THE KING PRIEST LINEAGE
In the beginning the plan was in place!
YHWH's plan of redemption was there!
We see in the Garden that the Tree of Life was in the midst of it from the beginning as well as the Tree of Good and Evil upon which there was a prohibition, but there was no such prohibition placed upon the Tree of Life. So in a sense we can say that Eternal Life was presented to Adam by the Tree of Life. Eternal life was offered to Adam but he had no motivation to partake of that tree (that we are made aware of) – the Tree of Life was presented, but not partaken of.
So why did Adam not value the Tree of Life as something to be desired?
Adam was created as a living soul (Genesis 2:9). Yahweh breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and he becomes a living SOUL. In the Hebrew it actually says that YHWH breathed into him the breath of LIVES (plural lives) – i.e. physical and soulish life. Adam was a natural man (soulish), perfect and whole, but a natural (not spiritual) man. Adam was perfect in the sense that he was whole and unmarred by any defect. Note that he was a living SOUL, not a spiritual man. He did not have eternal life but he could have lived forever in that state if he had not sinned. His body would have continually perpetuated itself and have been continually renewed. So, in that state, he had no conscious need of eternal life. He could have lived forever as he was, just as a natural man. It was only after he sinned that he became aware of his temporal nature when the death sentence was upon him and had a need both for salvation and for eternal life. He needed redemption from the effects of sin in his soulish nature which had become corrupted by his disobedience. This created a deep spiritual need and the broken relationship with Yahweh caused a deficit which required Yahweh to place him outside of the garden so he could not partake of the Tree of Life in that fallen condition and remain in it forever.
The essence of the gospel is Yahweh God's eternal plan of elevating man from a natural being of flesh, to a spiritual man as a mature son after His own nature and likeness. Adam was a son of God - He was created a natural man with the potential of inheriting eternal life but failed the test that was placed upon him.
Adam had been commissioned to do two things - to have dominion over all creation and to bring it into subjection and to tend and keep the garden and care for it on behalf of YHWH. That was a calling to be a King/Priest.
The dominion and control was the element of kingship and tending and caring for it, was overseeing it as a servant/priest.
Kingship – to have dominion and to bring it into subjection
Priesthood – to tend and care for it as a servant unto YHWH
To be able to exercise that role, he had to know the functioning and the needs of all that had been placed under his control, in order to serve and administer it properly. And so we see Adam being called to categorise and name all the animals. There was a time-spam between creation and the fall. Jewish sources say it was seven years and there had to be enough time to identify and observe all the creatures and name them according to their habits etc.. The knowledge of astronomy is also credited to Adam and as possible evidence of that we see a fully advanced knowledge of astronomy and a chart of the constellations appeared immediately after the flood which gives credence to the belief of Jewish sources which say it was handed down from Adam.
So Adam appears to have had a full-time occupation in gaining knowledge of the creation that was committed into his hands and gaining dominion over it. At the end of each day's activities he had a fulfilling and satisfying relationship with Yahweh.
In Adam's fallen state, he had surrendered his dominion over creation to the serpent, but his calling to be a King/Priest over the earth was not revoked by YHWH, but he now lacked the authority and the ability to execute it properly..
THE PROMISE
Yahweh said, in Genesis 3:15 "I will put enmity between you (Serpent) and the woman (Chavah)"
Yahweh was speaking to those present, but beyond the natural into the spiritual realm here of those represented ...
The "woman" ... represented not only Chavah (Eve) but also the corporate woman who would bear the Manchild (who is initially Messiah/Christ, ultimately, the sons of God in Christ's image) "and between your seed and her Seed" (i.e. Satan's seed and Messiah/Christ's) The enmity (spiritual conflict would go down the generations until the serpent/Satan is defeated)
This was the "good news" (the Gospel) of deliverance from the fall and from Satan's power, the plan which YHWH set in place through the "Seed" (Messiah) and the ultimate fulfilment of YHWH's purposes of elevating man to become a spiritual son - i.e. a partaker of eternal life
The Patriarchal commission to act as a King/Priest on earth as the representative of Yahweh God was handed down each generation from father to the first-born son. Sometimes the Firstborn did not qualify to inherit the blessing (such as Cain) and it was then passed down to the next in line, or even skipped a generation.. And so, the commission was passed down from Sewth on down through Noah and after the Flood, the mantle of priesthood came upon Noah's son Shem. Shem walked as a patriarchal head of the human race after the Flood during its birth-pangs, officiating as a king/priest in the cleansed but changed earth.
MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD
Shem's lived 600 years and his life spanned 498 years after the Flood. Shem walked as a patriarchal head of the human race after the Flood over 9 generations and was entrusted with bridging the gap from before the Flood into the new era, during which he officiated as a King/Priest over the renewed earth. His great-grandson Eber is mentioned as walking with him also in that ministry. Shem was a mighty man of God who attained the status of a High Priest over the human race and set a TYPE for the Melchizedek order of priesthood which Messiah would eventually fulfil in His High Priestly ministry. This typology was played out in the scriptures in Genesis 18:18-19 by presenting him as a figure without a specific identity and without any genealogy, "Made like unto the Son of God" (Hebrews 7:2), so as to present him in the image of the Son of God who was to come. Note the wording that the figure seen in Genesis was “made like unto”, - i.e. it was not actually the Son of God.
Shem acted as a custodian of the counsels and oracles of Yahweh God that were originally given to Adam and which were handed down the godly family line through Noah from the pre-flood era. and he carried the plan of redemption forward until the godly line was established again which would bear the responsibility of bringing forth the promised Seed. His ministry formed a bridge from the pre-flood era unto the establishment of the chosen vessel that was to bring forth the promise and bear the responsibility of bringing forth the promised "Seed" (Gen.3:15) He actually acted as a Guardian and Overseer of what would be the birthing of the nation of Israel through Abraham, Yitzak and Ya'acov's lives.
Abram, Yitzak and Ya'acov all sat in Shem's tent and were instructed by him and his son Eber in the ways of God and guided in the execution of the divine plan. It was through his priesthood that the patriarchs sought counsel and wisdom to come into their inheritance. It was Shem who is attributed with giving Rikvah the prophecy about two nations being in her womb.
Abram qualified to inherit the promises (Genesis 18:17-19) because Yahweh knew He could trust him to order his household after him in righteousness and justice, which he did (Genesis 26:5), as evidenced by the fact that both Isaac and Jacob (Ya'acov) qualified and were chosen to continue to bear the promises (Genesis 26:3-3; 28:13-15)
THE DIVINE MANDATE
Beginning in chapter 12 of Genesis, Abraham is taken on a spiritual journey out of his country and his people and eventually away from all his kindred for the purpose of proving him worthy of and faithful to the calling. As he progressed and matured, the divine plan was progressively revealed and the promises extended according to the measure of his spiritual attainment.
The “akeida”, the offering of Yitzak, was his final test of complete surrender of that which he loved most, even that upon which all the promises were dependent - and so, everything which he had hoped for, worked toward and lived for, as it were, his own soul was laid upon the altar in his compliance with the sacrifice of his son, Yitzak. As the father-figure of the human race, Abraham was called to offer up his only son, Yitzak. Although he had Yishmael by a concubine, when YHWH calls him, He says to him, “Take your son, your only son ....... and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will show you” Genesis 22:2
That was Mount Moriah which is what we know as the Mount of Olives where also Yeshua was crucified, in the same place. That was the tenth and final test of Abraham in his submission and obedience to YHWH to qualify him to inherit the promises. It was also the pinnacle in his faith in the power of God to raise him (as the promised Messiah) from the dead, if need be, to fulfill the promises that Had been made to him by YHWH. Abraham had such confidence in the covenant relationship that he had with YHWH, that he knew if he sacrificed his son, then YHWH would also provide an equivalent sacrifice and commitment to him. He believed YHWH's promises and so he acted, in good faith in Him. And, so it was!
On the basis of Abraham's faith in offering his son, YHWH inaugurated the covenant by offering His Son, on the same mountain, although there was a time delay in the operation of it to fulfil all of His divine purposes.
In this act of surrender and faith on Abraham's part, he was given for the first time the promise of a spiritual Seed that would come forth from him, “as the stars of heaven” ; as well as the other promise he had been given of his seed (natural seed) being as “the sand upon the seashore”; and with that promise he also was told that his seed would have the authority to possess the gate of their enemies (i.e. spiritual authority).
“And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:16-18
It had all rested upon his obedience!
“Now to Abraham and to his seed were the promises made, He said not of seeds, as of many, but as one, 'And to your seed,” which is Messiah” Galatians 3:16
The promise of his seed being as the stars if heaven, was relative to Messiah, the Seed, and all who would be in Him. As Paul also says in 1 Cor.15:41 of the saints in their resurrected state, that one 'star' will differ from another in the glory given to it. Daniel also says that the saints shall shine as the stars in their brightness forever – in their glorified state – Daniel 12:3.
THE TRIBAL HEADS OF ISRAEL
The Firstborn blessing contained a responsibility of exercising the role of king/priest over the family of which it officiated as the head. This mantle was handed down father to son. In Ya'acov's family, the actual firstborn was to his wife Leah, to whom she had Reuven, Shimeon, Levi and Yehudah.
To his second wife, Rachel, he had Yosef and Binyamin.
Reuven as the First-born son did not qualify for the promises and the blessing due to the unbridled passions of his fleshly nature which disqualified him (Gen.49:3)
Shimeon and Levi were likewise disqualified for their treachery and violence in the judgment they executed on the Shechemites, and the Firstborn status came upon the next in line of Leah's children, which was Yehudah (Judah). Ya'acov, by divine direction, gives the mantle of kingship (the scepter) to Yehudah (Genesis 49:3).
Yosef (Joseph - from Rachel's children) was also given First-bornstatus, indicated by the robe of many colours. By divine inspiration, in the next generation, Ya'acov bestowed the Firstborn status upon Ephraim, Joseph's second-born son, to carry the birthright blessing (Genesis 48:18).
Both Yehudah and Ephraim were chosen. So the King/Priest ministry was divided between the two families and there were two heads, two First-born son who jointly carried the mantle, one fulfilling the kingship (Yehudah), and the other the priesthood (Ephraim).
This constituted the 2 witnesses of Yahweh
Yehudah = Kingship/Sceptre = Lawgiver/Word
Ephraim = Priesthood = Prophetic/Spirit
These two 'heads' were to be a composite ministry with shared responsibilities and functions that served as two facets of the Melchizedek type priesthood, evidenced in the fruitfulness of the Vine in the spiritual giftings of Ephraim and the kingship of Yehudah who would execute authority through maintaining the divine standards, laws and precepts of YHWH. Between these two tribal heads, the Law (Yehudah) and the Prophets (Ephraim)/Israel) were divided and in unison they provided and the balance between the Word and the Spirit which was to be manifested to the world. His two witnesses in the earth of His counsels, His truth and His love!
THE BIRTH OF THE NATION
Israel was birthed as a nation at the Exodus.
Yahweh named him as His FIRST-BORN son (Y'shua was His only BEGOTTEN Son) Exodus 4:22-23
At the Exodus, they were circumcised and had the blood placed over their houses which was their experience of redemption/salvation. They were baptised in the Red Sea and in the Cloud (Water & Spirit Baptism) 1 Cor.10:3; Exodus 15 He sanctified them at Marah Exodus 16
He then also re-instated them in the Sabbath Exodus 16, and fed them with Manna from Himself (spiritual food - John 6). Then they were taken to Sinai for their divine appointment and betrothal covenant with Yahweh as His Bride - Exodus 19. There He gave them His code of living for them as a redeemed people. The covenant was based upon: Exodus 19:3-5
1. "Obey My voice
2. "Keep My covenant"
They were to be His 'special treasure" (Heb.SEGULAH prized possession = like a precious gem, the "apple" of His eye. In Hebrew the word 'apple' means the pupil of the eye. In other words, Israel His Firstborn son is His focus point for everything else. His focus on everything else is determined by His relationship to Israel. They are the first issue of His strength - His glory is to be reflected through them by the many facets represented in the gems of of His breastplate (12 tribes - 12 precious gemstones . As His special son, He desired relationship with them and so, like a mother eagle, He lifted them up spiritually and carried them by His power to bring them to Himself in order to speak to them from His heart - heart to heart.
He spoke personally to them from Sinai and the manifestation of His voice was as thunder and lightning, like tongues of fire divided from one initial bolt of 'lightning' off the mountain into 70 forks – as tongues of fire (representing the 70 nations of the world) over them and thereafter distributed to each of them.
He spoke His Word (10 commands) and they each heard Him speak to them personally in their own tongue in which they were born. This was the first "Pentecost" - exactly 50 days after the Passover.
The Exodus contained many people groups who were slaves in Egypt and who joined themselves to Israel as a result of the mighty demonstration of the power of Yahweh. The Word penetrated their hearts but was not mixed with faith, and in dread they drew back from the encounter and asked that Moses be a Mediator for them.
Yahweh engraved the 10 commands on the sapphire tablets and the covenant was enacted with the added instructions which Moses received in Exodus 20-23. The covenant was then confirmed in Exodus 24:1-8
The people said, "All that Yahweh has said we will do and be obedient"
Moses said, "This is the blood of the covenant which Yahweh has made with you according to these words.". And so the covenant was sealed based upon their agreement to hear and obey.
As we know they broke the covenant when Moses went up the mountain by worshipping the Golden Calf. Moses interceded for them and another covenant was made, but this time with the Levitical priesthood because they failed to walk in the first covenant through of the weakness of their flesh. Their calling as a kingdom of priest who would take the
Gospel message to the world was delayed and an interim measure set in place until they came of age to receive their inheritance.
The Melchizedek priesthood was again established through Messiah, Yeshua the Son of God and the initial covenant made with Israel (to be a kingdom of priests) was renewed to them as prophesied by the prophets - Ezekiel 36 & Jeremiah 31