seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 14:1 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, 2 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). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 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 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 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.
8 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 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 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. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.
13 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. 14 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. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.
17 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).
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”
22 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, 23 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.’ 24 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.”
I used David Guzik's commentary.I'd like to say this is the first time Abram rescued his nephew, Lot. I'd like to... but it's not. Lot was adopted by Abram... probably not legally, but Abram took him in. He was with Abram and Sarai in Egypt. Lot got rich with Abram in Egypt and left with Abram when Abram was invited to leave Egypt.
As families do.... Abram and Lot argued. Like business men... They fought over territory. Like rich men, they counted their men and their livestock so they would not lose them.
Abram rescued Lot before Egypt.... and he's rescuing him again in these passages. He'll rescue him again too.... That's what families do.
War broke out in the valley. It was four kings against five. Abram worked with the King of Salem to defeat the others and rescue his nephew, Lot.
BY THE WAY.... Salem was the name of Jerusalem back then.... coincidental... I think not.
Anyway.... after the battle.... Abram was offered plunder... and he turned it down.
As they say in the westerns "Abram didn't want to be beholding to anyone." He did allow his men to take some plunder... but he had enough that he didn't need to take from the war-torn area.
Then out of nowhere [or it seems like nowhere to me] a High Priest shows up. This guy isn't listed in the family trees of Shem's people... or Ham's people... or Japheth's people.... He just Melchicedek the King of Salem. He brought out bread and wine and a blessing for Abram and the troops. Abram paid the Melchicedek a tenth of everything.
Abram paid his fair share for the cost of war... to keep from owing allegiance to them. Is this the beginning of the domino theory?
This is where the "tithe" started.
When I was a kid... I always wondered where the church got the bread and the wine. When I was a kid... I had no concept that the money my dad put in the offering plate was used [in part] to pay for the bread and the grape juice. I really thought, as the preacher said, "God paid all the bills".
Now every preacher I've listened to in the past 73 years has made Melchicedek out to be some miraculous being. But he's just a king. He's also the chief priest... meaning he led the people in worship. They worshipped God. They knew about God because of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. God saved them from the flood, so they worshipped God. Melchicedek didn't talk about his family... he worked for God. He offered the men bread and wine as sustenance and then blessed Abram. He thanked Abram for his alliance.
At the end of the verses... the king of Sodom wanted to pay Abram for his service. Abram said he wouldn't take a thread from the king's sandals... but he would let his men take a share.
Lot got all his livestock back... and his slaves... and wouldn't you know it... Lot moved right back to the valley near Sodom. Geeze, that guy is stubborn.
My online Bible titled this....
Abram rescues Lot.
