Reading Genesis, we meet a particular difficulty. Geography. We encounter many ancient names of places which very few people on this planet nowadays are able to identify with certainty.
When Abram continued the unfinished journey started by his father Terah, he went through several places.
Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land (Genesis 12:6).
There God appeared to Abram and he built an altar.
Then Abram moved to a mountain between Bethel and Ai, built another altar and called on the name of God (Genesis 12:8).
Then he journeyed on to Negeb but there was a famine. He went to Egypt where the wife-sister story took place.
He returned to Negeb. The Bible said Abram was very rich in cattle, in gold and in silver (Genesis 13:2).
Abram did not stay in Negeb for long and returned to the mountain between Bethel and Ai. Abram and his nephew Lot had too many herds for the land to support. They had to part company in order to reduce conflicts and disputes between their herdsmen. Even though Abram was the uncle, he allowed his nephew to choose first. All along, Abram probably had Lot in mind to make Lot inherit his estate because his wife Sarai was barren. Lot chose the more fertile land. He occupied Jordan Valley and pitched his tent in Sodom (Genesis 13:12) and Abram stayed in Canaan. To be exact, he settled by the oaks of Mamre in Hebron (Genesis 13:18). They parted company.
Genesis 14 begins with the joint forces of 4 kings.
Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim (Genesis 14:1).
These kings subdued a lot of peoples in the region. These included
the Rephaim in Ashterothkarnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shavehkiriathaim,
and the Horites in their Mount Seir as far as Elparan on the border of the wilderness;
then they turned back and came to Enmishpat (that is, Kadesh), and subdued all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazontamar (Genesis 14:5-7).
What an impressive conquer! Now, they turned against the joint forces of 5 kings.
Then Bera the king of Sodom, Birsha the king of Gomorrah, Shinab the king of Admah, Shemeber the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim (Genesis 14:8).
The five were defeated.
So the enemy took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way;
they also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed (Genesis 14:11-12).
I am not a history student. But I think these kings were probably tribal chieftains. The wars mentioned above were probably no more than tribal wars of a confined region. Now that Lot was captured. Abram came into scene.
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 (Genesis 14:13).
Now, we are able to know something more about Mamre. He was an Amorite. Eschcol and Aner were his brothers and these three were allies of Abram. What was the armed force of Abram? How did he rescue Lot?
When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and routed them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus.
Then he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his goods, and the women and the people (Genesis 14:14-16).
Abram led only 318 trained men, divided them and attacked by night. He was able to route the joint forces of 4 kings! The scale of battle was small compared with those recorded in the books of Judges and Samuel. That was why I suspected that those kings were simply chieftains. Of course, if God was fighting the battle with Abram, number and size would not count.
When Abram returned, the king of Sodom came to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh, that is, the King's Valley (Genesis 14:17). Then, the mysterious Melchizedek king of Salem appeared. His name appears only twice in the Old Testament. Yet, he was mentioned 8 times in the epistle to the Hebrews in which we learn that Abram gave him a tenth of everything. To my surprise, it was not mentioned in Genesis but in Hebrews.
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High.
And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" (Genesis 14:18-20)
Therefore, in Genesis, Abram was not the only person who worshipped God. There was already a priest of God Most High.
When the king of Sodom offered to Abram all the spoils of battle, Abram gracefully declined.
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, maker of heaven and earth,
that I would not take a thread or a sandal-thong or anything that is yours, lest you should say, `I have made Abram rich.'
I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me; let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share." (Genesis 14:22-24)
Abram was already very rich. He had no need of these spoils. What was more, Abram had demonstrated to us the virtue of justice. From the city he ruled, we can perhap hypothesize that the king of Sodom was a corrupt man. Abram did not want the king's riches. He set us an example not to accept favour from corrupt people. Any connection with these corrupt people will undermine our integrity and honour.
Dear Lord, You have chosen Your friend (James 2:23) well. From his treatment of Lot, his allies and the king of Sodom, we see that Abram was truly a man of integrity. You have set up a perfect model for us to follow. Through him, may we receive Your blessings. Amen.
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