Genesis 141 At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, [1] Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim

1. Here we have one of the reasons people do not like to read the Bible out loud in public groups. It is almost impossible to pronounce the names of people and places in that ancient world, and there is not way that even modern translations can eliminate this problem. We just have to put up with it and do our best. There will be few critics if any, for nobody is going to say, "Let me explain how you pronounce these names." The first king named is Amraphel of Shinar. This is where the tower of Babel was built, and it is the present day Iraq. So we have here a war that is coming from Iraq to the land of Canaan. The third king named is Kedorlaomer from Elam, and that is present day Iran. These places are in the news all the time in our day, and now we see that 4000 years ago they are still in the news that covers warfare. This is the account of the first war in the Bible. There are many more to come, but this first war was won by the greatest man in the Old Testament, who was a man of peace and not a man of war. There are times when even those who hate war have to get involved, and that was the case here with Abraham. Someone said he fought this war because he had a Lot to lose, and a Lot to gain. This was both clever and true.

2. Donald Aellen points out, "These are not petty city-state kings. These are the kings of huge territories in the part of the world we now call Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and parts of the old Soviet Union. They are an ancient OPEC, or a Warsaw Pact, or a NATO. And they are gunning for the very chunk of land that Abram was promised. They are a superior military force to anything going at the time. They beat up a whole bunch of people, and take a whole bunch of kingdoms. And in fact they take over the very territory Abram is promised. At this point, God does not look as powerful as these kings. The reality of the world seems stronger than the promises of God."

3, Adrian Dieleman gives us some insight into the geography of this conflict. "Second, you need to know the geography. The five kings all came from the Jordan River Valley; they were pretty well clustered around the south end of the Salt Sea. The other alliance – led by Kedorlaomer – came mostly from Mesopotamia, the River Valley formed at the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. This means that the army headed by Kedorlaomer was more than one thousand miles away from home."

3. Fortunately the war here was very brief and their is not graphic description of the bloodshed at all. This has not been the case with most of human history. According to the Canadian Army Journal, since 3600 BC, the world has known only 292 years

of peace. During this period there have been 14,531 wars, large and small, in which 3,640,000,000 (3 billion, 640 million) people have been killed. The value of destruction would pay for a golden belt around the world 97.2 miles in width, and 33 feet thick. Gustave Valbert, according to his computations, said that between the years 1496 BC, to AD, 1861, there was 13 years of war to every year of peace.

2 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).

1. What we need to see here is that the 4 kings in verse 1 are the bad guys, and they are the aggressors who come picking a war with these 5 kings in verse 2. These 5 are not really good guys, and in reality are as bad as the bad guys in idolatry and immorality, but in this particular war they are the good guys that Abraham comes to deliver as he defeats the bad guys. Dr. Awar Miller wrote, “The war of the four kings against the five is the very first war recorded in the Bible. Said God to those kings, “Wicked ones, you inaugurated warfare, you will perish through warfare.” As the Psalmist put it, “The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow…Their sword shall enter into their own heart and their bows shall be broken.” Psa. 37:14-15. Thus the four kings were defeated by Abraham. “Those who lived by the sword shall die by the sword.”

2. There are several good reasons why the 4 bad kings wanted to make war on the 5 not as bad kings. For one they wanted to control this lush and fertile land that motivated Lot to choose to live there. Second it was going to be a great economic loss if these kings gained freedom from the 4 kings of the East who by controlling this area had a monopoly on the international trade that passed this way between them and Egypt. The whole war was like so many other wars in that it was a battle for economic control of territory that was a producer of great wealth. Nations go to war to get wealth or to prevent it being taken from them. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and war is a prime example.

3. Morgan comments, "The narrator opens with a three-verse summary of the war. As these two allied forces fan out for battle, we hear the names of nine kings, four against five. This is the first time the term "king(s)" appears in the Scriptures. It is used 27 times in this chapter, probably more than any other chapter in the Bible."

3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley

of Siddim (the Salt Sea [2] ).

1. There is safety in numbers is the name of the game in warfare, and so these kings joined their forces in hopes of being able to fight off the army coming to force them into submission. The Salt Sea was an appropriate name for this sea that much later became known as the Dead Sea. It was dead, of course, because of the salt.

4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

1. The five kings had been subject to Kedorlaomer for a dozen years, and had, no doubt, been paying tribute to him, but in the 13th year they were fed up with it and asserted their independence and said they would pay no more. Those were fighting words, and so Kedorlaomer came with allies to get them back on his list of paying customers for his protection, or just take everything they had. He decided it was quicker to get what was coming to him by just taking it, and so that is what he did. One author calls Kedorlaomer Chedar for short, because he was the big cheese leading the 4 bad kings.

2. Someone wrote, "Thirteen was their lucky number they thought. It is the first reference to the number 13 in the Bible. It was a positive number for it was their declaration of independence. They were not going to take it any more. 13 is also the lucky number in American history. It took from 1607 to 1732 to get 13 colonies established, with Virginia the first and Georgia the last. That is 125 years. This made 13 a popular number in our history. 13 stripes on the flag, 13 stars on the dollar bill, 13 arrows also, and 13 leaves, 13 letters in the motto, 13 berries, 13 feathers on each wing, and 13 feathers in the tail." Then you have Jesus and the 12 making 13. Some say that Judas made it an unlucky number, but not so, for when he died they soon replaced him. There is no basis for the fear called triskaidekaphobia, the fear of 13. Many people will not take a room on the 13th floor and so most skyscrapers omit it. It turns out that it was not a lucky number for these 5 kings, for they were easily defeated for their rebellion.

5 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

1. Here begins a succession of peoples who are defeated by the 4 bad kings. They might be bad, but they were really good when it came to warfare, and it looked like they were impossible to stop. Someone with Archaeology knowledge gives us some interesting information. "Having conquered all of these cities and archaeology has certainly confirmed this particular part of history here in the Bible as they have uncovered vast cities that were never rebuilt. They just totally wiped out the cities and all, took the spoil and the cities were never rebuilt. They have dated the ruins and so forth to about the seventeenth century B.C. to the nineteenth century B.C. so that it puts it about the time of this invasion. And they've actually discovered many of these cities that are named here. And the ruins of these cities as they have put their spade to the Tells, and have uncovered really a vast civilization that once existed there. But they were wiped out by this invasion of the Babylonian confederacy with the Persian confederacy of kings."

2. Rev. H.A. Bergsma describes it this way, "Chedorlaomer, with his 3 ally kings, and with a formidable military force headed towards Palestine. And to show that they meant business and to put terror in the hearts of all people, they smote every nation in their pathway to Palestine. We read for instance in verse 5 that they smote the Rephaims, and the Zuzims, and the Emims. Now, those names may not mean toomuch to us, but in the Book of Deuteronomy (chapters 2 and 3) we are told that these people were giants. But the mighty military forces of Chedorlaomer and his allies smote those giants on their way, marched deeper into Palestine, smote all the country of the Amelekites and of the Amorites, and so arrived in the vicinity of the 5 kingdoms of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Zoar." The point being made is that this army was undefeatable, for they took on the giants of the land who were known to be over 8 feet tall. Later in the history of Israel Goliath came from this group. If they could sweep these giants off the map, you know they struck fear into everyone in their path. The fact that they seem invincible makes the victory of Abram all the more marvellous, and that is the point.

6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert.

1. These were cave dwelling people who were eventually assimilated into the Edomites.

7 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.

1. It looks pretty obvious that these 4 kings from the East are going to get what they want, for they march across the land and conquer everywhere they go. Nothing can stand in their presence, but all fall in defeat as they trample one nation after another under their feet. The 5 kings who were supposed to be the good guys had good reason to be afraid, and sure enough, verse 10 shows them running like cowards away from this mighty foe.

8 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

1. These are the 5 kings that the 4 kings of the East were really after, and this was their goal. They thought they just as well conquer everybody in between, just because they could, and that is why they are the bad guys. These 5 kings were not out killing and destroying other people at the time, and that is why they are the good guys.

9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar--four kings against five.

1. Moses is determined to keep these 4 kings in the headlines, and so he repeats their names again, for they are like Attila the Hun as they march forward defeating everyone in their path and leaving destruction behind them. This was a big deal, and Moses builds it up to make Abram look all the greater as a war hero.

2. This Kedorlaomer king of Elam is an interesting king of an interesting people. Elam is present day Iran. These people came from the same line as Abraham which was Shem. Gen. 10:22. These people were judged by God to be evil and worthy of great punishment, but like Israel and so many others who faced the wrath of God for their evil, they were also promised by God to be restored. It is not only Israel, but other peoples who are Gentiles that God wants to bring back to power in the

end. Jer. 49:34-39 says,

"34 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah:

35 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might.

36 I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the heavens; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam's exiles do not go.

37 I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who seek their lives; I will bring disaster upon them, even my fierce anger," declares the LORD. "I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.

38 I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials," declares the LORD.

39 "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come," declares the LORD.

10 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.

1. We all know about quick sand and what an awful thing it is to get caught in it. The same kind of horror is connected with tar pits. I have never seen one, but Ray Stedman has this interesting description: "It is specifically called to our attention that in the valley of the Dead Sea there were many tar or bitumen pits, filled with natural asphalt. If you have visited the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles you will know just what is described here. These open pits of asphalt would be covered over by the desert sand as the wind blew across them and they would appear like the

surrounding ground. But anyone venturing into such a pit would be held by the tar and his body would be imprisoned for centuries. The bones of dinosaurs and other beasts have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits, having been encased in tar for many centuries. Evidently the five kings of the confederacy felt that this area would be the best place for battle, as the pits would be a natural defense. But instead, they turned out to be a trap. As the tide of battle turned against them, they fled to the mountains in head-long haste, and many of them, falling into the pits of tar, were destroyed." The so-called good guys are not doing so well, and the prospects of it getting better are fleeing away as fast as their army.

2. These tar pits were not allies to the Sodomites in this war, nor were they helpful when God sent fires of judgment on Sodom and all of these tar pit burst into flame and shot burning tar all over the city and its people. The tar pits did not do them any good, but only evil, but they did good for John D. Rockefeller, for when he saw that there were tar pits in that part of the world he figured there had to be oil also. He began to explore the whole area and found oil in Saudi Arabia and Iran and became extremely wealthy. It can pay to notice details in the Bible.

11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away.

1. They marched into Sodom and Gomorrah and found no opposition. All the goods were theirs for the taking, and that is what they did. They packed up all they thought was of value and headed back home. They had food for the journey and much in the way of material possessions as well as a good number of slaves. Their military plan seems to have worked perfectly and it would be with great pride that they headed home victoriously.

12 They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

1. They were batting a thousand and had a perfect war going for them, but then they made their first mistake. They took a man of God and his family captive, and this got Abraham involved, and this turned everything around so they ended up defeated after all their success. There is no way they could know that taking Lot was their fatal blunder. Taking Lot as a prisoner of war was the end of the line for their successful invasion of this territory promised to belong to Abraham. They carried

off all of Lot's possessions, and we know that he had enormous wealth, and so just Lot alone and his possessions made this invading army rich.

13 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 [3] of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram.

1. People knew of the strong relationship between Abram and Lot, and so when he was captured this unknown person knew he had to go to Abram and share this bad news. It is of interest that Abram is called a Hebrew here. This is the first time the word Hebrew appears making it clear that Abraham was the father of the Hebrew people. The Greeks and Romans always referred to the Jews as Hebrews and not Israelites. It is used 32 times in the Old Testament. After David, however, it was no longer used, but Paul called himself a Hebrew in II Cor. 11:22, "Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I." And again in Phil 3:5 he says, "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;.." The word ‘Hebrew’ may be derived from the name of one of Abraham’s ancestors, the patriarch Eber (Genesis 10:21–25, 11:14–17). Maclaren writes, "It is a personal epithet, or, in plain English, a nickname, and it means, probably, as the ancient Greek translation of Genesis gives it, neither more nor less than ‘The man from the other side,’ the man that had come across the water. Just as a mediaeval prince bore the sobriquet Outremere-the ‘man from beyond the sea’—so Abram, to the aboriginal, or, at least, long-settled, inhabitants of the country, was known simply as the foreigner, the ‘man from the other side’ (of the Jordan, or more probably of the great river Euphrates), the man from across the water."

2. Abram had made some great friends in the land, and they became his allies ready to join him in defending their property and possessions from any invader. They were ready to protect each other, and so when Abram called they came to help him restore his Nephew and others who were taken captive. Abram had been busy establishing himself in this new land. He knew the importance of having allies, for if you are alone with nobody to watch your back you are a target for those who prey on the weak and undefended. All of these men gained security and peace of mind by being united in defending each other.

3. Stedman gives us these words of interpretation: "A messenger comes to Abram, doubtless sent by Lot. At the last moment before his capture, he must have hurriedly sent this man out to slip through the lines and find his way to Abram. It is

likely that he barely escaped from the clutches of the enemy with his life. He finds Abram in Hebron, the place of fellowship. With him are three men who are his allies. Mamre, as we have noted before, means "fatness or richness." Eshcol means "a group or bunch," and Aner means "an exile, one who withdraws himself." Taking these three names together, I see a prayer meeting here! Here, symbolically, is a group of people, living in the richness of fellowship with Christ, who have withdrawn themselves from the ordinary demands of life for a specific purpose. This is exactly what our Lord bids us do, in Matthew 6:6a: "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father ..." Abram, the Hebrew, is leading the meeting. Since this is the only place in Scripture where Abram is called a Hebrew, it must have some special significance. The word Hebrew means "passenger," or "pilgrim." The Spirit of God would highlight for us the character of the ones to whom Lot looks for rescue. They are led by the man who holds lightly the things of earth, the man of the pilgrim life."

4. Henry points out a detail that is of interest. He says this man who escaped to tell Abram of the news about Lot was likely a wicked Sodomite just like the rest of them. Yet, even such a person can do good deeds, and here he made the difference between life and death for Lot and many others by being a messenger. Abram could have stayed in ignorance of what happened until it was too late to catch the enemy and recover the people taken captive. In the providence of God we see it often that even godless people can play a helpful role in achieving a good goal. We do not know if this man joined the Abram army and went off to the fight, but he is to be thanked for being a communicator who got the army rolling.

14 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.

1. It would be good for those who are so critical of Lot to take note of how much he was loved by Abraham. He was willing to risk his life to rescue this Nephew of his. He went to war on the spur of the moment when he got the word of Lot being taken captive. You will also notice that there is no hint that Abram had a prayer time seeking God's guidance in this radical decision to go to war. This, of course is the foolish argument from silence that is used by so many to blast Lot as unspiritual because we have no record of his prayer before he chose to move to Sodom. We do not have the record of every prayer of anybody in the Bible. We can assume that men of God like Abram and Lot prayed for God's guidance all the time, and the lack of a prayer being uttered on any particular occasion is no basis to make a judgment about their spirituality. This text is showing Abram to be a man of quick action in a crisis.

2. Abram quickly called out his militia and went in pursuit of the enemy who took his Nephew. It is quite a surprise that he would have 318 men trained in fighting. We think of him having a large body of men as shepherds, but all of a sudden we see that he has a small army ready for just such an emergency that has come about with Lot. This was not revealed before because there was no reason for it, but it makes sense that Abram would have this body of fighters. We need to keep in mind that he had enormous wealth, and much of it was in livestock. His heards had to be gigantic, and he would need much help in caring for them, but he would also need fighting men to protect his resources. There were no banks, and so people had to protect their wealth by having the power to keep enemies from taking it. A large group of fighting men would serve the same purpose as the guards in the bank with a gun in their holster. You hesitate to rob from a man who has fighting men all over his property, for you are risking your life with little chance of success against this power. Abraham had to have had some training himself for he led his small army to victory. It seems out of character for him, because up to this time he has been just a peaceful rancher, and now all of a sudden he is a warrior marching to war.

3. Pink has a valuable application of this text to the duty of believers to come to the aid of a brother who is captured by any enemy. He wrote, "It is beautiful to observe the effect of this intelligence upon our patriarch. Abram was not indifferent to his nephew’s well-being. There was no root of bitterness in him. There was no callous, "Well, this is none of my doing: he must reap what he has sown." Promptly he goes to the aid of the one in distress. But note it was not in the energy of the flesh that he acted. It was no mere tie of nature that prompted Abram here—"When Abram heard that his brother (not his ‘nephew’) was taken captive.’’ A brother—a spiritual brother—was in need, and so he "armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan" (Gen. 14:14). And has this no voice for us today? Surely the spiritual application is obvious. How often is a "brother" taken captive by the enemy, and the word comes, "Ye, which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted (Gal. 6:1). But only too often the call falls upon ears that are dull of hearing. Only too often, our prided separation from evil leads to independence and indifference. Alas! that it should be so. How different from our blessed Lord, who leaves the ninety and nine and goes after the sheep that has strayed, and rests not until it is found and restored!"

4. We also note that these 318 trained men were born in his household. This gives you an idea of just how large his household was. Here was a man that had God's promise that he would have seed like the stars of heaven and the dust of the earth, and he is childless in a household where babies were being popped out like a bag of Orville Reddenbacker's. How depressing it must have been for him and Sarai to see babies being born to just about all of their servants and friends, and they remained childless. They needed all the babies to develop security with a growing trained army, but they longed for just one of their own. Meanwhile he is going to risk losing some of them by going after the bad kings who took Lot. But later when Abram tells the king of Sodom to give Aner, Eshcol and Mamre their share of the spoils, it

indicates that these were his allies and that they would also bring their trained men to the battle, and so there were possibly over a thousand fighting men involved.

5. I don't know about you, but I cannot imagine what life was like for Abram and Sarai after seeing this text. It changes the whole picture of his life, for in order to feed just these 318 trained men would take an enormous amount of food and clothing and space. We go from a picture of a family in a tent or two to a camp operation with row upon row of tents, and cooks by the dozen mixing up batches of food, while butchers by the dozen are cutting up various animals for the daily meals. You now get the image of a community and not just a family, and this is a radical change from what has been envisioned before. Abram was far richer than we realized, but now we see that he was already the leader of a small nation, even before he had a single child of his own.

6. Dan was the northern end of what was the Promised Land, and so Abram and his allies did a forced march of about 125 miles to catch up with these bad kings. Abram was prepared for war, for his men were in good shape and could make this strenuous march and still have the energy to go into battle. We see why it is important to be prepared for war, for no one knows when an enemy might make an attack, and so even in peace time there is a need to stay ready for conflict. It is a part of what is essential in a fallen world. It is also essential to be prepared for spiritual conflict, and that is why Paul writes in Eph. 6:12-13, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, [we should] put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, [we] may be able to stand [our] ground" It was obvious that Abraham was a wise leader and a brilliant commander. Jesus said in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” The word "wise" that Jesus used means to be "cautious, thoughtful." We must realize that we are fighting a serious battle and dealing with a devilish foe. We must be alert, cautious, and wise as we fight this spiritual battle.

7. Warfare is always controversial because peace is always better. Soloman lived in times of peace and never had to fight a war, and Jesus and the Apostles were men of peace and did not go to war. This led the Anabaptist to become pacifists, but the Baptist rejected that way because there are times when justice demands that you fight those who are evil, just as Abram does here. It is never good, but it is the lesser of two evils, the worst of which is allowing evil people to succeed in destroying the lives of the innocent. That is why the concept of the just war developed in Christian thinking. Abram knew that he was to be a blessing to others, and that means to go to war if that is what it takes to be a blessing to others. In this case it was the greatest blessing to Lot and his family and the other people of Sodom. If it means evil loses and justice wins, then warfare is just.

8. Physical warfare is a matter of debate, but no Christian debates the reality of the need to battle the forces of evil in the spiritual realm. I cannot imagine any believer

having any disagreement with Don Fortner, except maybe the foe behind every bush, when he writes, "The believer is a soldier, "a good soldier of Jesus Christ." In the Word of God, the believer is compared to a soldier engaged in warfare more often than he is compared to anything else, except perhaps a sheep. He is a man of peace. Yet, he is a man of war. We have wars within and wars without. Sometimes our wars arise, like Abraham's, from erring brethren. Sometimes they arise from providential trials. Often they arise from enemies without, and more often from enemies within; but as long as we live in this world, we are at war. We must, as soldiers on the battlefield, carry our swords always drawn. We must protect ourselves with the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, stand fast having our feet shod with the gospel of peace, and march onward carrying the weapon of all-prayer. The believer must never feel himself at ease as long as he is on this side of Jordan. Here, in this world, we are in the enemy's land. Expect a foe behind every bush. At the end of everyday, if we have not fallen prey to some hellish foe, let us adore and give thanks to God for his almighty grace which has kept us. Like Abraham, we are on a battlefield. Our enemies are sin, Satan, the world, and error. We must fight the good fight of faith, for ourselves, for our brethren, and for the glory of God."

15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.

1. Abram had a double strategy. He would divide his men and come at them from two directions, and he would attack at night when they were least expecting any such thing. At night there was no way to determine the size of the attacking army, and that is why it is such a clever strategy. The enemy had no idea how great a force they were facing and so they ran for their lives. They had no idea that he was tracking them for days, and so they would sleep without a worry that anything bad could happen at this point. They were heading home rich and so they were relaxed and unready for any conflict. When all of a sudden they are being attacked in the night from two directions they panic and run, and Abram and his forces pursued them for about 45 miles. His surprise attack scattered these bad guys in such a panic that they left everything they had captured behind. Can you imagine how Lot felt when he woke up from all the noise of battle and found that his captors were gone and he was a free man again. It had to be a tremendous scene of joy as he hugged his wife and kids, and all the neighbors who were also captives joined in celebration. The war was over and they were free to go back home with all of their possessions. They had faced a life of slavery by a wicked and brutal people, but now, thanks to Abram, they were able to go back home to their normal life, which unfortunately was a bad life for most of them.

2. Stedman wrote, "Note the careful strategy Abram employed. We are told he

divided his forces by night. The march of Abram and his tiny band is one of the most remarkable forced marches in history. They traveled the whole length of the Jordan River, coming upon the enemy considerably north of the Sea of Galilee. As was the custom with armies of that day, when the pagan invaders had withdrawn to a place they considered safe, they made camp for several days and indulged in a time of carousing and reveling in celebration of their victory. It was at such a time and place that Abram and his allies found them, and during the night, they divided their forces and surrounded the drunken camp. Abram sent one part of his army one way and one the other, one group perhaps with spears and the other with swords for close combat. At a signal, they sprang upon the surprised host and there was a general rout and a great victory."

3. Deceiving the enemy is a part of good strategy in warfare, and the side that is most clever in deception is the winner. Someone gives us this example out of our own warfare experience as Americans. "In Vietnam, some American soldiers found themselves out-gunned and outnumbered by the enemy. They called on the radio for evacuation by helicopter. The American commander guided the choppers in by radio. When the first chopper came near, the enemy fired upon it and shot it down. The others stayed high enough to avoid being hit. Because of the jungle, it was impossible for the chopper pilots to see the Americans or the communists on the ground. If they could see the enemy, they could have used their weapons to fire on them, suppressing them enough to allow for the evacuation. The American commander on the ground tried to guide the Choppers to a new area on a new approach. Another one was shot down. The American commander suspected that the communist must be monitoring his radio, because they completely counteracted every plan he had. Then he had an idea, He told tile chopper pilots that he would "pop smoke" (explode a colored smoke grenade, to make this position visible from the air), and then they would better know where he was. At that moment, colored smoke appeared all over the area--the communists had heard the message and had popped their own smoke. The commander on the ground asked the chopper commander, "Do you see the smoke all over the area?" "Yes," he replied dejectedly. "Well, I don't have any smoke!" the ground commander explained, "That's them. Go get 'em!"

4. This strategy of attacking in darkness was used again by the Jews in another rescue in the 20th century. "On June 27, 1976 armed men from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) surprised the twelve crew members and 91 passengers of an Air France jet and hijacked it. The plane was tracked heading for Central Africa where it landed with the approval of the tyrannical Ugandan President Idi Amin. And there it remained apparently secure at the Entebbe Airport where the hijackers spent the next several days preparing for their next move. It seemed that they were in complete control. However, 2,500 miles away in Tel Aviv, three Israeli C-130 Hercules transports was secretly boarding a deadly force of Israeli commandos, who within hours attacked the Entebbe Airport under cover of darkness. In less than sixty minutes the commandos rushed the old terminal, gunned down the hijackers, and rescued 110 of the 113 hostages. The next day, July 4, Israel's Premier Yizhak Rabin triumphantly declared that the mission will "become

a legend," and he was right."

5. This text is saying that Abram and his forces chased the enemy clear out of the country and sent the survivors back home with a story of horror that would keep them from trying this invasion again. It was another example where the bigger was beaten by the better. Henry comments, "His courage and conduct were very remarkable. There was a great deal of bravery in the enterprise itself, considering the disadvantages he lay under. What could one family of husbandmen and shepherds do against the armies of four princes, who now came fresh from blood and victory? It was not a vanquished, but a victorious army, that he was to pursue; nor was he constrained by necessity to this daring attempt, but moved to it by generosity; so that, all things considered, it was, for aught I know, as great an instance of true courage as ever Alexander or Caesar was celebrated for."

16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

1. Prejudice against Lot pops up just about everywhere his name pops up, and here, even though the first war in the Bible is fought to save his life, and even though it was obviously by the providence of God that Abram and his forces could defeat sucha powerful enemy that nobody else could even slow down in their deadly march, this is what a godly preacher wrote about him: "The threat to Abram’s family is removed because Lot is recovered. (For my money, I would have let the other guys have him. That’s why it’s a good thing I’m not God.)" You cannot read sermons about Lot without running into constant prejudice against him, and all of it based on the fact that everybody else is also battering him, for the text itself will not support all of the false judgment on him.

2. Brian Morgan gives us a summary of this chapter: "We can make several observations about this chapter. First, this is "the only chapter in the Book of Genesis that connects a patriarch with great historic events that bring him out onto the international stage."[1] Second, and even more surprising, this wandering Jew who has just walked away from internal strife, now throws himself headlong into a global conflict and, amazingly, routs the enemy. Third, he walks away from the spoils of war and the praise of men. Had we not known that the eighth century hymn, "Be Thou My Vision," originated in Ireland, we might have thought that it was Abram who penned the line, "Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise." The importance of this text cannot be overestimated. This is the initial text in the Bible on the man of faith's relation to war[2] and politics. As such, it gives shape to all that follows on this theme in the Scriptures. The story has three divisions. First, the narrator details the "War of Kings" (verses 1-12). Second, Abram's intervention

and rescue of Lot (verses 13-16). And third, the contrasting encounters between Abram and two kings in the aftermath of victory (verses 17-23). The text squarely addresses the issue of the tension between involvement and detachment in the politics of this world."

3. We notice that a man of faith is not of much value if he is not also a man of action. Abram could have stayed home and prayed that God would deliver Lot and the others. He could have said over and over that I believe that it will happen, but the fact is, he had to go and make it happen, or there is not reason to believe it ever would have happened. You can have directions to a place, one preacher said, but having directions does not get you to that place. You have to act and follow those directions to get there. Faith and hope and knowledge are all powerless if you do not act and go following the directions. The point is, great men of faith are men of action because faith without works is dead. Keep in mind that Abram is a man up inhis late 70's, and yet he made this strenous march and fought in battle as a brave worrior. Even the old can still be people of action when they are motivated by love.

4. The text does not indicate if Abram lost any men in the conflict, but it does indicate he brought back the family that motivated him to go into battle, and the women and other people. Armies always wanted to take the women and make them wives and slaves, and it is a wonder that Lot was not killed with other men who were certainly killed. In the providence of God he was spared to later live through the greatest destruction that any city ever experienced, and he was again spared. For some reason God cared for this man Lot, and made sure that he survived to become the father of the Moabites through whom the Son of God would eventually come into the world, and that by means of Ruth the Moabitess.

5. Don Fortner writes, "As I read this chapter, I am always constrained to think, - "What a blessed picture Abraham is of our Savior!" What he did for Lot is exactly what Christ has done for his people. Our Lord Jesus Christ, because of his great love for us, took us to be his brethren from eternity. We were taken into captivity and bondage by sin. We lost everything. Satan thoroughly spoiled us. He held us in the dark dungeon of sin and death. When we could do nothing to help ourselves. Christ Jesus, our Elder Brother, like Abraham, came to deliver us, not with three hundred and eighteen armed men, but by the merits of his blood and the power of his grace. He defeated our enemies and took them captive who had held us captive (Col. 2:13-15). He ransomed us from the hands of God's offended justice (Gal. 3:15). He set us free by the power of his grace, restoring all that we had lost (Eph. 2:1-13). Christ has defeated all our adversaries, forever delivered us from their power, and made us more than conquerors in him by the power of his grace (Rom. 8:33-39)."

6. The other people were Sodomites, and Henry makes this comment on them: "He rescued the rest of the captives, for Lot's sake, though they were strangers to him and such as he was under no obligation to at all; nay, though they were Sodomites, sinners before the Lord exceedingly, and though, probably, he might have recovered Lot alone by ransom, yet he brought back all the women, and the people, and their goods, Gen_14:16. Note, As we have opportunity we must do good to all men. Our

charity must be extensive, as opportunity offers itself. Wherever God gives life, we must not grudge the help we can give to support it. God does good to the just and unjust, and so must we, Mat_5:45.

17 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).

1. This is amazing, for here is the king of the most wicked city in the world at that time, and he comes to meet Abram to thank him for delivering his people and his possessions. Abram saved the wicked city of Sodom. God promised he would be a blessing to the whole world, and here is an amazing example of how he was a blessing even to the worst in the world. It can be a part of God's plan to bless very wicked people in hopes that being delivered from destruction will lead them to repent and turn to God in gratitude. This happens time and time again in history, and many of the most spectacular conversions are with terrible sinners who are spared from what seemed like certain death, and they yield their lives to Jesus with hearts of thanksgiving. We do not have any details as to how this deliverance effected the king of Sodom and his people, but it was not a very long lasting effect, for they were soon destroyed for good by God's wrath. It is important, however, that we recognize that God does allow good things to happen to bad people, and this is true even if they are not grateful. There is mercy everywhere in God's providence in history.

2. Adrian Dieleman writes about the significance of this victory: "you need to realize that in defeating Kedorlaomer's army Abram established himself as a formidable power in Canaan. The Bible tells us that when Abram was told his relative had been taken captive he set off in pursuit of Kedorlaomer and his army. He chased them for about 180 miles. He then showed himself to be a military strategist – Scripture tells us he divided his men and came at Kedorlaomer and his soldiers from two sides and defeated them. His soldiers pursued the defeated soldiers for about another 75 miles. He recovered all the goods that had been looted and all the people that had been taken captive – including Lot and his family. Abram's victory was no small thing; don't forget, Abram thoroughly defeated the powerful alliance headed up by Kedorlaomer. And, the consequences of Abram's victory was no small thing either; in fact, Abram's victory made him the most powerful man in the Jordan River Valley and the land of Canaan."

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem [4] brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,

1. Here we see one of the most amazing characters in the Bible walk onto the stage of history, and nobody really knows just who he is and where he came from, and how he got here. Melchizedek is a very mysterious figure mentioned only in Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and Hebrews 5-7. At this point who knew that there was a priest of the Most High God? We could assume that some of the children of Noah remained faithful to the God who spared them in the ark, but there is no record of that faithfulness until now, and it hits us out of the blue with no warning or background information. He is the king of Salem, which just about everyone agrees is Jerusalem, and he is both a king and a priest, which is a rare combination, and the reason that he is a type of Jesus Christ who is also a king and a priest. The Jews considered him to be Noah's son Shem who lived until the time of Abraham. This would be a logical answer to the mystery of who he is, but the book of Hebrew says in 7:3 that this manhad no father or mother, and so any son of Noah is out of the picture. You see the problem then, for Noah had three sons to begin the world anew, and Melchizedek cannot be descended from any of the three, and being there are not others to be descended from he had to be something other than human. Origen felt he was an angelic being and so also the Dead Sea scrolls. Some have even argued that he was the Holy Spirit. Henry wrote, "The most commonly received opinion is that Melchizedek was a Canaanitish prince, that reigned in Salem, and kept up the true religion there; but, if so, why his name should occur here only in all the story of Abram, and why Abram should have altars of his own and not attend the altars of his neighbor Melchizedek who was greater than he, seem unaccountable." Every theory has its problems.

2. The guesses are many as to who he was. Many say he was Christ in his pre-incarnate state, but Heb. 7:3 and 15 say he was "made like unto the Son of God." He could not be the Son of God if he was made like unto him, and so that theory does not fit. Others say he must have been some kind of angelic being, but Heb. 7:4 calls him a man. That does not ruin this theory, for angels are often called men in Scripture, but it does not seem likely that an angel would hang around long enough to become a king and priest in a city of humans. They are usually just in and out in a short time delivering a message from God. The book of Genesis abounds in genealogy, but there is none for this mysterious being, and so he cannot be traced back to anyone. Someone commented, "Who were the first people of God? Did God have people before Israel? All were Gentiles before Abraham, as was he, and so Gentiles were his people before the Jews. Ex. 18:1-12 Jethro was a Midianite. Mel was a Gentile priest of God before any Jewish priest existed, and it was right in Jerusalem where the Jewish temple would eventually be. His priesthood carried on forever as stated 7 times in Ps. 110:4, Heb. 5:6-10, 6:20, 7:11, 17:21. He was before

Abraham and superior so he paid tithes to him. How can these people be pagans if they are honored by God’s man? Heb. 7 makes this a major theological issue." This fascinating being is best studied in Heb. 7 where there is more information. Here is just a mystery, but it is good to know there were other godly people following God's will in that world beside Abram. God always has people that we do not know about.

3. All agree that he was an ideal type of Christ. Pink wrote, "Not only was Melchizedek a type of our Lord in the fact that he is presented to us in Genesis as being "without father, without mother," but also in a number of other important particulars. Melchizedek was a priest—"the priest of the Most High God" (Gen. 14:18). But not only so, he was a king—"King of Salem "—and therefore a royal priest. In the person of Melchizedek the offices of priest and king were combined, and thus was he a notable type of our great High Priest who according to the flesh was not of the tribe of Levi, but of the tribe of Judah, the royal tribe (see Heb. 7:14). Not only was Melchizedek a type of the royal priesthood of Christ by virtue of his office as King of Salem (which means "peace") but his name also had a typical significance. "Melchizedek" means "king of righteousness." Here again there is a wonderful and blessed bringing together of things which out of Christ are divorced. Not only did Melchizedek combine in his person the offices of king and priest, but in his titles he united righteousness and peace. Melchizedek was both king of righteousness and king of peace and thus did he foreshadow the blessed result of the cross work of our adorable Lord, for it was at the Cross that "mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other" (Ps. 85:10)."

4. The book of Hebrews has more to say about this man than all the rest of Scripture. The gist of it is that he was a priest of God before the priesthood of Levi in the nation of Israel. Jesus was not qualified to be a priest in Israel for he was not from the tribe of Levi. So the issue is, how can Jesus be superior to everything God gave to his people Israel? The answer is for Jesus to be a priest after the order of Melchizedek who came centuries before Levi and his priesthood. God brought this man onto the stage of history just to be a perfect type of the Son he would send into the world to be our king and priest. Another wrote, "And then when David comes along in Psalm 110 and said, "I sworn and will not repent, I made thee a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek", you think, What in the world is David talking about? Psalm doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense until it's all put together in Hebrews and we realize that Jesus is our great high priest. He's not of the tribe of Levi, true, for He had to be the lion of the tribe of Judah to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah. But He is also the priest, but not after the Levitical order, after the order of Melchizedek who has neither mother nor father or genealogy."

5. Here is an interesting note I gleaned from somewhere on the name God Most High. "El Elyon=God Most High. In v. 22 Abraham refers to the Lord=Jehovah as El Elyon. The Hebrews borrowed names of God from other people for their God was the only God and so all names of God were names that referred to Him. Even the name Baal was used at one time until it became so corrupted by vile sexual practices that it had to be abandoned. Things that can be okey at one time may be forbidden at another because of the corruption that becomes associated with them Such is the

word gay in our culture. Times do change what is valid and what is forbidden. Baal was used early as valid as a word that just meant lord or master. See II Sam. 5:20, I chron. 8:33-34, which are the same people as in II Sam. 3:7 and 4:4. See Hos. 2:16." This is interesting in world where many Christians in lands where Islam dominates have Bible translations where the name of God is Allah.

6. Meyer in his book on Abraham has this paragraph that stresses that Abram is still a Gentile at this point in his life, and this gives a universal note to this whole event. He writes, "Abraham was not yet circumcised. He was not a Jew, but a Gentile still. It was as the father of many nations that he stood and worshipped and received the benediction from Melchizedek's saintly hands. Not thus was it with the priesthood of Aaron's line. To share its benefit a man must needs become a Jew, submitting to the initial rite of Judaism. None but Jewish names shone in that breastplate. Only Jewish wants or sins were borne upon those consecrated lips. BUT CHRIST IS THE PRIEST OF MAN. He draws ALL MEN unto Hi mself. The one sufficient claim upon Him is that thou bear the nature which He has taken into irreversible union with His own -- that thou art a sinner and a penitent pressed by conscious need. Then hast thou a right to Him, which cannot be disallowed. He is thy Priest -- thine own; as if none other had claim on Him than thou. Tell Him all thy story, hiding nothing, extenuating, excusing nothing. All kindreds, and peoples, and nations, and tongues, converge in Him, and are welcome; and all their myriad needs are satisfactorily met."

7. After reading the many theories I have come to the conclusion that Meyer is right,and that is that Melchizedek is the pre-incarnate Christ. He writes, "We need not suppose that this mystic being had literally no father, or mother, beginning of days, or end of life. The fact on which the inspired writer fixes is -- that no information is afforded us on any of these points. There is an intention in the golden silence, as well as in the golden speech of Scripture. And these details were doubtless shrouded in obscurity, that there might be a still clearer approximation of the type to the glory ofthe Antitype, who abides continually. He is the Ancient of Days; the King of the Ages; the I AM. The Sun of His Being, like His Priesthood, knows nothingt of dawn, or decline from meridian zenith, or descent in the western sky. "He is made after the power of an endless life." "He ever liveth to make intercession." If, in the vision of Patmos, the hair of His head was white as snow, it was not the white of decay, but of incandescent fire. "He continueth ever, and hath an unchangeable priesthood." "He is the same yesterday, today, and for ever." He does for us now what He did for the world's gray fathers, and what He will do for the last sinner who shall claim His aid." If this is not correct, it is the theory that makes the most sense, and fits the most evidence that we have.

8. David Roper writes on the uniqueness of this king-priest: "The account also tells us that Melchizedek was a king/priest, which was unusual. Any Jew reading this account at a later time in history would immediately fix his attention on the two offices that Melchizedek held, because nowhere in Israel do you have any example of these two offices being combined. Kings and priests were separate. These offices were divided because the kings might be tempted to use their spiritual or religious

power to gain political power over the people. But here is a man who is both king and priest -- a man who represents God to the people and the people to God, and who also exercises political authority. So he is somewhat unique."

9. The bread and wine are so connected with communion, but there is no sacrifice here being remembered, and so we could just see it as a common act of fellowship. Abram and his men needed refreshment and this priest provided it as an act of hospitality. It could be a type of communion, but because there is no reference to it in the New Testament as such, it is seen as hospitality being offered for a great service rendered to the community. An unknow poet, however, wrote this to make a connection with Christ:

When conquering Abram Salem sought

To God’s High Priest his tithes he brought,

His thankfulness to mark;

Melchizedek n offering made,

Of Bread and Wine, on altar laid,

And blessed the Patriarch.

A victory nobler far we gain,

A nobler sacrifice is slain,

A better blessing shed,

Our great High Priest in heaven stands,

Who gives Himself with his own hands,

In mystic Wine and Bread.

19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator [5] of heaven and earth.

1. This man who is to be a blessing to all people is here blest himself by the priest of the Most High God. He was already blest of God, but here is the confirmation of his being chosen to be a blessing to all. This priest blest both Abram and God Most High, for together they were the ones who were truly unbeatable. It looked like the

bad guys were unbeatable, but that was before Abram and his God got to the battle field. They made it look so easy to defeat these bad guys, and they did it without a miracle. It was just clever strategy that outwitted them, and bold men to carry it out.

2. People are so prejudiced against Lot that they say all kinds of mean things about him and his move to Sodom, but it all seems a part of the providence of God in history to me. Had he not gone there this whole experience would not exist. We would have no picture of the vastness of Abram's estate; no idea that he could be a military leader and strategist; no meeting with a king and priest of the Most High God, who was either Christ or a type of Christ; no unique blessing by him, and no test of his trust in God alone to supply all his needs. So much would have been missed without Lot's choice. Thanks to him we have much in the life of Abram that would not exist, and we may have never known of how there were others believers in the world who were not a part of God's plan for the Jews. God had a Gentile people as well as a Jewish people. There is a lot in the Bible because of Lot, and this is just one chapter with others to follow with more based on his experiences, and Abram's because of him.

20 And blessed be [6] God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

1. This priest of the most high God gave all the glory to God for the defeat of the 4 bad kings who ravished the land, but who were defeated by Abram. God have him the victory and Abram knew it, and he is not doing any boasting or seeking for any glory. He refused the riches that were offered even, and lets all the glory go to God for this victory. The crowd of delivered people may have been shouting blessed by Abram by which we have been delivered, but this man of God does not chime in on that theme, but says instead, "Blessed be God Most High who was the deliverer." Abram was humble and could see he was truly a man of God and he gave him a sizable gift. We have no idea what it was that he tithed. Was it all of the spoils of the 4 kings that he brought back? Was it just his share that he refused to take, but gave ten percent to this priest? We do not know the statistics of what he gave, but we can assume that it was a generous amount. By giving this gift he was expressing thanks to the most high God for his providential guidance in gaining the victory. He could have just as easily been defeated and lost all, but God gave him the wisdom to know how to win over them and bring all the spoils back. This priest gave him the proper perspective and he responded in gratitude to God by supporting this godly man's ministry. We would love to know just what he did with the money, and how he went on to make a difference in the world with this great gift, but all such information is hidden from us.

2. This is not really a good text to support tithing for today, for it was a one time thing and not a weekly tithe of income. The wealth Abram gave was also not his own, but the spoils of his defeat of the bad kings. Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils (Hebrews 7:4). If we use this as our guide we only need to give to the church that which we have won in battle and captured from the enemy. This is not a very lucrative plan for the church.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself."

1. Here was the opportunity for Abram to make a fortune for his good fortune in battle, which he had by the providence and grace of God. He had a right to keep what he won in battle, and nobody would question it had he done so, but Abram did not want to be made rich at the expense of all the victims of war, and he did not want to be obligated to a pagan king.

2. Adrian Dieleman may be reading too much into the text, but then, maybe he wasn't, when he wrote, "The King of Sodom knew that Abram was the most powerful man in Canaan. He knew that Abram was a man to be reckoned with. Abram had, in effect, taken Canaan militarily by destroying its enemy. The King of Sodom knew that he owed Abram his life, his city, his people, and his goods. So he offered Abram all the booty of his city. In other words, he was now willing to pay to Abram the tribute he had been paying to Kedorlaomer. He was willing to treat Abram as his overlord, as his king. He was handing Canaan to Abram on a platter."

3. Many agree that it was probably a temptation for Abram to take advantage of the situation and add enormous wealth to his already abundant riches. He was, after all, a hero as he marched back with all the people and goods that the enemy had taken away. There was, no doubt, a great deal more celebration than we have any record of here. There may have even been a parade to honor Abram. All the people he rescued had to honor his with much praise and gratitude. We have no record of it, but it is logical that it would be, and Lot is not recorded as saying a word to Abram for saving him, but we know it had to have been a great time of expressing thanks to his uncle for deliverance. All the things we would expect to have happened did happen, without a doubt, but these events are not recorded. The point is, Abram was greatly appreciated, and it could have gone to his head that he deserved to be the king of the federation he formed that defeated the enemy of powerful kings. The story ends with him resisting all such temptations and humbly walking away from the chance to become a political leader with enormous power and wealth. Keep in mind, that Abram recovered all the treasures that these enemy kings had collected from all the cities they had conquered. It had to be mind boggling to behold it all,

and yet he walked away rather than be made rich by a pagan king.

22 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

1. In all this story we often fail to realize that Abraham was doing a great favor for the people of Sodom who were so wicked. No wonder he pleaded to God not to destroy them. Abraham was a man of love for his neighbors, and even risked his life for them. But he would still not let them have the credit for what God was doing, and so before he went into battle, or while he visited with Melchizedek, he prayed to God Most High and took an oath that he would not take anything from Sodom as a reward for his service to them. It was all grace and freely given with no strings attached. He acted in love and not greed. You would think that this would have some impact on the king and people of Sodom, but they went on rebelling against God just as always. People are very critical of Lot for not having any influence on the people of Sodom, but here we see Abram having the same experience. He gives them a great demonstration of love in the name of his God, and they respond by going back as living as evil as they did before he save their miserable butts. There are some people you just cannot change no matter how godly and loving you are,

and no matter how much you do for them. Sodomites are the best example.

2. A Jewish commentator writes, "The Meshech Chochmah, a foremost Torah scholar at the turn of the century, offers another interpretation. Abraham replied to the king of Sodom, "I lift my hands to Hashem," as if to say that it was not his own strength or strategy that won this war. Rather, it was Hashem's carrying out His plan through Abraham, hence he had no right to take any of the booty from the king of Sodom." In other words, Abram is just being honest and is saying he does not want what belongs to God, and that is why he gave a tithe of the booty to the priest of Salem.

23 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.'

1. Abraham would look to God and not be made rich by the king of Sodom. His wealth was to come from God’s blessing and not from the spoils of war. He would not put himself under the authority of the king. He owed no man anything, but Godeverything. The king could never say it was I who made Abraham rich and not his God. Abram made sure that nobody could claim credit for the victory but God himself. He did not want a pagan king to have any credit for what belonged to his God.

2. Stedman has a great insight into the temptation that Abram faced in this setting. He wrote, "On the surface, the king of Sodom's offer seems a perfectly justifiable reward. Abram had fought his great battle not, of course, on behalf of the King of Sodom, but for the sake of Lot and his family. Nevertheless, the effect of his victory was of great benefit to the whole of that wicked city. For this reason. the king was there to meet him. A special welcoming committee had been appointed, headed by the king himself, to confer upon Abram the usual reward for a conquering hero. The king simply asked for the return of the residents of the city; the goods and riches he gratefully offered to Abram. The wealth of Sodom was all to be Abram's!

Now notice the subtlety of this temptation. It appeared to be so right and proper! Abram could well have said. "This is certainly only what I deserve, and after all, it is the custom to do this. Everyone does it! There are no strings attached. I can take the wealth and go my way back to my tent and altar and never go near Sodom again." Who of us, standing in Abram's shoes, would not have thought like this?

But it was exactly in the apparent freedom of the gift that the peril lay. To a man of Abram's character, it is impossible to accept this kind of a gift without feeling an obligation to the giver. If he had been required to sign some kind of contract, he would have found it easy to say, "No," but to accept this gift without strings would be to make it exceedingly difficult to say, "No," to anything later on. From that day on the king of Sodom could say, "Abram is indebted to me. If I ever need any military help, I know where I can get it. My man is up there on the hillside." The gift was an insidious threat to the independence of the man who took orders from no one but God. If Abram yielded, he would never be wholly God's man again." "This is what the Apostle Paul means when he says, "All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything," (1 Cor 6:12b {RSV}). That is, the only one I wish to serve is Christ. The only power to which I will yield my life is his. Anything else that threatens to control me or limit me I reject! It may be lawful, it may even be in good standing all around, but if it makes any demand upon me that is not his demand, I do not want it! This is what Abram is so beautifully demonstrating here."

3. Abram would not depart from his oath one iota, for he would not even take a shoestring from the king of Sodom. That is about as clear a commitment that can be made, and I am sure the king got the point. He was not going to benefit by getting Abram to feel any obligation to him. Stedman makes a confession that most of us would have to admit is valid for most of us. He wrote, "Now let me put it to you bluntly: If you were in Abram's shoes that day, knowing your own heart, would you have offended the king by rejecting his grateful offer? I am sure my own devious

heart would have viewed it as an added bonus from God, as a result of my great faithfulness to him in battle, and I would have accepted Sodom's gift. Well, Abram did not! Yet he was a man like me, of like passions and heart. How, then, could he pass this test so easily? The answer lies in this strange interlude with Melchizedek ..." Stedman goes on to say that he is convinced that Melchizedek persuaded Abram to avoid the trap that the king of Sodom was laying for him that could be a great temptation. He served the God who made all that is, and he did not need a pagan king to enrich him and have any credit for the work of God.

4. It is a problem when men of God get very rich by ministering to others. Billy Graham was very moderate in his receiving wealth, and he is among the most loved of famous evangelists. Others have not been so wise, and they build up enormous fortunes and live on the level of the richest people in the world. This speaks of pride and greed, and turns many people off to the very Gospel they preach. I do not presume to judge, but I cannot help but point out that their similarity to Abram or to Jesus is conspicuous by its absence. It is true that Abraham was very rich, but he got it by hard work in his ranch with many helping hands, and not by his service to others. This he gave freely. All servants have a right to a good reward for it, but there is an excess that does not put those who glory in it in a light that blesses others. Abram is the blesser of others by his attitude toward wealth.

24 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."

6. 1. Abram did not need anything more, for he was already rich, but he did want his allies to reap a reward for their role in defeating the enemy. He may not have been able to be successful without their help, and so they deserved to share in the spoils. There can be things that are wrong for you to do that are still fine for others who may be your friends. Abram had an obligation to avoid a commitment to the king of Sodom, but these allies did not have that same obligation, and so they could take a share of the spoils without fear of

being displeasing to God.