The Word brings us Jesus, bringing together complex and profound threads which bring us rich privileges from God. Jesus is manifest to destroy the works of the devil in creation. The Bible is one message, man’s journey into union with God, with divine initiatives along history recording this journey.

We see shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament, in different personalities. Melchizedek is a mysterious figure. Nothing is said about his descendency, nor his ascendency. It is surrounded with the mists of mystery he enters history, to bless Abraham. What we see is a covenantal figure coming to prepare the way, coming to bring symbols of Christ Himself, the Bread and wine. These must have been covenantal symbols of that region.

The covenantal shadow of Jesus in the person of Melchizedek was to impart the covenant ratification to Abram, who was to move into the realm of the miraculous in moving to establish a Blood line, symbolized by the wine, and to bring forth the Word of covenant symbolized by the Bread. Jesus Himself declared that He was the Bread that came down from heaven.

Many take this to be a literal one time event, but as Hebrews 1 shows us, that bread has come in 2 phases, one through the prophets, then ultimately through Jesus.

So if Jesus is the pattern in our life, we will see “shadows” along the way, which prepare us for the full manifestation.

We in times past published a series about the Transfiguration, this being the preparation of the full revelation of Jesus, as the Son of God. What was spoken by the two who appeared, Moses and Elijah, were the mysteries, which were missed by the human tendencies of the disciples to the manifestations of glory themselves. Instead of being attentive, the human frame being frail to the “weight” of the glory, the presence of God, the appearence of old ancients of the faith. Yet if they had understood that divine conversation they would have not scattered at the time of Jesus’ betrayal.

So again as we examine Melchizedek’s meeting with Abraham, we see yet another mystery, which only those stirred to be awake would know that there was a exchange of the covenantal type. Abraham brought the spoils, and Melchizedek ministered the blessing. So as much as we walk as Abraham toward the fullness of covenant, Jesus is like our Melchizedek ministering the blessing for us to enjoy the pattern of our blessing, that is living fulfilling the will of God, and coming into a friendship and fatherhood of faith.

Covenant access in every age, was shadowed by Christ, in different guises, until He came to the earth. And today what we need to understand is the need to see that our “testator” is needed in each divine transaction in our lives. Covenant is a mutual transaction which needs to be understood. It seems with modernisms, which threaten to over simplify and omit the structures and requirements of covenant in our salvation, our justification, our sanctification, our glorification, we must understand that there are parameters and duties that need to be fulfilled.

We have understood our salvation in the light of sola fide, which is ONLY BY FAITH, but there are scriptures which dispute and tear down this understanding. Faith is always accompanied by the works of faith, and demonstrations of the same. Abraham had 7 tests which he had to accomplish to come into the place where he was justified. We believe it is enough to confess, when we need as John the Baptist preached, to show the fruits of our repentance.

Then there is the principle that we sometimes subscribe to which is sola scriptura, where we interpret the statement that we come into faith by the Word, and we resume the Word to a book, or an understanding of the scriptures it contains. Yet Abraham did not have scriptures, so his walk simply had the foundation of obedience to the Voice of God.

When we see Jesus, we see Him as the author of a Celestial Book, author of faith, and the personification of that same logos, truth intention, extended to us. It is not feasible to believe that opening the Bible we somehow enter into that covenant access. The interaction of our understanding of Jesus’ person and purpose brings us into it.

So if we desire to know how to access the covenant, which brings us into union with God, as sons and heirs, we must look to Jesus, Hebrews, author and perfecter of faith. The perfecting of faith is the intensity of our pursuit of Him to whom all truth and revelation flow. We do not therefore pursue truth, or revelation of itself. It flows from His Person.

When we understand that Jesus leads us into covenant, it must reside on the revelation of who He is, as He challenged and affirmed Peter. Upon this understanding of His Person and His Purpose in being a pattern for our entry into covenant, that connects us to God, we therefore see the Church manifest in glory and purity. The mysteries become open and understandable and on a relational level.

Shalom.