Genesis
Genesis 14:1-16
Abram Rescues Lot
We see Genesis 14:1-16 starting out with a war. In history, this war is sometimes referred to as “The War of Nine Kings”. The battle was between the four Mesopotamian kings and the five kings of the Jordan Plain, which included the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Violence was not a new concept. It made its debut when sin entered the picture, beginning with Cain murdering his own brother [1]. Genesis 14 is the first recorded mention of all-out war in scripture. Although it was not the first war in history, this war is significant because it involved Abram.
Nearing the end of the battle, the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled for their lives. Their citizens, now unprotected, were taken captive by the enemy's armies, along with their possessions.
In last week’s message, we learned that Abram and Lot went their separate ways and Lot “pitched his tent toward Sodom” [2]. Lot, guided by selfish motives, chose what appeared to be a land with better resources even though it was filled with sin and wickedness. He stayed right on the edge, gazing at the city, until the lure of the lifestyle drew him in. We now find Lot living amongst the people, no longer on the outside.
Genesis 14:12 tells us that Lot was taken by the enemy “since he was living in Sodom”. It was Lot’s sinful desire to chase earthly gain that led him into this bad situation.
Another captive escaped and knew exactly where to go for help. He ran straight to Abram. Again, Abram is forced to handle more issues created by Lot.
Abram was very wealthy, and he was also a wise leader. He had 318 men, born in his household, who were trained for battle. He was prepared when the time came to protect his family. He led his men in pursuit of his nephew. He strategically divided his forces and attacked at night. Abram and his men defeated the captors and rescued Lot and the people with him, along with all their possessions. Sadly, if we skip ahead a few chapters, we find Lot right back in Sodom, this time as a leader of the city [3].
As we read this passage, it’s easy to look down on Lot’s choices. We observe how his selfish desire led him to choose the well-watered plain for his own and leave Abram the less fertile ground. It’s obvious to us that his desire for gain led him to compromise his values and live among wickedness. It doesn’t take much to see that Lot could have avoided great pain by following God’s ways instead of his own.
It’s so easy to identify the sin in Lot’s life, but how often do we do the same things? How often do we rely on our own skills to provide for ourselves, rather than trusting in God’s provision? How many times have we compromised God’s truth to fit into the culture around us?
I am Lot. You are Lot. We are Lot.
When Lot’s time of trouble came, he had a righteous man to rescue him. Lot’s rescuer, being just a man, only provided him with a temporary reprieve. Lot went right back into the wicked city and would soon need rescuing again.
Just like Lot, we need to be rescued. We have been taken captive because of our sinful choices. Our desires have led us to choose the well-watered plains of Jordan. We thought we could stop there, but before long, we were right in the middle of Sodom. And in Sodom, there is no protection. With battles surrounding us, we were taken into captivity. We didn’t need to be made better, we needed to be rescued.
Completely powerless to do it on our own, we needed the One who was greater than Abram. Fully prepared, God sent The Great Rescuer to win the battle and set us free. That Great Rescuer is Jesus! He came to set all the captives free.
This is the Bible. Every word on every page whispers the name, Jesus!
By Caitlyn Weeks, Bethel Women’s Ministry
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