The timing of God’s Word, is always impeccably perfect.
Today, while Israel carries out the biggest rescue operation
since their rebirth, we look at a rescue operation that started just 10 miles
east of there.
Abram finally settled in Hebron, about 10 miles east of Gaza. His
ramblin’ fever was behind him, but he still lived in a tent, for he was in
search of a city, whose builder and maker is God. So, even though, the floor of
his dwelling may have been dirt, the foundation of his Home, his Life, was Rock
solid.
On the other hand, Lot went in search of a city, whose builder
and maker was man; he chose to dwell in Sodom—wicked, evil, Sodom.
Genesis 14
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, 2 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). 3 All these joined together in the Valley
of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
Shinar is ancient
Babylonia.
Ellasar, is east
of the Dead Sea.
Chedorlaomer is ancient name of
Persia, which is modern day Iran.
Tidal (wave) is
king of surfboards (just kidding).
Tidal king of nations: the Hebrew
word for, nations, (goiim); indicates a non-Jewish people; gentiles.
Four bad kings against five bad kings; having a battle in the valley
of Siddim.
Valley of Siddim, was
a valley, that became the Salt Sea. We know it as the Dead Sea. It’s
dead. Life flows into it from the Jordan, but no life comes out.
It’s dead.
This is Divinely appropriate.
The cities with Sodom are mentioned in Dt. 29:23 as being utterly
destroyed by God. They’re made uninhabitable because of their wickedness; which
will be explained in Genesis 19.
The Dead Sea, the lowest place on the planet, where life goes
in, but none comes out, is most likely the graveyard for these wicked cities
cursed by God.
Even to this day the Dead Sea, is Divinely, appropriately,
dead.
4 Twelve years they
served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 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, 6 and the Horites
in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the
wilderness.
7 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.
Now we know what all the fighting was about.
Chedorlaomer was the boss king of the surrounding kings. But after
a dozen years, the other kings rebelled.
So, boss king Chedor (with three kings who remained loyal)
responded by attacking the rebels.
These traveling warriors seemed to be unstoppable.
8 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 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king
of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four
kings against five.
So, the kings with Sodom and Gomorrah, made a preemptive
strike against the kings with Chedorlaomer and their traveling warriors.
Four kings against five.
10 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.
Asphalt pits, also called slime pits, were made when mining a bitumen
substance used in building. The same word describes the mortar in the tower of
Babel.
It appears Sodom and the boys did more fleeing than fighting.
In their fleeing, some got too close to the pits and slipped
in, to their own demise.
11 Then they (Chedorlaomer and crew) took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and
all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also
took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his
goods, and departed.
Lot had disassociated with Abram. He not only moved his tent
toward wicked Sodom, he moved in with them, he dwelt in
Sodom.
That’s how it goes.
Just like the Sodom boys, who got too close to the slime pits
and slipped in. Lot got too close to the sin of Sodom and slipped in.
Playing with sin, even a little, even in our minds, is a
slippery slope; play too long and you will slip in.
James 1:14-15. …one is
tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. 15
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is
full-grown, gives birth to death
13 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.
This is the first time we see the word, “Hebrew” in the
Bible.
Notice the comparison in the last two verses. Lot dwelt…
Abram dwelt.
Lotta-trouble-Lot dwelt in the city of the wicked.
Abram dwelt in a tent, in search of a city, whose
builder and maker, is God. (Heb. 11:10).
Abram was easy to find, he sank roots like, the terebinth
trees of Mamre.
Abram established
allies with those who would otherwise be enemies. This is the original, Abraham
Accords.
NOTE: The Amorites descended
from Ham, through Canaan, and became a pagan people doomed for destruction by
God, through Joshua.
14 Now when Abram heard
that his brother was taken
captive…
Ha! Serves you right. You could’ve and should’ve been my ally,
but instead you hooked up with the wicked. That’s what you get. You made your
bed, now lie in it. Good riddance.
Is that what Abram said?
NO, not at all.
This is what he did:
he armed his three hundred and eighteen
trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in
pursuit…
His family was in trouble so he went to help.
Period.
No questions asked.
Sounds like Someone we know.
“While we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
While we were yet, a-lotta-trouble-sinners, Christ died for
us.
Notice he had 318 armed
and trained servants.
Ab wasn’t idle.
The Promise must be followed by Preparation
God plants a seed, and before the seed becomes a harvest it
must go through growth. Growth isn’t easy, it can be painful, it continuously
moves us out of our comfort zone.
For a promise to come to fruition, it must be followed by
preparation.
…as far as Dan.
This was no spat across the backyard fence. Dan’s about 100
miles north of Hebron.
By the way, archeologists have uncovered a gate said to be the
entrance to ancient Dan back in Abram’s day.
Perhaps the very gate Abraham walked (or ran) through in
pursuit of Lot.
They call it, Abraham’s Gate.
15 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.
16 So he brought back
all the goods, and also brought back his brother (nephew) Lot and
his goods, as well as the women and the people.
Hobah was another 60 miles north.
So, Abram chased the bad guys, about 160 miles, caught them, whooped
them, and rescued all the people and the plunder.
Similarly, this very day, Israel is chasing down very
bad guys, and rescuing people. Only about ten miles from where this lesson
started.
Abram and Israel are not the only ones in search of the
stolen, the kidnapped, the abducted.
God is looking, searching, seeking.
Perhaps it’s not our person, but our peace, we got too close
to the world and slipped into the slime pits of chaos and confusion; we can’t get
a foothold, can’t find peace.
Our hearts are numb, empty. We just go through the motions, no
zeal, no passion. We don’t see or hear God, but the world screams loud and
clear.
God’s looking, for you to look toward Him. He longs to rescue
you.
Yeah, but I’m like Lot, I ran, the wrong direction—it’s all my
fault.
You can’t outrun His reach. He sees right where you’re at.
The question is, will you look back? Accept His reach?
17 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.
As Abram returned with all the people and the plunder, the
king of Sodom went out to meet him. But it appears Someone else caught Abram’s
eye and so he walked right on by the king of Sodom.
18 Then Melchizedek king of
Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the
priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and
said:
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
And he (Abram) gave him (Melchizedek) a tithe of all.
King Melchizedek, brought elements of communion, before communion was created; and he had Abram’s undivided attention, and devotion.
Who is Melchizedek?
Melchizedek is mentioned here, then, 1,000 years later in Ps. 110:4. Then again, 1000 years later in Heb. 7:1-7.
Psalm 110:4
The LORD
hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of
Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:1-7.
Melchizedek means King of Righteousness.
He is King of Salem; meaning Peace.
He is Priest of Most High God.
Has no father or mother or beginning or end.
Abraham paid tithes to
Melchizedek, and Melchizedek blessed Abraham, and indeed the lesser is
blessed by the greater. Hebrews 7:7.
Considering the entire context
of the Word of God, it appears likely that Melchizedek is a Christophany,
an Old Testament appearance of Christ.
Now, one more thing we need to address before moving on, and closing
out this chapter.
Tithe means, tenth.
This is the first mention of tithe, in the Bible. The Law of First
Mention sets the precedent.
NOTE: this is before the Law. Therefore, in context, this
establishes, tithing, as a principal of worship, not a legalistic
mandate in the Law.
Jesus addresses it like this:
Matt.
23:23; “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, (tithe the tiniest of your
herb and spice) and have neglected the weightier matters of
the law: justice and mercy and faith.
These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”
It’s a matter of worship—not law. You ought to do it,
but not at the expense of other more important, weightier, things like, justice,
mercy, faith.
The law of Love, and grace, will cheerfully want to,
not have to.
It’s a matter of the heart.
Jesus says it like this:
Where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also. Matt. 6:21.
Out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth will speak; Luke 6:45.
Your mouth and money reveal the location of your heart.
21 Now the king of Sodom said to
Abram, “Give me the persons,
and
take the goods for yourself.”
This was customary that to the victor went the spoils.
But notice the words, “Give me the persons.” The original text implies, “souls.”
Give me the souls. There is an evil enemy that doesn’t want your stuff,
he wants your soul.
1 Peter 5:8. Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour.
The demonic hamas terrorists plunder was people—stealing, killing,
destroying people—not silver and gold and riches.
John 10:10. The
thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come
that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
22 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, 23 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’—
This is the first time we see raising the hand to take a vow; perhaps this is where the custom came from.
Abram had no need to grab the spotlight or promotion, or plunder,
or anything from any king, because he already had a conversation, and a covenant
relationship, with, The King of kings.
George Beverly Shea's famous song would be appropriate for
Abram to sing right here:
"I'd rather have
Jesus than silver or gold/I'd rather have Jesus than riches untold."
24 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.”
Just because Abram had no desire for the king’s plunder, he
didn’t lay that conviction on his men, he considers them.
Philippians
2:3
Let
nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind
let each esteem others better than himself.
The mission isn’t only Abram’s, or God’s but ours, too.
Let’s pray,
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for loving us enough to rescue us.
We pray for Your Love to flow through us, and rescue
others.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
Prayer Requests:
Call or text: 612-554-2522
Email: pray4measap@aol.com
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Rescue Operation Lot, Genesis 14
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Operation Lot, Genesis 14
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