizedek was ministering to Father Abraham all the while that the King of Sodom was right there with him!

The revelation for all of us today, which we must share with fellow brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ who still find themselves mired in certain temptations: Jesus ministers to us, serves us, blesses us with His goodness even when we still struggle with unnatural affections. He does not go away. He does not tell us to get our acts together, to stop sinning, so to speak.

He blesses us first, He fulfills us first, he pays for all our sins and gives us His righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Then, and only then, are we able to say to the King of Sodom "I am not taking anything from you. I receive everything I need from the Most High God, who is also the Possessor of Heaven and Earth." Who need what the world has to offer, when He who spoke the worlds into existence can give you all things with His Son?!

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)

Paul writes about this beautifully to the Romans:

"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" (Romans 2:4)

He later writes:

"11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" (Titus 2:11-13)

First, through Christ Jesus we are justified from all things (Acts 13:38) Then, because we see more of Jesus, He transforms us!

Too many Christians who struggle withing lingering sins are trying to get their acts together first, then come to Jesus. That is not how it works. We cannot change ourselves, we cannot save ourselves. If we could find a way to fix ourselves, then Jesus did not have to come our way and be the Way, as well as the Truth and the Life.

When we receive Salem, it's easy to reject Sodom!

When people receive Jesus as their King of Peace and their King of Righteousness, as they continue to receive revelation of His Finished Work (the bread and wine, i.e. Holy Communion), as they continue to receive His blessings and favor, for Jesus is Grace Personified (John 1:14), then Christians can say to the temptations in their flesh: "I won't take anything from you. I receive all I need from my High Priest forever.

The Meaning of the Tithe: Melchizedek

I was reading this great passage in the Book of Hebrews about the tithe:

"1For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

 "4Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 5And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: 6But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. 7And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. 8And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him." (Hebrews 7:1-10)

 When we tithe, we are tithing for future generations, and to bless future generations.

 Our tithe is a testimony that JESUS LIVES!

 And where is Jesus now? Jesus is our Great High Priest, a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek! He is seated at the Right Hand of the Father (Psalm 110:1)

The Melchizedek priesthood has only blessings, no cursing.

“18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” (Genesis 14: 18-20)

Our Great High Priest lives after the power of an endless life (Hebrews 7:16). While under the Old Covenant, the nation of Israel would be accepted or rejected depending on sometimes a very undependable high priest, we have a Great High Priest who offered one sacrifice for sins FOREVER (Hebrews 10:12)!

And what is He doing up there? He ministers on our behalf! Is he standing or sitting?

He is seated! Because He Finished the work. Under the Old Covenant, priests had to stand daily ministering, making sacrifices. Jesus completed the work once for all forever. He is not just the propitiation for our sins, but for the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:1-2)

When you tithe, you testify to your living Great High Priest, who ministers on your behalf, after the power of an endless life! Your Wisdom your Righteousness, Your Sanctification, and Your Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30)

We Give God a Tenth ... Because He Gave Us Everything

Melchizedek blesses Abram

"And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all." (Genesis 14:20)

Why do many people struggle with tithing?

I have learned tithing is a strong-meat teaching. It's not for the young Christian or the immature believer. Giving a tenth of all that we have is connected to the advanced revelation of Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High:

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 10Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

"11Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." (Hebrews 5:8-12)

Learning about Melchizedek, and thus the tithing principled associated with him, is not for uninitiated, those who do not understand and keep receiving the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17, Hebrews 5:13)

Today, Jesus is our High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek!

"4The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (Psalm 110:4; cf Hebrews 5:10)

What do we need to see within this relevation about tithing?

Notice what Melchizedek did for Abram first:

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

"19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

"20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all." (Genesis 14:18-20)

Check this out! Melchizedek is recognized as the priest for God Most High! This is the first mention of this specific name for our God El Alyion in Hebrew, but this name also appears in the Psalm of consummate protection:

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 1:1)

Notice that God Most High speaks of conssumate protection and provision.

Consider the full blessing from Melchizedek:

"Blessed be Abram of God Most High possessor of heaven and earth.

Our Daddy God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10)

Everything that we can give Him, He already gave to us:

"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." (1 Chronicles 29:14)

Let's never forget that God came to Abram and called Him to enter a country that He would give Him. There is no better deal than God initiating His offer.

And God had blessed Abram already:

"16And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels." (Genesis 12:16)

Keep in mind that God blessed Abrah through Pharoah, even though God never intended for Abram and his wife Sarai to go there, and Abram lied about his wife to preserve himself!

So, God had not only provided for Abram immensely, but ensured his protection:

" ... And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." (Genesis 14:20)

God blessed Abram already, and He had protected him and delivered all his enemies in Abram's hand.

When we recognize how much God has already blessed us, then we have a spirit tithe. 

"We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19, NIV)

Let's not forget that there is no greater love shown to us than in Jesus, God's own Son, delivered for us (John 3:16). Jesus conquered every enemy that we may face:

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8:37)

And

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" (Ephesians 1:3)

and then

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1:6)

I submit to all of you today that many people struggle with tithing because they do not see that our Daddy God has provided us everything, and they also do not believe that Jesus accomplished a perfect work at the Cross, defeating all our enemies:

"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:9-15)

Notice that all fullness dwells in Jesus, and that our sins have been put away from us forever. The ordinances against us--the Old Covenant, the Law of Moses--have been fulfilled and thus rendered obsolete against us. Notice also that Jesus "spoiled principalities and powers."

He disarmed them! Satan, Death, Hell, the Grave-every enemy has been defeated. Today, we reign in His life!

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)

The more we understand Jesus as our High Priest Forever, and that He has done all things for us, that He accomplished a perfect against our sin and shame, that He has accorded to us and continue to bless us with His grace and righteousness, then we in turn have no problem releasing a tenth of all that we have.