From the time of Adam through Noah and then Shem, Yeshua YHVH Elohim vested His authority in one human counterpart. That authority began to shift to the nation of Israel with the first patriarch, Abraham.
Abraham was in line to take the office of Melchizedek but died before Shem, the then current Melchizedek. Now comes Isaac.
The Chayyei-Sarah Torah Portion starts with the death of Sarah (Genesis 23). Her death made it possible for Abraham to purchase land the deed to which is still legal and binding to this day. This became the starting point of Isaac’s firstborn inheritance. The borders of the Promised Land would expand from the field of Machpelah in Mamre to become all Israel’s inheritance as promised by YHVH in Genesis 15:18.
Genesis 25:5 says Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. This is where understanding about firstborns comes in. The position of “firstborn” is a status in the family that is not necessarily dependent on the physical firstborn as it is in the world. The way the Melchizedeks and Israel have handled the firstborn status is very different than the adamant position in the world that the firstborn place belongs only to the son that was born first. From the time of Adam, the firstborn status has always gone to the most spiritually qualified.
Ishmael was Abraham’s firstborn but was not qualified to become the next Melchizedek or patriarch. Isaac was qualified and became the next patriarch to wear the mantle of Melchizedek. This Melchizedek authority is now passing to the Israelite nation that will come from Isaac and the men of this line will no longer be called “Melchizedek”. We will know these men not as Kings but as fathers. This is an important paradigm shift.
Kings are always remote from individuals but fathers are not. Fathers are personal and this personal relationship aspect will now be carried through to the end of days and the restoration of the Kingdom wherein we will know that the King, Yeshua, is also our Father. But, in the days of Isaac and forward, the personal relationship with “the father” will become all important.
The heavenly Father, Yeshua, set up the earthly Melchizedek line as vassal Kings. But there cannot be a remoteness of relationship any longer. All Israelites will be required to have a personal relationship with the heavenly Father and King.
There are some among us who cannot see how Yeshua is also our “Father”. We have the problems of understanding this because we have not been instructed that Yeshua has a Father. In ancient times, my father’s father was also my father. We did not use the word “grandfather” back then. The word “grandfather” is a recent word in human language.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:10 that all our fathers went through the Red Sea. He was talking to people attending the Corinthian synagogue about 1700 years after Isaac was born. It was a mixture of cultural and religious Jews and Gentile converts that attended that synagogue. It is obvious that none of their physical fathers went through the Red Sea and I can say with certainty that my physical father was not at the Red Sea. Yet here is Paul saying all our fathers went through the Red Sea.
1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
We have to adjust our modern word usage to comply with the Bible’s definitions. Our fathers go all the way back to Jacob, Isaac and Abraham. The nation of Israel’s authority on the earth started with them.
Yeshua is our Father as much as His Father, whom He always pointed us to, is our Father. In fact, Peter said we call Yeshua “Father”.
1 Peter chapter 1 is all about the redemption we have through Yeshua, yet in verse 17 Peter refers to Him as Father.
1 Peter 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1 Peter 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1 Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1 Peter 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
The Father in verse 17 is Yeshua. How do I know Peter is referring to Yeshua? Isaiah 9:6.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Here He is being called both “son” and “father”. Let us undo the confusion that people have over whether or not Yeshua is our Father. He is. He has a Father and His Father is also our Father as surely as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are our fathers.. Yeshua our Father intermediates between us and His Father who, by extension is also our father.
The point I am making is that Israel was given patriarchs, fathers, for a purpose. That purpose is so that we will personally identify with them as our fathers rather than as kings who lived in the past so long ago. In fact, that is the way we view the Melchizedeks. They were just Kings and Priests who had relationship with YHVH but most know not what the purpose of the relationship was. With Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, YHVH will begin to show us the importance of having a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father and with our fathers.
The requirement for a personal relationship with “the Father” was started with Abraham. Isaac had a personal relationship with his father and inherited everything from his father because of it. This is a Biblical principle.
Esau and Jacob who came from Isaac would have personal relationships with Isaac. Esau’s relationship would be according to the desires of his own flesh. He would bring the meat that he liked to kill for Isaac, and which Isaac loved, to garner favor. Esau was acting from his flesh and so was Isaac in this matter. I am not criticizing Isaac because we are permitted to have favorite foods. We are not permitted to put our preferences before YHVH and Isaac, in the end, upheld what YHVH told Rebecca. So Isaac was not swayed by Esau’s favor.
It was Jacob who would show us the proper relationship to an earthly father (and through it our relationship to our Heavenly Father) and also his relationship to God (our Heavenly Father) who he fought face to face and lived to tell about it.
But Yeshua is also our King. Kings were called “fathers” in ancient times even though the majority of the population did not know the King personally nor did the King know them personally. Nonetheless, the word “father” was a characteristic attributed to Kings.
Don’t let anyone tell you that Yeshua is not our Father. He is our Father because He is the Father, King and God of Israel. His Father is also our Father. In fact, our “fathers” go back to Adam, the first Melchizedek, right? We don’t attribute Adam as father nor do we say this about Noah or Shem because they were King-Priests serving Yeshua YHVH Elohim in their human counterpart capacity in the Order of Melchizedek. However, I have shown in the previous teaching, Noah & the Sons of Melchizedek, that we are the Melchizedek’s kids. Adam, Noah and Shem were also our “fathers”. But when we say “father” we and the Bible both mean the “fathers” of Israel, the nation of firstborns who was to become a nation of priests serving in the Order of Melchizedek to bring the nations to Yeshua YHVH Elohim.
The distinction between YHVH the Father and YHVH the Son is just that. One is the Father of Yeshua and sovereign King, and Yeshua is the Father of Israel and vassal King to His Father, but both are our Father because Yeshua mediates between us and His Father (Galatians 3:19, Galatians 3:20, 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 8:6, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 12:24). Together they are the “one” echad united plural “elohim”. Even my own grandfathers are my “fathers” in Biblical understanding.
Now, back to the requirements for Yeshua YHVH Elohim’s Kingdom vs all the world’s kingdoms and this is where it comes in that we need to understand the difference between a King and a patriarch. Only in Yeshua’s Kingdom is a personal relationship required between each citizen and the King. One of the characteristics that changed when Yeshua YHVH Elohim vested Abraham with the Melchizedek mantle and made him the father of a promised Melchizedek nation had to do with the idea that all of Israel’s people are to see the fathers as their personal father and they were to have a personal relationship with the Heavenly Father. Moses was supposed to teach them this.
Yeshua was the rock that followed the Israelites in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:4). Moses was supposed to teach them to first follow the Torah by showing them how to get living water from the rock. He struck the rock and it brought forth living water. Yes, the Torah is a source of living water.
The next time Moses was instructed to bring the people to the rock he was supposed to teach them to speak to it. He was supposed to teach them to have a personal relationship with their rock. But he struck the rock which has for the last 3500 years confused people about this relationship. It came to fruition with Yeshua being beaten on His way to be crucified.
No one will enter the coming Kingdom without having a personal relationship with Israel’s King.
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The patriarchs were our fathers and they were also Melchizedeks because from them would come the “holy nation and kingdom of priests”. A Melchizedek nation with many vassal King-Priests, not just one as had been before.
Consider this. It would not have been possible for Abraham to have been the father of the coming Israelite nation if he had not been a Melchizedek because Israel would become an Order of Melchizedek nation. These things are passed from father to son. It would not have been possible for Isaac to be the father of the Israelite nation without having the vestment of Melchizedek on him. The same is true of Jacob whose name became Israel because he fathered the 12 sons whose tribes would populate the coming nation of Israel. All of this is necessary for Israel to be a nation of firstborns serving the earth in Yeshua YHVH Elohim’s name.
The firstborns of ancient times were the most important members of their families. The firstborn position was a status in the ancient near east that could be changed by the father to ensure the well-being of the next generation after his death. Worldly families almost never changed the firstborn to a younger son but this happened over and over in YHVH’s family. Why was that?
The physical qualities are not important in the Heavenly Order of Melchizedek. It is the spiritual qualities of the man that prove his worth to lead YHVH’s family. The most important quality of a Melchizedek is that, as a vassal King-Priest, he upholds his covenant with his sovereign King Yeshua and Yeshua’s commandments.
The firstborn was tasked with providing for the family after the father died. He got a double portion of the father’s inheritance. The firstborn got his own portion and a portion for his father to carry on the father’s name from generation to generation. In this way, it was as if the now dead father is still caring for the family through the firstborn son after him. And in this way, the Israelites were to remember all their fathers who cared for them from then to now.
Let’s say there are three brothers. The father would apportion his estate into four parts. The firstborn would get two portions and the other two brothers would get one portion each. The firstborn’s job was to lead the family in YHVH’s commandments and righteousness. And for that, he received the father’s portion of the inheritance. And remember, the righteous son of the family became the firstborn, not necessarily the first physical son.
Let’s see how many firstborn Melchizedeks were the actual firstborn sons.
If I am right about there having been two creations in Genesis 1 and 2, then Adam was the second born. Yeshua YHVH Elohim did not choose a human from among those created in Genesis 1.
Adam’s son, Seth, was the third born. Noah was Lamech’s firstborn. Shem was Noah’s third born. Isaac was Abraham’s second born. Jacob was Isaac’s second born. Joseph who wore the coat of many colors signifying that the Melchizedek authority was being given to Him was Jacob’s eleventh son and Rachel’s firstborn. Reuben lost his firstborn place to Joseph and Joseph’s second born son, Ephraim, was given that status. YHVH called Ephraim His firstborn but Ephraim failed to live up to the requirements of being the family firstborn.
Jeremiah 31:9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Who was it that spoke there saying “I am a father to Israel”? Yeshua. And who is His firstborn in this verse? Ephraim. But again, the Ephraimites would eventually lead the entire northern tribes into idolatry and would lose their firstborn place when they were scattered into Assyria. Actually, they lost that place at the golden calf and then returned to worshiping it under Jeroboam and their future Kings. Their eventual scattering was simply the fulfillment of the consequences of the golden calf sin. Our sins always find us out and they do destructive things to us.
This is why Yeshua had to be born in a human body, die and resurrect to fulfill His promise to His Father in Genesis 15. Yeshua became the firstborn of Israel (Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:18) over Ephraim by resurrection from the dead. His resurrection transformed Israel from being only an earthly nation to being a heavenly one, as well.
Yes, in the Tanach there were two boys and a man resurrected. However, none of these were in line to be the firstborn of Israel. Their resurrections had another purpose which was to show Israel that there really is a resurrection not to bestow firstborn status on the two boys and the man.
The blessings of the patriarchs is another way we know they were Melchizedeks. The blessings they gave are still legally binding today because their word as Melchizedeks bound their blessings in heaven. “Melchizedek” is a legal position in Heaven and the Melchizedek’s decrees have legal authority. No other nation on earth from then to now has such standing legalities as does Israel, legalities that were spoken by the fathers who were also Melchizedeks.
This ties into why YHVH called Ephraim His firstborn in Jeremiah 31:9. It shows the authority of the Melchizedeks.
Ephraim was not YHVH’s firstborn. YHVH did not have a firstborn yet! Oh yes He did! His name is Israel.
Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
Exodus 4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
Then why did YHVH say in Jeremiah 31:9 that Ephraim was His firstborn? It is because of Israel’s blessing. The blessing of the Melchizedek on Ephraim. Israel’s blessing would not have meant that in Heaven if Jacob was not the Melchizedek vested with authority by Yeshua YHVH Elohim to make such a declaration. We have to remember that what we bind on earth is bound in Heaven (Matthew 18:18) because of who we are. Being the Melchizedek puts extra authority behind such blessings and such decrees.
Shem was the Melchizedek that blessed Abraham. Afterward, Abraham blessed Isaac with the inheritance, the field of Machpelah. Isaac blessed Jacob with even greater inheritance – the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, the grain and the wine (Gen 27:28). Jacob blessed Joseph with a coat of many colors to symbolize that he was the chosen son. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and never served as the family patriarch although he had the force of Egyptian government behind him and they lived under his authority. No Melchizedeks ever had authority in Egypt. And they did not benefit from their betrayal because later Israel (Jacob) blessed Joseph’s second born son to be the firstborn patriarch and family provider and leader.
Judah and Ephraim would contend with each other over this position. It was Joshua, an Ephraimite, who succeeded Moses. With Joshua in the account of the ten spies was Caleb from the tribe of Judah. There they are appearing together as if to hint about their tribal rivalry even while agreeing with each other.
Judah again tried to snatch that firstborn position and status from Joseph.
1 Chronicles 5:1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
1Chronicles 5:2 For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s…
Yeshua came from the northern Ephraimite territory, Nazareth, but His birth was through the tribe of Judah.
Hebrews 7:14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah…
In Yeshua, this rivalry between the House of Judah and the House of Israel, the Ephraimites, is reconciled. Yeshua is now the firstborn (Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:18) of the family. And Yeshua is our Melchizedek. He is both King and High Priest under which faithful servants will rule and reign.
The Aaronic rules of conduct would have first been given to Adam, the first Melchizedek. He received a special wife for himself – Eve. Isaac had to have a special wife like Adam. A priest of YHVH cannot take just any woman. She must be specially designated for him. Abraham ensured that such would be the case when he sent Eleazar to fetch Rebecca (Genesis 28).
Eleazar is the foreshadow of Yeshua’s Ruach going forth into the world to get His Bride. She must be from the same family as Yeshua but must exhibit extraordinary traits. She will be beautiful, a virgin (the spiritual meaning of this is “faithful” to only Yeshua), especially kind and have a servant’s heart (Genesis 24:16).
Her family will try to keep her with them but she will leave them to go wherever her beloved groom is. And where will her beloved groom be? In Israel in the inheritance given first to Isaac then expanded on by Jacob and later the 12 tribes under Joshua, the Ephraimite. Do you see how things come full circle? These are patterns that run forward and backward throughout the scripture.
Isaac was the promised son but Jacob would become the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. The extra-Biblical Book of Jasher says Jacob learned the Torah from Shem. Genesis 25:27 says only that Jacob dwelt in tents. This idiomatic phrase meant that Jacob studied YHVH’s Word. Study would have been done inside away from the heat of summer and the cold of winter.
Esau was a man of the field (Genesis 25:27). He had no interest in spirituality. He was a hunter and his prey became the way he thought he could manipulate his father, Isaac. Esau bringing his “offering” to Isaac as manipulation is the foreshadow of the way rebellious Israelites would later perform YHVH’s specified rituals their own way.
Isaac was not as blind as the story says. In fact, I believe there are hints that Isaac knew Rebecca had been told by YHVH that the second born son would be the family firstborn (Genesis 25:23). Thus, Jacob’s selection for carrying the mantle of Melchizedek and continuing the line of patriarchs was made by YHVH, not Isaac. Regardless of the circumstances, Isaac made the right selection with Rebecca’s help.
Esau followed in the footsteps of his uncle Elam, the son of Shem from many generations before. The Elamites became the forerunners of the Persian Empire. Elam was Shem’s firstborn who was rejected for Arphaxad’s line through which Abraham came. The Elamites will never stop trying to kill Abraham’s line until all its descendants are destroyed because Elam wants his firstborn place back.
Esau joined with the Elamites. Haman of the Book of Esther was an Agagite. King Agag was an Amalekite. Amalek was Esau’s grandson. Esau’s hatred of Jacob lives on through Amalek to this day and Esau won’t stop trying to get his firstborn position back, either.
A time came when Jacob had to face Esau rather than run away. I am not saying that going to Laban’s home was not the right thing to do. It was. Jacob had a calling on his life that needed to be preserved. Rachel and Isaac both knew it (Genesis 27:43, 28:1-5).
The time came when Jacob had to face his brother. It was in the course of this situation that Jacob wrestled with God, Yeshua, who appeared in physical form to Jacob. This is one of those instances where we can see that Yeshua had a body before He was born of Mary. Jacob was not wrestling with an apparition!
They struggled together all night.
Genesis 32:22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.
Genesis 32:23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
Genesis 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
Genesis 32:25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
God did not prevail over Jacob.
Genesis 32:26 And he [God] said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he [Jacob] said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Genesis 32:27 And he [God] said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
Genesis 32:28 And he [God] said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Jacob’s Melchizedek status, his “power with God”, was formalized right here. And Jacob’s “power with men” has to do with being a priest of the Most High God.
Genesis 32:29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
Genesis 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Jacob knew this was not an ordinary man. He knew this struggle had been with God Himself.
Genesis 32:31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
In other words, Jacob just got a new walk. Or we might say he just got a whole lot of responsibility! Jacob wrestling with God and prevailing proved that Jacob was fit to be the patriarch and Melchizedek.
Another way we know Jacob held the office of Melchizedek is because of the tithe. To whom we tithe is our King. Abraham tithed to Shem, the earthly priest of the Most High God and the Melchizedek King of Salem. Jacob had promised to tithe to God if God helped him to return safely back to Canaan (Genesis 28:20-22). Now Jacob would inherit that office from Isaac at his death right after Jacob re-entered the land (Genesis 35:28-29).
Here we again see that Yeshua is directly involved with His earthly Melchizedek counterparts. Yeshua spoke directly to Adam and Eve in the garden. Then He gave specific and detailed instructions to Noah to build the Ark. He called Abraham out of Haran and gave him a front row seat to the covenant of the pieces promises made between YHVH the Father and YHVH the Son and then appeared to Abraham in physical form. And now He has made His physical presence known to Jacob in a wrestling match which proved that Jacob was fit for wearing the mantle of Melchizedek and he was fit for the fight ahead of him and his family in taking the Promised Land from all the “ites” who were, and still are, trying to steal it.
Jacob’s life and that of his family will from here on foreshadow the entire future of Israel the Melchizedek nation, all of its dysfunctions and the coming of the Messiah, Yeshua, to save them.
Remember earlier I said that the blessings that still stand today, and that are legal and upheld in heaven, are one way we know who the Melchizedeks were? Jacob blessed his sons in Genesis 49. We still look to these blessings as prophecies for each tribe.
Israel blessed Ephraim to make him the firstborn of the family in place of Joseph in Genesis 48:11, 14, but it was Jacob, not Israel, who blessed his sons (Genesis 49). Yet, these blessings are bound in heaven. Jacob was the earthly human counterpart Melchizedek to the Heavenly Melchizedek.
In Noah & the Sons of Melchizedek, I made the point that we are all Melchizedek’s kids on the earth after the flood. But not all of Melchizedek’s kids want to have anything to with Yeshua YHVH Elohim. Israel is the way that those who choose to be in covenant with Yeshua can be in covenant with Him from the time of Jacob and the 12 sons in Egypt all the way to now. The Bible says that strangers, ‘ger’, came out of Egypt with the Hebrews. All that anyone ever needed to do was to decide to join the Melchizedek (as in Adam’s time when people began to call on the name of YHVH) or the Melchizedek nation, the nation that still represents the Order of Melchizedek on the earth to this day and which will rule when Yeshua returns.
Next week, I will begin showing you what the Book of Hebrews means when it says all those seemingly confusing things. It was necessary to give you a foundation in the original line of Melchizedeks and to explain the role of the nation of Melchizedeks, Israel, so you will understand the New World Order that is coming with Yeshua. I started this series by saying there is a New World Order coming and there is. It just isn’t the one that the wicked leaders of the Babylonians, communists and Egyptian mystery rites followers think.
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Be Blessed!
Kimberly Roger-Brown
kimberly@tabernacleofdavidrestored.com
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