WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: Before today’s reading, praise God for those who led you to Christ. True peace Melchizedek’s name is made from two Hebrew words: melek, meaning ‘king’ and zedek, which means ‘righteousness’. So he was king of righteousness. He was also king of Salem, which means ‘peace’. Note that first came righteousness, then peace (v 2). This is always the order (Romans 5:1). Our lives are spent in search of peace; yet we often look in the wrong places. Some find a temporary peace in denial, pretending that there is no problem. Many search for peace through the escape offered by drugs, alcohol or illicit sex. Others find a type of peace through compromise, changing their standards. But the only true peace is found through accepting God’s will (Luke 22:42). Only through relationship Melchizedek had no pedigree (v 3) so he wasn’t entitled, according to the law of Moses, to be a priest. Yet Abraham paid him tithes, and Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Note the significance of these two facts (vs 4,7). Levitical priests were born into the role, regardless of their lifestyles. Melchizedek became a priest based on his relationship with God. We are not Christians because of our ancestry. Having godly parents or grandparents doesn’t make us right with God. We become Christians because of our own relationship with God. Thank God this is possible, with Jesus Christ as our High Priest. Respond: Is there an area of turmoil in your life today? Where are you looking for peace? Pray today that the Lord will show you his will. http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-04-23