A RESCUE MISSION

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.

Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew.

Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night, Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

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

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of Heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

Genesis 14:1-24

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

How loyal was Abram to his family?

We find out in today’s scripture passage and the fourteenth chapter of Genesis. Look again at those words here:

At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.

Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew.

Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night, Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

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

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of Heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

It’s interesting to me that the effective conflict resolution found in Genesis, chapter 13 is followed by the first recorded armed conflict in Canaan after Abram, Sarai, Lot, and those traveling along with them had settled in.

We read where this conflict was between two factions.

On one side was Amraphel, the king of Shinar; Arioch, king of Ellasar; Kedorlaomer, king of Elam; and Tidal, king of Goyim

Their opposition was five kings and their forces who we read “joined forces in the Valley of Siddim”, also known as “the Dead Sea Valley”. The kings were Bera, king of Sodom; Birsha, king of Gomorrah; Shinab, king of Admah; Shemeber, king of Zeboyim; and Zoar, the king of Bela.

As a little background, we learn that the five kings who were set to go to war against the other four had once been “subject to Kedorlaomer” for “twelve years” before “they rebelled”.

And so one year after the rebellion, the scriptures tell us that “Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert” before turning back and heading to “En Mishpat” (also called Kadesh) where “they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar”.

If you’re keeping score, this collective army was undefeated before turning their attention to “the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela” who the scriptures tell us “marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim”. We’re then reminded that it was “four kings against five” but the advantage didn’t mean much. We read where “the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled” and some of their men fell into “tar pits” that were prevalent in “the Valley of Siddim”. The forces who didn’t perish there “fled to the hills”.

And so in victory once again, the “four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah” which included “all their food” before going away. Unfortunately, the scriptures tell us that their plunder included “Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions” which were carried off “since he was living in Sodom”.

Now, this news of what had happened to Lot was brought to Abram while he was “living near the great trees of Mamre” and as we see in our passage, immediate action was taken as Abram “called out the 318 trained men born in his household” and “went in pursuit” of the five kings and their forces “as far as Dan”. There, “during the night”, we read where “Abram divided his men to attack” his adversaries and then proceeded to rout them, “pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus”. The result of the conquest was that “he recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people”. The five kings and their armies were no longer undefeated.

So how did Abram and his 318 men pull off a feat that five kings and their armies couldn’t?

It’s easy.

Abram and his men had the Lord on their side. We know this from the words of “Melchizedek, king of Salem” who is also identified as a “priest of God Most High”. You may remember that Jesus would later be described a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, essentially meaning that He wasn’t only the Great High Priest who intercedes for all sinners bringing justification but also the King of all kings and Lord of all lords (Hebrews 7:17). Here’s what Melchizedek said:

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of Heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”  

Melchizedek made it crystal clear that God was the One who deserved all the glory and his words led Abram to give “him a tenth of everything”.

Now, of interest, Mechizedek wasn’t in Abram’s presence alone. The scriptures tell us that the “king of Sodom” was with him, the very king of Sodom who retreated with his army and left Lot and the rest of the Sodomites open to be plundered by the five kings and their forces. As we see, Abram had some choice words for Sodom’s leader:

“With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of Heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

Abram wanted nothing to do with Sodom’s king or anything he had to give. Later, we find out just how destitute the city was as God will utterly destroy it along with Gomorrah. With God, Abram had all he could ever hope for and all he could ever need. He served a God who had shown Himself to be with him and for him. All he needed to do is remain obedient to follow his Lord’s will over his own.

In our passage today, we see how God ensured that Abram’s rescue mission was a rousing success and this should come as no surprise to us for when we think about our sure salvation and the guarantee of eternal life in the Kingdom of God, we’re reminded of how God sent His only Son Jesus on a rescue mission with much higher stakes but nonetheless grounded in the same love and devotion that Abram showed for his nephew, a love willing to lay down one’s life to save another.

Today and every day, let us echo the words of Melchizedek, proclaiming just how blessed we are every day by our Most High God, the Creator of Heaven and earth, while lifting up our praises to Him for delivering us from our enemy Satan through Jesus, His Son, the Savior of the world.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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