GENESIS CHAPTER 14:ABRAM RESCUES LOT

Introduction: Abram follows God’s wisdom in battle and in keeping himself pure in life decisions.

 

1.       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 these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. 3. All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. 4. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5. And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephais in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6. And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. 7. And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar. 8. And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; 9. With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five. 10 And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountains. 11. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 12. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. 

The account of these kings and kingdoms described to here with parts of the current names of the Middle East mentioned for pinpointing where this took place.The kings of Sodom, Gomorrah,Adah,Zeboiim, and Bela were rebelling against king Chedorlaomer of Elam and his army that had been warring against neighboring kingdoms. Lot and his family were taken as prisoners after the battle was won against the king of Sodom and the kingdoms that fought with him. The prisoners who were taken from conquered kingdoms would usually become slaves by their captors. 

13. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. 14. And when Abram heard that his brothers was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. 15. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night and smote them, and pursued them unto Hob

ah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

These verses give the reason for the name of the area that Abram lived was called Mamre. The person who settled it or inherited it was from a line of Amorites whose genealogy is mentioned here with his brother’s names. This escapee told Abram of what had happened at Sodom and Gomorrah and that Lot and family were taken captive. Abram was a wise man who listened to God. He also had a trained army among his people knowing that someone with great wealth as his needed to be protected and that they must be ready to defend it and his people.  He must have prayed before battle, that they would win and bring back Lot and all that was his, and that is what happened as it is told here.

17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh which is the king’s dale. 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19. And he blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20. And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand”. And he gave

them tithes of all.

 21. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself”. 22. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, " I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God the possessor of heaven and earth, 23. That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: 24. Save only that which the young men have eaten and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."

Melchizedek was not only the king of Salem but also a priest of Abram’s God, and he fed Abram’s army when they returned from the battle.The conquered  King of Sodom (who was overcome and fled from the battle) wanted all the people that Abram returned with and to let Abram keep the spoils, but Abram did not want to keep any of the spoils because he did not want it to be said that the king of Sodom made him rich as a reward of the battle. Abram said that he would only keep what was his and the people that went with him into battle. But that Aner and Eshcol and Mamre could take the kings reward. 

The Road to Salvation (KJV)

Romans 3: 23, 24 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 5:8 “But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:15 “For God so loved the world That He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1 John 4:9”In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.”

John 6: 47, 48 “Verily, verily, I say unto you He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.  I am that bread of life.”

Romans 10:9 – 14 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed: and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard: and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

If you are not saved, I pray you will accept Christ as your Savior to day. We are not promised another minute on this earth. We are but on a journey, passing though this world to the next, and you have a choice of where you will spend eternity. I pray you choose to spend it in Heaven with the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit and all those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and paid our sin debt for us.

Seek out a Bible preaching church in your area, one where God word is preached and  is the center of their service, study and devotion.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me"