Thursday, September 23, 2004
People are too smart
Message: 15
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 23:29:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Richard xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Melchizeddek 2/two kinds of covenent
Hi,
1. Melchizeddeks Blessings:
According to the Talmud God, had intended to draw the Priesthood of Aaron
from Melchitzeddek, but he changed his mind when he saw how Melchitzeddek
blessed Abraham. He blessed both |Abraham and God, but he blessed Abraham
first.
I dont think that the Talmud is telling us that because of this God
punished him. I think, rather, that the rabbis are pointing out something
fundamental about Melchitzeddeks concept of God and relationship to
Godthe Noachite covenant of which Melchitzeddek was a Priest.
If Melchitzeddek had blessed God first, it would have been to invoke his
blessing and place it on Abraham. He blessed Abraham first because he had
no intention of doing that. Under the Noachite covenant, that just wasnt
something priests did.
Rashi (the great medieval commentator) gives us indirect proof for that.
He writes, citing a midrash, that when God commanded Abraham to leave his
home, he conferred upon him the power to bless. He said to him, Until now
I have been the one who conferred blessing. I blessed Adam and I blessed
Noah. From now on, you can bless whomever you like. What about
Melchitzeddek? Hes not mentioned because he wasnt licensed to confer
Gods blessings.
The rabbis take Noah to task for not interceding on behalf of his
generation as Abraham did on behalf of Sodom. Noahs passivity in this
regard has, I think, the same root as Melchitzeddeks inability to confer
Gods blessings. God made his covenant with Noah as God Most High. Mans
role in that covenant was basically to submit and to obey. This is
suggested by the very manner in which it was made. God didnt offer Noah
any choice in the matter. It was imposed from above because the whole
point of the covenant was to acknowledge God as the Most Highthe God who
had punished Adam, and punished Cain, punished the generation of the
Flood. Melchitzeddek also knew God as the one who had dispersed the
builders of the Tower of Babel.
Two kinds of Covenant:
God, of course, is Most High. Neither the Covenant of Sinai nor the
Covenant of the Gospels changed that. In this respect, the Noachite
covenant was truly an eternal covenant. It is the foundation of all later
covenants with God.
Covenant of Sinai was complex affair. It was based on previous covenants
with the Patriarchs, it required the assent of the Children of Israel, and
the sin of the Golden Calf is part of the story. The end result was a
covenant centered in obedience to Divine laws which, as the rabbinic
tradition acknowledges, would be abolished in the fullness of time when
Gods Glory would fill the world and the law of God be written on their
hearts. In this respect, the Covenant of Sinai was a transitional
covenant rather than an eternal covenant.
In the Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesus priesthood is said to be of the
same order of Melchitzeddeks. Thats because the Covenant of the Gospels,
like the Covenant of Noah, is an eternal covenant. In this respect, both
covenants differ from the Covenant of Sinai, which was some respects was a
transitional covenant.
All the best,
Richard
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 23:29:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Richard xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Melchizeddek 2/two kinds of covenent
Hi,
1. Melchizeddeks Blessings:
According to the Talmud God, had intended to draw the Priesthood of Aaron
from Melchitzeddek, but he changed his mind when he saw how Melchitzeddek
blessed Abraham. He blessed both |Abraham and God, but he blessed Abraham
first.
I dont think that the Talmud is telling us that because of this God
punished him. I think, rather, that the rabbis are pointing out something
fundamental about Melchitzeddeks concept of God and relationship to
Godthe Noachite covenant of which Melchitzeddek was a Priest.
If Melchitzeddek had blessed God first, it would have been to invoke his
blessing and place it on Abraham. He blessed Abraham first because he had
no intention of doing that. Under the Noachite covenant, that just wasnt
something priests did.
Rashi (the great medieval commentator) gives us indirect proof for that.
He writes, citing a midrash, that when God commanded Abraham to leave his
home, he conferred upon him the power to bless. He said to him, Until now
I have been the one who conferred blessing. I blessed Adam and I blessed
Noah. From now on, you can bless whomever you like. What about
Melchitzeddek? Hes not mentioned because he wasnt licensed to confer
Gods blessings.
The rabbis take Noah to task for not interceding on behalf of his
generation as Abraham did on behalf of Sodom. Noahs passivity in this
regard has, I think, the same root as Melchitzeddeks inability to confer
Gods blessings. God made his covenant with Noah as God Most High. Mans
role in that covenant was basically to submit and to obey. This is
suggested by the very manner in which it was made. God didnt offer Noah
any choice in the matter. It was imposed from above because the whole
point of the covenant was to acknowledge God as the Most Highthe God who
had punished Adam, and punished Cain, punished the generation of the
Flood. Melchitzeddek also knew God as the one who had dispersed the
builders of the Tower of Babel.
Two kinds of Covenant:
God, of course, is Most High. Neither the Covenant of Sinai nor the
Covenant of the Gospels changed that. In this respect, the Noachite
covenant was truly an eternal covenant. It is the foundation of all later
covenants with God.
Covenant of Sinai was complex affair. It was based on previous covenants
with the Patriarchs, it required the assent of the Children of Israel, and
the sin of the Golden Calf is part of the story. The end result was a
covenant centered in obedience to Divine laws which, as the rabbinic
tradition acknowledges, would be abolished in the fullness of time when
Gods Glory would fill the world and the law of God be written on their
hearts. In this respect, the Covenant of Sinai was a transitional
covenant rather than an eternal covenant.
In the Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesus priesthood is said to be of the
same order of Melchitzeddeks. Thats because the Covenant of the Gospels,
like the Covenant of Noah, is an eternal covenant. In this respect, both
covenants differ from the Covenant of Sinai, which was some respects was a
transitional covenant.
All the best,
Richard
