SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 14
IMPORTANT VERSE:
“Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God most High, Creator of heavens and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, “I made Abram rich.'” (Genesis 14:22-23)
ABRAM RESCUES LOT (vs. 1-24)
At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and tidal king of Goiim went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is Zoar). All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea). For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.
Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar – four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.
One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.
After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
Then Melchizedek, king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ”
I made Abram rich.” I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me – to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”
THOUGHTS (From Life Application Study Bible)
Kedorlaomer, king of Alam was a powerful and victorious king that had conquered five cities. The five cities including Sodom had paid tribute to him for 12 years. The five cities formed an alliance and rebelled by withholding tribute. Kedorlaomer reacted swiftly and reconquered them all. When he defeated Sodom, he captured Lot, his family, and his possessions. Abram, with only 318 men, chased Kedorlaomer’s army and attacked him near Damascus. With God’s help, he defeated them and recovered Lot, his family, and their possessions.
Lot’s greedy desire for the best of everything led him into sinful surroundings. His burning desire for possessions and success cost him his freedom and enjoyment. As a captive to Kedorlaomer, he faced torture, slavery, or death. In the same way, we can be enticed into doing things or going places we should not. The prosperity we long for is captivating. It can both entice us and enslave us if our motives are not in line with God’s desires.
These incidents portray two of Abram’s characteristics: (1)- He had courage that came from God, to face and attack a powerful foe. (2) He was prepared by taking time to train his men for a potential conflict. We never know when we will be called upon to do difficult tasks. Like Abram, we should prepare for those times and take courage from God when they come.
When Abram learned that Lot was a captive, he immediately went to rescue his nephew. It is easier and safer not to become involved. But Abram acted immediately. Sometimes we must get involved in a messy or painful situation in order to help others. We should be willing to act immediately when others need our help.
Who was Melchizedek?
- His name means “”King of righteousness”
- He was the king of Salem which means “king of peace”.
- He was a ‘priest of God Most High’. (Hebrews 7:1-2)
- He recognized God as Creator of heaven and earth.
- He was a type of Christ (Hebrews 7:3)
- He was the appearance on earth of the preincarnate Christ in a temporary bodily form.
Abram gave a tenth of the goods he recovered to Melchizedek. Abram followed the accepted tradition to give a tenth of one’s earnings. However, he refused to take any of the recovered goods from the king of Sodom because he did not want the king of Sodom to say, “I have made Abram rich.” Instead, Abram wanted him to say, “God has made Abram rich”. May we let the people see what God has accomplished in our lives.