1/24/2019

Genesis 14:17-24

¹⁷ After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 

¹⁸ And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

¹⁹ And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
²⁰ and blessed be God Most High, 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 persons, but take the goods for yourself.”

²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth,

 ²³ that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 

²⁴ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

What a great book the Bible is.  What a great story this is.  Here we meet this strange man, Melchizedek.  Even though he is mentioned again in Psalm 110, that is only in a passing way and not to be mentioned again for another 1000 years.

Because of our interest in Melchizedek we are prone to overlook the other king who met our hero.  Bera, king of Sodom, the deal maker who came to Abram with a deal in hand. Abram could have all the spoil if he gave the people back to Bera.  There are two matters of interest here.  First Bera had nothing to bargain.  He was defeated.  Abram was the victor.  It was all Abram’s to do with as he pleased.  Second the real bargain he offered lay in who the people were, cf Gen. 13:13. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.   These men were worthless to Abram.

The other concern of Abram, which should be of interest to us, is in verses 22-23.  This insight into both the character of Abram and his commitment to God is an early illustration of the Spiritual ethic that is required of Abram’s descendants.  We should be committed to the ethic of our father.  The world will not provide for us nor enrich us.