Genesis
14 – Abram saves Lot
It
is recorded that the Kings of the East defeat the Kings of Sodom and
Gomorrah. The reason is because Lot,
Abram’s nephew was captured while living in Sodom. When word was brought to Abram he immediately
began to pursue the enemy. In Abram’s
household, he could arm 318 men. To have
that many servants means that Abram was carrying on quite a business of raising
cattle and sheep. He divided his
servants. One group attacked while the
other came around and helped with the attack.
As a result, Abram was victorious.
The enemy fled across the desert leaving the people and the booty they
had captured. They took the women as
slaves.
About
this time, Abram needed a blessing. He
was facing a temptation, so Melchizedek now enters the story. He is the King of Salem and a priest of the
Most High God. All men had knowledge of
the living and true God, but they did not worship Him, but worshiped His
creation.
Melchizedek
was the high priest for the world for that day.
He brought bread and wine.
Elements of the Lord’s Supper. “For as often as you eat this bread and
drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death until He comes.” I Corinthians
11:26. Melchizedek is anticipating
the death of Christ. He is mentioned
three times in the Bible, First in Genesis, then in Psalms 110:4 and several
times in Hebrews. There is no record of
Melchizedek’s Father or Mother or beginning or ending of days. That is because the priesthood of Christ is
after the order of Melchizedek. Christ
had no beginning or ending. Melchizedek
is a perfect picture of Christ. Christ
is the High Priest for the world today.
The
temptation Abram faced was to take the booty and give the persons back to the
King of Sodom. If he had done this, the
King of Sodom could have said God did not bless Abram and It was from the Kings
hand that he received the booty.
God
always prepares us for any temptation that comes to us. He says that He will never let any temptation
come to us that we are not able to bear.
I Cor. 10:13.
God
had prepared Abram for this one. Abram
told him that the men who went with him has earned their share of the booty but
he would not take any of the booty for himself.
J.
Vernon McGee Commentary
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