Here Is a Place By Me, And You Shall Stand on the Rock: Exodus 33:1-23

Exodus 33:1-23: "1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, "To your descendants I will give it." 2 And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.' 4 And when the people heard this bad news, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. 5 For the LORD had said to Moses, 'Say to the children of Israel, "You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you."' 6 So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb. 7 Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. 8 So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. 9 And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. 10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. 11 So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle. 12 Then Moses said to the LORD, 'See, You say to me, "Bring up this people." But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, "I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight." 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.' 14 And He said, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' 15 Then he said to Him, 'If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.' 17 So the LORD said to Moses, 'I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.' 18 And he said, 'Please, show me Your glory.' 19 Then He said, 'I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.' 20 But He said, 'You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.' 21 And the LORD said, 'Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.'"

In this pericope we again see Moses being a prefigurement of our Lord Jesus Christ. For our Lord God chooses to reveal His glory to Moses, but Moses must be hid in the cleft of the rock. This is very similar to an episode that the Prophet Elijah had where he too was allowed to see the Lord's glory pass by while he was in the cleft of a rock. In this we have a connection between Moses and Elijah, and this glory that they only got to see from the cleft of the rock, and not even the Lord's full glory, for His face was hidden from them, we see fully revealed on the Mount of Transfiguration. There Moses and Elijah talk with our Lord Jesus, and they are not afraid, however, the Apostles, St. Peter, St. James the Elder, and St. John, are shaking in their sandles, with their faces to the ground, for they had been revealed the full glory of our Lord Jesus.

But Moses and Elijah are not afraid, for they had seen this glory before. This cleft in the rock also holds significance, because it points to the cleft of rock that our Lord Jesus was placed into after His crucifixion. He was placed in a brand new tomb, that had been cut out of rock. Therefore, Moses, and Elijah, being placed into this cleft in the rock is a picture of the tomb of our Lord Jesus. In this tomb, our Lord reveals His true glory, for in the tomb, our Lord Jesus, buries, once and for all, sin, death, and the power of the devil, so that they can no longer harm us.

Having done this, we, unlike Moses, and Elijah, can see the full glory of the Lord face to face. And we behold that glory, whenever we receive His Body and Blood in bread and wine. The bread that we eat, is the Body of Christ, and the wine which we drink, is the Blood of Christ, this is His glory, the giving out of the forgiveness, life and salvation, that He won for us on the tree of the cross.

Therefore, as we enter into Lent, let us stand upon this Rock, and hide ourselves in the cleft of this Rock, and behold our Lord's glory, which we will reveal to us in His holy crucifixion. May our eyes ever be shown our sin, that we may cast them at the foot of the cross.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

It Shall Not Return to Me Void: Isaiah 55:10-13

Isaiah 55:10-13: "10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Our Lord God through the Prophet Isaiah states that His Word shall not return to Him void, it shall accomplish the purpose for which He sent it. This is good news for us. For this Word is the Gospel, that is, the preaching that our sins have been forgiven on account of our Lord Jesus Christ's perfect fulfilling of the Law, and His sacrifice of death in our stead. This Gospel is for you, for all those who hear and believe.

And this Gospel shall encompass the whole earth. The mountains and hills, the trees of the field, everything will proclaim this good news. The Word of God produces trees, cypress trees and myrtle trees, not thorns and briers. This is the promise of our Lord God.

This is shown us in the Gospel reading for today, which is Sexagesima, or Exsurge, where we hear our Lord Jesus proclaim that the seed that falls on good soil will produce fruit of an hundredfold. Here the Prophet Isaiah also proclaims the same thing will happen. This pericope, appointed for this Sunday in The Lutheran Hymnal, adds to the Gospel reading, by proclaiming the good things that the Gospel does for all those hear.

We are told by the Lord God through the Prophet Isaiah, that this Word which comes down from Heaven, waters the soil, and gives bread to the eater. Here we see the elements for the two Blessed Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper. These Sacraments also are the Word of God, they are the Word of God attached to a visible element. And it is through these Sacraments that the Holy Ghost works when and where He pleases to create and sustain faith in life in the believer.

It is our participation in these things, preaching and the Sacraments, where we are not only made into Christians, but the seed of faith that has been planted into us, is nurtured and sustained, so that it grows into a mighty tree, like a cypress or myrtle tree. Again, we have a tree, which draws us back to the cross of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. For those who believe on Him, have been crucified with Him, and all that dwells within them, has been buried in His grave. Therefore, we are made into trees, that is, trees of life. Trees can be seen from far away. Even if there is just one it can be distinguished as a tree. Not so with thorns and briers, the bushes of the enemy. But we are not thorns and briers, we are not under the oppression of sin and the slavery of death.

No, we live as trees of life, forgiven, redeemed, and from us, that is, from the Words of our lips as we share the Gospel in this world, all those who eat of our fruit of the Gospel, have the seed of the Word of God planted within them, and when they come into the holy house of God to hear the preaching and receive the Sacraments, the Holy Ghost creates and sustains faith and life in them, making them Christians, so that the cycle of Life continues onward.

May the fruit of eternal life go forth from our lips, and fill the hills and mountains, and produce fruit of an hundredfold, gathering all those who hear into the holy house of God.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

It Is The Lord's Passover: Exodus 12:1-28

Exodus 12:1-28: "1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 'This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: "On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire--its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat--that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread."' 21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, 'Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, "What do you mean by this service?" 27 that you shall say, "It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households."' So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did."

Today's reading shows us a picture of the atonement. For we get to see the Passover of our Lord. In this Passover, we also see the image of the Supper that would come out of this Passover meal, which we Christians celebrate every Sunday and Feast day, that is, the Lord's Supper.

The similarities between the Passover and the Lord's Supper are striking. Obviously, they are both meals. They both offer bread and flesh (of the Lamb, representing the blood of the Blessed Sacrament). There is a particular rite that is to be followed for the meal to be valid. It is to be eaten only by the Israelites, that is, the people of God, and what was to be served was to be consumed completely by those in the family. What is leftover is to be disposed of properly. Both meals serve as a remembrance of the work of God's salvation from slavery and oppression.

And rightly these meals should be connected, and serve as a remembrance of what our Lord God has done for us, for they both picture the atonement, that is, the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. A lamb without blemish, without broken bones, which is a male lamb, is sacrificed and its blood is poured out as a sacrifice, to bring deliverance from death. Our Lord Jesus is also the Spotless Lamb, whose bones were not broken, who was male, and his Blood was shed to redeem us from sin, death, and the devil.

The blood that was put upon the lintel and doorposts, served as a mark that those who dwelt within that house, were covered with the blood of the Lamb. It was not placed upon the threshold, so that it would not be trampled upon. More interesting, is that in Early Christian symbolism, the symbol of this blood upon the threshold was symbolized by what is called a "tau" cross, that is, a cross in the form of a "T." And if one considers the lintel being the top of the "T" and the doorposts are joined close together, one can see how this can be. The point, however, is that the Early Christians, recognized the atonement, that is, the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Passover. They recognized this event as the means by which the Israelites were claimed as the people of God.

For that is really what is taking place here in the Passover, our Lord God, is declaring, by the blood of the lamb, that the people of Israel were now His people. He separates them from the Egyptians, by not harming them, but only harming the Egyptians. They would now be His people, and He would teach them His commands, and how He desired to be worshipped by Him.

We too, are the people of God, we are placed into God's family through Holy Baptism, for it is in Holy Baptism that the Blood of the Lamb of God is placed upon us, symbolically through the holy water of Holy Baptism. In Holy Baptism, we are washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb, and are made the people of God, and on account of this cleansing, this Blood, our sins are passed over, and we are considered pure and holy in God's sight.

And just like the people of Israel, who in the night of the Pascha, ate the meal which both served as a sacrifice of atonement and a meal of remembrance of what took place in Egypt. We too eat the meal which is a remembrance of the one eternal sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. We eat His Body and drink His Blood, in bread and wine, and remember that His sacrifice of death on the cross, won for us salvation, and in this Blessed Sacrament, we are given forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

And As Many As Touched Him Were Made Well: St. Mark 6:30-56

St. Mark 6:30-56:"30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, 'Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.' For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. 33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. 35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, 'This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.' 37 But He answered and said to them, 'You give them something to eat.' And they said to Him, 'Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?' 38 But He said to them, 'How many loaves do you have? Go and see.' And when they found out they said, 'Five, and two fish.' 39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men. 45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.' 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. 53 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered into villages, cities, or in the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well."

All those whom our Lord touches are made well. Both those who touch the hem of His garment, and those who put Him to their lips in the form of bread and wine.

This pericope follows immediately upon the Evangelist St. Mark telling us the narrative of how St. John the Baptist was killed. We hear that the disciples return to our Lord Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught. Our Lord tells them to come away with Him to a quite place for rest. For our Lord knows the burdens, and the hard work that preaching and administering His Sacraments is. We often see our Lord going off by Himself to a quiet place for prayer. Sometimes He even brings His three chief Apostles, St. Peter, St. James the Elder, and St. John. But here He brings His entire group of disciples whom He has called into His service. However, there is one point that is made here by the Evangelist St. Mark that is significant to the rest of the narrative, and that is that because of the coming and going of the crowds, and their desire to depart quickly from that place for some rest, we are told that they did not have time to eat.

Having departed to a quiet place, they didn't get much rest, for the crowds found them, and followed them. In this we see how desparately the people desired salvation. What joy that must have been to see people flock to him not by horse or carriage, but through the labors of one's feet! Imagine the congregation of today, who clings to our Lord's Word and works in such a fashion. Great would be the faith and love of that parish. And our Lord, seeing how they chase after their salvation, has compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. Therefore, He acts as their Shepherd.

So our Lord Jesus and His disciples were back at the task, and didn't get a chance to eat. So when evening comes and the disciples desire to send the crowds away, saying, "Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat," we can almost sense that it was their own bellies that were grumbling with hunger pains. Therefore, our Lord Jesus, says, "You give them something to eat," knowing full well they do not have any food for themselves. The only food they have is provided by a small boy with five loaves and two small fish, which we learn from another Gospel.

Our Lord Jesus, however, does not say this to be cruel, or to mock the disciples, but rather to teach them to trust in Him alone, and to show them Who He truly is. Therefore, our Lord feeds the 5,000 men plus women and children in a fashion that is strikingly similar to the Lord's Supper. He blessed the food, He broke it, and He distributed it to the people through His holy Apostles. And the people received it, and ate their fill. Gathering up the remains, their were gathered together, twelve baskets. One for each of the disciples.

In this we see both our Lord's abundance, and His healing, for first He preaches to them; teaching them many things. So that He is seen has curing their souls. But here He cures their physical ailment of hunger. So He heals them both in body and soul. We too have this benefit from our Lord, for by His preaching and by His meal, we receive food for both our ears and our souls. In this our Lord acts as our Shepherd, showing His compassion on us inspite of our sins, by forgiving us by His Word and meal. So that all who touch Him are healed of their transgressions.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Then Melchizedek King of Salem Brought Out Bread and Wine; He Was the Priest of God Most High: Genesis 14:8-24

Genesis 14:8-24: "8 And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar--four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. 11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. 13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. 14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. 17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: 'Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.' And he gave him a tithe of all. 21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.' 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, 'I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, "I have made Abram rich"--24 except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.'"

This evening we get to meet the high priest of God Most High, Melchizedek. And what does the priest of the Most High God do? He brings bread and wine. How could this not be anything but a figure of what the priests of today do every Sunday and Feast day? The priests of today, Bishops, Pastors, and Deacons, bring out the bread and wine to be consecrated in the Blessed Sacrament of our Lord's Supper.

Melchizedek is figure of our Lord Jesus Christ. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews makes this connection for us in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of that book. The Psalmist David, likewise in Psalm 110, connects the promised Messiah to Melchizedek. In these passages we have Scriptural proof, that Melchizedek is a prefigurement of the Messiah, that is, the Christ, our Lord Jesus, to come.

There are some things that need to be noted about Melchizedek. First, he is a king. Second, that he is the king of Salem. Third, that he is a priest of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth. Fourth, he blesses Abram. Fifth, the meaning of his name.

The fact that Melchizedek is a king, also ties him to our Lord Jesus. For our Lord is also a King. He sits on the right hand of the throne of God, judging the quick and the dead. What do kings do? Or, what are they supposed to do? Kings are supposed to supply the needs of their people. Melchizedek supplies the needs of those returning from the slaughter of the kings by bringing to them bread and wine. He brings them something to satisfy their hunger, and to lift their spirits. Our Lord Jesus supplies the needs of His people by giving them His very own Body and Blood in bread and wine, to feed their souls, and strengthen them from the battle with sin, death, and the devil. He also declares as King, that all those who believe and trust in Him, are free from sin, and free from the punishment of sin.

That Melchizedek is the king of Salem, also ties him to our Lord Jesus. Salem means peace. That means that Melchizedek is the king of peace. Our Lord Jesus is the true King of Peace, He is the true King of Salem. Salem is believed to be the city which became Jerusalem. Jerusalem means "set ye double peace." Jerusalem is the place where the Temple of God stood. It is where our Lord God decided to make His dwelling place on earth in the time of Solomon the king. It is also the place where the kings of Judah reigned. It is no surprise therefore, that our Lord Jesus Christ go there to take His place of residence. It is not His home, that was Capernaum. And our Lord did not dwell in the Temple, even though He preached there. Our Lord's true place of abode, the place where He reigns as our King of Peace, is on Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, that place where He offered up His own Body and Blood as a sacrifice for us, in order that we might have salvation.

Melchizedek is also connected to our Lord Jesus because he is a priest of God Most High. What do priests do? They offer sacrifices. Our Lord is the True Priest, for He not only offers the Sacrifice, but He also takes the place of the victim. He is the true Lamb of God, offered for our salvation, by the True Priest of God. Priests also intercede for the people. Our Lord Jesus, now sitting on the right hand of God the Father, intercedes for us to the Father, ever reminding Him of His Sacrifice, and that our punishment has been paid. Priests also were given the remnants of the sacrifice as their food. The Blessed St. Peter in his First Epistle calls us "a royal priesthood." What that means is that we now get to enjoy the food that once was only reserved for the levitical priests. We get to eat the once for all Sacrifice of our Lord's Body and Blood under bread and wine. Melchizedek prefigures this great meal of forgiveness by bringing out bread and wine for the weary battlers. We as weary battlers with sin, death, the devil, the world, and our flesh, are refreshed through this salutary meal.

Melchizedek also blesses Abram. This shows his role as a prophet. The purpose of a prophet was to preach glad tidings. Melchizedek preaches to Abram that it was God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, who brought him the victory. It doesn't say it, but we can assume since Abram doesn't object, that Abram received this preaching with the ears of faith, believing wholeheartedly that God has indeed accomplished this through him. Our Lord Jesus is also a prophet, as we heard in this mornings text, He preaches Himself, and the good things that He plans to do for us. He preaches His death on the cross, for our salvation. And He preaches that He will give us His very own Body and Blood to eat and drink for our forgiveness.

Melchizedek is a prophet, priest and king. Our Lord Jesus is a Prophet, Priest, and King. That brings us to the final point about Melchizedek, and that is his name. Melchizedek means "my king is righteousness." Does that not bring our Lord Jesus to mind? Our Lord and King is Righteousness. Contrast that with our unrighteousness. We break the Law of God constantly. We fail miserably in keeping the commandments. We confess in public confession, that we are "poor, miserable sinners." This is a good confession, because it is true, and it is honest. On account of our sin we are deemed unrighteous. But our Lord Jesus is Righteousness. What that means, is that in His righteousness, He fulfills the Law perfectly for us. He covers over our unrighteousness, with His righteousness, so that our Father in heaven sees only His righteousness when He looks at our works. We, therefore, are counted righteous not because of anything that we did, or are doing, but because of what our Lord Jesus Christ did, and is doing.

Therefore, we can rejoice that we are counted righteous, that we have a High Priest, in the order of Melchizedek, who intercedes on our behalf constantly to the Father. And because of this we are deemed holy and pure. Rejoice in your holiness and perfection!

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas