No More Than I Need Series

• You remember the famous “wax on, wax off” movie?

• Miyagi: Now, ready? Daniel: Yeah, I guess so.

• Miyagi: [sighs] Daniel-san, must talk. [they both kneel]

• Miyagi: Walk on road, hm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later

• [makes squish gesture]

• Miyagi: get squish just like grape. Here, karate, same thing. Either you karate do "yes" or karate do "no." You karate do "guess so,"

• [makes squish gesture]

• Miyagi: just like grape. Understand? Daniel: Yeah, I understand.

• Miyagi: Now, ready? Daniel: Yeah, I'm ready.

• The entire wax on wax off scene is getting ready before the game.

Gen 14:17-20 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself."

Gen 14:22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth,

Gen 14:23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.'

Gen 14:24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share."

• There is a lot of controversy in this passage.

• Theologians, preachers and bible students through the ages have argued about this passage.

• Abram just whooped “Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him” and rescued the king of Salem and his boys.

• He brought back every captive and every possession that was taken.

• The king of Salem shows up, and his name is Melchizedek.

• He brings out wine and bread for the fighters, you remember, Abram’s 318 fighting shepherds.

• Sounds like a high school football team, kinda. I digress.

• What we are told about Melchizedek is that he was a priest of our God.

• Melchizedek blesses Abram. He says, “"Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!"

• Then Abram does something never done before. He gives Melchizedek a tithe.

• He gave the priest of the Most High God 1/10th of everything Abram captured back.

• Melchizedek tried to receive only the persons rescued, but told Abram to keep the booty.

• (OK, gang. Booty means possessions captured).

• Abram then makes a speech.

• “I made a promise to God not to keep anything but what my men ate. No, keep it and give the other kings what belongs to them.”

• Then, boom, Melchizedek almost completely disappears from scripture.

• He appeared out of nowhere and almost vanishes with the same mysterious secrets.

• Only mentioned once in the Psalms, not mentioned by any prophet, in the Gospel, not in the early instructions to the Church, and only in one other book, the book of Hebrews.

• On a simple reading, there doesn’t seem to be much controversial in it.

• However, if you look at the details, there are lots of questions.

• First off, who was this Melchizedek?

• Where was the Salem he was king over?

• If Abram was the first Jew, the father of the Israeli nation, what was Melchizedek’s nationality and heritage?

• Now, let me show you the controversy.

• Salem is believed to be the first community of what later became Jeru-salem.

• That is almost agreed upon, although some will argue that. (Some will argue anything).

• Many Jewish writers and Christian theologians believe this is Shem, son of Noah.

• Shem was alive at this time. If you look at his age and when Abram did this, it is possible.

• We can’t know for certain, but Shem is a form of the word Salem.

• Shem was blessed and the forefather of all these tribes and nations, since he was one of three sons that came out of the ark with his wife. The other two sons moved away after the Tower of Babel.

• Others say that this is Christ in an appearance in the Old Testament.