June 20

Melchizedek

             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).  And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything.

Genesis 14: 17-20

    

            Time for a little bit of backstory.  There were several city-states in the region where Abram lived.  They each had kings and sometimes those kings tried to expand their power by going to war with other kings.  There was a big battle between an army of 4 kings and an army of 5 kings.  The army that lost included the king of Sodom.  His city was plundered and several of his people, including Lot, were taken away into captivity.  Abraham (still being called “Abram” at this point) went to rescue his nephew.  Abram and his men defeated the army and rescued Lot and then returned with the stolen people and riches as a conquering hero.  Some of the remaining kings came out to meet Abram and extend their thanks.

            Melchizedek was one of those kings.  He was the king of Salem, which would eventually become Jerusalem.  He was a priest of God, which was unusual as there was no formal religion of Yahweh in place.  The Jews, much less Judaism, were still centuries from being formed.  But Melchizedek served God and led others in the worship of their Creator.  He brought the first communion out to Abram and pronounced a blessing on Abram’s head.  He led Abram in worship of their God and honored Abram’s faith and God’s power in the mighty victory that they had just experienced.

            Abram presented the first tithe; he offered 10% of what he had just acquired to the king-priest.  He gave not to pay for a blessing…not to bribe a priest of God or purchase some land for himself.  He gave in recognition of where the wealth came from.  It was not the might of Abram’s army or his skill at military strategy that won the victory, it was the hand of God upon him.  Giving away 10% was a way to say “Thank You” to God and a way to remind himself that it was God who provided and it was a way to support Melchizedek’s work as he ministered to the people in the name of the Living God.

            It is easy for me to distance my income from God’s provision.  I have a pretty stable income that is outlined in a contract.  My paychecks show up every couple of weeks.  In keeping with financial best practices, I have a budget written up and I know where almost every dollar of every check is destined to go.  There is the occasional gift or surprise or crisis, but my finances seem more like a system then part of my relationship with God.

            And yet, it is.  It is God who provided the job.  It is God who gave me the skills and abilities to do the job.  It is God who sustains me and inspires me and allows the job to be mutually beneficial to my family and my community.  It is right to give 10% back to God as a thank you.  It is right to give 10% back to remind myself that these blessings are not my doing.  It is right to give 10% back to support the work of the church in the world.  I struggle because that money could easily go somewhere else to make my family’s life easier, but giving is the healthier long-term plan.

            Do you know when it is easiest for people to learn the value of giving?  When they are young.  Teach your children the value of generosity.  Teach them the value of tithing.  Model for your kids the discipline of giving money and gratitude so that it can become ingrained within their hearts.  Giving is a hard habit to start when you are an adult.

A moment to reflect:

How could you tell your child about finding joy in giving?