For us as believers in Christ to live by faith as Abraham did, we need to be those fighting for the brother as a response to Christ’s interceding for us and saving us in His life.
On one hand, we need to follow in the steps of that faith of Abraham by living the life of the altar and the tent.
On the other hand, we need to fight for the brother, not accusing or judging our brother when he fails but rather, fight for him and rescue him to bring him back into the enjoyment of Christ. Amen!
Abraham is the father of faith to all those who believe into God; he is the father of the earthly people of God, the Jewish people, and also of the spiritual people of God, the believers in Christ.
On one hand, Abraham is our father as believers in Christ, and we are likened to the stars in the heavens, which are countless to number.
As spiritual descendants of Abraham, we are innumerable, and our function is to shine by reflecting Christ as the real light in the dark age we live in today.
On the other hand, Abraham is the father of the Jewish people, who are likened to the sand on the seashore, also impossible to count.
As earthly descendants of Abraham, the Jewish people hold the faith and the law, and they are to inherit the good land of Canaan and the blessing.
We as believers in Christ inherit the good land in a spiritual sense, for the reality of the good land is Christ, even the all-inclusive Christ who was processed and consummated to be the all-inclusive, life-giving, compound Spirit.
When we turn to the Lord, contact Him, and fellowship with Him, we enter further into the possession of our allotted portion of the good land.
When we say Amen to His word as He speaks to us throughout the day, we take a further step into our allotted possession of Christ.
Also, we inherit the blessing promised to Abraham, which is that God would bless us and make us a blessing.
The reality of this blessing is the Spirit, which was given to us through faith at the time of our believing into Christ.
As we sojourn on this earth, looking forward to our heavenly country, the New Jerusalem, we are on one hand wanderers and strangers here, not being attached to the things of this earth and, on the other hand, we’re enjoying the blessing.
Today we’re learning to enjoy the Lord Jesus as the Spirit, the reality of all the blessings of God, and we take Him as our everything day by day.
He as our good land is everything we need for our existence, and He as our blessing is everything we need for our Christian life and work. Hallelujah, we are a blessed people!
Living by Faith as Abraham Did by Fighting for the Brother as a Response to Christ’s Interceding
For us to live by faith as Abraham did, we need to cooperate with Christ in His heavenly ministry not only by living a life of the altar and the tent but also by fighting for the brother (Gen. 12:7-8; 14:1-24; Rom. 4:12).
As Abraham and Lot had an increasingly larger number of possessions and cattle, they had to separate; Lot make the mistake of separating himself from Abraham and moving his tent as far as Sodom (Gen. 13:5-12).
The men of Sodom were very wicked and sinful toward Jehovah (v. 13), and eventually, Lot moved into the city there with them.
For Lot to leave Abraham was to leave God’s goal and God’s protection (Phil. 3:17; 1 Cor. 4:16-17; Heb. 13:7).
Instead of leaving the brothers, the fellowship, we should remain in God’s goal and stay under God’s protection by meeting with the saints.
![And when Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred eighteen [of them,] and pursued as far as Dan. And he divided [his forces] against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them and pursued them to Hobah, which is north of Damascus. And he brought back all the possessions and also brought back Lot his brother and his possessions as well as the women and the people. Gen. 14:14-16](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/And-when-Abram-heard-that-his-brother-had-been-taken-captive-he-led-out-his-trained-men-683x1024.jpg?resize=450%2C675&ssl=1 "And when Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred eighteen [of them,] and pursued as far as Dan. And he divided [his forces] against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them and pursued them to Hobah, which is north of Damascus. And he brought back all the possessions and also brought back Lot his brother and his possessions as well as the women and the people. Gen. 14:14-16")
We need to join ourselves to and follow the proper persons in God’s economy so that we may remain and be kept in the line of life and in the flow of the Lord’s move today (1 Cor. 15:33; Prov. 13:20; 2 Tim. 1:15-18; 2:22).
It is important who we hang out with, who do we keep company with; we need to be joined to the saints and follow the proper persons in God’s economy in the church life today.
Because the land around Sodom was rich, Lot journeyed toward Sodom and, eventually, he moved into the city, and there he lived and settled.
Under God’s sovereignty, there was a war and the people of Sodom were taken prisoners, including Lot and all he had (Gen. 14:12; cf. Jer. 2:13).
Someone escaped and told Abraham about it, and he immediately prayed and took his trained men to go and rescue his brother.
Instead of thinking that it was Lot’s fault that he was taken captive, instead of blaming or accusing his brother, Abraham was one who lived by faith by fighting for the brother.
Abraham didn’t count the weak point of his brother and didn’t take pleasure in Lot’s suffering and calamity.
As far as he was concerned, it was a shame for Abraham to see that his brother had been captured.
This should be our consideration and feeling today when we see that one of our brothers in Christ is taken captive; we should consider it a shame for us to see that our brother had been captured (1 John 5:16; Prov. 10:12; James 5:19-20).
Instead of blaming our brothers and thinking that it was their choice that led them into the world, we should not take pleasure in their suffering and calamity but fight for the brother, being one with the Lord to rescue him.
We should not tolerate or ignore the fact that our brother or sister was captured by Satan and is now living in sin or in the world; rather, we must pray, rise up, and do something about it.
When Abraham received the information about Lot’s capture, he made a strong decision to fight for Lot; he prayed, lifting up his hand to Jehovah, God the Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, and he went to fight (Gen. 14:14, 22; 1 Tim. 2:8).
He decided to take his three hundred eighteen men and fight against the four kings and their armies; the kings had great armies, but God was on Abraham’s side, and he had the victory.
Behind the scenes, Melchizedek (meaning “king of righteousness”), king of Salem (meaning “peace”) was interceding for Lot, Abraham, and Abraham’s fighting (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7:1-4, 25-26; 4:14-16; Rom. 8:26-29, 34).
The reason Abraham had the boldness to go and fight against the kings is that Melchizedek was interceding behind the scene.
Abraham risked his life when he fought for his brother, and the victory was given to him by the Lord.
After the defeat of these four kings, Abraham didn’t want anything of the spoil for himself; then, Melchizedek came and gave him bread and wine.
This Melchizedek, having no genealogy and being priest of the Most High, is a type of Christ who intercedes for us behind the scenes and who ministers to us bread and wine to supply us.
Abraham’s brief and bold decision to fight for the brother and rescue lot was stirred up by the intercession of Melchizedek.
May we be such ones; may we be those who live and walk by faith, following in the same steps of that faith of Abraham by fighting for the brother.
When a brother or sister falls and is taken captive by Satan, we should not tolerate this but pray, respond to the intercession of Christ in the heavenlies, and fight for the brother.
When we respond to Christ’s intercession and rise up to fight, the Lord is with us, and He will grant us victory.
All throughout this time of fighting, He is supplying us and ministering Himself as our life supply to fight and gain the victory.
Lord Jesus, we want to cooperate with You in Your heavenly ministry not only by living the life of the altar and the tent but also by fighting for the brother. Amen, Lord, we open to You; embolden us and strengthen us into our inner man to fight for the brother who was taken captive by Satan. Save us from tolerating the fact that Satan takes our brothers and sisters captive. May we not count the weak points of our brothers nor take pleasure in their suffering and calamity. Amen, Lord, we lift up our hands to You, for You are the Possessor of heaven and earth, and You want Your people to return to the full enjoyment of Christ as their portion. We respond to Your intercession, Lord, by fighting for the brother to bring him back to his rightful enjoyment of Christ with the saints.
Christ in His Heavenly Ministry Continually Intercedes for us and for the Saints to Save us to the Uttermost
Melchizedek is a type of Christ as the kingly High Priest in His heavenly ministry, who is continually interceding for us and for the saints to save us to the uttermost (Heb. 5:6, 10; 7:1-3, 25).
Sometimes we or the saints leave God’s goal and His protection by simply being associated with people in the world or with those who make divisions.
If we are not properly yoked in the church life and in the family life, if we yoke ourselves with people who have a different goal than God’s economy, we may end up being in Satan’s captivity.
The Lord Jesus today is in His heavenly ministry as the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek praying for us, interceding for us, and seeking to save us to the uttermost.
When we see one of the brothers or sisters being taken captive in the world and not being in the meetings but rather, being so busy with the things of the world, even being enslaved with these things, we should pray for them.
Christ is the One interceding, in His heavenly ministry, for us and for all the saints in order to save us to the uttermost.
It is because of His intercession that we are still here on the way and that we still love the Lord and the church. It is because of Christ’s intercession as the High Priest that we are still in the church life.
And it is because of His continual intercession that we are being recovered back to the first love toward the Lord.
As we walk on this earth, many things happen to us and around us; we may think that we have such a difficult situation and that so many difficult things are taking place around us.
Apparently, these things just happen. Apparently, the COVID19 pandemic just happened, the lockdown just happened, and the inflation and recession just happen.
But actually, behind the scene, Christ in His heavenly ministry intercedes for us, and He is looking for those who cooperate with Him by fighting for the brother.
He is looking for those who live by faith by fighting for the brother, responding to His heavenly ministry.
![Moreover, in like manner the Spirit also joins in to help [us] in our weakness, for we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for [us] with groanings which cannot be uttered. But He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated [to be] conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers...Who is he who condemns? [It] [is] Christ Jesus who died and, rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Rom. 8:26-29, 34](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Moreover-in-like-manner-the-Spirit-also-joins-in-to-help-us-in-our-weakness-683x1024.jpg?resize=450%2C675&ssl=1 "Moreover, in like manner the Spirit also joins in to help [us] in our weakness, for we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for [us] with groanings which cannot be uttered. But He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated [to be] conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers...Who is he who condemns? [It] [is] Christ Jesus who died and, rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Rom. 8:26-29, 34")
Christ is our Melchizedek, our High Priest, and He still intercedes for us in heaven. His intercession overshadows us and cares for us.
Many things happen to us and around us, but nothing is accidental; everything is under His sovereign care.
Similarly, many things happen in the lives of the saints, and some may seem to be taken captive by Satan either in sin or in the world.
We should not blame the saints, criticize them, or tell them or others that it’s their fault, they should have done this or that.
Instead, we should pray, cooperate with the interceding Christ, and simply respond to His intercession by fighting for the brother.
It is Christ as the High Priest who intercedes for the saints, and we simply join in His intercession.
As a result of His intercession, things happen in our environment, and we become restless with our situation, so we pray and join ourselves to the interceding Christ.
This One is able to save us to the uttermost, for He always lives to intercede for us. Amen, such a High Priest is what we need!
Lord Jesus, thank You for interceding for us as our High Priest. Thank You for being able to save us to the uttermost. We come to You, Lord, and we open to You. We open our whole being with our situation to You. We open to Your overshadowing and Your care for us. We join ourselves to You, Lord, in praying for the saints. We want to be those who are fighting for the brother in prayer. Make us one with You in Your intercession. Amen, Lord, we want to respond to Your interceding for us in heaven. Pray in our prayer for the brothers, and fight in our fighting for the brothers. Lord Jesus, save us to the uttermost. Save the saints to the uttermost.
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by the brothers, and portions from, Life-study of Genesis, pp. 579-584 (by Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, God’s Economy in Faith (2022 spring ITERO), week 8, entitled, Walking in the Steps of that Faith of Our Father Abraham.
- Hymns on this topic:
– The Lord hath sworn forever / And never will turn back, / “Thou art a priest forever, / As was Melchizedek.” / Oh, Thou hast no beginning / Of days; of life: no end! / And on Thine intercession / We ever do depend. (Hymns #1102)
– He ever lives above / For me to intercede, / His all-redeeming love, / His precious blood to plead. / His blood was shed for all our race, / And sprinkles now the throne of grace. (Hymns #300)
– Our Lord was constituted priest / To be a real life-giver; / Life is the nature of this One / Who can from self deliver: / His life is indestructible, / By it He saves us to the full: / Praise God, He’s fully able! (Hymns #1310)
About aGodMan
As far as Abraham was concerned, it was a shame for him to see that his brother had been captured. It is the same in the church today. It is a shame for us to see that any brother or sister has been captured… You should not tolerate it but should say, “I cannot bear with this. I must rise up and do something about it!” This is what Abraham did. Abraham could say, “… I cannot bear seeing that my brother has been captured. This is a shame to me. I must take him back. I don’t care for the number of soldiers and I don’t care for the kings and armies. I don’t care that I have less than they do. My burden is to get my brother back. If I don’t do this, it is a shame to me.” In fighting for his brother, Abraham risked his life. It was not a small thing for him to risk his life in order to rescue his captured brother. But he did it. The fight went smoothly, and Abraham pursued the enemy from the south all the way to Dan in the north. His victory must have been the result of the intercession behind the scene. Life-study of Genesis, pp. 579-580, by Witness Lee
I am so touched to see how Abraham considered it to be a shame for him to see that his brother Lot had been captured; he didn’t blame his brother but prayed and went to fight for the brother. Amen!
The Lord is interceding today behind the scenes, and we can join Him in His intercession to fight for the brothers who are taken captive by Satan.
Abraham’s willingness to fight for his brother as the issue of the intercession of Melchizedek and to rescue him from captivity is a pattern for us in the church life.
When we see the calamity and sufferings of our brothers we must pray and under the direction of our heavenly High Priest – Christ – be those who would cooperate with Him by offering fighting prayers to bring back such ones from. their “captivity “.
May we be those who continually come forward to God through the Man Jesus Christ since He lives always to intercede for us Amen.
We should join Christ in His heavenly intercessory ministry to pray for the Brothers. Our Praying is our fighting.
It is a shame to see our Brothers captured by the enemy and not to fight for them.
As it was a shame for Abraham to see that his brother had been captured by the enemy, it is also the same for us (the Church) to see and keep quiet while any brother or sister has been captured by the enemy!
As a member of the Body of Christ we need to be engaged in the warfare against the enemy so that we can bring back the captives.
Like Cain, we are not allowed to respond to our Almighty God as: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’
Stay blessed abundantly
Oh this matter is impressive, he even risked his Life, he didn’t care for Lot’s condition either…
amen Brother just like Abraham we have a high priest who is interceding for us and we can today join him in fighting for the Saints who have been taking captive by the enemy and when we join in fighting he will minister bead and wine for us, and he is not only interceding but he is also minister himself to us what a high priest we have
Amen, we open to cooperate with You Lord, the interceding Christ, our Melchizedek ministering to us bread and wine to fight for the brother, give us such a view that it is a shame for a brother to be captured by Satan.
Thank You Lord for interceding for us and for the one’s under our care. Thank You Your intercession overshadows us and cares for us!
Amen Lord Jesus! May Your interceding for us in Your heavenly ministry overshadows us and stirrs us up us to be joined to You in spirit to pray for the captive brother to return to the church life!
In His heavenly ministry Christ is the interceding one! We need to respond to His intercession by persevering in prayer together as one!
AMEN
CHRIST – A High Priest, Perpetual, Great, Living, and Able to Save to the Uttermost…
(7:1-28)
(Fn.”intercedes”, Rom.8:34)
CHRIST as our High Priest undertakes our case by interceding for us. He appears before God on our behalf and prays for us that we may be saved and brought fully into God’s eternal purpose.
(Cf. Heb. 4:16; 11:6; 10:22; 7:19
He 7:25c,fn.”lives”, Heb. 7:8; Rev. 1:18)
Dear brother, how wonderful that we have such a High Priest!
Heb. 7:25 …He is able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him, since He lives always to intercede for them.
Christ is our real Melchizedek, our real High priest. He knows our condition, the condition of all the churches, Hallelujah He’s interceding on our behalf.
Amen. Thank You Lord. You our Melchizedek, our Forever Priest saving us to the uttermost. Thank You for interceding for us. Keep us one with You In prayer for the weak ones under captivity that they might be recover like us who where saved by the intercession of other believers. Amen.
Our Christ is always living to intercede for us and to nourish us with bread & wine. We need Christ to nourish & strengthen us so that we would rise up and fight for our brothers & sisters who are captured by the king of darkness. Behind the earthly scene, Jesus is interceding for us continuously. We need to see the heavenly scenery and not be deterred by the outward situation. God will give His overcomers victory over His enemy as long as we continue to present ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice