There are
archaeologists that I have referenced, that refute you.
You believe atheists if you want, but I'll stick with
the facts found that match the Bible, and God's Holy Word.
Any cuneiform stone came AFTER God's Law.
Know you not
WHO Melchizedek was? But atheists refuse to believe that He was:
" ... Without father, without mother, without descent,having neither beginning of days, nor end of life;but made like unto the Son of God;abideth a priest continually ..."
This can get very long and drawn out.
Was Melchizedek God's priest?
Gen 14:18;
Heb 7: 1-3.
Commet: Tithing is revealed in the Bible as God's system for fimnancing His earthly ministry.
Prior to the Levitical priesthood and the Old Covenant, the ministry was that of Melchizedek.
As God's representative on earth, Melchizedek received tithes from God's faitful servants at that time.
Melchizedek, "having neither beginning of days, nor end of life ... abideth a priest continually" (Heb 7:3) .
This verse indicates that He probably was High Priest even from the time of Adam!
The ancient patriarchs financed this ministry of God on earth by the tithing system.
What did Jacob promise God he would do with all his increase?
Gen 28:20-22 .
Was he prospered?
Gen 30:43 .
Comment: Jacob promised to give God the tithe of his increase from that time forward.
Over the years of his life God did bless him a great deal because of his faithfulness.
Jacob was blessed with much cattle, many servants and other possessions.
Apparently Jacob continued as a life-long tither, never forgetting the One who had caused him to prosper (Gen 48:15) .
Before the time of Moses, the tithe had been paid directly to Melchizedek.
But after Israel's deliverance from Egypt, who did God say was to receive the tithe?
Num 18:21,
24 .
To whom were the Levites to pay a tithe of the tithes they recieved from the people?
Verses 26-28 .
Comment: God had set Aaron's family in the highest authority over the Levites (Verses 2-3, 6 .
As priests, they were to receive a tithe from the income of all the other Levites.
What use was to be made of the tithe during the Levitical priesthood?
Num 18:21 .
Comment: Melchizedek the member of the God Family who became Jesus Christ (for proof, read the article "The Mystery of Melchizedek Solved!"), selected the Levites to be His ministers.
God's ministry through the Levitical priesthood was a material, ritualistic ministry of remiknding a carnal nation of their failure to keep thye laws of God.
So Christ (Melchizedek) ordained a change in the tithing law — He turned the tenth He had always poersonally received over to the Levites, thereby transferring receipt of the tithe to the Levitical priesthood for their suport.
But there was no commissiomn to proclaim the Gospel to the world at that time.
God;as plan for that dispensation merely called the Levites to teach the people the letter of the Law, and to administer the physical rituals and sacrifices as remiknders of sin.
Therefore, the tithe the people were commanded to bring to them was mainly for their support.
Hebrews chapter seven clearly shows that tithing has been an ongoinmg financial law by the time God formally instituted ancient Israel's civil law through Moses.
Paul makes it clear that tithing is not Levitical (of the descendants of Levi) or "ceremonial" (see verses 5, 8-10) .
It did not begin ith the administration of the Levites and therefore could not have ended when the need for the Levitical priesthood ceased to exist.
Rather, according to verses 11-17, God changed the priesthood back to the spiritual priesthood of Melchizedek.
The Levitical priesthood was superseded by the priesthood of Jesus Christ — the Melchizedek priesthood restored!
And so there was also a change as to who should now receive the tithe (verse 12) .
Christ has authorized His New Testiment mkinistry to receive the tithes in order to do the spirituap work of fulfiloloing the commission He gave to His Church (Matt 28:19-20) .
The New Testament era was ushered in when Melchizedek (Christ) who abides as our High Priest continually (Heb 7:3, 4:14-16), became a mortal man so He could be sacrificed for the sins of all mankind.
He also made the Holy Spirit available to those whom God calls.
Christ came to this earth to inaugurate a NEW kind of ministry — a spiritual ministry.
It is a ministry of SALVATION — a ministry of PROPHECY — a ministry of WARNING, as well as of GOOD NEWS.
And so I REPEAT:
Melchizedek brought and taught that LAW, that
the atheists are trying to distort and pollute.