Abraham saves Lot
14
📚And this happened in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar 📖, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam 📖, and Tidal king of nations: 2 📚these men made war on Bera king of Sodom, and on Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. 3 📚All these made an alliance together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea 📖. 4 📚For twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.5 📚And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer, and the kings who were with him, came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 📚and the Horites in their mount Seir as far as El Paran, which is near the wilderness. 7 📚And they returned and came to En Mishpat, which is Kadesh 📖, and attacked the whole country of the Amalekites 📖, and also the Amorites 📖 who lived in Hazezon Tamar.
8 📚And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (this is Zoar) went out and met them in battle in the vale of Siddim, that is, they met 9 Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings fighting with five. 10 📚And the vale of Siddim was full of tar pits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there. And those who remained fled to the mountain. 11 📚And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and went their way. 12 📚And they took Abram’s brother’s son Lot, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and left.
14:12 At first Lot was only near Sodom (Gen 13:12). Now he was in it and so in great danger.⚜
13 📚And one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he lived among the oak trees of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner. These men were allies of Abram.
14:13 This is the first use of the word “Hebrew” in the Bible. See Gen 11:16.⚜
14 📚And when Abram heard that his brother 📖 had been taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen in number, and pursued them as far as Dan. 15 📚And he divided his forces against them, he and his servants, at night, and attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is to the north of Damascus. 16 📚And he brought back all the goods, and brought back also his brother Lot and his goods, and also the women and the people.
14:14-16 In all this Abraham revealed great courage, faith in God and skill in military matters. He led 318 men against four kings and their combined armies and was able to rescue Lot and the plunder. Compare Gideon’s victory with 300 men in Judges chapter 7, and see 1 Sam 14:6.⚜
17 📚And after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings who had been with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.
Abraham and Melchizedek
18 📚And Melchizedek 📖 king of Salem 📖 brought out bread and wine. He was the priest 📖 of the Most High God 📖. 19 📚And he blessed him, saying, “Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth, 20 📚and blessed be 📖 the Most High God Who has delivered your enemies into your hand”. And Abram 📖 gave him a tenth 📖 of everything.
21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the goods for yourself”.
22 📚And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23 📚swearing that I will not take anything that is yours, from a thread to a shoelace, so that you would not say, ‘I have made Abram rich’, 24 📚except for that which the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their share”.
14:22-24 Abraham solemnly refused to accept anything from the ungodly – the opposite of Balaam (2 Pet 2:15), and many in our own day who love money and possessions regardless of where they come from or how they might get them.⚜