Genesis 14:11-16

11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. 14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. NKJV

To many, the Christian life appears dull & uneventful. It is anything but that! If it appears to be so, it is almost certainly a life out of focus with true spirituality; in other words, a carnal Christian life.

We have seen already that whenever Abram is found with a tent and an altar in the land of Canaan, he is a wonderful picture of a Christian living in the power and enjoyment of his pilgrim life, in this world but not of it, daily judging self by the cleansing of the cross.

I.    Lot’s Predicament.

A.  Lot turns from God’s Protection.

Lot, on the other hand, is a picture for us of the carnal Christian, flesh-governed, living for self. He has forsaken the place of fellowship with Christ. Lot left Abram up on the hillside and moved down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities of the plain. He was drawn by the allurements of the world and began to live for himself and for the pleasures of life. He pictures a Christian who is born again, but enmeshed in the enticements of the materialistic, commercialized world around.

Now, suddenly, a shattering experience breaks into Abram's quiet, pleasant existence. Life in the Spirit is like that. We are never permitted to rest beside the still waters very long, nor would we want to, for life there soon grows dull and uninteresting.

In Genesis 14, we are introduced to the first war ever recorded in Scripture. It is a stirring account, vividly contrasting the blustering armies of earth with the quiet, overcoming power of faith. We get our first glimpse of these earthly armies in the first three verses.

(Gen. 14:1-3)

The spade of the archaeologist has amply verified the historic existence of the kings named here. Long before the rise of the Babylonian Empire, these kings made a military foray into the land of Canaan, perhaps to defend their trade routes with Egypt, or to subdue the warlike tribes of the area. The account here could have been taken from the daily newspaper of Sodom; the city was aware of the threat to its welfare and liberties, and was much alarmed.

As the account progresses, we learn that Chedorlaomer is the chief of the invading kings. Historically, he is identified as the Elamite dictator, from the land east of Persia, which is now known as West Pakistan. He came with his satellite kings against the confederacy of five kings from the cities of the plain.

His coming in this manner is representative of the world's power to harass and enslave Christians. But more than one type is required to portray the whole aspect of the enmity of the world. Sodom, for instance, is a picture of the world in its lust for sensual pleasures. In contrast to this, this invasion from the east is a portrayal of the world in its naked power to enslave and tyrannize and take away the physical liberties of man.

Lot is already enmeshed in the blind commercialism of Sodom, but has kept himself free from the sexual degradation of the place. Now he is threatened by a circumstance that would deprive him of his basic liberties.

In terms of our experience today, this might be some form of legalism, or perhaps some vicious habit such as alcoholism or self-abuse. It might even be a sickness that renders one a bedridden invalid -- although, all such sickness is certainly not of this nature. Whatever may be the difficulty, it is some outward circumstance that threatens physical or spiritual liberty. Here is Lot, a carnal Christian, caught between the jaws of vice -- the materialism of Sodom and the tyranny of Chedorlaomer.

{Gen 14:5-7 RSV}

Rephaim and Zuzim were families of giants. It is from this group, later in Israel's history, that Goliath came, whom David decapitated with his own sword.

These were men eight to ten feet tall, a mighty race who were greatly feared by the people around them. Yet the invading kings swept even these giants before them.

The territory mentioned here is quite extensive, covering from the north and west of the Sea of Galilee, down the Jordan Valley, all the way south to the Red Sea. Here, then, was an enemy, seemingly invincible, relentless, unstoppable, striking fear into every heart as they carried all before them.

At this point we have the first mention of Lot in the story. If it were not for him, we would know nothing at all of these events, because the Bible never takes any cognizance of human history except as it relates to the peoples of God.

(Gen. 14:8-12)

It is specifically called to our attention that in the valley of the Dead Sea there were many tar or bitumen pits, filled with natural asphalt. If you have visited the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles you will know just what is described here. These open pits of asphalt would be covered over by the desert sand as the wind blew across them and they would appear like the surrounding ground. But anyone venturing into such a pit would be held by the tar and his body would be imprisoned for centuries. The bones of dinosaurs and other beasts have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits, having been encased in tar for many centuries.

Evidently the five kings of the confederacy felt that this area would be the best place for battle, as the pits would be a natural defense. But instead, they turned out to be a trap. As the tide of battle turned against them, they fled to the mountains in head-long haste, and many of them, falling into the pits of tar, were destroyed. In the ensuing capture of Sodom, Lot and his family and all his goods were carried away by the invading army.

II.  God’s Provision.

Then notice what happens! The Holy Spirit shifts the scene to Abram up on the mountainside, so that we might see the overcoming power of faith. All hope for Lot now lies in Abram's hand:

{Gen 14:13 RSV}

A messenger comes to Abram, doubtless sent by Lot. At the last moment before his capture, he must have hurriedly sent this man out to slip through the lines and find his way to Abram. It is likely that he barely escaped from the clutches of the enemy with his life. He finds Abram in Hebron, the place of fellowship. With him are three men who are his allies.

(Gen. 14:14-15)

Here is the key to victory -- three hundred and eighteen men, trained for warfare! This was not his entire battle force. There were other men belonging to Abram's allies, but this is the hard core of trained, disciplined men he relied upon to lead his little army into battle. He had only three hundred and eighteen, but that was all he needed! It might have seemed a pitiful handful beside the vast armies of those four kings who had come out of the ancient east, sweeping everything before them as they came. But if we will learn the lesson taught us here, and all through Scripture, we need never be discouraged by overwhelming numbers again. The lesson is simply this: God's victories are never won by force of numbers! Never! "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts," (Zech. 4:6b {RSV}).

I tell you, if three hundred and eighteen people were to gather to pray, that would be a red letter day indeed. And if those three hundred and eighteen people knew how to pray, were trained in the warfare of prayer, they would shake the powers of evil around the world! Three hundred and eighteen would put to rout all the vast armies of the enemy.

Note the careful strategy Abram employed. Abram divided his forces, and using a twofold approach, he set the enemy to flight.

Notice yet a third incident. Abram pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. Hobah means "hidden," and therefore signifies a complete victory, even to the point of the enemy hiding himself to escape. Abram never let up. He kept on till the forces against him were demoralized. He pressed his advantage to the utmost. He did not quit fighting, he did not stop praying, at the first little break, but pressed on through until he won a great and tremendous victory. In Verse 16, we see the extent of the victory Abram won.

III. Abram’s Perspective.

A.  Why did Abram get involved?

B.  He too had made wrong choices.

Abram had only recently turned away from God’s provision. In choosing Egypt over God’s promised land, Abram soon learned the consequences of making choices that seem right to a man.

C.  He too had enjoyed God’s provision.

God’s unseen hand was at work in Abram’s life, bringing a plague upon Pharaoh, and delivering Sarai and Abram.

D.  The same is true today.

When God delivers you from your mistakes, He positions you to rescue another at an appointed time.

Now, in all this, the Holy Spirit would drive one thing home to our hearts. We do not lead our Christian lives in isolated seclusion -- we are members one of another, and in circumstances of this nature, one Christian can often be the means of deliverance to a weaker brother. There was nothing Abram could do to deliver Lot from Sodom. Sodom represented an inward choice in the heart of this man. Lot chose to live in the materialistic, sensualized atmosphere of Sodom. If a child of God chooses to be materialistic, sensual, commercial, greedy for things of the world, not much can be done for him. Only Lot could take himself out of Sodom. But from this circumstance that threatened Lot's very life and liberty, Abram's resources were amply sufficient.

When Lot could not possibly help himself, Abram, separated in heart from the Sodom-like attitudes that rendered Lot so powerless, was able to lay hold of God and effect a great and mighty deliverance.

Jude 22-24 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, NKJV