Before Abraham Was, I Am

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:1-3

When I read this again the other day, I heard something… something like a conversation that happened in Heaven. Father saying to His Son from the foundations of the world… “Get thee out of thy country… from Thy Father’s house… I will make of Thee a great nation and I will bless Thee and make thy name great… Thou shalt be a blessing and I will bless them that bless Thee and curse him that curseth Thee, and in Thee shall all families of the Earth be blessed…”

Could it be that Abram was, in a sense, a type and shadow of the Lord? Hmm… I continued to read again about him.

First, Abram takes Lot with him from Haran. Lot’s name means: covering; veil. Could Lot, in a sense, represent the veil of the law of sin and death? Eventually Abram removes this veil, by sending Lot away because of strife. It reminds me of 2 Corinthians…

But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:15-16

With the veil gone, Abram will be able to clearly see by the Spirit. And Father speaks to him from Heaven.

And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever (emphasis mine). Genesis 13:14-15

Father tells Him, “Look North, South, East, West - all the land that Your eyes can see I’m giving to You and to Your seed forever!” Father is the possessor of Heaven and Earth and it is His to give. The devil was never given the earth. He had his Mount Seir, but he was not given the whole world. It was given to Jesus, Creator. He was with Father in the beginning and was the Word that spoke the world into existence (John 1). Now, as a type and shadow, Abram, as a human man, is going to walk out the inheritance centuries before Jesus is made manifest in the earth as the Son of Man.

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, [then] shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Genesis 13:16-17

The dust of the earth would be prophetically redeemed by this very promise. That dust that the serpent had to slither on and eat by the curse in the Garden of Eden -- that dust that man was formed from, is going to become blessed. And the prophet Abram’s walk was a beginning. Abram took ground, walking and walking on the red clay. His very footprints took ownership.

A confirmation of this type and shadow possessing is found under very dramatic circumstances. The scene was the first recorded world war.

And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; [That these] made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. Genesis 14:1-2

Nine kings fight -- four against five. One, Chedorlaomer, is apparently operating on Earth as owner, master. He requires and demands what may be viewed as the first global tax.

Twelve years they served (were kept in bondage [by]) Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that [were] with him, and smote them… Genesis 14:4-5

Globalism is not a new concept. We first see it at Babel under King Nimrod when the whole earth had one language and one speech. Now we see the Godless globalist concept is still alive and well.

Chedorlaomer was not going to lose all that money he was extorting from the other nations of the world, so he gathered three other kings who were cooperative with his control and made war against the sovereign nations who rejected domination. And in so doing, he took Lot and the goods of Sodom and Gemmorah as loot and headed back home.

That’s what the devil does. He raises himself up as lord of the world and pillages nations and men of their wealth, hoarding it all as his own. He has a few, a council of three hundred maybe, who are in league with him, and with their help, he rampages against anyone who knows in his bowels that he is free, challenging the domination of the devil’s tyranny.

Now comes a Scripture that teaches us something profound about Abram.

And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew… Genesis 14:13

Abram, the Hebrew. Hebrew means: region beyond. The crossing over. The translation. I believe the Jordan represents a greater spiritual river found above the firmament.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so. Genesis 1:7

We know there is an atmospheric river. There is a river above us! I firmly believe this Hebrew signifies crossing the firmament from Heaven into Earth. And from Earth into Heaven. We do it when we are born again of the Spirit of God. We are transferred into the Kingdom of God, seated above in Heavenly places. We do it in the Spirit when we worship. With our spiritual eyes, we come to see His kingdom. Jesus crossed over when He descended from Heaven before He ever descended into the River Jordan (which means to descend.) Then when Jesus ascended into Heaven after His resurrection, He pierced the firmament into the Heavens, making a highway for us. A causeway, so that we may cross over into Heaven to dwell as citizens in our City that the Lord built.

Abram represents this cross over. And so does anyone who has been born of the Spirit of God into the new Man. We are Hebrews.

So, back to the story of the globalist war and the victory the Lord wrought through Abram. This is where Abram typifies the Lord’s deliverance. He rescues. He saves his family.

And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained [servants], born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued [them] unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which [is] on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that [were] with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which [is] the king's dale (emphasis mine). Genesis 14:14-17

Wow. Abram was a mighty man of war! Abram killed the kings! These are the circumstances… this warfare moment of righteousness supplanting unrighteousness, is when the greatest blessing of Abram’s life will occur; His encounter with manifest Holiness on the Earth.

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. Genesis 14:18-20

Melchizedek. He has no beginning and no ending. He is supernatural King of Righteousness. King of Peace and Priest. This Melchizedek is a manifestation of the Son and He is moving in the nature of our Father.

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. John 14:10

And I believe that He manifested to a type and shadow of Himself in Earth. This John 14 scripture is awesome. Jesus, during His ministry, says over and over that He and Father are One. It was always our Father’s heart to heal the sick. It was our Father delivering the people from oppression, sicknesses and diseases in the days of Jesus’s life on Earth. If Jesus did nothing apart from our Father, then the New Testament is a revelation of Father… not just His Son. The true nature of our Father needs to be discovered.

The King and Priest, Jesus, meets Abram (a type of Himself) after the intensity of global war. He meets him after overcoming rulers and powers. He meets him after laying himself down for his brother. And the Lord comes with bread and wine.

Look at the bread: showbread. And the root: to fight; do battle; overcome; prevail; make war.

Un-be-lievable.

The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill [the places] with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. Psalm 110:4-6

David knew! He prophesied of Melchizedek and he showed the correlation of the Lord slaughtering the kings! Like Abram did when he tore down globalist tyrannical dominion! Just like Jesus will do at the end of days!

Jesus provided to a type of son of man, the last supper - His body and His blood! The son of man received the bread and the wine for the time He would be taken into His ultimate battle -- the Cross -- warring against and overcoming darkness for the salvation of mankind.

Abram moved in the earth realm as the first prophet. He was the first Hebrew. And - in a sense - he functioned as a type of Jesus - he functioned as a restored son of God. Although Abram was not God, he, in a sense, foreshadowed the son of God. And this bread and wine from Jesus… this blessing encounter was a spiritual food from the One who would give up His own body and blood for the deliverance of His family.

We must eat of His body and drink His blood! We must partake of this bread and wine! Look at the new wine Jesus offers. It’s found in the blessing of Jacob.

Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine… Genesis 27:28

It is the new wine and its root means: to inherit; to dispossess -- to occupy by driving out the previous tenants and possessing in their place. It is incredible to find the spiritual warfare of dispossessing and possession of the promise of inheritance in the bread and the wine.

This exchange between Melchizedek and Abram is also where we see the tithe. Abram is the one who initiated it. We see Cain and Abel bringing sacrifices, so we know there has been worship in the earth, but Abram gives to Jesus Christ the very first recorded tithe.

We have lost the meaning and the power and the worship of tithing to Jesus. It’s now become a religious demand on the people of God so that the Church can pay their bills. And like every other bill, we pull out our checkbooks faithfully, or enter our card number and poof, it’s done. No deep meaning. No real honor. No profound worship. Just tick it off our “Things to Do” list.

Abram was restored and blessed after war. He had destroyed the enemy. And Abram poured into Melchizedek, the King of Peace, a tenth of all his spoils because he knew that it was our Father who saved Lot. Not him. It was the Lord, the Man of War, who was also the King of Peace.

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he [receiveth them], of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. Hebrews 7:8

When we tithe, we are literally witnessing that Jesus Christ is alive. Our tenth is profound honor to our King. Men, like the sons of Eli, have abused the act of tithing. They have manipulated and stolen and hoarded up for themselves, like Cherdolaomer. The true tithe needs to be restored in us. We must find our way back to this act of holy worship. Giving Him our tithe is a natural offering that provides supernatural blessing and this tithe speaks. It worships. It honors. It testifies. It bows its knees and says, “Jesus Christ is Lord. And You, O Lord are the One who has wrought victory in my life! You are my, and my generation’s Deliverer!” The tithe is gratitude to a living, all powerful Savior.

Jesus is the great Dispossessor! He is the Heir and we are His co-heirs. Many walked before Him in His Spirit and showed us this work. Jacob did. Joshua did. Caleb did. David did. Jehu did. Many drove out the previous occupants and possessed the inheritance of our Father.

And Abram, as the first recorded prophet, is the first man to cross over and walk it out prophetically.

He received the covenant. He honored the Lord with his tithes. He received his transformation into Abraham. He received the promise of Isaac. He learned the sacrifice of the son.

And finally… He became the bosom of Heaven.

No wonder Jesus said in John 8:58, … Before Abraham was, I am.