Genesis 14 – Abram Rescues Lot and Meets Melchizedek

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Genesis 14 – Abram Rescues Lot & Meets Melchizedek

A. Abram rescues Lot from Chedorlaomer and the alliance of four kings.

1. (1-4) The rebellion of the five kings.

And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations, that they made war with 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 joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

a. In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar: This section begins with a description of an alliance of four kings (Amraphel, Arioch, Chedorlaomer, and Tidal) that made war with a group of five kings (Bera, Birsha, Shinab, Shember, and the unnamed king of Bela). These were not kings over large areas, but kings over city-states.

b. The Valley of Siddim: The conflict took place near the Salt Sea, today known as the Dead Sea, in the southeastern area of modern Israel, on the border with the Kingdom of Jordan.

c. In the thirteenth year they rebelled: After twelve years of submission, the group of five kings rebelled against the alliance of the four kings, prompting the attack.

2. (5-7) The attacks against many tribes.

In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.

a. Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him: Chedorlaomer of Elam (Genesis 14:1) was the leader of the alliance of four kings.

b. Came and attacked: The alliance of four kings attacked four tribal groups, then the Amalekites and Amorites, all living in the general area south of the Dead Sea.

3. (8-10) The group of five kings joins the battle.

And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains.

a. Went out and joined together in battle: The five kings mentioned in Genesis 14:2 saw the alliance of four kings attack the several tribes mentioned in Genesis 14:5-7 and decided to join those tribes in the battle against Chedorlaomer and his allies. It seemed smart to join this attack because they wanted to be free from the dominion of Chedorlaomer’s alliance.

b. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits: There were fearful asphalt pits in this region, and some fell there. The Hebrew here is an example of how the language uses repetition to show emphasis.

i. “The Hebrew way of saying full of bitumen pits is: pits, pits of bitumen. Repetition expresses abundance, plenitude, etc.” (Leupold)

c. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled: The plan of the five kings failed. They lost the battle against Chedorlaomer and his allies, and they fled in retreat.

i. Archaeologist Nelson Glueck documented the destruction left by these kings: “I found that every village in their path had been plundered and left in ruins, and the countryside was laid waste. The population had been wiped out or led away into captivity. For hundreds of years thereafter, the entire area was like an abandoned cemetery, hideously unkempt, with all its monuments shattered and strewn in pieces on the ground.” (Cited in Morris)

4. (11-12) The alliance of four kings takes Lot and all his possessions.

Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

a. They also took Lot: Because Lot was Abram’s brother’s son, the alliance of four kings involved Abram. Abram was a man of honor and a guardian of his family, so he fought for his nephew’s life and safety.

b. And his goods: Since Lot lived among the wicked people of Sodom, it is not surprising he was also taken captive.

i. “Those believers who conform to the world must expect to suffer for it.” (Spurgeon)

5. (13-14) Abram learns of Lot’s captivity and gathers an army.

Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

a. Abram the Hebrew: This is the first use of the term Hebrew in the Bible. It was probably a reference to the fact that Abram came from beyond the Euphrates River and had passed over the river to come to Canaan.

i. “The word Hebrew comes from a root that means passed over. The Septuagint translates it the passenger.” (Barnhouse)

b. He armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants: This demonstrates the great wealth of Abram. Any man who could assemble 318 servants capable of fighting must possess great wealth.

c. Trained servants: Abram was a man who walked in faith, yet he was also a prudent man. Abram kept his own personal army, and he apparently kept them trained and ready to defend his interests.

d. Went in pursuit as far as Dan: Abram’s army pursued the confederacy of four kings for a long distance to the north. The city of Dan is not far from the northern border of what would become Israel.

i. The gates of the city of Dan from Abram’s time have been discovered by archaeologists and can be viewed at the Israeli national park at Dan.

6. (15-17) Abram leads his army to victory over the alliance of the four kings.

He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.

a. He divided his forces against them by night: Abram had military wisdom. Using the clever tactic of a night attack with his army split into two groups, he succeeded in rescuing Lot and recovering all the plunder (all the goods) seized by the alliance of the four kings.

b. Also brought back his brother Lot and his goods: Once brought back, Lot moved to where he lived before in Sodom. He refused this warning from God and would eventually lose everything when Sodom and Gomorrah were ultimately judged (Genesis 19:24-25).

i. The account of Abram’s rescue of Lot is an analogy of the believer’s salvation. God’s chosen were captured in sin and shame and rescued by one who left his safety and happiness. Jesus Christ, the kinsman redeemer of His people, went to great trouble and distance, and with courage and daring defeated the mighty enemy, set His people free, and He took all the enemy’s spoil.

B. Abram and Melchizedek.

1. (18-20) Abram meets Melchizedek.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said:

“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

And he gave him a tithe of all.

a. Then Melchizedek: This passage does not explain where Melchizedek came from, how he came to be in Canaan, how he came to be a worshipper and priest of the true God, or how Abram came to know about him. It only states that Melchizedek was there.

b. Melchizedek king of Salem: The name Melchizedek means King of Righteousness. He was the king of Salem, and Salem was the original Jerusalem, and Melchizedek was the priest of God Most High. He was a worshipper and priest of the true God, ruling over Jerusalem even in those ancient times.

i. One thing that makes Melchizedek unique was he was both a king and a priest. History shows that it is often dangerous to combine religious and civic authority. God forbade the kings of Israel to be priests and the priests to be kings. In 2 Chronicles 26:16-23, King Uzziah tried to do the work of a priest, and God struck him with leprosy. Melchizedek was an exception.

ii. Melchizedek was the priest of God Most High. El Elyon means “Highest God,” like saying “Supreme Being.” Melchizedek is an example of a worshipper of the true God, even a priest of God Most High yet he was not related to Abram or other known covenant people of God.

c. Brought out bread and wine: Melchizedek served Abram bread and wine. Perhaps he even served them in a manner looking forward to the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus, as the bread and wine of Passover and the Lord’s Table look at God’s redeeming sacrifice, Jesus Christ.

d. He was the priest of God Most High: Melchizedek did two things as a priest. He blessed Abram and he blessed God. Melchizedek showed that a priest must connect with both God and man, and a priest serves both God and man.

i. Though Melchizedek seems like an obscure figure, he is in fact an important Old Testament person. Psalm 110:4 says the priesthood of the Messiah will be a priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek, in contrast to the order of Aaron. The attention given this idea in Hebrews 5-7 shows this is an important idea.

ii. Hebrews 7:3 described Melchizedek as without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Because of this passage, some have thought Melchizedek was a pre-Bethlehem appearance of Jesus.

iii. Others have suggested he was Seth, Noah’s son, or Job, or an angel; or even some have bizarrely speculated that Melchizedek was an outer-space visitor, an “unfallen Adam” from another planet, sent to observe the progress of God’s work of redemption for this fallen race. These suggestions are strange and have no Biblical foundation.

iv. “The question cannot be said to be settled completely…otherwise, the identity of Melchizedek would have been agreed on by Bible scholars long ago.” (Morris) It can be said with confidence that if Melchizedek was not an appearance of Jesus Himself, then at the very least he was a remarkable type or picture of Jesus Christ.

e. And he gave him a tithe of all: Abram gave to the Lord, and he did it through giving to Melchizedek a tithe of all. This referred to one-tenth of his assets, not his income – a remarkably generous gift.

i. It was almost as if Abram and Melchizedek worked to see who could bless the other more. Melchizedek blessed Abram out of his resources, and Abram blessed Melchizedek out of his resources. This is a wonderful attitude in a community of believers, an attitude of mutual blessing.

ii. In the covenant God later made with Israel, a tithe was commanded (Leviticus 27:30-33, Numbers 18:21-24, Deuteronomy 26:12-15). Abram’s giving to Melchizedek a tithe of all shows that the principle of the tithe predates the old covenant and is not restricted to the law of Moses. Under the new covenant, the tithe is not emphasized yet the idea of proportional giving is clearly stated (1 Corinthians 16:2), and one-tenth may be regarded as a goal or measure of that proportion.

iii. Later, Hebrews 7:4-10 finds significance that Abram, the ancestor of the Jewish people including the tribe of Levi, honored Melchizedek with his tithe, showing Abram’s recognition of Melchizedek’s superiority. In Hebrews 7, this is understood to mean that Melchizedek’s order of priesthood was greater than Aaron’s order of priesthood, which descended from Abram. This means Jesus is a greater High Priest than Aaron or any priest descended from him.

2. (21-24) Abram refuses the plunder from the battle.

Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.”

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’—except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”

a. Take the goods for yourself: As seemed proper, the king of Sodom wanted to reward Abram for all he did in recovering what was taken by the alliance of the four kings, and he offered Abram a tremendous amount of plunder.

b. I will take nothing: Yet Abram would not take any of the plunder, the goods taken from Sodom and Gomorrah and recovered. This was because of a vow he made to God Most High – a phrase he used after hearing Melchizedek use this title for God (Genesis 14:19). The phrase I have raised my hand to the Lord indicates that Abram made the vow.

c. Lest you should say, “I have made Abram rich”: Abram refused any portion of the plunder because he did not want to give anyone reason to say that a man had made Abram rich. Abram determined that all the credit for his success and wealth should go to God and God alone.

i. Abram had decided to live so that whatever outward success he gained, anyone could see that it was because of the blessing of God, not from the generosity or help of man. This is a wise way to live, and especially a wise way to serve God. If apparent success comes by man-centered methods and strategies, then it is difficult to confidently say that the blessing came from God. It’s better to rely on God’s methods and wisdom, so that if apparent success comes, God received the glory, and all see it was God’s work.

d. Let them take their portion: However, at the same time, Abram did not impose his principles on his Amorite allies (Genesis 14:13). They were entitled to as much of the spoil as was appropriate under the customs of the time.

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