|
|
|
|
Studies in Genesis, Glory To God For Victory, Lesson XXXIV, Genesis 14:17-24
In Genesis 14:13-16 we are given an account of Abraham as a warrior.
For upon hearing that his nephew Lot and his family, now prisoners of war, and on their way to slavery he considered not his safety and well-being but immediately armed his trained servants, three hundred and eighteen in number (interesting how God carefully gives us that detail) and pursued Lot’s captors to an area called Dan.
God made sure that Abram heard of Lot’s plight insuring that one escaped to tell the tale including intelligence that gave Abram sufficient information to determine what forces were needed to accomplish the rescue.
Certainly 318 men seems like a small force but it was also a force magnified by God and therefore to God be the glory!
Now there is nothing said about Abram’s motive in mounting this pursuit.
Certainly Abram had the heart of a father toward Lot even if Lot did not honor Abram in his choice of the privileged land.
Abram could have easily been vindictive toward Lot but Abram instead displayed the grace of a maturing man of faith, remembering God’s promise of prosperity and protection and of great future things to come to his descendants.
And therefore, in Genesis 14:15,16 we learn: he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, 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.
Abram was indeed prepared for conflict for we are told his men, all born to his household, were trained and for this pursuit he armed them.
In those days each family group, or each city group was responsible for self-defense so forces like this were normal.
Leaders had to have military minds for many plunderers were in the land and family groups like Abram’s were responsible for their self-defense.
Abram’s military mind was revealed here for he employed a forced march of over 150 miles and a surprise attack at night from various tactical positions.
There was no stopping Abram until victory was assured and Lot, the prodigal nephew, and his family and his goods were secured.
So the victory is won, a glorious return comes about and the news precedes the victors.
Of this we read in Genesis 14:17-24, 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 him 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 any thing 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.
From this passage we will first lean to Proverbs 27:21 which reads: As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
In another Bible translation this verse reads: The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, and a man is tested by the praise accorded him.
For praise bestowed upon a man discovers that which is prominent in the man for praise reveals the heart.
Praise reveals the man whether he be of value as gold or silver or whether he be dross.
For a wise man if commended justly for good qualities or good actions performed, will remember that God is the one who has made him to differ from others.
He realizes that every talent and every ability he enjoys is a gift of God and ought to be attributed to God.
And therefore he is always ready to give God the glory.
We are to value singularly God's, Well Done, thou good and faithful servant for when he hath tried me, the Bible says I shall come forth as gold.
Our passage in chapter 14 relates to us Abram’s triumphal return with the spoils of war.
But this is a test of Abram as to how he deals with success.
For God has sent to welcome the returning victors not only the king of Sodom, and the kings that were with him and much of those of the city but out of nowhere we are given to meet the mysterious king of Salem, a man called Melchizedek.
No doubt it was a time of rejoicing and back slapping and praising by all.
With kings and politicians abounding, speeches no doubt were orated but none of the speeches survived the scriptures except the words of Melchizedek and Abram.
We look to Genesis 14:18-20 for this, 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 him tithes of all.
Most likely the king of Sodom desired to heap praise upon Abram for Abram had returned his Sodomites to him.
But praise God, God had different plans, for Melchizedek is the one to put praise in its proper place.
Melchizedek is not a king and a priest of the most high God in order to be a back slapping politician to gain influence with men.
Melchizedek’s words were intended to remind Abram that the victory was God’s, and that his success was a result of God’s blessing.
In effect, Melchizedek’s words were a reminder of the covenant God had made with Abram when he called him from Ur to Canaan: for in that call God had said,
I will show you, I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, I will make you a blessing, I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you.
And I will make you such that all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
The world praises men but God’s children praise their father for all the “I wills” refer to God for God is all in all.
That was the message of Melchizedek to Abram.
Remember Abram, the one who had called you and who had made these promises to you.
It is God who will bring about his promises and we are simply his instruments.
And for this our praise is to be aimed to the most high God.
And Abram’s response testified to his faith in the one God both he and Melchizedek worshipped for he gave tithes of all and in that act agreeing that it was God who deserved all the glory pertaining to the victory.
Paul in Hebrews give us a better understanding of Abram’s tithe in that it was not a tithe of all he possessed but a tithe of the spoils he had recovered from the battles.
Upon meeting with Melchizedek Abram was not with his flocks and herds but was on the way back with that which he had brought to the battle and that which he had gathered from the battle and that is what the tenth part came from according to Hebrews 7:4 which reads:
Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
This account is used many times to justify tithing but that is not the main subject this passage is to convey.
The main subject this passage is to convey is that God always deserves the glory for any victory He brings.
And Melchizedek was brought from Salem, the site of future Jerusalem to insure that God was indeed given all the glory and Abram, the father of faith was to convey that message by his response.
God again gives us contrast that we might learn His mind for His ways are not our ways but by knowing Christ, who is described as “the way” we are able to know God’s ways.
Abram no doubt heard great words of praise from the kings of this earth, the king of Sodom, and those who came with him, for Sodom’s riches were returning.
But Melchizedek was not there to add to this praise of men but was there as a king and priest representing the most high God and was there to speak for Him.
And speak he does for he gives his attention and praise by saying:
20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.
So the conversation had turned from praise of men to praise of God.
The assembled kings stand before Melchizedek and Abram and witness a tenth of the spoils going to the priest of the most high God.
An act of worship on Abram’s part but an act of the division of spoils unexpected in their world.
Abram is not moved by the praise of men but is moved by the praise of God and by this and other acts of faith will assume the role of our father of faith.
And what a contrast this is, a contrast of the glory of God versus the sinfulness of Sodom.
Throughout God’s Holy Word, throughout God’s Book of Books this contrast is given that we may learn by wisdom instead of experience what awaits those who walk the broad way and the narrow way.
God is indeed good for God assumes the role of our Father.
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
The king of Sodom knows that all the spoils belong to Abram, both possessions and persons for the rule was well known that to the victor goes the spoils.
The king of Sodom has seen one tenth of the possessions going to the priest of Salem so he hopes he can at least have Abram return the rescued persons and suggests to Abram that he keep the remainder of the goods.
To many this bargain would be most just to execute for in a way it was poetic justice.
It was a turning of the worm, an expression used to convey the message that even the meekest or most docile of creatures will retaliate or seek revenge if pushed too far . Didn’t Lot get into this mess by taking first choice and choosing Sodom for its promise of material benefits without any consideration of his Uncle Abram’s welfare?
From a worldly standpoint Lot had gotten the best of Abram and now God was giving wealth back to Abram to whom it should have belonged in the first place.
But we find herein that Abram did not live in Sodom nor did he value the way of Sodom but valued the way of the most high God, the way of Melchizedek.
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 any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
Abram knows the ways of Sodom and knows that taking even a thread, even to a shoelatchet from the Sodomites will engender a memory against Abram, a memory that Abram is rich because of the spoils he kept from Sodom.
He wants no reduction of God’s glory because of God’s provision to him so he gives away the spoils gained in battle.
Abram has a mind that any provision he accrues will always be gained from God’s hand of blessing and not from the spoils of battle.
(Will a preacher accept a one million dollar donation that came from a lottery winner?) Where is the glory of God in that?
So in his reply to the king of Sodom Abram speaks as Melchizedek spoke and uses his words in speaking of the most high God.
Melchizedek referred to his God and Abram’s as “God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.”
This was an unusual designation for God.
In the Hebrew it is El Elyon, God Most High and yet Abram used it — the same words as Melchizedek had spoken.
The message from God had come loud and clear and Abram heard it.
Melchizedek’s visit to the victory celebration was no chance occurrence for it was part of God’s promise to Abram to make of him a great nation, the beginning of the families of all the earth who would be blessed.
It was a turning point for Abram for it bought victory into perspective.
God shares his glory with no one and his children are to always remember that any victory is His victory for it is He who has made them.
How could Abram keep the spoils or war and therefore give those around him opportunity to credit Abram’s success to worldly ventures.
Abram came to a deep conviction when he said, I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
And that deep conviction was that all that he had was because of God’s grace toward him and all those of his band.
To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
Isaiah 42:8, I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
And Romans 11:33-36, O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. |