Genesis 17:1

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When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless." ~ Genesis 17:1

Today, continue our study of the life of Abraham and in the verses ahead, we’ll see where God changes his name from Abram to Abraham in conjunction with the continued unfolding of God's promise to the Bible’s great man of faith. In both the Old and New Testaments, Abraham is noted best and most for his faith in the God of the Bible. Before we get to his name change, we must first consider just what God was saying to him in today's verse.

This is now the fifth time in the book of Genesis that God promised His blessing upon Abram; the first was in Genesis 12, the second was in Genesis 13, the third was in Genesis 14 where Abram received it along with the blessing of Melchizedek. The fourth was in Genesis 15 where with the promise God told Abram, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." It is our fear that keeps us back from going all in with the Lord. This is the ultimate point to the promises that God has given those who follow Him, that we might not fear and that we might be most vulnerable with Hm as He calls us to a complete life of faith.

In today's passage Abram is 99 years old and it has been 13 years since his maidservant Hagar bore him Ishmael. For all he knew, this was the son of promise that he had waited so long for and he was raising him to only fear God. And now, God appeared to Abram again and added to His command, "do not be afraid," another of His many descriptors, "El Shaddai," which means "the Almighty God." This revelation revealed to Abram that God is the eternally lasting, absolute, all powerful God. His nature is unchangeable and yet He causes change in His creation. 

The name "El Shaddai" rebuilds anew that which had been torn down by sin. When God's providence and abundance is combined with His promise, it becomes the basis upon which faith is best built and developed in us. This is why the Lord said to Abram, "walk before Me and be blameless." God spoke assurance to Abram before He commanded Him to walk in His ways. To walk before the Lord is a metaphor for being defined by God. And, we know that we are being defined by God when we obey Him.

The words "before Me" literally means "before my face." El Shaddai doesn’t literally have a face. He is omnipresent and so to walk before Him is an axiom. Every move is before Him and so an explanation is given which is "and be blameless." With these words God was getting at the heart of Abram. Of course, positionally before God, Abram was righteous since God had imputed upon him His righteousness. Here, God was telling Abram to strive for perfection in his heart with God as his single audience. God was saying to Abram, "Be complete in my holiness to the point of being defined by Me." 

The word "blameless" literally means "without wax." In those days if someone purchased a statue made of marble, they would have taken it outside before paying for it in order to test its authenticity in the rays of the sun. Many sculptors in that day used clear wax to repair flaws in their craftsmanship. Rather than making a new piece if he accidentally marred the statue, a dishonest craftsmen would have used wax to cover up the imperfection. Indoors, this wax was invisible. So, they would take the sculpture out into the sunlight to inspect it carefully for any imperfections. To be blameless was to be sincere, or without wax. 

When we fail to walk in a manner which is holy, others see it. Abram walked among the Canaanites and the Amorites and they could see his conduct and make judgments about God and His culture. We too live among those who know not God or His culture and we want to direct them into the freedom for which Christ desires to give all believers. This freedom not only includes the wisdom of God that we so desperately need in order to make good decisions, it also includes the freedom for us to risk failure in our attempts to live out the life of Christ who is in us. 

In 1 Peter 1:15-16 we read, "15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" 

The word "holy" here does not mean "sinless," it means "completeness" or "wholeness." Literally, God has told us the same thing that He told Abram, "to live out of the holiness that He earned for us." This will mean that we will not waste our time trying to earn God's favor and thus our motivation to live a godly life will be different. God, in His Word, nowhere tells us to manufacture holiness. That is settling since we all know that we can't do it. God literally is saying to us, "experience my holiness as you yield to Me." As a result, the wholeness that we operate out of in this life isn't our, it is His.

God's holiness pervades all of His attributes. His love is a holy love. His mercy is a holy mercy. Holiness is what sets Him apart. When we refuse to allow the world to squeeze us into its mold, it is then that God most profoundly expresses Himself in us, to us, and through us. And, as a result, we will live out of the holiness that the Lord Jesus Christ earned to give us on the cross. Since holiness is God's nature, it is His holiness that completes us and makes us whole.

Holiness in the Bible literally means "to be set apart." Through the applied character of God, the believer in Christ lives life, and, due to the fact that the Lord Jesus now lives in and through us, we are positioned to experience the expression of all of God's characteristics in a complete way. The role we play is to be willing to allow God to express Himself in, to, and through our yielded lives. This, for the believer in Christ, is known as the exchanged life.

Our tendency is to bring God down to our level by trying to earn His favor and power in our lives. This, we cannot do because our holy God is not determined by us in any way. In fact, our holiness before Him is a gift earned for us by the Lord Jesus. When God sent His Son to earth, the Holy Lord Jesus Christ chose to take on our human nature out of His eternal holy love. And, He did this not because sin made Him do it but because of holy character. It is only the wholeness of God that can transform sinful man's brokenness and make us the vessels of His very presence.

Genesis 16:9-16

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9 The Angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand." 10 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude." 11 And the Angel of the Lord said to her: "Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has heard your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." 13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, "Have I also here seen Him who sees me?" 14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. ~ Genesis 16:5-16

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 16 where we have been learning through the back door that faith and patience always go together in the development of us learning to walk with the Lord and being led by His Spirit. When we walk in the flesh, we will be defined by impatience, scheming and blaming others as we see in this chapter. But, in order to walk in His Spirit, we must trust Him not only for His provision but also for His timing. This is where Abram and Sarai erred. 

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "The Angel of the Lord said to her, 'Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.'"

The only way to realize God's grace and blessing in our lives is through the avenue of submission. Had Hagar continued to wander into the wilderness, it would have been disastrous. Both she and the child in her womb probably would have died. When God finds us wandering, this is always what He says, "Return and submit!" So Hagar returned to the authority that God had placed in her life.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, 'I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.'"

With God's commands come His promises. In God's economy God's blessing often follows our obedience. The blessing that God gave to Hagar came in the form of a prophecy. The phrase, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude" is better translated, "I will give you more descendants than you can count."

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 And the Angel of the Lord said to her: 'Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has heard your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.'" 

Wild donkeys in Hagar’s ancient world were free to move as they desired. So, this image that God gave to Hagar was more like the image of wild mustangs running free in the old West. He was not conveying the image that we typically draw from this metaphor: a braying, stubborn, wild, ugly donkey. God was promising Hagar that her son would never be a slave. He would be free, like the beautiful wild donkeys that roamed the desert in her world. God was promising that He would bless Ishmael and his descendants and they would become nomadic and free. 

The phrase, "He shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren," means "independent of" or "apart from" his brethren. This meant Ishmael and his descendants would remain independent of the peoples around them who would like to subjugate them. This promise to Hagar was one of hope, a message of liberation and freedom for her son and his descendants. And this is how Hagar understood it because she responded in hope and went back to Sarai. 

Juxtapositioned in this story is the civil war that we all wrestle with: to feed the flesh or to feed the Spirit. The spiritual significance of this is explained in Galatians 4 where the Apostle Paul presents Hagar as a picture of the Law and Ishmael, her son, as a picture of those who try to establish favor in God's sight through their religious activity. Of the descendants of Ishmael, in general, Paul wrote in Romans 8:8, "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?'"

I find it most instructive that Hagar did not contribute her ills upon Satan and she saw that God was the One who brings good out of the bad that we has come into her life. Hagar addressed God as "the God who sees." Since the Lord told Hagar what her son’s name would be and then explained all that would come to pass from his generations, she responded by saying, "I have seen what you intend." This was an exclamation of God's sovereignty and transcendence over time. Hagar understood correctly that He was the God who sees, not just now, but into the future and through all things.

In v.14-16 of today's passage we read, "14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram." 

This well was located between Kadesh and Bered. Kadesh means "holiness" and Bered means "judgment." Hagar was at the well of grace, which was between holiness and judgment. When we begin to stray from the place of God's blessing toward the certainty of judgment, God meets us on the way, at the well of grace. His desire is not to bring or allow trials or afflictions or heartaches into our lives. Of course, when He does His goal is to make us listen to Him and to His wisdom. 

It was now 11 years since Abram had entered the Promised Land and the year was 2095 BC. Abram finally had a son at the age of 86. For thirteen years following this part of the narrative, we read nothing of Abram. The next chapter will open with the 99 year old Abram. This means that for thirteen years, strife, disagreement, bitterness, jealousy, and heartache characterized that home of Abram in the land of Canaan. This was God's way of teaching Abram that apart from Him, Abram could do nothing of eternal significance. It does not depend on us, it all depends on God. We need constantly to reassert our utter dependence upon the God who knows us, who knows our circumstances, who knows our problems, and who is completely able to work through us to accomplish all that he desires.

When we seek the Lord, He promises us that we will find Him. And He doesn’t make it hard for us to do so. He is always right there waiting for the lurches of our hearts toward Him. He has even given us His word which reveals Him to us. This is what it means to have personal relationship with God. It isn’t only about knowing that our sins are forgiven and we are right before Him, it is just as much about us increasingly knowing Him. He is always available to the soul who seeks to know Him and who desires to be defined by Him. 

Genesis 16:5-8

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5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me." 6 So Abram said to Sarai, "Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please." And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence. 7 Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, "Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai." ~ Genesis 16:5-8

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 16 where we have been witnessing the civil war that goes on in the inside of every true believer in the God of the Bible. This battle is created by the two allegiances we still have in this fallen world. One of the allegiances is to the flesh which we will never rid ourselves of until we are in heaven. The other allegiance is to God which began when the Holy Spirit made our spirit alive to God; this happened when we first believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have just witnessed Abram and Sarai give in to the promptings of the flesh or sin which was yet in them. Those promptings led Sarai to offer her maidservant to her husband so that they could conceive a baby whom they thought would be the heir that God had been promising to Abram. The immediate results of acting in the flesh are always the same. We find ourselves being defined by the self and not by the Spirit. When we are being defined by the flesh all sorts of destruction comes along with it.

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "Then Sarai said to Abram, 'My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.'"

The scene from the Garden of Eden continues to repeat itself.  The guilty do not admit guilt and when this is the case, there is no forgiveness. Without forgiveness, guilt and shame take their toll on the lives of those involved. This is the nature of sin; it brings many different expressions of death into our lives.

After failing egregiously, Sarai blamed Abram for what was happening. According to the account, she was the one who initiated the action and set the entire thing up. Hagar was her property and at her disposal. But as soon as things went wrong, she turned around and blamed Abram. In an almost hysterical note, Sarai exclaimed, "The Lord judge between you and me."

When Abram placed Hagar into rivalry with his wife, Sarai, Hagar became insolent and held her mistress in utter contempt, taunting her concerning her barrenness. Hagar forced Sarai to drink the gall of bitterness. This is what the flesh does, it causes guilt and shame that which we do not know what to do with, so we throw it off upon those whom are closest to us.

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "So Abram said to Sarai, 'Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.' And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence."

Abram responded by placing Hagar back under the authority of Sarai. Notice that he didn’t even refer to Hagar by name, but only by label, "your maid."  Depersonalizing those we harm is our way of trying to escape the truth that we’ve harmed them. Turning people into objects instead of image-bearers of God is our attempt to make our sin more palatable. God desires for us to use things and to love people.

Abram’s heart toward this young girl couldn’t have been colder. His words to Sarai, "do to her as you please" are the words of a man who has been accosted by his guilt and shame. Sarai  despised Hagar and Hagar received the full force of Sarai's rage. It got so bad, Hagar’s only hope was to run away.

This scene ends in total disaster for all involved. Hagar loses her home. Sarai loses her servant and her integrity. And Abram loses his second wife, his first child, and his honor. When Abram shoved the problem back at Sarai, she took it to an unnecessary extreme and caused even more trouble. And, as a result, Hagar ran for her life. 

Previously, Abram had allowed Sarai to go into the Egyptian Pharaoh’s house in order to preserve his own life and when the ordeal was over, Pharaoh rebuked Abram and kicked him out of Egypt and so he heads home to Canaan. After arriving back at their new home, Sarai asked Abram to go into the Egyptian servant who came from Pharaoh’s house to continue on Abram’s name and she ended up rebuking him and finally the maid runs away from her, heading back towards Egypt. In both instances, Abram and Sarai abandoned the way of faith in God and chose the way of human calculation, which created a chain of events that spiraled out of control, leaving everyone hurt in the process. Abram and Sarai sought to live outside their God-given marital boundaries, leading to familial trouble for generations. 

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur."

Into the misery of Hagar came the mercy of God. The road that Hagar was on was a desert on the way to Egypt, indicating that Hagar was returning to Egypt, to her homeland. Hagar was going back to her people and maybe back to their gods. We really can’t blame her. If we’d been treated the way she was, we’d want to go back home too.

Hagar was young, pregnant, and alone in the wilderness. We like Hagar have found ourselves in the desert places of this life. We all have wondered if God sees, if God cares, if God knows, and if God hears our cries. It is always right there where God comes to us, where he finds us. He comes with questions, not accusations. He comes with concern, not condemnation. He comes to us, like He came to Hagar, with questions, not because he doesn’t know the answers, but because He wants us to see the great tragedy of a life lived apart from Him and beauty of a life lived in concert with Him.  

If Hagar’s story teaches us anything, it teaches us that the Lord loves to bring His mercy to bear on our misery.  God turns His attention to an outsider who’d been pushed out by insiders.  This text shows us that God cares for those outside the elect line of promise, that God loves and cares for unbelievers.  He doesn’t see them as kindling for the fires of hell. He sees them as people who need His care, so He goes to them. He goes toward troubled ones, and so should we. 

Finding this spring in the open like this must have seen miraculous to Hagar; it points to the spiritual side of the account, that the Lord Jesus is our Water of Life and the director of our steps. Having been brought into Abram’s camp, Hagar would have been familiar with their worship of the God of the Bible and this visitation from the Lord would comfort her and assure her that the true life which springs from God would continue to uphold her only if she maintained a receptive heart to Him.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "And He said, 'Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?' She said, 'I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.'"

The Lord called her "Hagar, Sarai’s maid." Before He allowed her to speak, he preempted her by stating that she is the property of Sarai. He did this and then asked His questions in order to keep her from saying something untrue. By telling her who she was and who she belonged to, God revealed to her He already was aware of her whole story. 

The two questions the Lord asked Hagar are always arresting questions. Hagar answered the first, but not the second. Where could she have gone? The questions drew Hagar to the place of helplessness, a position from which we must always deal with the Lord for ourselves. And when we do this, we grow in our personal relationship with the One who has the best definitions for all things.

Genesis 16:1-4

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1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. 3 Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. 4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. ~ Genesis 16:1-4

Today, we transition into Genesis 16 where we learn that it had been ten years since God had first given the promise of many descendants to Abram. But, there was a problem; he had not one child. As we have seen, God made this promise to Abram three separate times; in Genesis 12, 13, and 15. At this point in the narrative, Abram was 85 years old and Sarai was 75 years old and time was running out. Abram and Sarai had probably been married for at least 50 years at this point and it was pretty evident to them that Sarai was barren and would not have any children.

This record of the life of Abram was clearly not written merely to give us historical facts from the distant past. Many who claim the name of Christ today are superficial in that they are concerned more with the amount of mileage there was from Jericho to Jerusalem than with the distance between man in his lost estate and the heart of God. Though we find the physical details of Abram's life interesting, we must be much more concerned with the spiritual lessons learned from his life. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar."

Hagar, Sarai's Egyptian maidservant probably came into Abram’s home at the time when they traveled down to Egypt during the famine in the Promised Land. While in Egypt, Sarai had been taken into Pharaoh’s home in order to become his wife. This happened because Pharaoh didn’t know Sarai was Abram’s wife. When Pharaoh took her in, he gave Abram a great deal for her, including servants. Hagar was probably one of those servants. After coming into their home, they named her Hagar as this is a Hebrew, not an Egyptian, name. Hagar’s name means "flight" which is closely related to the term "the sojourner."

By the way, when we deliberately disobey God, we open ourselves up to all kinds of opportunities for the enemy to cause havoc in our lives. In 1 Corinthians 5:5 we read, "I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Due to sin, rebellion, and the other factors, there are times when God has to simply withdraw His protective hand from us because we have chosen to willfully disobey Him in an egregious way. And then, when things go sideways, we want to blame God for that which we caused.

Getting back to today's narrative, we, like Abram, are justified by faith in God. We received the gift of God's righteousness by simply choosing to believe. We know we possess it, not by our efforts but by our faith in Jesus Christ. Then we set out to please God because of all He has done for us. We did this by the only means we know, trying to do the best we can. In time, though, we discover that somehow our Christian experience loses its vigor, and instead of the fruit of love, joy, and peace which we were led to expect, we find instead nothing but barrenness. We have had the same problem as Sarai. This life which is expected to produce immediate fruit results only in barrenness and it is difficult for us to understand. The problem is that we take things into our own hands. When the problem of barrenness begins to haunt us, we find ourselves yielding to the misguided proposals of the flesh.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "So Sarai said to Abram, 'See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.' And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai."

At 75 years old, Sarai realized she wasn’t going to have children and she certainly wanted them as much as Abram expected them. I am sure that she thought,"What am I doing wrong since God has given us a promise but I am not getting pregnant?" So, by using the customs of the day, she did what any Canaanite would have done, she offered up maidservant Hagar to conceive a child with Abram. According to the prevailing culture in Canaan, Hagar was Sarai's possession and any children she would conceived with Abram would be the possession of Sarai. Therefore, the child would belong to her as much as to Abram.

Sarai resolved, through what struggles we can only imagine, to give up her own rights in an act of courageous renunciation. She gave up what is a wife's most precious possession, the right to have her husband's sole affection, and she offers her maid to her husband that he might have a child by her and thus fulfill the will of God. This, of course, was not only an act of real sacrifice, but also one of deep sincerity. She was not hoping that he would talk her out of this. She was quite prepared to go through with it.

In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes."

As history has born out, this choice resulted in endless sorrow and heartache to all concerned. The Arab nations who fight against the nation of Israel today originated in this act. And, no sooner had Hagar conceived, Sarai began to act harshly toward her. 

We are so like Sarai ourselves that we feel resentment at the idea that she should be blamed for this. Yet if we do not learn the lesson here, we shall find our own walk with the Lord continually plagued with this problem of barrenness, and we shall miss the secret of fruitfulness. This story provides for us a picture of how we can learn to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. In fact, in Galatians the Apostle Paul uses this very incident to illustrate this point.

Sarai's difficulty was simply that all of her actions grew out of a basic philosophy which, put very simply, says: "God has told me what He wants, now the rest of it depends on me. God has shown me what the goal is, and it is up to me to figure out how to reach it."  This is a very common and widespread philosophy, even among believers in Christ. This is the place that the barrenness in our walk with the Lord leads us.

As we read the Bible, we learn we are supposed to be conformed to the image of Christ, so we set out to start trying to be like the Lord Jesus. Then, we make up a list of rigid rules for acceptable behavior. We become frightfully busy doing things for God. We work hard, perhaps to the point of neglecting our family. We sincerely try to meet His demands. We do our best. We note how the community around approves of our strenuous efforts and we love the pats on our backs for our faithful duty. But despite all the effort and sincerity, deep in our hearts we know there is nothing but barrenness in us. The inauthenticity this creates repels others from the Lord.

This happened to Sarai. Notice the appearance of selflessness. The result is fruit all right, but it is Ishmael, not Isaac, the fruit of the flesh rather than of the Spirit as Paul points out in the book of Galatians. Both Abram and Sarai consented to something that especially harmonized with the desires of the self-life. In all of this we see their readiness to do the will of God without seeking to discover the way of God. This is always the heart of the problem. 

The immediate results of acting in the flesh will always be the same. We become petty and petulant, displaying enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, and other ugly emotions which lie ever near the surface of our yet fallen human hearts. Wherever these are evident they are the thermometer which tells us we are being ruled by the self and not by the Spirit. 

Genesis 15:17-21

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17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites." ~ Genesis 15:17-21

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 15 where God has continued to develop Abram's faith in Him. The development of our faith in the God of heaven this side of heaven will never be complete. However, as our faith develops, we will know God and recognize His ways better and better. Faith is essential in our personal relationship with God because faith is the heart's ability to see God. As we have seen, the Word of God is integral to our growing knowledge and experience with God. Our faith is born out of God's faithfulness.

In today's passage we will see the whole story of the believers life with God after we entered into a personal relationship with Him. In our passage today we have a smoking oven and a burning torch. These two object lessons illustrate the story of the nation Israel had with God throughout its history. Their's is a story of affliction followed by blessing. The oven was an illustration of God's wrath and the torch was an illustration of His direction. 

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces."

Previously, Abram had offered five different sacrifices to the Lord. In those days when the people of one group joined in a covenant with another, they followed this same ritual to demonstrate their sincerity to the covenant. They first slaughtered an animal, cut it in two and then they pass between the two pieces of cut up animal to demonstrate the veracity of their covenant. In today's passage, God followed this ancient practice, and only the Lord passed between the divided animals. This meant the promise was one-sided and unconditional. Abram wasn’t bound to anything, but the Lord bound Himself to the promise that He had made to Abram. 

The sacrificed animals signified God's atonement for the penalty of Abram's inability to keep the covenant, although Abram wasn't expected to uphold anything. The smoking oven and the burning torch represented the process whereby God's protection was applied to Abram and his descendants. The smoking oven represents the wrath of God which only the Lord Jesus could endure on our behalf. The burning torch on the other hand, represents the direction God gives to the one who has entered into a personal relationship with Him. 

In v.18-21 of today's passage we read, "18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: 'To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.'"

Ten groups of people are listed here. The land they possessed was promised by God to Abram. The unconditional covenant was made by God to Abram, and to this day, it is yet absolutely binding. What God has promised to Abram and Israel will come to pass. The land will always belong to Israel.

The inhabitants of the land at that time were representative to us of "the self life" which is the essence of sin. Before we became "born again" we lived our lives defending and protecting these various expressions of the self life. We had no idea that for years these expressions of the self had been defining, defiling and destroying us. Such sins as anxiety, bitterness, greed, impatience, envy, self-righteousness, and lust are just a few of the expressions of the self life.

Similar to Israel, God has also entered into a covenant with us who have placed our faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When He agreed to come to this earth to be our Savior, the Lord Jesus came as the smoking oven and the burning torch. Similar to what God did here for Abram, the Lord Jesus has passed between God and us by going to the cross of Calvary to remove our sin from us. By going to the cross, God judged our sin in the body of the Lord Jesus as He hung on that tree. And, like Abram, we also have a sign, the promised Holy Spirit who is our seal, our deposit, and our guarantee of all that God has promised to us in Christ.

When we become aware of how much we were enslaved by the self life, enslaved by our own self-indulgence, self-pity, and self-righteousness, it was then that we are made ready. At the moment when we become aware of the real condition of our hearts, we are made ready. And, the minute we turn to the Lord Jesus for His help and we trust in His finished work on the cross, God is no longer the smoking oven to us. In that moment, He becomes for us the burning torch! We go from the judged to the enlightened. Once His Spirit comes into our spirit to live, we begin to see life differently and more clearly. What has always been confusing to us before is becoming more and more clear as we listen to Him and we learn to be defined by Him. 

Having entered into a personal relationship with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we are finding that He stands up to the self life and in the fullness of His grace and His truth, He is becoming to us everything that we need. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is our wisdom, our righteousness, our strength, our redemption and our life. Suddenly we have discovered that we, like Israel, are learning to possess the promised land! In fact, now we are learning to enjoy His life lived in us, to us and through us. We now experience the fruit of the Spirit which is the very life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are a parent, you’ve had the experience of walking through a crowd with your child. Your child hesitates, and you put your hand down. By putting your hand down you’re saying, "You can trust me. I can get you through this. I know it’s fearful for you, but I can see the way through this." And all the child has to do is reach up, grab your hand, walk, and trust you.

Our life of faith with God is like grabbing hold of His hand, not just with knowledge and ascent, but with trust that our Father is good and that He knows what’s best for us. God can be trusted because He is a covenant-keeping God even though we have continually shown to be covenant-breakers. He is completely faithful because He has promised on the basis of His goodness and His love toward us.

Genesis 15:12-16

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12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." ~ Genesis 15:12-16

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 15 where the Lord has been reassuring Abram's faith. Abram needed the reassurance even though God had repeatedly told him that he would have decedents as numerous as the sand of the seas and the stars of the sky. 

Our faith in the Lord is much like a seed buried deep in the ground. The seed has a shell of protection around it to shield it from the elements. When a sapling sheds the protection of the seed to poke its head above the ground, it is vulnerable to wind, rain, snow, and animals. But its roots keep it tethered to the ground. And the tugs of the wind and the rain actually help to strengthen the sapling into a tree that can withstand torrential storms without a shell. Our faith in the God of the Bible is much the same as that sapling, it is essential that we go through the hard times because it is through the hard times that we learn of the bigness of our God.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him."

The word used here for "deep sleep" was also used in Genesis 2 when God put Adam to sleep in order to take out one of his ribs to fashion Eve. Sometimes God allows us to go through some dark times in order to enable us to see what is of real value. At the place of self-despair, there comes revelation to the humble soul. When we run from God in seasons of challenge, all we are left with is our own limited ability to cope with our situation. On the other hand, it is through our trials that God invites us to draw near to Him that we might experience Him. 

In Psalm 34:18 we read, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed." 

Like our need for a surgeon to address our physical wounds, God desires to conduct divine surgery in our soul. God's scalpel is His grace and grace is tantamount to the Lord Jesus Himself. Grace lives because He lives, works because He works and matters because He matters. God placed a term limit on sin and danced a victory dance in a graveyard. To be saved by grace is to be saved by Him, not by an idea, doctrine, creed or church membership, but by the Lord Jesus Himself. And the role we play in all of this is to go belly up with Him as regular as we can.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Then He said to Abram: 'Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.'"

These unsettling things were used to reveal to Abram the future experience that his descendants would have as strangers in the foreign land of Egypt. God gave this revelation to Abram for his descendants benefit more than for Abram. There is nothing worse than thinking that our pain has no purpose. God pulled back the curtain here to reveal to Abram's descendants that He was fully aware of their plight and that there was definite purpose behind it all. Of course, this 400 year period was about the coming time that Israel would spend in Egypt from the birth of Isaac to the time of the Exodus.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions."

After Israel's time of slavery in Egypt, God led them out of their bondage. And, the Israelites left Egypt with a great amount of wealth. Much of this wealth was used in really goods ways; One way they used the wealth was when they built the tabernacle where God met with them while they were in the wilderness. But, some of that wealth from Egypt was used for the manufacturing of the golden calf that they worshipped at the bottom of Mount Sinai. This, of course, warranted them the wrath of God and Moses. This is the tug of war that we all know to be in us.

Having great possessions often leads to poor decisions on our part. Only when we use our wealth properly is it of any true benefit to ourselves and to those around us. God’s gifts may be a blessing, but we can use them in ways which are contrary to His purposes. The heart that knows the gracious touch of God will make eternal investments which will aid the Lord in the other heart surgeries that are needed in this world.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age."

God gave to Abram the promise of a long life on this earth along with a peaceful death. Abram lived to be 175 years old. Implied in the words that he would "go to his fathers in peace" is the idea that the fathers were still alive even though they had died physically. Even though they died physically, they were still alive spiritually. 

In Luke 20:37-38 we read, "37 But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' 38 For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."

God spoke of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the present tense. Since the dead are raised and they are always alive to God, then they are always alive. We are most alive when we are most alive to God.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."

There are several times in the Bible that we see the concept of sin building up in a land. As sins are committed, they reach a point where there is no longer a remedy for the people of the land and at that time they are destroyed. This is the case here in this verse. There is no atonement for the land which sheds innocent blood except by the blood of those who shed it.

At the same time, in this verse is also an understanding of the mercy of God. If one sin of Adam was enough to condemn the entire human race, then we can see the immense mercy of God in allowing 400 years for the Amorites to live, enjoy life, and hopefully search for God and find Him. Grace was seen in the fact that the Jews are trained as slaves in Egypt to cry out to God. It is when we cry out to God that our pain is our greatest friend.

Instead of destruction and immediately granting the promise to Abram, God allowed His own chosen people to suffer trials while the ungodly inhabitants of Canaan were given the benefits of enjoying the promised land. This was a display of God's grace and mercy to the Amorites. Sadly, the Amorite nation was the chief nation among those in the land who would eventually receive the first and full judgment for their rejection of the God of the Bible. God can be merciful and gracious to us all day long but if we do not take it to heart and turn to Him for His favor, He has no choice by to render His judgement on such a people.

Genesis 15:7-11

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7 Then He said to him, "I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it." 8 And he said, "Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?" 9 So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. ~ Genesis 15:7-11

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 15 where we have seen evidence of Abram's faith in God. In the remainder of the chapter, we will see why Abram continued to trust God. This is most important because it is through the channel of trust that we are made right with God and we grow in our faith in Him.

In today's passage the Lord reiterates to Abram that the only source of righteousness for all people is Him, the God of the Bible. Due to the Fall, we cannot produce our own righteousness, no matter how good we may be in comparison to others. The only way that we access rightness before and with God is that He through our faith in Him gives us that right standing before Him. When God imputes His righteousness to us we are therefore justified in His sight. Our struggle is to fight off the idea that we somehow play a part in our righteousness which is impossible. When we try in the slightest way to contribute to our acceptance before God, we deny the perfect justice and grace of God. Our right standing before God is the result only of His grace working in our lives so that we might believe in Him. 

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Then He said to him, 'I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.'"

After crediting Abram with righteousness based on his faith alone in the promises of God, the Lord now reveals Himself further to Abram. The Lord didn’t just say that He would give the land to Abram, but that He would give it to him as an inheritance. Of course, this was preceded by the fact that God had brought Abram out of the polytheistic culture of the city of Ur. Having done that, God was giving to Abram the life that he always wanted. Like Abram, we cannot conceive of the great things God has in store for us until we go through certain moments with Him and we see Him for who He truly is. It is only then will we ever be made ready to receive what He has in store for us. 

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "And he said, 'Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?'"

Once again Abram employed the name "Adonai God" giving clear indication that he understood the sovereign rule of God in his life and that he was obeying God to the best of his abilities. Essentially here, Abram was saying to God, "I believe, help my unbelief." In that moment Abram illustrated the struggle we all have with God: that this side of heaven it will be a constant battle to continue to believe God. And, God is not surprised by this, by the way. Abram’s problem was with trusting God and resting in His promises. This led Abram to ask for more evidence that it was truly God who was doing the needed work. And as we will see, God placated to Abram's request. 

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "So He said to him, 'Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.'"

In response to Abram's request for a sign, the Lord told him to bring to Him five animals which were all animals that would be, under the Torah, ceremonially clean animals, suitable for sacrifice. The heifer, the goat, and the ram were all three years old, meaning that they were fully grown and in the prime of life. The number three throughout the Bible is sacred, and denotes the perfection of the victim in point of its maturity. All of these animals and birds picture for us the Lord Jesus Christ, the ultimate, perfect sacrifice. Our deliverance from the penalty and the power of sin must always be based upon the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross, otherwise we could never have entered into a personal relationship with God. 

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two."

The Bible doesn’t say that God told Abram to sacrifice these animals but Abram did so because he already understood what was required by God. Abram already knew that the only thing that overcomes death is life. Pictured in the three year old animals was the Lord Jesus in His greatest strength and greatest perfection to take down sin and death on our behalf. Pictured in the birds was the innocence of the Lord Jesus which is what was needed to conquer sin and death. In those days they knew that a covenant was an agreement between at least two parties. The cutting of the animals in two was to "seal a deal" or to "cut a deal." These covenants were often referred to as a "blood oaths." In the modern world, we seek out the services of a lawyer to draw up the paperwork and both parties would sign the necessary documents. 

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away."

As Abram waited for the confirmation of the covenant from God, birds of prey came down on the sacrifices. In order to maintain their purity and keep them from being defiled, Abram had to chase the unclean birds away. As believers in the God of the Bible, we presently are waiting on the final completion of our covenant which was made at the high cost of the life of God’s own Son. As we wait, we are the "living sacrifices" who are desirous of being used of our God as His servants in this dying world. Our problem is that as we wait on the Lord, the unclean birds of the world which are a representation of "the self life" come to beckon us away from the life God has now called us to. It is the self life that comes down and tries to pollute our lives with a lifestyle tainted by pride and selfishness. But God has shown us that we need to chase these unclean birds away and wait quietly upon Him as He works in us, around us, and through us. Our struggle with the self life is not in vain because it is through this struggle that God calls the lost in this very needy world to Himself.

Genesis 15:1-6

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1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." 2 But Abram said, "Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. ~ Genesis 15:1-6

Today, we transition into Genesis 15 where we will discover the only source of righteousness and how to obtain it. When we do obtain righteousness, we can confidently say that we have access to heaven and God’s eternal home. This is quite a contrast to what we learned in Genesis 14 which was about the battle between the four kings from the other side of the river and the five kings of Canaan. It was during that battle that the four wicked kings took Abram's nephew, Lot captive and carried him off toward their home. But when Abram heard about it, he took his own men and chased after them, defeated them, and rescued Lot and everything he had. When he returned, he was met by Melchizedek, the King of Salem. As we learned Melchizedek is the Lord Jesus Christ in His pre-incarnate state. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the end of all of our longings. This is the point of today's passage.

In v.1 of today's passage we read "After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."

This is the first time that the Bible says, "the word of the Lord came." In those days there were several ways in which God revealed Himself. Sometimes He came through a personal appearance, sometimes by an audible voice, sometimes by visions, either when awake or when asleep, sometimes through an angel, and sometimes by the Spirit of God moving a person. When these things happened, it was the word of the Lord which was given. The word of the Lord always reveals the Lord in some fashion. The litmus test for determining that it is the word of the Lord is the Bible. If the message being given is consistent with the teachings in the Bible, it can be trusted as the word of the Lord.

For the Lord to be Abram's "shield" meant He protected Abram from harm. For the Lord to be Abram's "exceedingly great reward" meant He was the Giver to Abram of all that was good. In that moment, Abram needed to be reassured that God was protecting him from harm for he had just defeated the four kings from the other side of the Euphrates river and Abram may have worried that they might return in an attempt to kill him. The believer in the God of the Bible is immortal until our work is done here on earth. Nothing can touch us nor hurt us except it come by permission of God, who is our living shield.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "But Abram said, 'Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?'"

This is the first time in the Bible that the name "Adonai" is used. The name LORD with all capitals is Yahweh. Lord with a capital and three small letters is Adonai and it means "Master." Abram used the name Adonai indicating that he understood that it was God who called the shots in his life. The very fact that Abram called the LORD "Adonai" means that he understood that He is sovereign and the supreme master of all that happens in this world and in his life. This didn't mean that Abram didn't have any questions. In fact, this is why he asked: "What will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" Abram's question revealed he knew that the LORD was Adonai, he was just trying to make sense out of it all. 

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "Then Abram said, 'Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!'"

You have got to love Abram's honesty here. Without honesty in any relationship, there will never be any depth to the relationship. Honesty is the quality of always speaking the truth and being totally authentic, straightforward, and transparent in our words and our actions. The God of the Bible is the good, powerful, and loving God who pursues an intimate relationship with us. We were created by Him and for Him, so that we might know Him and serve Him with a purpose. Being honest with Him about our feelings, struggles, sin, and questions is His desire. In fact, when we are honest with Him, He is freed to deliver purpose and wisdom into our lives. It was Thomas Jefferson who once said, "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." 

The fact that Abram had questions was proof that he had faith. And, in order for his faith to develop, Abram had to wrestle with the questions created by his doubt. No one becomes all that big in his faith in the God of the Bible over night. It takes a long time for Abraham-sized faith to develop. But, make no mistake about it, our faith in the God of the Bible will ever be bigger than He. This is the secret to our spiritual success.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.'"

The last time God had spoken to Abram about the birth of a son, He promised He would make his descendants like the dust of the earth. Now, the promise is that they shall be like the stars of the heavens. Abrams ultimate heir who has blessed the whole world with salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, God gave Abram the clear promise of a son from his own body. It wasn’t to be an adopted son or a servant. Abram was promised a son from his own body by the word of the Lord. 

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "Then He brought him outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.'"

God ushered Abram out to look at the night sky. Abram must have felt great awe as he looked up into vastness that God had created. According to our findings through the Hubble Spacecraft, there are approximately 200 billion trillion stars in the universe. Or, to put it another way, 200 sextillion. That's 200 with 21 zeros behind it. 

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness."

Abram believed in the Lord, and He, the Lord, accounted it to him for righteousness. This is only the second time in the Bible that being righteous is mentioned when speaking of a person. The first time was of Noah and it says he was righteous in his generation, but today is the first time that righteousness is said to be bestowed upon someone and it was done so because of Abram's simple faith in the God of the Bible.

The word "righteous" is mentioned 555 times in the Bible. Righteousness always comes from the Lord, not from us. The believer in Jesus Christ is declared righteous, as Abram was, by faith alone. According to Galatians 3 it is very clear that the Law of Moses failed to make anyone righteous before God.

That which made Abram's faith so strong was the object of his faith. Abraham would tell you right now that his faith was puny throughout his life. Abraham learned of the greatness of his God as he learned not to look at the difficulty that faced him at a given moment but to gaze on the One who had promised and had proven Himself over and over. In time, Abram's eye did not rest on his problems, his eyes rested on the One who made the promises. 

This type of faith is developed over much time through many trials. As God proves Himself to us and as we grow in our trust in Him, we will become stronger in the faith. Strong faith requires a strong God who is discovered to be more than strong as we run to Him through our trials no matter how intense they may be.

Genesis 14:17-24

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17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all. 21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself." 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich'— 24 except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion." ~ Genesis 14:17-24

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 14 where we have considered the rebellion of the kings in Canaan and the rescue of Lot and his family from the kings from beyond the Euphrates River. The main theme throughout the Bible is the One who came to remedy our sin and death problem, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In today's passage we will consider the reward which is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ as we will see.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him."

Bera, the king of Sodom, who had earlier in this chapter fled from the battle, went out to meet Abram in the Valley of Shaveh. Shaveh means "level." It was a valley right outside the little village of Salem which later was transformed into Jerusalem, the capital of all of Israel. The valley outside the city, known as the "King's Valley," was later called "the Valley of the Kidron," the little brook that ran down along the eastern side of Jerusalem, separating the mount of Olives from the city. It was into this valley on the night the Lord Jesus was betrayed that He went with His disciples to the Garden to pray. It was in this strategic and historic spot that the king of Sodom met Abram.

In v.18-20 of today's passage we read, "18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: 'Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.' And he gave him a tithe of all."

The place that Melchizedek occupies in sacred history is one of the most remarkable proofs of the inspiration and the unity of the Scripture. A thousand years after today's events, in Psalm 110:4, God Himself promised to His Son that He will be a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. Another thousand years passes, and another verse is given about Melchizedek. It was at this point that we could begin to recognize the importance of Melchizedek as a perfect picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of the verses given in the Bible about Melchizedek screams the very same God that wrote the book of Hebrews also wrote the book of Genesis and the book of Psalms and all of them speak of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek who is presented as a prophet, priest and a king in the Bible is mentioned a total of 11 times. The purpose in all of those 11 passages was to introduce the ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King, the Lord Jesus Christ the only One who fills these three roles. Melchizedek means "king of righteousness." And, he was the king of Salem which later was renamed Jerusalem. The word "Salem" means "peace." So, Melchizedek was the king of righteousness and peace. Melchizedek brought out bread and wine, and he worshipped God. Of course, we recognize the bread and the wine which are the symbols used to point us to the Lord Jesus during our observance of the Lord's Supper. Then Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek. Paying tithes was an act of worship and submission. Melchizedek was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the ultimate prophet, priest and king in His pre-incarnate state.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.'"

The king of Sodom acknowledged Abram’s right to all of the goods recovered in the war and only requested for his people to be returned to him. This was an ancient tradition rule of war. Any land or possessions won in war became the property of the victor. Here, the victor was Abram and the king of Sodom requested the people and not the spoils.

In v.22-24 of today's passage we read, "22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, 'I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich'— 24 except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.'"

Instead of exercising his right to the spoils of war, Abram made a vow to the Possessor of heaven and earth, that he wouldn’t accept anything personally from the king of Sodom. By using the same term about God that Melchizedek used, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, Abram was acknowledging in front of the king of Sodom that the same God whom Melchizedek was loyal to was the God that he also was loyal to. In his vow, Abram said he wouldn’t accept anything, from a thread to a sandal strap. Abram was saying he wouldn’t take even the smallest thing that belonged to a man or woman from their head to their feet.

The only thing that would he would accept was what his soldiers had eaten along the way to, during, and coming back from the battle. Along with that, there were three Amorites who went with Abram to defeat the enemies and Abram allowed them to decide to take whatever they wanted. Abram's faith in the God of the Bible caused him to only be defined by the God of the Bible. And, we know that we are being defined by the God of the Bible when we obey Him.

Abram had taken an oath before this battle, as indicated in v.22-23. He probably said something like this to the Lord: "Lord, I'm about to go fight these kings. I know I'm outnumbered. But if You would give me the victory, I promise to give You all of the glory." If Abram had taken money for this from these kings, the glory of the Lord would have been jeopardized.

What a contrast we are given here! Lot's allegiance was predominantly with this temporal world, while Abram was consistently being defined by God. It was probably somewhere along the way to rescue Lot that Abram thought of when he went down to Egypt in search for food rather than trusting in the all-sufficiency of the God of the Bible. These are the choices before us today. And right in the middle of it all God is consistent to point us to the Lord Jesus who is the One that our souls truly long for. I trust you know Him.

Genesis 14:13-16

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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. ~ Genesis 14:13-16

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 14 which has as its outline: a rebellion, a rescue, and a reward. Having considered the first of these three which was the rebellion of the kings in Canaan which brought the kings from Babylon to Canaan, resulting in those invading kings taking Lot and his family away, today, we will consider the second: a rescue.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "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."

It just so happened that one of the escapees went to Abram informing him that the kings had taken Lot. Abram was in Hebron, the place of fellowship. With him were three men who were his allies. Mamre, as we have noted before, means "richness." Eshcol means "a group," and Aner means "an exile." Taking these three names together, I see a prayer meeting here! Here, symbolically, is a group of people, living in the richness of fellowship with the God of the Bible, who have withdrawn themselves from the ordinary demands of life for a specific purpose. This is exactly what our Lord commands us do in the moment of any crisis; to pray. 

Abram, the Hebrew led the meeting. The term "Hebrew" is tied directly to Abram’s great-great-great-great grandfather Eber in Genesis 10-11. Eber means "he who crossed over." It was Eber and his family who were the ones who crossed over the Euphrates away from Babel. The term "Hebrew" was used here for the first time to make the distinction between Abram and the attacking armies who came from the other side of the Euphrates River. This is the first time in the Bible that anyone was referred to as a "Hebrew." In fact, this is the only place in Scripture where Abram is called a Hebrew. A clear distinction is being made here: those who were defined by the Lord and those who were not.

The word Hebrew means "pilgrim." Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will never feel at home on this earth because we have been "born again." It is the very presence of God in our lives which reminds us that we are mere pilgrims who are only passing through this world. It is quite foolish for us to invest more in this world than in the world to come. We do not belong to this world and its ungodly system, therefore our allegiance is with the God of the Bible.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "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."

Abram's group of three hundred and eighteen trained warriors routed the vast armies of the four kings from the area of Babylon. This small group has taught us that God's victories are never won by force of numbers. The victory does not lie in the might of weapons, of nuclear missiles, or of diplomacy, but in men and women of faith who are pilgrims and strangers here in this world, who will regularly separate themselves from the demands of life to seek the face of God concerning the evils in this world. 

The number 318 is very specific and the rule of the Bible is that every name, every number, and, in fact, every word is important. The number 318 comes from the name of a person whom we will meet in Genesis 15. He was the chief servant of Abram named Eliezer, whose name means "God is my help." Since Abram had no children at that time, the next in line to inherit all he had was this servant Eliezer. When his name is turned into numbers, a science known as gematria, we end up with 318. As the chief of the servants and the heir apparent of the household, 318 fighting men were chosen from the same group within Abram’s home based on Eliezer’s name. The subtle message that we are left with is: "In this battle, God is my help." The battle is always the Lord's!

Note the careful strategy Abram employed. He divided his forces by night and they traveled the whole length of the Jordan River, coming upon the enemy considerably north of the Sea of Galilee. As was the custom with armies of that day, when the pagan invaders had withdrawn to a place they considered safe. Abram's small army surprised the enemy while they made camp  reveling in celebration of their victory. It was at such a time and place that Abram and his allies found them, and during the night, they divided their forces and surrounded the drunken camp. Abram sent one part of his army one way and one the other, one group perhaps with spears and the other with swords for close combat. At a signal, they sprang upon the surprised host and there was a general rout and Lot was rescued.

Notice that 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, but pressed on until he won a great and tremendous victory. 

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Then he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his goods, and the women and the people."

The battle was the Lord's but He used Abram to rescue his nephew Lot from the wicked kings from Babylon. Abram did a lot to rescue Lot from these kings, but there was very little Abram could do to deliver Lot from Sodom. Sodom represented an inward choice in the heart of Lot. Lot chose to live in the godless environment of Sodom. If a child of God chooses to be defined by this world, not much can be done for him. Only Lot could take himself out of Sodom.

Genesis 14:1-12

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1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations, 2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar. 8 And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. 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. ~ Genesis 14:1-12

Today, we transition into Genesis 14 where we continue our study of Abram who in our previous passage chose to let his nephew Lot choose the land that he and his people would live in order to avoid conflict between their two families. Today's true story teaches us among many lessons, the fact that we cannot avoid conflict. As we will see, Lot made the decision as to where he and his family would live largely upon the way it looked. Lot ignored the wisdom of God when he made this decision and it invited other situations that risked Lots life and those of his family.

Most believe freedom is the ability to do what we want, when we want, whenever we want. This definition ignores the fact that we are trapped and defined mostly by sin, and, as a result, we no longer operate according to the specifications that we were created with by God. This is why when we give an inch to sin, we will be taken miles down a long, dark and destructive road which was not intended for us by God. This is the cause of most of our conflict in this world.

Today's passage has as its outline: a rebellion, a rescue, and a reward. Today, we will only consider the first part, the rebellion. With man's rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden came many sorts of evil. As in the case of today's passage, the most notable is man's ill-treatment of man.

You will remember that Lot had chosen the land east of the Dead Sea and Abraham chose the land west of the Dead Sea. Today, we will see the bad effects of Lots bad choice to live near the lush land near Sodom. Lot did not realize that he had put himself and his people in a dangerous position by making his choice. This is why it is so important to pay very close attention to God's instructions to us especially in the fine details. Often, when we ignore God in the little things, we open ourselves up to an avalanche of many bad things that desire to destroy us.

In v.1-4 of today's passage we read, "1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations, 2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled."

This war was waged in the area of Siddim which is now where the Dead Sea is located. Siddim means "plowed lands."  This land is today a barren wasteland and it drops down to the lowest spot on the face of the earth, 1388 feet below sea level. At the time of Abram, this land was a fertile valley and it was known for its plowed fields which yielded great amounts of luscious food.

In v.5-7 of today's passage we read, "5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar."

This first international war in the Bible involved five Shemite kings and four Hamite kings. Chedorlaomer was the leading king of the invading kings from Babylon. He was the Elamite dictator at that time, from the land east of Persia. For thirteen years the five kings from near Sodom and Gomorrah paid taxes to king Chedorlaomer but in the fourteenth year they decided not to pay the taxes anymore. So, Chedorlaomer came with these three other kings against the confederacy of the five rebellious kings. The journey of these four kings covered about 250 miles going from the north to the south. The war was initiated by the rebellion of the five kings near Sodom and Gomorrah.

Wars have happened throughout time. Most often wars are the result of people's greed and as a result people die. Down through the centuries God has allowed man to destroy each other and to exercise our free will. When we lose, we blame God. And, when we win nobody ever questions why God allowed them to do so, nor do they question why He allowed their poor enemies to die. It’s only when things go wrong that we question God. It is the weaker in the faith who question God’s ways when things go bad. The stronger our faith is in the God of the Bible, the less we will complain when tragedy strikes. 

Along with war comes suffering, and pain and death. Those who desire to dismiss the God of the Bible will use these things in order to show how cruel He seemingly is or how incompetent He seemingly is because He allows such things to happen. But then they turn around and exercise their free will by doing some horrific deed that will cause anger and division in others without ever considering that God allowed them to make such a choice. And then, if God were to stop them, they’d say He was being unfair.

So, these southern kings in today's passage had paid taxes for 12 years and finally got sick of it and rebelled in the thirteenth year. When they realized this, the four kings from the north gathered together in the fourteenth year and headed to Canaan to reestablish their authority over the southern kings. On the way to their final destination, these kings attacked several cities ensuring the southern kings would not benefit from their future involvement.

In v.8-10 of today's passage we read, "8 And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains."

Missed in this skirmish is the hint that there is an immense reserve of oil in the land of Israel. We know this because one key indicator that oil is present is when asphalt is seen bubbling up from the ground. At the end of time, the Bible informs us that this very well could be the impetus for Gog and Magog to invade Israel which is recorded in Ezekiel 38. 

A place full of asphalt pits was not the smartest place for the five kings to line up for battle. They probably went there thinking that if things went bad, they could flee to the mountains, which is exactly what happened as the battle turned against them. Unfortunately for them, some of the people fell into the tar pits as they fled.

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "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."

Sodom and Gomorrah had accumulated a lot of wealth. This is why these kings invaded it. This just underscores that for a while sin pays. The problem with sin, though, is that at some point it turns on us and we find ourselves in bondage to it. Exactly what the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had hoped to avoid by going away from the city to fight is what ended up happening. As the men of the armies fled, the people who remained in the city, and all of their goods, were taken captive. Unfortunately for the conquerors, they took Lot, Abram’s nephew. This would cost them in the end. Join us tomorrow as we continue this most intriguing of stories.