Let’s briefly discuss the types and shadows of the order of the Heavenly Priesthood, under which angels and all creation are to be judged.
The Covenant with Adam
As we discussed in the chapter on Sonship, Man (Adam) was included in the eternal covenant between the Father and the Son. According to this plan, He created this world and Man on the sixth day, then He rested. He set Man in the Garden of Eden to provision him with everything he needed, and beyond that:
- He told Adam and Eve to multiply, and to subdue all things. Theirs was a kingly position; to rule creation on His behalf. To bring His righteousness to the heart and soul of all He created.
- He told Adam to take care of the Garden. This was a priestly position; to show the creation the Goodness and Glory of God, and to intercede on their behalf, and make peace.
And we know Adam fell from this position, thus losing the privilege to be taught by God and be a representative of Him.
The Covenant with Seth
Sadly, in only the second generation of Man, brother began to murder brother. Blood was shed within the family. When sin overtook Cain, he killed his younger brother Abel.
In order to preserve a seed without the stain of sin or the blood of the innocent, God separated Seth. His name means “compensation.” God intended for him to replace the righteous Abel, who was able to make acceptable sacrifices before Him. Only at that time, “men began to call on the name of the LORD.” Moreover, He intended that through Seth, the covenant of Sonship could be extended and carried on.
Gen 5:1-3 [NIV]
1This is the written account of Adam’s line.
When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them “man.”
3When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.
Hidden in this passage is the word “likeness.” It is used to denote the original intent of God for Man to be “just like Him” in the Spirit, yet not flesh and blood. Because when He created “man” in flesh and blood, He created them in His image with a promise and hope to be transformed into His Likeness. Here again, He restored the promise to Seth, as Seth was born in the likeness of Adam (Man), who was created in the Likeness of God in spirit.
In essence, God continues with Seth the covenant he made with His Son – without counting man’s failures in the Garden – because of the blood shed by Abel, who was the shadow of Jesus Christ.
This was the priesthood before Noah.
This is post is _Part 3_ in the series The Order of Melchizedek. To continue with this series, click on Pt 4. To use this as a growth tool to better understand your own calling, you might start by reading the explanation of this series, Pt 1 and Pt 2.
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