Abram Rescues Lot

Good-morning.

Review:

Last time we talked about a man named Abram. God had called Abram out of his homeland. He called Abram to trust Him. And He promised Abram that He would bless him and make him a great nation, even though he and his wife were old. They could not have kids, but God promised to work a miracle. Well, Abram trusted God and followed Him out into the unknown. And Abram’s nephew Lot went along with them.

The History:

Well, in Genesis 13, we see that God blessed Abram and his wife. They had lots of cattle and wealth. In fact, both Abram and Lot had grown so wealthy that the Bible says that where they were living could not contain them. And Lot’s servants began to fight with Abram’s servants.

So Abram pulls his nephew aside and has a talk with him. This is what he says. Genesis 13:8–9“8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.””

Abram was older and had every right to take whatever land he wanted. But he was kind and let Lot choose. So lot chose. And lot chose to live near a great city called Sodom. Sodom was a wicked land filled with sin. But Abram went the other way.

And when they separated, God spoke to Abram. This is what He said. Genesis 13:14–17“14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”” That is quite the promise. And Abram believed God. He didn’t know how God would do it but he trusted God.

Well, the story continues. Lot gets himself in some trouble. You see, war broke out. Many countries went to war together. Two countries called Shinar and Elam went to war against Sodom and Gomorrah. And they fought and Sodom and Gomorrah lost the battle. And the kings of Shinar and Elam took captive a of the people around Sodom. They took their possessions and people. Well, one of the people who lived in that area who was taken captive was Lot, Abram’s nephew. Remember, Lot was very rich and lived in Sodom. So they took him and all he owned.

But one of the few who escaped came to tell Abram about it. Listen to this. Genesis 14:13–14“13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.”

Abram heard what happened to his nephew and he went to war. Abram clearly loved his nephew. And just like a scene from an old western, the news comes to Abram and he gets his posse together and they mount up to go get the bad guys. And they rode out for a fight. All 318 of them. And this is what happened.

Genesis 14:15–16“15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.” Abram won. He divided his people and surrounded them. And they won the fight. And Abram and his men saved the people and possessions that were stolen.

And then Abram does something interesting. Genesis 14:17–20 “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.”

Abram wins the fight, and then goes to the King of a land called Salem. There he meets a man known as Melchizedek. Melchizedek was a king and a priest of God. And Melchizedek blesses Abram. And Abram pays a tithe, ten percent, of all the plunder to this priest. You see, God blessed Abram with victory. And Abram then gives back to God. When God blesses us, we need to always remember Abram and give back to God.

Then Abram gives all the plunder back to the king of Sodom. He didn’t keep anything. Why not? Because he trusted God to provide for him. Abram went to war because it was the right thing to do. He went and saved his nephew. He didn’t go to get rich. He went to do the right thing. Abram was brave, and bold. I pray we would be brave and bold and do the right thing, just like Abram did. Lets pray.

Prayer: