GENESIS
February 04, 2017
By Pastor Kim Hickcox
(All Scripture taken from One New Man Bible unless otherwise noted.)
Chapter 14 of Genesis is very enlightening and tells us many different things. Verses 1-12 tell about a war in the area that involved 9 kingdoms altogether. The kingdoms of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim and Bela went to war against, or actually rebelled against the kingdoms of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam and Goiim because after serving Elam for twelve years, they decided that enough was enough and they wanted their independence.
Verses 10-12 tell us why this portion of history has been recorded in Scripture: “And the Valley of Siddom was full of asphalt pits and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there, and those who remained fled to the mountain. 11And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and went their way. 12And they took Lot, Abram’s brothers’ son, who dwelled in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.” (Note that when Abram got involved, even though all involved were heathens, it still happened that he came to be on the side of the oppressed as opposed to the side of the oppressor.)
Not a smart move on the winners’ part. Not only did they mess with Abram, God’s friend and first evangelist, but they took Abram’s nephew, who was also a righteous man. We see this in 2nd Peter 2:7-9, when Scripture says “and He rescued righteous Lot, when he was tormented by the way of life of the lawless in sensuality: 8for that righteous man, as he lived among them day after day, was tormented, a righteous being, in seeing and hearing unrighteous works: 9the Lord knows how to rescue the Godly from trial…”
As mentioned before, Jewish scholars refer to Abram as the first evangelist for Almighty God due to Genesis 12:5, “And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brothers’ son and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the souls that they had made in Haran: and they left to go into the land of Canaan…” (bold is mine for emphasis).
And as his upbringing in Shem’s school (as recorded in the Book of Jasher) would probably have been common knowledge in ancient times, this makes total sense. Abram most likely would have preached Creation and the Flood to convert his disciples, which his assembled army, or his household of servants, is called in Genesis 14:14.
In verses 13-16, we see that “the one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew” what had happened which is when he “armed his disciples, born in his house, three hundred eighteen, and pursued them to Dan.” (vs 14)
This battle was the Lord’s just as sure as Gideon’s was (see Judges chapter 7). Abram was a herdsman and preacher, called by God to travel to a new land he wasn’t even going to know about until he got there, and made peace and friends with everyone he met along the way. His disciples most certainly weren’t ready in any way to go to war! And not only that, but he took 318 non-military men to fight against FOUR king’s armies! And seemingly without batting an eye. He just heard that his nephew was in trouble and off he went!
In verses 17-20 we see the only appearance of Melchizedek as well as the first act of tithing: “And Melchizedek, king of Salem brought forth bread and wine and he was the priest of the Most High God. 19And he blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, Possessor of Heaven and Earth. 20And blessed be the Most High God, Who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ And he gave him tithes of all.” (18-20)
Melchizedek is mentioned on the New Testament also. But what I would like to mention now is the name of the city – Salem. It later became Jerusalem, but the meaning of the word Salem in Hebrew (spelled Shalem) is an adjective meaning whole, entire, perfect. And as you have probably guessed is related to shalom, which complete, lacking in nothing.
Abram tithed to Melchizedek, God’s priest and king out of gratitude for what the Lord had done for him. This is what tithing is truly about. This happened over 400 years before the Teaching (otherwise known as the Law) was even given and is the heart of the meaning and reason for it.
The Possessor of Heaven and Earth does not need our money. What He wants is our trust – in all factions of our life including our money. This is why He said in Malachi 4:10, “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, so there will be food in My house and test Me now by this,’ says the LORD of Hosts, ‘if I will not open the windows of heaven for you all and pour out a blessing for all eternity.’”
In the Old Covenant, the priests lived off the tithes of the people, so when the people stopped tithing, they could conceivably starve!
Now getting back to Melchizedek, Hebrews 6:20-7:3 explains that, “…Y’shua entered on our behalf, Who has become forever a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. 7:1For this ‘Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of the Most High God, the one who met Abraham when he returned from the slaughter of the kings and had blessed him, 2with whom Abraham also divided a tithe from everything,’ first on the one hand translated “King of Righteousness” but then also “King of Salem” which is King of Peace, 3without a father, without a mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but Who was made like the Son of God, remains a priest forever.” Melchizedek, King of [Salem] Perfection.
He is what is theologically known as a Christophany, which is an appearance of the Christ (or Messiah) before His arrival in the manger. This happened a few times, the second of which we will see not too far from today, as He appeared to Abram to discuss not only his finally becoming a father, but also to discuss the fate of Sodom.
We finish chapter 14 with the king of Sodom, wanting to reward Abram for coming to their rescue, but he wanted nothing to do with an earthy reward. (Pardon my sense of humor, but Gomer Pyle just flashed through my mind saying Ill-gotten gains! Ill-gotten gains!)
We end today with the last 3 verses of chapter 14, “22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have lifted up my hand to the LORD, the Most High God, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth, 23that I shall not take even a thread from a shoe-strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. 24Far be it from me! Only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me; Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion.’”
Was the king simply being sincerely thankful for Abram’s help? Probably so. But Abram, using Godly wisdom no doubt, understood the eternal truth of not being yoked to the unrighteous, as the Lord told Paul to write down thousands of years later in 2nd Corinthians 6:14-16, “You must not ever become unevenly yoked with unbelievers: for would some mix righteousness and iniquity, or some fellowship in light, with darkness? 15But what agreement is there of Messiah with Satan, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16And what agreement can anyone have with idols in a Sanctuary of God? For we are a sanctuary of the Living God…”
That’s a good way to start a new week! A reminder that we are living sanctuaries of the Living God! Go and be blessed and bring [your light] His Light to all you meet!
SHALOM!
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