Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. Blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all.”
(Genesis 14:19-20)

Since the greater always blesses the lesser, Melchizedek was greater in spiritual stature than Abram (Hebrews 7:7). Since Levi was a descendant of Abram, the Levitical priesthood was lesser than the Melchizedekan priesthood (Hebrews 7:4-10). So when Jesus is called a priest after the priesthood of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6), His priesthood is being called superior to the Levitical priesthood – which makes Grace greater than the Law, or the fulfillment of it (Matthew 5:17-20).

Tithing is not a concept purely of the Law. Tithing to one who is of superior stature, representing God as a spiritual leader (in this case a priest), is simply a biblical PRINCIPLE and not a specific command. It later was part of the Law, but it is more than that. Those who don’t follow the Law can still tithe, because giving to God through His chosen representatives is a PRINCIPLE throughout scripture. The difference is that under the Law if you did not tithe there was a penalty (it was a command). Under Grace if you do not tithe, you simple miss out on the positive BLESSING to yourself that comes with tithing. Tithing is part of God’s system.

Melchizedek blessed Abram on behalf of God and gave God glory because God is the provider of all things. There is honour being a follower of God, but there is greater honour to give God because of who He is and what He does. We should NEVER forget to give God the glory, even when we are honouring one of His chosen representatives.

The sage Ramban writes: ‘AND HE GAVE HIM A TENTH OF ALL. Abraham did not wish to take for himself from a thread even to a sandal tie. But the part of the Most High he set aside in order to give it to the priest. Now the king of Sodom went out to meet Abraham at the vale of Shaveh in his honor, and he accompanied him to the city of Salem where Melchizedek brought out bread and wine for the people that followed him. The king of Sodom did not ask anything of Abraham, but when he saw his generosity and righteousness in giving the tithe to the priest, then he also asked for the souls by way of charity. Abraham, trusting that his G-d will give him riches, possessions and honor, did not wish to take anything from him, and so he returned all the wealth of Sodom which belonged to him, and all the wealth of Gomorrah for it to be returned to its owners. The king of Sodom had asked above all for the souls, but Abraham’s consideration above all was that they should not say that they made Abram rich. Now the other places mentioned had been destroyed by the enemy in battle; only the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah, among the cities of the five kings, fell into the hands of the enemy because since their kings were lost in the slime pits, their cities remained defenseless.
It is possible that [the plunder from the other three cities is alluded to] in the words of Abraham: “If from a thread even to a sandal tie will remain with me of all the wealth that has come to me from all of you; and if I take anything that is thine of your wealth which you, the king of Sodom, gave me.”’

The sage Sforno writes: ‘ויברכהו ויאמר ברוך אברם לאל עליון, first he blessed on his own behalf. Then he added that Avram was also blessed by the Supreme G’d. He said basically the same as G’d Himself had said to Avram in 12,2. קונה שמים וארץ, heaven and earth are His, to do with as He pleases. They do not have a will of their own as some scientists believe. G’d alone works His will on them, using them according to His will. וברוך אל עליון, this power G’d gave to Avram to enable him to overcome his enemies, is a blessing for the Lord. He is able to rejoice in the deeds of His creatures when the wicked perish, and when He makes the righteous rejoice in their success. David expressed it in these words in Psalms 117,1-2 שבחוהו כל האומים גי גבר עלינו חסדו, “Praise the Lord all you nations. Extol Him, all you peoples; for great is His steadfast love toward us;”’