The Rescue Mission

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 102:18-28

Psalm 102:18–28 ESV

Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord. He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. “O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days— you whose years endure throughout all generations!” Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.

Scripture Memorization: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 10:32-11:1

Hebrews 10:32–11:1 ESV

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Sermon:

1

Speaker 1

00:00

Well once again, and as always, good morning. I was certainly glad when they said to me let

2

Speaker 2

00:06

us go and Worship in the house of the Lord. Well, this morning, we are continuing our journey through the Book of Genesis.

1

Speaker 1

00:15

We've made it all the way to Genesis. Chapter 14. Normally, I would encourage you to. Open your Bibles to Genesis 14, but we have a bit of a special gift. The budget committee has been. Just rocking and rolling a lot of wonderful things are happening here around the church we. We updated the electrical switch for the lights up here so that we're to code and the church doesn't burn down. That's always good. There's the pens in the back of your seats and also. Right in front of you? You should. If you look down, you'll see a Pew Bible, so we have matching Pew Bibles hardcover, not the paperback ones that have been disintegrating for.

01:05

So, since the beginning of time since I've been here, we've had paperback Pew Bibles that have sort of just been falling apart. We have nice hardcover Pew Bibles, so if ever you forget your Bible? This is here, the also other nice thing about Pew Bibles. They're all the same. And so I can say turn with me to Genesis chapter 14, but if you want to use the Bible in front of you provided by the church. You can turn to Genesis 14, which is on page 11, which is nice because many of us. The struggle to find passages. Genesis is pretty easy because it's the very beginning, but in general, sometimes it's hard. So to be able to say, and all beyond the same page, literally. Page 11 is a nice blessing, so thank you to the budget committee for that.

01:52

But Genesis, chapter 14 again, page 11 in the Pew Bibles. We will be looking at verses 1 through 16 this morning. And I will just preface before we start this reading. I would rather read through a genealogy because we're going to do names and places in this text. And I think the places for me at least are often much harder. That preface out of the way. Let's begin by reading God's word together. Genesis chapter 14, starting in verse 1. In the days of amrafell, the king of shinar ariak, king of elasar, Cheryl lelomer, King of Elam in title, king of goim, these kings made war with Bara King of Sodom, bersha King of Gomorrah, shinab King of adma, sharenberg King of zebuim, and the king of Bala that is Zor.

02:51

And all these joint forces in the valley of sidim that is the salt sea. 12 years. They had served cheddar, La, Moore, and but. Chad or Laumer, but in the 13th year they rebelled in the 14th year, Chad or Larimer, the king of and the kings who were with him came and defeated the wrathheim in ashtaroth karnaim. And zunim in ham and emim in Shava kiratham. And all the whoreites and their Hill Country of Sayer. As far as El Paran on the border of the Wilderness. Then they turn back and came to end mishpap that is Kadesh and defeated the country of the Amical and malachites and also the amorites who were dwelling and Jesus on Tamar.

03:41

Then the King of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of adma, the king of zebaim, and the king of Bala. That is, zor went out. And they joined battle in the valley of sidim with cheddar Larimer, the king of Elam title, king of goim, Emerfell, king of shinar in ariat, king of LSR, Four Kings against five. Now, the value of sittim was full of bitumen pits and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled. Some fell into them and the rest fled to the Hill Country. So, the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions and went their way.

04:16

They also took lot the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom and his possessions, and they went their way. Than one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by The Oaks of mamrie, the Amorite, the brother of ashkole and Anna. These were the Allieds allies of Abram. When Abram heard that his King's men had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men born of his house, 318 of them, and went in Pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his forces against them by night. He and his servants and defeated them and pursued them and pursued them to Hoba, north of Damascus.

04:57

Then he brought back all the possessions and also brought back his Kinsmen Lots with all his possessions and the women. And the people. These are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's open our time together with a word of prayer.

05:15

Dear Lord, we do praise you. For you are great and greatly to be praised. The high king of Heaven, The Sovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth. The one who was Seated on the throne who knows all things controls all things you are high and lifted up and worthy of all glory, honor, and praise, and so we offer this to you this morning. We asked this morning that you would speak to our hearts. We thank you for your word given to us that we might know you, and so now we ask that you would give us ears to hear and eyes to see.

05:44

Reveal yourself to us through your word. I ask that you would speak through your servants. Anyway, words be clear. May your message go forth, I ask you use this time for all of us. To conform us into the image of your son, our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. For it's in his name that we pray. Amen. And amen. As I mentioned. As I went through this this week, well more last week too. I really felt like, you know, I'd rather in many ways do a genealogy. Cuz the genealogy, at least. All you have there is names here. As we come to this text, we have names and places and alliances and politicking, and it gets much more confusing.

06:32

And as I got to ready to give this sermon to prepare to to preach to you, I was working with our pastoral intern working through outlining and working through. How do you present texts like this? I told him this is the hard stuff. This is not easy things to figure out. How do you adequately appropriately present this information in a way that is important? And so I, I look at this beginning portion, really verses 1 through 12, the the big part of it. How do you present this? I think here we should just look at this as the Raging.

07:13

What Moses is trying to do, is, he writes this, out for us is to show us that the world around us is Raging, and he does so in a way that, for the original audience, would have been very. Sort of something they would just know. And because of their living in it and their knowledge of it, they would. They would grasp these things. Very easily. You know, we could go big picture, sort of for our area. We could say, you know, in the King of New Mexico and the King of Arizona and the king of Colorado and the King of Utah were raging against the king of Texas and the King of Oklahoma and the King of Louisiana, and we can picture in our minds how these geographical areas fit together.

08:01

Now, what we're talking about here are not as big nearly as big as States. All of this happens in an area. Very, very small smaller than probably even our County, so? It might be more like the King of Las Cruces together with the King of. Mesquite and? Radium Springs were against the king of Oregon and the king. T, or C, maybe we'll go that far. That could work. And we're starting to see, okay. Well, this is how these things would fit together. But, but we don't have the context. So, here's another modern one, this one I thought up this week. This means something to me now, having been there and driven these places. But for many of you, this might mean nothing. The king of Rapid City, together with the king of the Spire Highway and the Iron Mountain Road was warring against the king of Deadwood and leads and Sturgis.

09:03

And maybe you've heard some of those places and so little things pop up. But how do they fit together? How does this work it's hard? And my goal today is not to give you a geography lesson. You can do this. Most good Bibles have maps in them. If you don't have a map and you really are interested, you can come talk to me. We can print one out from my computer. We can look at the geography. Here's the point. The world is Raging. Nine Kings in total are mentioned here. And we have Four Kings against five Kings and Kings who served another king and there's a rebellion against the first king.

09:42

And really what this is showing us? Is that the war the the world is Raging? And in particular what what we need to understand and see is what portion? Of the world is raging. That's a wonderful question. And here's where context is very important. Just last chapter, Abram showed his faith by being generous and kind to his nephew lot. And Abram told lot look to the north, south east west look. Whichever way you want, you pick what land you want. And I'll go the other way. If you go left, I'll go right. You go, right? I'll go left. That's what he said.

10:27

And lot looked with his eyes, the eyes of the flesh. This was in chapter 13. Verse 10 lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord. Like the land of Egypt in the direction of Zor. So a lot chose for himself. All the Jordan Valley, verse 11. Lot was given his pic of land, and he picked the Jordan Valley. Because to him, it was pleasance. Crops would grow there. It was fertile. It would be for him a dream place to live, like the garden of the Lord, or like Egypt, which was watered by the Nile. That's where he wanted to live.

11:10

And that's where lot picked. And because lot picked with his eyes. He was just like everyone around him. So, what's going to happen? It's not just lots that once the choice land, it's not just lot who wants to live where it feels like the garden of the Lord, or like Egypt watered by the Nile everywhere. Once everyone wants to live there. And so lot finds himself smack dab in the middle. Of the Raging World. This is the point. It's not just that the world rages. Yes, the world rages. The difficulty is we often find ourselves in the middle of the Raging World. Sometimes we're in the middle of the Raging World through no fault of our own.

11:58

We are as the New Testament, say, strangers, sojourners, Exiles. Our residence is not here on this Earth. Our residency is in heaven. But sometimes as those who sojourn. Here we find ourselves in the middle of all sorts of turmoil boiling around us. I don't like to talk politics, so I'm not going to take a side or say anything. But I think we can clearly see that right now. The politics of the world are going crazy. And there's Wars all around, and there's rumors of wars all around, and even within our own country, there's Discord and disunity.

12:40

It's not good. Sometimes through no fault of our own. We were just born here. We just live here. We find ourselves in the middle of the Raging world, but sometimes we should be honest and Frank. The reason we find ourselves in the midst of the Raging world is because the decisions that we have made Place us there.

13:06

Looked with his eyes. Lot is one who, and this is a sub theme of the Book of Genesis. We will see this over and over and over and over and over and over and over again as we go through this book. Now, one of the sub themes is the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. We've been talking about that since Genesis 13 or Genesis 3. But one of the markers between the seat of the woman and the seat of the serpent is the seat of the serpent lives by sight and the seat of the woman lives by faith.

13:40

And as we look at these people, we can clearly see who is who, by how they live and what they look to Cain and Abel. Abel walked by faith. He offered the first fruits. Cain walked by sight. He offered what seemed right to himself. One was the seat of the woman. One was the seed of the serpent. Abram is one who walks by faith. The book of Hebrews tells us this. But even in Genesis, God says, go, he goes. And he worships. And he goes. And he worships, and he comes here in chapter 13, and he says, take what you want. I trust that God will be good. God comes and promises him goodness.

14:21

But lot just looks and sees and what he lays his side on. He seeks to grasp, and he finds himself. In the middle. Of the Raging. Again, there's details as to how exactly this is panning out, but we should know lot. We read in chapter 13 was going to go settle in between Sodom and Gomorrah, he moved his tent as far as Sodom. That's where Lot's going to go live. And in doing so, he placed himself under the care and provision and protection of the kings of these places. Well, what happens? Well, verse 10, the valley of sidom, this is chapter 14, the valley of sitim was full of bitumen pits and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and some fell into them, and the rest fled to the Hill Country.

15:10

And so lot put himself under the care and protection of these Kings. These Kings fall these Kings flee. They're falling into bitterman pits. They're falling into quicksand and dying, or they're just hiding in the Hills, like a bunch of cowards.

15:27

And lots who look to the world to protect him from the Raging World finds himself caught up in the middle of the Raging World. Here's the point. The world is always raging. And we should never put our trust and hope. In the world.

15:47

But luckily for lots, as this story pans out. It's not just a story about the Raging. Because the undercurrent through all of Genesis is this, there is a faithful.

16:04

In verse 13, we read that there's one one who escapes. How bad is the Raging of the world? There's one who escapes to tell Abram what has happened.

16:18

Then one who had escaped came and told Abram. The Hebrew. This is the first time we read this word, and it's interesting to read it here. And people who write their commentaries will debate day and night about what exactly is going on. How has this happening? How is Abram called the Hebrew when the Hebrew people are those who descend from Abram. Well, first of all, Moses is writing this. After the events of Abram's life, so there's been time for the Hebrew people to develop, and so it could be part of it is. We're identifying this word Hebrew with Abram, because all who descend from him okay?

16:59

But there's also something else going on, and I actually think this is, what is the heart of what's being focused on here? The term, the word at the heart of what Hebrew would mean here? Is basically. One who lived in a tent. One who traveled a nomad may be in our modern language. Lot had set up his tent. He was dwelling in between these powerful cities, but as the world raged, the cities offered no protection. So, who do they run to? Abram. The tent dweller. Not living in the Jordan Valley, which looks like the garden of the Lord, like it's the the plains of Egypt watered by the Nile, no?

17:53

He's wanderer! He's living by The Oaks of mammary. Often, we talk about the Oaks of memory, referring to a place. But here, actually, when we say this, it's The Oaks of mammary, the amorites. These are. The person comes. This is what's being said here in verse 12. One who escapes comes to Abram. The tent dweller, who's dwelling in his tent besides someone else's trees?

18:28

This man. Memory. The Amorite was the brother of escol and Anna. And these three. We read. Are the Allies? Of Abram. We can't miss this. Law walked by sights. He thought he would be in the provision and protection of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah that didn't work for him. Abram walked by faith, and he found himself, though dwelling in a tent with allies. And safe. Why? Because God was faithful. How faithful was God to Abram? Well, Abram, this tent dweller is blessed Beyond measure. When Abram heard that his Kinsmen had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men born in his house, 318 of them, and went in Pursuit as far as damn.

19:33

How blessed is Abram? Well, all of these Kings get together, and we have four Kings against five kings in this massive war, and kings are falling, and there's war and difficulty. And these Kings take these King's stuff, and these Kings flee to this place. And these Kings take all of the possessions, and they start hiking off. And here's Abram with his three allies and 318. Trained men. Of his house. What this means is Abram? And all those who are with him. His servants. Whatever sort of tangential Kinsmen are here. His servants and his servants, kids.

20:20

There are 318. Trained men. Not old men. Not young men. We're not counting women. We're not counting children. This is just men fit for war. There are 318 of them.

20:41

This is how blessed Abram has been. Did did just the trained men in his house, spoiler alert of what's going to happen in the rest of the story. I've already read it, so this shouldn't be much of a spoiler. Abram is going to take his trained men and go defeat the armies that defeated the other armies. Right. So, if we were to like, put a tier system here. Lowest would be the kings of Sonicomorph and their allies. They're defeated, and they're high. They're falling into bitterman pits, and they're hiding in the mountains. Above. That would be these other armies that defeated the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, cheddar Larimer, and all of his allies. They're stronger. They defeated these ones.

21:21

But on top of them all is Abram. Abram and his trained men will defeat all of these. Why? Because God has been faithful.

21:31

But why has God been faithful? Because Abram walks by faith and not by sight? There's even some irony as we read through this that. That Abram, who's supposed to be a blessed Nation and have descendants and all of this stuff in some sense. They are nations, have allies. Nations have armies of 318 men. But yet, Abram still doesn't have a son at this point. He still has no descendant. This will come up later. He will say if I die all of this stuff's going to go to my cousin, I I still don't have God the promises.

22:08

But yet, he's still walking by faith, and God is still faithful to bless him.

22:14

And so the story ends with. The wonderful Redeemer!

22:22

If we focus here in the text, the wonderful Redeemer is Abram. Verse 15, he divides his forces against them by night. He and his servants and defeated them and pursued them to Hobe, north of Damascus. Abram. A wise man. Uses military strategy. We can do this. We can take them out. How are we going to do it? We'll go at night. All these dudes are sleeping. And in one sense. We're like, wow. Doesn't take a rocket science to figure rocket scientists to figure this one out, right? This is not. This is not Sun zoos. Like, methods of warfare that we're developing these intricate plants.

23:03

But in other sense, it works. Abram and his servants defeat them.

23:12

And so he brings back. All the possessions. He also brought back his Kinsmen lot with his possessions and the women and the people.

23:22

Abram. Fully.

2

Speaker 2

23:25

Redeems.

1

Speaker 1

23:28

Lot, he rescues him. Him and all his possessions and all of his servants. Abram. In our text. Is a? And wonderful Redeemer. He doesn't go defeat the armies and then tell lot. Now, figure it out. You're free to go. She brings them back. Even knowing. What's the context here, even knowing if I bring lot in his possessions back? The land's still not big enough for my possessions? And lots possessions.

24:14

Come on back a lot. I'll rescue.

24:19

Don't read the rest of the story. Lot will not be back forever. He's going to continue. And head on back. Into the Raging world that has already let him down once.

24:31

That part of the story is a story for another day.

24:37

Abram goes and redeems his Kinsmen.

24:44

Verse 14 Abram heard that his Kinsmen had been taken captive. And members of Abram's family. Will not be held captive. Members of Abram's family. Shouldn't get taken. As possessions. Abram. Will redeem his family.

25:14

So, what's our lesson?

25:17

I think it's very simple. But very important.

25:25

Abram. Is what we would call here a type? Of Jesus Christ.

25:36

Those who belong to Abram. Do not need to fear. The Raging.

25:47

So? Those who belong to Jesus. Do not need to fear. The Raging. Those of the House of Abram, when they find themselves. Maybe even through their own decisions caught in the? Chaos and confusion of the Raging World can look to their Redeemer.

26:19

Those who belong to Jesus.

26:22

Even though often through their own decisions find themselves in the midst of the Raging. Should look to their Redeemer. He will save. He will deliver.

26:43

As we read through these stories. But there's a there's a famous sermon. By many, Matt Chandler. He's talking about David and Goliath. He talks about David fighting against Goliath and then the scared Israelites and the point of his sermon is you're not, David, you're the scared Israelites. I think it's good that we think through, we realize, who do we identify with in this story?

27:13

And I'll just be honest. It's probably not Abram.

27:22

We're lost. We far too often walked by sight and not by faith. We've placed our trust and our hope in many various things. Maybe at times and at points. We set our hope and trust in God, and we should praise the Lord for that. And by his grace, we will. But how often do we look to? Our paycheck. Our government. Our own strength, and might our ability to figure it out on our own? How often do we look to? Other things. One. The call here is to live by faith. Look to Jesus, your savior. He will save. He will deliver, and he will protect.

28:07

Abram had no cares in the world here. He was living by The Oaks of memory with his allies around him. God was multiplying and blessing. He was being fruitful in his household. There were 318 trained men.

28:24

God is faithful.

28:28

And so we should look to Our Redeemer to Jesus Christ, Our Lord. All who call upon his name will find in Jesus, the perfect savior. He has proven he will save us. May we rest in him? Let's pray.