FRAMEWORKS:
Genesis 14: Saving Lot
v.1-7
Conflict of Local Kings in the Land
v.8-12
Lot gets taken in the ongoing conflict
v.13-17
Abram saves Lot
v.17-24
Abram meets Melchizedek
v.1-7
Conflict of Local Kings in the Land
v.1,2
Four kings war against another five kings
v.1,2
At
the time when
-
Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch
king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king
of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, [four
kings]
-
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). [another
five kings]
v.3,4
The latter group eventually rebel against the
leader of the former group
v.3
All
these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that
is, the Dead Sea Valley).
v.4
For
twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer ,
but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
v.5-7
This king & his associates triumph over all others
v.5,6
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 and
the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near
the desert.
v.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.
[Notes:
These
are all small tribal kingdoms of no great might but that didn't
stop them fighting each other and forming associations to build
strength. Kedorlaomer
is the strongest and leads a confederation of four and triumphs
over the confederation of five [which, we should note for later,
includes the king of Sodom.]
v.8-12
Lot gets taken in the ongoing conflict
v.8,9
The latter confederation go to fight the others
v.8,9
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 against
Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of
Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
v.10-12
They lose and Lot is carried off
v.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.
v.11
The
four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all
their food; then they went away.
v.12
They
also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since
he was living in Sodom.
[Notes:
The
ongoing conflict has one group against another and the end result
is that Lot, who lived near Sodom, was taken by the stronger force.]
v.13-17
Abram saves Lot
v.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.
v.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.
v.15
During
the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them,
pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
v.16
He
recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and
his possessions, together with the women and the other people.
[Notes:
For
the first time Abram is referred to as a Hebrew [v.13] which means
‘one passing through'. Abram is living near Hebron and pursues
the marauders who have taken Lot, to Dan [an unidentified city],
with a relatively small force which suggests that these kings
were only small groupings. He defeats them and gets Lot back.]
v.17-24
Abram meets Melchizedek
v.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).
v.18,19
Then
Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread
and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram,
saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven
and earth.
v.20
And
praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into
your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
v.21
The
king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the
goods for yourself.”
v.22,23
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,
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.'
v.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.”
[Notes:
Two
figures not to be confused here. First there was the king of Sodom,
the city that benefitted from Abram's victory over the other confederation,
and then the king of Salem (Jerusalem) named as Melchizedek.
1.
King of Salem:
Melchizedek is identified as not only a king but also a priest,
“of God Most High” (v.18) who also identifies God as “Creator
of heaven and earth” [v.19]. Apart from the activity of Gen 1
& 2 this is the first time that God is described this way.
Melchizedek also blessed Abram [v.18.19] bringing him bread and
wine, and attributed Abram's victory to God [v.20]. Abram gave
him a tenth of the spoil. We know nothing more of him and this
point is drawn out by the writer to the Hebrews [Heb 7] who links
Jesus to him.
2.
King of Sodom:
A more earthly king who greets him after Abram's victory and offers
Abram the spoil from the battle but Abram refuses to take it.
By
the end of this chapter we have thus see that a) Abram has become
very prosperous and b) a figure of stature in Canaan having defeated
four kings.]
Continue to Chapter 15