Site Search Engine

ABRAHAM RESCUES LOT

Chapter 14

In this chapter we find the first war mentioned in the Bible, and the first priest. It is one of the most important chapters found in Genesis!

To start with, this is a historical document. Archaeological discoveries have shown the existence of a flourishing civilization in the southern part of the Jordan River, following along an area now covered by the Dead Sea, between centuries 21 and 19 BC, and the violent destruction of these cities at the end of that period.

Some archaeologists identify Amraphel with Amurabi, king of Babylon (Shinar is now Iraq), but others estimate that Amurabi came later. Elam is the first name of Persia (now Iran). Admah and Zeboiim were cities in the Dead Sea basin, which God destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah (Hosea 11:8).

In the previous year the people of the Jordan Valley had rebelled against Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, by whom they had already been subdued for twelve years. Chedorlaomer and his allies launched a military campaign against the rebels, entering the land of Canaan by the Northwest and heading south. Along the way they attacked several people living on both banks of the Jordan River (the Rephaim and the Zuzim), in the land of Moab (the giant Emim), in the vicinity of Mount Seir to the southwest of the Red Sea (the Horites), and other towns between the Negev and Sinai, finally encircling the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela, who had been preparing for war in the valley of Siddim.

The war was fought in an area covered later by the Salt (Dead) Sea. Some archaeologists and geologists identify the valley of Siddim with the land south of a small peninsula that extends from the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. This peninsula could have reached the west bank, where's Masada, at the time of Abram, making the southern part of the Dead Sea dry land. The geological evidence indicates the occurrence of disasters in the region at the time of Abram.

The invaders won the battle: the five kings of the plane fled to a mountain, some of them having fallen into asphalt pits that abounded in the valley. Having plundered the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, they left taking Lot, who had transferred his residence to Sodom with all his possessions, captive with them. They followed along the west bank of the Dead Sea towards the north, not far from Hebron and Mamre where Abram lived. From there he would have seen the whole movement.

Here we read for the first time the word Hebrew, an ethnic designation given to Abram which his descendants derived from him, originated from his ancestor Eber (11:14-16). When he heard that Lot had been taken captive, he immediately prepared a small army made up of two Amorite neighbours and three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house (this gives us an idea of how great was his entourage!). With this army he pursued the invaders to Dan in the far north of the Jordan Valley at the foot of Mount Hermon.

After a strategic division made at night, the forces of Abram defeated the enemy, and pursued them as far as the north of Damascus. With the victory Abram recovered his nephew, his possessions, the people which had been taken into captivity, and the goods that had been ransacked.

When he returned, passing through the valley of Shaveh, also called Valley of the King, near Jerusalem (2 Samuel 18:18), two people come to meet him: the king of Sodom, and the king of Salem (shortened form of Jerusalem, also called Zion).

The king of Salem named Melchizedek was also a priest of God Most High: the true God who Abram worshipped. This fact, and the book of Job written at about that point in history, indicates that although the Bible focuses on the story of the people of Israel, the true God had worshipers in other places as well.

Little is said about King Melchizedek in addition to these three verses, but the Bible tells us that his priesthood was of a nature that typified the very priesthood of the Lord Jesus (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 5:6,10, 6:20, 7 :1-24), also Priest and King. Melchizedek means king of righteousness and Salem means peace. Because Christ in His eternal deity has no beginning or end, the Bible does not indicate the origin and destiny of Melchizedek, who typifies Him.

Melchizedek brought out bread and wine to Abram, symbols that the Lord has left of His body and His blood, to remember his death for us. How could Melchizedek know this? The God whom he served knew! He also blessed Abram - the superior blesses the inferior, showing that his priesthood was superior to what would later be established for the descendants of Abraham: the priesthood of the Lord Jesus is similarly higher than the Aaronic priesthood which only served Israel.

Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe - a tenth - of the spoils of battle (Hebrews 7:4), as the Israelites had later to surrender to the divine service: he acknowledged the right that Melchizedek had to serve God, and thus expressed his gratitude to God for the victory.

The king of Sodom, in turn, proposed to keep for himself all the people, and to leave the property to Abram. In fact, according to the customs of the time, recorded in the Amurabi code, Abram as rescuer was entitled to everything! It was a temptation to Abram, but he wisely refused to take anything that had belonged to the king of Sodom, so as not to be bound to him.

Abram this time showed his loyalty to the LORD, ruling out any opportunity for the king of Sodom to arrogate to himself the role of sovereign and to make Abram his vassal. Abram took only food for his men and distributed to his Amorite allies the part due to them. Note that his statement that he would not receive anything from the king of Sodom, was made before the LORD, the Almighty God, leaving no doubt about the identity of the God whom he served.

 

R David Jones

 

 

 

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 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).
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.
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.
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.
11 Then they 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.
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.
14 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.
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 Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
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.
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 gave him a tithe of all.
21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself."
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'—
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."

Genesis chapter 14