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Jerusalem a Praise in the Earth – Week 28 / 8th July
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem,
Priest of the Most High God, who met
Abraham returning from the slaughter
of kings and blessed him, to whom also
Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first
being translated “King of righteousness,”
and then also King of Salem, meaning
“King of peace,” without father, without
mother, without genealogy, having
neither beginning of days nor end of life,
but made like the Son of God, remains a
priest continually.”
Hebrews7: 1-3
Jerusalem first appears on the pages of scripture as a mysterious town/city that is ruled over by a very unique person called Melchizedek. (Genesis 14:18-20) He is a Priest/King without beginning or end that reigns over a city the name of which means place of righteousness and peace. This Melchizedek is honored and served by Abraham the great Patriarch of Israel and he is thus, according to scripture, a type, picture or symbol of Christ. So, Jerusalem is the City of God and therefore, from the very dawn of time, it is elevated to symbolize an eternal and perfect dwelling place. By serving Melchizedek Abraham gives recognition to the ideals that the City sets forth.
These are:
1. That humankind is fallen and lost in the valley of darkness and war.
2. That the great need of humanity is to find its way home to the city. The place where God dwells with His people forever. This is a real city not a fictitious one. Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. “ (John 14:2)
3. That this way home is only by atonement. The King of the city will give the world bread and wine! That is, He will sacrifice Himself for the fallen world. What a beautiful picture of the atoning work of Jesus for each of us.
4. That Abraham and his people, Israel, will serve the world with the message of the city. The Bible says that he went out looking for a city that has foundations whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews11:10) He found Jerusalem and Melchizedek, Priest of the most High God!
5. That the right of passage to the City is righteousness and peace. That is, God’s righteousness and peace! The two go together and thus there will be no peace in this dark world until the city gives these to the world. Any peace formula until then is destined to fail because it is unsustainable without these two “ingredients.” (1Thessalonians5:3) Some peace, however imperfect, is better than no peace because it gives opportunity for the message of the city to be preached! (1Timothy2:1-4) This is why we should hope and pray for the success of “fleeting peace.” God’s righteousness and peace cannot be attained by human political endeavor. God has to give these by His grace as Melchizedek did to Abraham. (Titus2:11)
6. That the longing of the redeemed of the earth and all of Heaven is for the day when the city will become, “a praise in the earth.”
These are the ideals that undergird the city of Jerusalem. Sadly the City today sits astride a fallen world. This “fallenness” is characterized by an unrelenting hatred of God and its messenger Abraham and the Jewish people. Therefore the City has been and will be assaulted by all peoples. They will seek to destroy it and remove it from Abraham’s children. Indeed it has suffered more assaults and destructions than any other city on earth but it still stands because the God of heaven is her founder. She will yet again endure a global assault and survive. (Zechariah12:1-3)
In this final assault the nations will be judged and weakened, Jesus will come and reign over the nations, enforce peace with a rod of iron and they will learn war no more. (Isaiah2:1-4; Isaiah11:1-5; Revelation12:5) The City will become a praise in the earth as the nations ascend to it year by year to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles! After one last battle it will merge with the New Jerusalem and forever, those who live there will walk in perfect righteousness and peace! Behold all things will become new! (Revelation21:1-5) These words are “faithful and true.”
However, the city’s journey toward this day of praise and glory will be successful and triumphant partly because of the faithful prayers of God’s people who know her and love her. This eternal Jerusalem will forever be a reminder of Abraham, the messenger, for on its gates will be inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and on her foundation stones the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb and He the Lamb gave bread and wine to the world! (Revelation21:12-14; Luke22:17-20) Blessed be the Lamb and blessed are they who will be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb! Here, in a New Jerusalem, they will eat bread and drink new wine with Him for He declared that He would not drink from the fruit of the vine again until He does so with His redeemed people in the glorious city of God. (Mark 14:25) Even so, Lord Jesus, come!
Malcolm Hedding.
©Malcolm Hedding Ministries
2013Devotional