|
Genesis Chapter 14 "War of Sodom, Rescue of Lot by Abram." This Bible Study is
written by Roger Christopherson, and it's transcription/ location There is no difference between the world problems of the days that Abram lived in, then those we face today. The source of the problems, and the conflicts within the minds of men are the same, although the surroundings have changed. In this chapter we see God speaking directly to Abram, and that is absolutely the most sound counsel you can have given to you. We saw in the thirteenth chapter where God took Abram to a land where Satan had placed another influx of his fallen angels, the "Nephilim", and though they were called "Canaanites and Perizzites" in the Massoretic Hebrew text they are correctly identified as "Nephilim" [offspring of the fallen angels]. Once again, Satan is trying to destroy the family that has the promise that God gave Adam, back in Genesis 3:15, and now to Abram. The promise of the Messiah seed, that would come through Abram and Sarai. Lot liked the city life a little better, and when Abram gave him the choice of the plains of Canaan, or the fertile lands around Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot turned his eyes to the city life. Lot moved into the "hell hole" of the entire world, Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 14:1 "And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel King of Shinar, Aroch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;" King Amraphel is identified as "Khammurabi" according to the Assyrian tablets, of the Brittish Museum. These tablets were dug up in 1901 A.D. in Susa [Iraq] by M. J. de Morgan, and are known as "the code of Amraphel" [Khammurabi]. The correct translation for "Amraphel" is "Ammurapi", and this king is the king of Ancient Babylon. The Babylon that existed two thousand years prior to Kin Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon of Daniel's time. Each of these ancient Kings are identified, and they are "Eri-Aku" is "Arioch", the Elamite and prince of Larsa [Ellasar]. King Chedorlaomer is the "Kudur-Lahgumal" of the tablets, and King "Tidal" is identified as King "Tudghula". Genesis 14:2 "That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar." "Bera" in the Hebrew means "evil", which fits the identity of King Bera of Sodom perfectly. So what we see here is that King Khammurabi [Amraphel] and his allies attacked the king of Sodom and Gomorrah, that the small town around Sodom, and Sodom was defeated. When they took Sodom captive, they also took Lot captive as well. Genesis 14:3 "All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea." Genesis 14:4 "Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled." Lot is also take with the rest of the crowd was around him, and God is giving us a lesson here. That lesson is that those people that we hang around, can cause trouble for you. Lot, with all his power and wealth has fallen to the King of Babylon. Genesis 14:5 "And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim," In the Hebrew Massoretic text, the "Raphaim" are a branch of the "Nephilim" [fallen angels]. They are the children of the fallen angels. This is only an example of what is coming again in the end times to the end generation. Genesis 14:6 "And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness." Genesis 14:7 "And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Dadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar." Genesis 14:8 "And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;" Genesis 14:9 "With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five." Genesis 14:10 "And the vale of Siddim was full of slime-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain." Genesis 14:11 "And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way." Genesis 14:12 "And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed." Abram [Abraham] has finally gotten the word that his nephew Lot has been taken captive, and he is now taking action to get him back. We must also stand up for what is right. Abram does not give in to this aggressor, this evil ruler of Babylon. It is against God will to give in to any evil aggression. Today we see the evil of the end times Babylon has worked it's way into Christianity, and these so called "men of God" have take all sorts of false doctrine, and heathen religious custom and mixed it with God's Word; and today they call it "Christianity", and "of God". Most Christians of today will not take the time, nor do most of them even care to study the Word of God, and they simply are satisfied to remain ignorant of God's written Word, and they allow themselves to believe in the Harlot religion of Babylon of our generation. God expects each of us to take a stand and move to action when evil comes upon us, just as Abram took his stand when Lot was taken. This battle is over, and Lot is in captivity along with the rest of the people and things of Lot's cities. Genesis 14:13 "And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram." Remember back in Genesis 13:18, that when Lot moved into Sodom, Abram moved south to the plain of Mamre. While Abram is at home at Mamre, he has allied himself with these other two families. He made friends with the new neighbors. Genesis 14:14 "And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan." "Trained" is better translated from the Hebrew text, "initiated or instructed" in the worship of Yahovehg. "Dan" is not Dan of Judges 18:29, but a city in northern Palestine long before the Danites changed the name of Laish. The Dan we have come to know in our Bible studies, was the son of Jacob, the great grandson of Abraham. Isaac, Dan's grandfather had not even been born at the time of this war Abram is fighting. Genesis 14:15 "And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus." Abram took only 318 men with him, as well as his allies, and drove the Babylonians back to their homes. Genesis 14:16 "And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people." When a man stands up for his rights, and uses common sense, and is right, God will bless him. How did Abram express his rights? He taught his servants how to use the sword, and kill a the enemy. Abram taught them how to pursue all the way to victory, and how to stand their ground. He taught them how to stand up for what is right. God was pleased with them and how well they had prepared themselves for battle. Genesis 14:17 "And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale." Genesis 14:18 "(And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High God.") Notice what "Melchizedek", king of Salem [peace] brought with Him for the victory celebration with Abram; bread and wine. It is these things that will become the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Communion. The "Priest of the Most High God" is Jesus Christ. He is the Chief Priest, and the "King of kings". Genesis 14:19 "And he blessed him, and said, "blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth:" "Melchizedek" comes from two Hebrew words; "Melka" is "King", and "Zedek" is "righteous". Jesus is the King of the righteous, or righteousness. Paul discusses this "Most High Priesthood" of the Son, or Messiah in Hebrews chapter seven, and relates Abram's relationship to God to the unchangeable priesthood of the Levite priesthood, in relation to Jesus Christ's as being the Chief Priest over all priests. The priesthood of Jesus Christ sprang out of Judah, where as the Levitical priesthood of Moses is from Aaron, and Moses spoke only concerning the Levitical priesthood. Paul teaches that when we are under the blood of Christ, then we are not under a law of carnal commandments, but become an eternal priest, after the "Order of Melchizedek" [Christ]. It is well worth the time to study the entire study on Melchizedek from Hebrews 6:20 to Hebrews 7:28. God blessed Abram for slaughtering the evil Babylonians, and for Abram in remembering God with a tenth of the blessings. The giving of the tithe is a form of worship to God. the tithe means "one tenth" and it is to be the first and best of the blessing. If you can't do it God's way, and make it your best, don't insult Him. The tithe is the Lord's, it is already His. Jesus addressed His existence and relationship to Abraham in John 8:56-58: John 8:56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad." Abram understood the promise of God, and observed Christ on that day. Abram understood that God's promise was of the promised Messiah, and he rejoiced. John 8:57 "Then said the Jews unto him, "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast Thou seen Abraham?" In verse [44] Jesus has already identified these pack of Jews as "Kenites", and of their father Satan, through Cain the first murderer; and these sons of Satan are asking Jesus the question about His seeing father Abraham. John 8:58 "Jesus said unto them, "Verily, Verily, [Truly, Truly] I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." "I am" is the sacred name of God, and Jesus has just told them it was him that was with Abraham. Abram saw Christ the King of Righteousness [Melchizedek] on that day that when he returned from battle, as the kinsman redeemer, saving the life of his next of kin, his nephew Lot. It will be Melchizedek [Jesus Christ] that is our kinsman redeemer, later, after He passes through the womb of woman; and becomes the kinsman redeemer of all mankind that will believe upon His name. Jesus Christ shed His blood to save His near of Kin, and that is whomever will call upon Him and believe in His name. Genesis 14:20 "And blessed be the Most High God, Which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." And he gave him tithes of all.)" Abraham tithed to Melchizedek. Genesis 14:21 "And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself." This King Bera [evil], King of Sodom is trying to buy off Abram. Genesis 14:22 "And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth:" When Abram lifted up his hand, he swore an oath to God. Genesis 14:23 "That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:" Abraham is saying, "I don't want your filthy riches from this battle, because it is God that gets the glory". Abram did not want it said later that any part of Sodom, or Satan's kingdom made him rich. Genesis 14:24 "Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion." Abram allowed the other allies to have their rewards, However, Abram would not bargain with Satan's people. He would not become beholding to any part of Satan's system. Today we have the so called "men of God" working out deals with the one world system of Satan. They sell their gospel and trinkets, and rip off the people of God, as they twist God's word for their own profit. God's people, calling themselves Christians, fall for these gimmicks in ignorance. They send their money and sit back and expect to get God's blessing. To most of these dear souls, they don't know God's Word, or God's ways. Abram did it God's way, in battle and in victory. Then when he tithed also in God's way to Melchizedek [Jesus Christ], he was blessed for doing it all God's way.
Home
.~ Plough .~ Seeds .~ Vine
.~ Potter .~ Seasons .~ Sonshine .~ Rain
.~ Field |