Devo Week 15
Melchizedek, A Gentile Priest of God Most High -- The 'Just Thereness' of God in the Old Testament
Spiritual discernment is key. Not just for identifying what is bad, but also for what is good. When we affirm that which is good and true among a people, we tap into the evidence of "Melchizedek" among them. The Melchizedek factor derives from the encounter Abram had with Melchizedek in Genesis 14:17-24. There was evidence that God was already there when Abram entered the land of promise.
Key Concept: Discerning a Holy Lineage (The Melchizedek Factor)
This concept refers to what God has already done among a people. The Melchizedek factor can manifest in numerous ways among a people through rituals, legends, sacrifices, and customs, to name a few. We were unaware of this evidence until we became fluent in the Akha language and began to go deeper into the culture. Such evidence points to the knowledge or residual witness of God among a people within their history. Don Richardson called this the 'just thereness of God.'
We were struck by this concept when sharing about the Cross and crucifixion of Jesus among the Akha and Akeu. Being illiterate, they had no way of understanding the meaning of the Cross as a people, unless God had placed a backstory among them. We discovered a backstory in their village gate ritual which I refer to in Devotional Week 4 and Devotional Week 9. I also share my testimony of this discovery in a short video, link here.
As cross-cultural workers we have been quick to recognize (rightly or wrongly) errors within many cultures, while not effectively affirming that which is good among them. As I sought the meaning of the village gate, I sensed the Holy Spirit asked me to consider the background of the Cross in the Old Testament. One backstory is the Passover, but there are others as well. The Passover represented the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and was to be an annual feast forever among the Jews. In a similar way, both the Akha and Akeu had been given the village gate ritual as an annual celebration among them. The key idea for us was that they claimed the creator God had given them this ritual to protect them from evil spirits. Spiritual discernment was necessary, but we also needed to consider the possibility that their testimony was true. If it had been given by God then it should have biblical shadows and types of the life of Christ, similar to the Peace Child (as mentioned in Devotional Week 4).
They said their village gate serves as a 'protection from the evil spirits.' That’s a good thing. In fact, the first testimony of Jesus’ disciples included evil spirits being 'subject to them.' (Luke 10:20) The Akha and Akeu told us that their high priests could sacrifice at the gate to stop any pestilence among them. Healing is one of the fruits of the work of Jesus at the Cross for all believers, as Jesus is our healer. (Matt. 8:14-17) In addition, their village’s upper gate serves as a safe passage into the jungle, while their lower gate a safe passage into the cemetery. As animistic and ancestral worshippers they feared jungle and ancestral spirits, and in this sense, the gate symbolized a safe passage into the spiritual realm. Jesus became the way to God as the Messiah for all nations with His sacrifice upon the Cross. (John 14:6)
Key Word Phrase: Melchizedek factor
-- "God is already on the scene." (1981:32)*
-- The 'just thereness of God' without any outside influence.
*Works cited:
Richardson, D. (1981). Eternity in Their Hearts: Startling evidence of belief in the one true God in hundreds of cultures throughout the world (Revised Edition, 1984 ed.) Ventura, CA.
Excerpt from Devotional 15 with highlighted word phrase:
“Think about that: there was evidence that God had a history, a witness, among the Gentiles in the Old Testament, even prior to Abraham. Late missionary Don Richardson called this the ‘just thereness’ of God, or the ‘Melchizedek factor’ among the nations.”
Scripture: Genesis 14:18
“And Melchizedek, King of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was the priest of God Most High).” (ESV)