Genesis 14:1-24

War seems to be a constant companion of mankind.  People always seem to want more than they have and are willing to go to war with others in order to obtain what they desire.  Abraham seems to be neutral in this conflict until Lot is taken as prisoner.  This is an amazing story that must have involved incredible heroics and supernatural intervention.
DESTRUCTION: Sodom and Gomorrah are part of a rebellion against a foreign king who seems to be in control of this region.  The king comes down with his allies and makes a clean sweep of the coalition of nations that tried to overthrow his dominion.  Sodom and Gomorrah fall and are dispersed and destroyed.  Lot and his family are taken captive as prisoners of war and are likely destined to be sold as slaves.  God seems to be judging these wicked cities and warning Lot that his company with these evil men is placing him and his family in grave danger.  Sin always has disastrous consequences.  God uses kings and nations to punish those who continue to rebel against Him.  God gives warning of His judgment through this war but the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah including Lot do not seem to be listening.
DELIVERANCE: When Abraham finds out that Lot and his family has been taken, he gathers his fighting men and sets out to bring deliverance to Lot.  Abraham uses the element of surprise, attacks at night and with 318 soldiers manages to defeat a coalition of kings that must have outnumbered them by a huge amount.  This may be the first demonstration of God’s determination to bless the family of Abraham with supernatural protection.  There will be many such stories of heroics and deliverance in the pages ahead.  When God is on our side, we are always in the majority. When God is against us, there is no advantage able to deliver us from His destruction.  Abraham seems to have great confidence in God’s power and because he believes his cause to be just he goes out in great assurance that the Lord will provide the victory.
DEDICATION: Abraham brings back all the people, livestock and riches that had been taken by the kings.  The king of Sodom offers all of the riches to Abraham in exchange for the people who rightly belonged to Abraham.  However, Abraham was not interested.  He simply took care of his men and returned everything to the king.  However, when Abraham meets the priest of God, Melchizedek, he receives a blessing from the priest and Abraham, in turn, gives a tithe of all he owns to the Lord.  Abraham wants all glory to belong to God.  He does not want the evil king of Sodom to be able to think that Abraham’s riches and power had come from him.  He wants the king and all the people to know that Abraham was blessed and great because of God.  Abraham is fully dedicated to the glory of God and will not trade monetary gain for God’s glory.  The best way to experience the blessing of God is to trust and obey Him and be fully dedicated to His glory.

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