Come to Understanding

Come to Understanding

They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,

and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. — Isaiah 29:24

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,

and caused them to understand the reading. — Nehemiah 8:8

December 14, 2012
Volume 11 Number 24

Your Exceedingly Great Reward

Long before the earthly birth of the Messiah, "the priest of the most high God," who was also the king of Salem, was revealed to Abram (Abraham) as "Melchizedek:"

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

The name "Melchizedek" is from two Hebrew words, Klm (melek), which means "king," and qdu (tsedeq), which means "righteousness." Furthermore, the Hebrew word Mlv (Shalem), which is translated as "Salem" means "peace." Therefore, this "priest of the most high God" that is called Melchizedek is literally the "King of Righteousness," as well as the "King of Peace:"

2 To 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; -Hebrews 7

The "King of Righteousness" blessed Abram, who responded in faith by giving Him his tithes:

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

20 And blessed be the most high God, which has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him tithes of all. -Genesis 14

Shortly after Abram had his encounter with Melchizedek, Yahweh told him to "fear not" because not only is He his shield of protection, but He also told him that He is his "exceedingly great reward!"

1 After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am your shield, and your exceedingly great reward. -Genesis 15

Yahweh did not tell Abram that He would give him an exceedingly great reward. Instead He told him that He is his exceedingly great reward!

Abram understood that Yahweh as his "exceedingly great reward" would be revealed through his offspring (seed) because he reminded Yahweh that he was childless:

3 And Abram said, Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, look, one born in my house is my heir. -Genesis 15

Nevertheless, Yahweh told him that his descendents would be as numerous as the stars (see Genesis 15:5).

In spite of the lack of physical evidence that Yahweh would keep His promise through his seed (offspring), Abram believed in Yahweh and, therefore, trusted in His word. For this, Yahweh counted Abram’s belief in Him for righteousness:

6 And he believed in Yahweh; and he counted it to him for righteousness. -Genesis 15

Yahweh bestows righteousness because He is righteous:

5 Gracious is Yahweh, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful. -Psalms 116

Everything Yahweh does is righteous, even when He brings evil upon His people:

14 Therefore has Yahweh watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for Yahweh our God is righteous in all his works which he does: for we obeyed not his voice. -Daniel 9

He is "YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS," who, as Jeremiah prophesied, would be revealed in days to come as a Righteous Branch (descendent) of David. He would come as both the King and Savior of His people:

5 Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. -Jeremiah 23

Coming through the earthly lineage of Abraham and David, He would be revealed as Yahshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ):

1 The book of the generation of Yahshua the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. -Matthew 1

Although He was born as an earthly descendent of Abraham and David, He already existed before Abraham was even alive:

58 Yahshua said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am. -John 8

He already existed in "the beginning." He was the "Word" of God, which was God, the creator of all things:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. -John 1

Yahweh says that there was no other God before Him neither will there be any other God after Him. He alone is God:

10 You are my witnesses, says Yahweh, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. -Isaiah 43

Furthermore, Yahweh says that He alone is the Savior. There is no other Savior but Him:

11 I, even I, am Yahweh; and besides me there is no savior. -Isaiah 43

This means that Yahshua is, as His name declares, Yahweh our Savior:

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name YAHSHUA: for he shall save his people from their sins. -Matthew 1

He is God, revealed as the Son of God. He was supernaturally conceived and born through the earthly lineage of Abraham and David to be "God with us:"

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. -Matthew 1

Although He was Yahweh revealed as the Son of God and the Son of Man, nothing else existed before Him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. -Colossians 1

Therefore, He was without father or mother and He had no beginning nor ending, much like the description of Melchizedek, the King of Righteousness and Eternal Priest who was "made like unto the Son of God:"

3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; remains a priest continually. –Hebrews 7

Yahshua is unique from all other beings because He is the "only begotten" Son of God:

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -John 3

The expression "only begotten" comes from the Greek word monogenhv (monogenes). It is formed from two other Greek words, monov (monos), which means "only" or "alone," and ginomai (ginomai), which is the verb "to be." In other words, He is the only one to be, or to exist. This is also the essence of the name by which Yahweh introduced Himself to Moses. He said "I AM THAT I AM:"

14 And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. -Exodus 3

Yahweh is "the first" and He is "the last:"

12 Listen unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. -Isaiah 43

Likewise, Yahshua is "the first" and He is "the last:"

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. -Revelation 22

He is the only One that is the King of Righteousness and King of Peace and thereby serves as the Melchizedek priest. Being God, who came to us in the flesh, He is the "author of eternal salvation" for those that obey Him:

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

10 Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. –Hebrews 5

He is the never ending priest, through whom we have direct access to God:

24 But this man, because he continues on, has an unchangeable priesthood.

25 Therefore he is able also to save them to the utmost that come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them. -Hebrews 7

The earthly priesthood, which was according to the law, was offered only as an "example and shadow" of the heavenly priesthood that was yet to be revealed:

4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, said he, that you make all things according to the pattern shown to you in the mount. -Hebrews 8

As it was with Abraham, those that believe in Yahweh through Yahshua, the Melchizedek heavenly priest and King of Righteousness, are counted unto righteousness. By faith, they are part of a holy nation of royal (kingly) priests:

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: -1 Peter 2

Yahweh kept the promise that He made to Abraham. Not only is He our shield, but He has revealed Himself to us as our Exceedingly Great Reward whereby He has called us out of darkness into His "marvelous light."

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Scriptures are taken from the Proper Name Version of the King James Bible.