Prince of Peace with Power to Divide

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

One of my favorite thing about reading scriptures is finding examples of characteristics of Jesus Christ and His mission as I read ancient accounts of peoples’ stories. One of my favorite roles of Jesus is Prince of Peace. I come to Him for peace regularly. Through the Holy Ghost, He shows me how to create peace in my life by purging non-peaceful aspects of myself or my environment.

 

In his searching and yearning, Abraham desired to become a prince of peace.

 

And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.

 

Abraham knew becoming a prince of peace was possible because he knew the only other man in scriptures referred to as the Prince of peace.  This man was Melchizedek.

 

And now, Melchizedek was a priest of this order; therefore he obtained peace in Salem, and was called the Prince of peace.

Melchizedek, Prince of Peace

 

What do you know about Melchizedek? Most people know the higher priesthood is named after him to preserve the sacred nature of the Lord’s name.  Hardly anything about Melchizedek remains in scripture besides a brief nod to Abraham’s visit in Genesis and Alma’s corroborating record of him in Alma 13 and a couple of other verses in scripture.

 

Joseph Smith’s translation of Genesis paints an amazing picture of Melchizedek.  I find myself reading this chapter often in awe of possibilities availed by righteousness.  What sticks out to you?

 

Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 14: Ministry, Power, and Blessings

 

JST, Genesis 14:25–40. Compare Genesis 14:18–20

 

25 And Melchizedek lifted up his voice and blessed Abram.

 

26 Now Melchizedek was a man of faith, who wrought righteousness; and when a child he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire.

 

27 And thus, having been approved of God, he was ordained an high priest after the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch,

 

28 It being after the order of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God;

 

29 And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name.

 

30 For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course;

 

31 To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world.

 

32 And men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, were translated and taken up into heaven.

 

33 And now, Melchizedek was a priest of this order; therefore he obtained peace in Salem, and was called the Prince of peace.

 

34 And his people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch which God had before taken, separating it from the earth, having reserved it unto the latter days, or the end of the world;

 

35 And hath said, and sworn with an oath, that the heavens and the earth should come together; and the sons of God should be tried so as by fire.

 

36 And this Melchizedek, having thus established righteousness, was called the king of heaven by his people, or, in other words, the King of peace.

 

37 And he lifted up his voice, and he blessed Abram, being the high priest, and the keeper of the storehouse of God;

 

38 Him whom God had appointed to receive tithes for the poor.

 

39 Wherefore, Abram paid unto him tithes of all that he had, of all the riches which he possessed, which God had given him more than that which he had need.

 

40 And it came to pass, that God blessed Abram, and gave unto him riches, and honor, and lands for an everlasting possession; according to the covenant which he had made, and according to the blessing wherewith Melchizedek had blessed him.

 

Power to Divide

 

I can’t verbalize how this chapter impacts me every time I read it. What impacted you?

 

As I read it again a couple of days ago, a new phrase stuck out to me. Power to divide.

 

“Every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power…to divide the earth….”

 

Divide the earth! Immediately, the days of Peleg came to mind.

 

And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided.

 

One of the few school lessons I specifically remember was about Pangea, which is the name for Earth’s unified landmass or supercontinent. Scientists have identified multiple Pangeas throughout Earth’s existence. Because of the scriptural record, I’ve always associated Pangea’s latest division with Peleg, but I had never considered that division happening through priesthood power.

 

The scripture doesn’t say that someone split the lands by the power of God, but this chapter about Melchizedek (specifically related to the order he obtained) blew that option wide open for me.

 

Are there examples of moving physical land in the scriptures? Yes!

Ether 12 recorded that the Brother of Jared moved Mount Zerin.

In one Old Testament story, the Lord moved mountains and crushed Israel’s enemies. Read about that here at “Do You Know What God Did at Arnon?“

 

During creation, land moved to divide the waters.

 

“And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.”

 

On the American continent prophets prophesied great physical destruction as a sign of Jesus Christ’s death.  The record of Earth’s upheaval, divisions, and deformation is intense. Earth moved.

And there was also a great and terrible tempest; and there was terrible thunder, insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder. …

 

And the city of Moroni did sink into the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof were drowned.

 

And the earth was carried up upon the city of Moronihah, that in the place of the city there became a great mountain.

 

And there was a great and terrible destruction in the land southward.

 

But behold, there was a more great and terrible destruction in the land northward; for behold, the whole face of the land was changed, because of the tempest and the whirlwinds, and the thunderings and the lightnings, and the exceedingly great quaking of the whole earth;

 

And the highways were broken up, and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough.

 

And many great and notable cities…many were shaken till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth, and the inhabitants thereof were slain, and the places were left desolate.

 

And there were some cities which remained; but the damage thereof was exceedingly great, and there were many in them who were slain. …

 

And thus the face of the whole earth became deformed, because of the tempests, and the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the quaking of the earth.

 

And behold, the rocks were rent in twain; they were broken up upon the face of the whole earth, insomuch that they were found in broken fragments, and in seams and in cracks, upon all the face of the land.

Power to Divide Used to Save

 

Earth divided. Earth moved in many, many ways predicted by the Lord with power to create and divide His creation. He divided the light from the darkness. He divided the waters. He divided the waters and land.

 

He divided the hooves of clean animals. He divided His people from others. He divided His holy people from those who didn’t keep their covenants. He divided the people of Melchizedek from Earth to Enoch’s Zion.

 

He commanded the sacrificial scapegoat to be divided from the congregation. He commanded priests to divide blood, fat, and meat of some sacrificial offerings. The blood of offerings was divided further by being sprinkled before the veil, put on the horns of the altar and body parts, and poured to the bottom of the altar.

 

He divides the light from the darkness in me. He divides confusion from clarity. He divides sin and weakness from my soul as I use His grace.

 

The power of division ultimately enables a gathering, a covenant unification with the Lord.

For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course;

 

To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world.

 

The Prince of Peace with great power to divide land, sea, and souls uses the divisions to save and gather His people inviting them to “stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command.”

 

Lead image via The Verge.