It was Christ that spoke through Melchisedek, the priest of the most high God. Melchisedek was not Christ, but he was the voice of God in the world, the representative of the Father. And all through the generations of the past, Christ has spoken; Christ has led His people, and has been the light of the world. When God chose Abraham as a representative of His truth, He took him out of his country, and away from his kindred, and set him apart. He desired to mold him after His own model. He desired to teach him according to His own plan (The Review and Herald, February 18, 1890).
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20 (Genesis 28:22; Leviticus 27:30). Tithing Goes Back to Days of Adam—The tithing system reaches back beyond the days of Moses. Men were required to offer to God gifts for religious purposes, before the definite system was given to Moses, even as far back as the days of Adam. In complying with God′s requirements they were to manifest in offerings their appreciation of His mercies and blessings to them. This was continued through successive generations, and was carried out by Abraham, who gave tithes to Melchisedek, the priest of the most high God. The same principle existed in the days of Job (The Signs of the Times, April 29, 1875).
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9-11. Let Nothing Mar Your Sacrifice—Watch as faithfully as did Abraham lest the ravens or any birds of prey alight upon your sacrifice and offering to God. Every thought of doubt should be so guarded that it will not see the light of day by utterance. Light always flees from words which honor the powers of darkness (Letter 7, 1892).
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16. God Bore Long for Sake of Good Amorites—In the days of Abraham the Lord declared, “The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” He would not at that time allow them to be destroyed. In this is revealed the long-sufferance of God. The Amorites were at enmity against His law; they believed not in Him as the true and living God; but among them were a few good persons, and for the sake of these few, He forbore long. Centuries afterward, when the Israelites returned from Egypt to the promised land, the Amorites were “cast out before the children of Israel.”(Genesis 15:16) They finally suffered calamity because of continued willful disregard of the law of God (The Review and Herald, July 12, 1906).
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(Ecclesiastes 8:11, 12). Rejection of Light Led to Destruction of Amorites—The Amorites were inhabitants of Canaan, and the Lord had promised the land of Canaan to the Israelites; but a long interval must pass before His people should possess the land. He stated the reason why this interval must pass. He told them that the iniquity of the “Amorites was not yet full”, and their expulsion and extermination could not be justified until they had filled up the cup of their iniquity. Idolatry and sin marked their course, but the measure of their guilt was not such that they could be devoted to destruction. In His love and pity God would let light shine upon them in more distinct rays; He would give them opportunity to behold the working of His wondrous power, that there might be no excuse for their course of evil. It is thus that God deals with the nations. Through a certain period of probation He exercises long-suffering toward nations, cities, and individuals. But when it is evident that they will not come unto Him that they might have life, judgments are visited upon them. The time came when judgment was inflicted upon the Amorites, and the time will come when all the transgressors of His law will know that God will by no means clear the guilty (The Review and Herald, May 2, 1893).
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19. Fulfilling Conditions Brings Blessing—If parents would fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to be their strength, they would not fail of receiving His blessing in their households (The Review and Herald, May 21, 1895).
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12-14. Sodom Passed Boundary of Mercy—The Sodomites had passed the boundary of mercy, and no more light was granted to them prior to their destruction. Had the warning gone through these cities of the plain, and had they been told just what was to come, who of them would have believed it? They would no more have accepted the message, and God knew it, than the sons-in-law of Lot (Manuscript 19a, 1886).
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