Be Courageous, For The Lord Is With You (Genesis 14)
Even before March of 2020, there were a good number of people that had grave concerns over the direction of things in the Western World. There are a good number of believers waiting for what comes next, myself included. Different things will happen in the world, and I will take note of them and move on. Churches in California being fined for opening during Covid lockdowns was one that got me. But the things happening in Canada shook me a bit more. One pastor was arrested for opening up his church and not abiding by Covid regulations, only to be arrested again as he was headed to go preach at a church service for the Truckers in Canada.
Then Bill C-4 passed in Canada and is likely to be interpreted broadly. It prohibits “conversion therapy”, but doesn’t define what that is. So, any speech that attempts to convert homosexuals from being homosexual could be construed as hate speech according to that law. And now, our president stood before Congress and asked them to pass the Equality Act during his State of the Union speech. There were so many weird things said during the State of the Union, that hardly anyone seems to have noticed. But I looked it up online to see what was in the bill. One section says,
“The discredited practice known as “conversion therapy” is a form of discrimination that harms LGBTQ people by undermining individuals’ sense of self-worth, increasing suicide ideation, and substance abuse, exacerbating family conflict, and contributing to second-class status.”[1]
Note that it does not actually define “conversion therapy”. Nor does it define where people could run into this “conversion therapy”. And that is a big problem for believers. If it did pass, it would eventually be an attempt to limit what is spoken from pulpits all across America.
Will a pastor telling a homosexual to repent of their sin before being admitted into a congregation or have the ability to take the Lord’s Supper be considered discrimination according to this law?
Will a person telling their child that it’s against God’s Word to practice homosexuality or be transgender be considered breaking this law?
I think that one day it would be considered so.
And so, I take note of one more thing that is happening. It’s one step closer to what Christians have felt was coming for quite some time.
But this doesn’t mean that I live in despair. It means that I prepare myself for what is to come. It means that I build my life upon the firm foundation of Christ so that I can meet the challenges that are to come. As a believer, I understand that there will be adversity that comes my way but I am not to despair. Rather than despair, the Lord calls me to trust in Him and face it with courage. Be courageous, for the Lord is with you.
Be courageous for the Lord is with you.
Adversity Will Come (Genesis 14:1-12)
We live in a fallen world and so we know that adversity will come our way. But we say that phrase so much that it may not mean much to you at this moment. Think on that for a moment and understand that because we live this side of Eden and are on this side of the New Heavens and Earth we will face adversity because we live in a fallen world.
We must also understand that as our society grows in wickedness and rebellion against the Lord, we are more likely to be touched by heartbreaking adversity. Our family members or friends we love are more likely to be dragged away by the rebelliousness of this age. Our kids are more likely to be influenced by this dark world. And we ourselves are more likely to be stained by wickedness.
That’s what happened to Lot.
If we remember back to last week Lot chose the lush and beautiful ground to raise his family and feed his livestock. He would establish his household there. The problem is that place was near Sodom. And apparently Lot kind of liked being close to it all. So, like a rebellious teenager that finds freedom and moves to the big city to get near the trouble, “Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom” (Genesis 13:12 ESV). Lot is still called a righteous man, but there is something so appealing to him about Sodom that he just had to move near it. And we are given some insight into what a bad move this is in the next verse.
“Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.” (Genesis 13:13 ESV)
We will find that sexual immorality such as homosexuality was rampant there, and that is seen plainly from the account (Genesis 19:4-5, Ezekiel 16:49-50[2]). But so is all sorts of other sinful behaviors (Isaiah 1:17, 3:9, Jeremiah 23:14, Ezekiel 16:49-50).
We know from historical findings that this area was filled with City-States and it was not uncommon for each one to have their own king. That seems to be the case here. It’s hard to imagine there being a king in Greenbrier, one in Vilonia, and a few in Conway but that is the kind of thing we are talking about.
One king seems to have stood out among the rest. And that is Chedorlaomer king of Elem. He had allies, but he was the one in charge. And the people served king Chedorlaomer for 12 years (Genesis 14:4). He was probably a tyrant, but whatever the case may be the people rebelled after 12 years. Chedorlaomer and his allies put down the rebellion and expanded his territory. There was more fighting and Chedorlaomer and his allies won again.
It seems that the battle was swift and decisive, for there wasn’t much written about it. The enemies of Chedorlaomer, which included the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, were routed and fled. When they did so they fell into the bitumen pits.
You’ll notice that some of your translations say “slime pit”, some say “asphalt”, and some say, “bitumen”. The word does mean “bitumen” or asphalt. But people have debated for years as to whether this is asphalt or a slimy petroleum pit because petroleum also oozes up out of the ground in this area. It seems to me that this is asphalt, but it may have been another dark substance.
These fleeing soldiers either accidentally fell into these pits or flung themselves into them thinking it would be better to live a little longer and maybe figure out a way out of the pit. But fearing that they would die by the sword, they fell into these pits.
What happens when most of the men who are chased into pits by their enemies?
Well, the whole town is left unguarded.
Sodom was left unguarded and as Chedorlaomer’s army saw this was the case, they looted Sodom. They robbed Sodom of nearly everything (Genesis 14:11). And this included the people who were in Sodom. One of these people was Lot, “the son of Abram’s brother”, who had passed away (Genesis 14:12). Remember, as we have discussed elsewhere, Abram adopted Lot and considers him under his care. He has a familial responsibility toward Lot, and now Lot has been taken.
Someone escaped and word made it to Abram of Lot’s capture. Adversity and a big decision just landed right on top of Abram.
Adversity will come to us sooner or later. Hardships and devastation just fall upon us and we are left trying to figure out how to deal with it.
We live in a fallen world and that is going to happen. Illness is going to come. Family is going to pass away. We will face hardships that have to do with our own body falling apart as the days go by. Adversity is going to come. And we need to be ready for the day when it does.
What we don’t need to do is act like it’s not coming. We need to be prepared for the day when it happens. We need to understand that God is in control and be surrounded by God’s people.
We will also have adversity brought upon us by others, as was the case here. Everyone we deal with on a day-to-day basis is a sinner and they are likely to bring hardships into your life.
And I want to add that we live in a crumbling society. And as that society grows more wicked, the problems it brings will be worse and worse. A country that celebrates Sodomy Pride Month is going to be a country with a lot of deviant behavior, and don’t think that this won’t affect you in some way. Because it will. And it probably has more than you think.
Kids learn things that they shouldn’t. Immorality is introduced to them at a young age. Parents are now fighting back against these things in school districts around the country, but it is incredibly sad that they’ve had to do so. Your society has crumbled in a special way if this is a problem. And it is.
Music, television, and Social Media inundate everyone with messages that seek the destruction of your soul. This opposition to God’s Word and your well being is a humungous industry in our day and you will be touched by it. It would be difficult not to.
And let’s not forget that one of the biggest industries in America is pornography. 1 in 5 searches from a mobile device is for that. And even secular folks are waking up to the soul crushing affect of it on our lives. On average the first exposure of this is 12 years old. And study after study has shown that it destroys marriages and causes deviant behavior.
And here is the point that I hope I’m getting across to you. You are going to be struck by adversity because you are living in a lost world. But, like Abram and Lot, you are going to be struck by adversity in a special way because you live in a society that is so very sinful.
On top of all this, I believe that we are soon facing danger from government authorities. I have spoken already of government encroachment upon our freedoms. This is expanding as we speak. And the results will not be good. We must be ready for the adversity that is to come.
Be Courageous In The Face Of Adversity (Genesis 14:13-16)
Abram heard of Lot’s capture. Remember, Lot is under his care and is an adopted part of his family. And here we have a few people that escaped capture delivering word to Abram that Lot had been taken.
This feels like it came out of the blue for Abram. Was he overseeing the work in fields when someone delivered the message? Was he having a conversation with his wife? Was she reminding him of the time he left her in Egypt with Pharaoh?
What was Abram’s response?
Abram did not hesitate (Genesis 14:14). He jumped into action and led the servants that were born in his house and trained for battle to go with him. He was prepared for just such an event and he jumped into action.
Let’s make the situation quite plain here. He wasn’t going to fight some weak tribal chieftain. This was a tyrant that had repeatedly defeated everyone in the area. And Abram wasn’t bringing a large group with him. We know from historical accounts that it was customary to take a force of about 1,000 men into battle. Abram’s was 1/3 of that. It does seem that he had allies, for they are mentioned here (Genesis 14:13). But Chedorlaomer and his people are the undefeated and undisputed rulers of this area.
In the face of such an event, Abram was prepared and unhesitating. Lot was captured and he went into the battle to get him back. And, the quick telling of this story, and the fact that Abram brought back all the possessions tells us that he was both victorious and in a decisive way.
We live in a time that needs some courage and preparation. As I’ve already stated above, we are going to face a lot of adversity. And here Abram was both prepared with trained men and willing to go into battle.
It takes courage to resist the many temptations that sit in front of us today. Men are wasting away in front of porn and computer screens in our day. Instead of leading their families and homes they find themselves enslaved to the wickedness of this age, so much so that they struggle to do what’s right.
It takes courage to order our lives in such a way that our home life and family life are going to flourish. It is a lot easier to let our entire family waste away in front of entertainment that we have in our pockets or on the television. It is harder to engage the family.
I have had discussions with people about reading their Bible and teaching it with their kids. And a lot of people are afraid to fail at the task. Some of these people are in the ministry. It’s something you have to be willing to take on. Not every discussion is going to go well. Some of them may end in spankings and many tears. But the willingness to do this day in and day out, having the courage to sow while they are with you will be of great benefit to you.
It also takes courage to keep going when your suddenly handed hardships. Children mess up. Sometimes teenage and adult children mess up so bad that it can turn your world upside down. It takes courage to lead and help in the right direction. It takes courage to walk faithfully with the Lord when our family is not.
What happens in a family when one of the children comes out as a sodomite? Oftentimes they give up on all their convictions and end up at the rainbow waving church in the middle of town. They don’t have the courage to walk with the Lord through the difficulty. It takes real courage to keep going. And in a society as depraved as ours, this is happening more and more.
And it takes courage to walk with the Lord when illness or even death become a part of our lives.
And it will take courage to defy those in authority over us when the time comes. At some point Christians will have an obligation to defy authorities. As Francis Schaeffer put it,
“The bottom line is that at a certain point there is not only the right, but the duty, to disobey the state.” – Francis Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto, Crossway Books 1981, p. 93
As the State grows in its authority the Church will be tolerated less. As I mentioned above, there is great reason to think that we are growing close to a moment such as this. And that is a time when courage is greatly needed.
In Rod Dreher’s very good book, Live Not By Lies, he wrote of Christians and their opposition to tyrannical evil. The book came from a lot of interviews of people who were themselves part of tyrannical Communist regimes. It’s a discussion of what it took to remain faithful amid the tyranny of the Communists. In it he wrote of what he believes to be coming,
“This is the uncompromising rival religion that the post-Christian world will not long tolerate. If you are not rock solid in your commitment to traditional Christianity, then the world will break you. But if you are, then this is the solid rock upon which that world will be broken. And if those solid rocks are joined together, they form a wall of solidarity that is very hard for the enemy to breach.” – Rod Dreher, Live Not By Lies, Sentinel, 2020, p. 163
Our lives in this sinful country places us in even greater danger. And it gives to us an extra set of adversities to think about. Uncompromisingly and unwaveringly hold to the truths of God’s Word, together, as a community of believers.
Adversity will come and is already here. Like Abram we need to be prepared for the day of trouble. And when it comes, we need to face it with courage.
God Is With You (Genesis 14:14-24)
Abram fought off this power with a relatively small force. And this calls us to remember something. It calls us to remember God’s promise to Abram.
“Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”” (Genesis 12:1-3 ESV)
We tend to think of this in terms of just the land promise and him becoming a great nation. But that’s not all that is within this promise, and we have seen that over the course of the last few weeks. God promised to make Abram’s name great. And He promised to be with him.
God promised to be with Abram and to make his name great. Those things are on full display in this text.
God promised to be with Abram (Genesis 12:3). And that is the reason he was able to win so decisively. God was with him and gave him the victory. Also notice that Abram is now meeting with the King of Sodom, who owes him a debt of gratitude, and the King of Salem. Through this event, Abram’s name has been made great. His reputation has skyrocketed due to recent events.
Melchizedek is no normal king. He is the King of Salem and most commentators understand this to be the king of Jerusalem. You’ll notice the similarity in names. Salem means peace. Jeru, or “yara” is the first part of that word and the meaning is less clear. When the two words are combined it probably means, foundation of peace. And this king is the king of what we would later call Jerusalem and is a priest to the Most High God.
This king and priest of Salem blessed Abram and brought out bread and wine (Genesis 14:18). We know that bread and water were typical fare for people needing sustenance. This is not just a meal. The bread and wine that come are a blessing and a feast. And in this meal, the priest of the Most High God pronounced blessing upon Abram and declared that it was God who gave Abram the victory.
Abram’s response was to worship the Lord and give a tithe to Melchizedek. Melchizedek plainly declared that God was with Abram. And then he blessed Abram. And Melchizedek himself received this blessing of a tithe from Abram. Abram honored him in that way.
On the other side of this discussion was the King of Sodom. We know that the people of Sodom were wicked. And so, his reaction does not surprise us. The King of Sodom seems to have despised Abram even though he had been victorious over Sodom’s enemies and brought back what belonged to Sodom (Genesis 14:21). Abram very kindly stated that he would not be taking anything from the spoils of war. The King of Sodom didn’t seem to care. And God would soon lay Sodom waste. Remember, God had promised to curse those who curse Abram.
There is more to this story than first meets the eye. And that is because there is more to Melchizedek than first meets the eye.
Melchizedek is not mentioned often in Scripture. His sudden appearance and then disappearance in the Book of Genesis is peculiar. And he would hardly be mentioned if not for what we find out about Melchizedek in Psalm 110.
Psalm 110 is quoted often in the New Testament. And the quotations help us to see that this psalm is about Jesus from start to finish (Matthew 22:44, Acts 2:34-35, Philippians 2:9-11, and many other allusions). Every instance in the New Testament that we read about Jesus being seated at the right hand of the Father is a contemplation on this text. The New Testament is filled with references to this psalm. And in this psalm, we find out that Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
This King of Jerusalem who was also a priest of the Most High God. And this answers a lot of questions for us. How is it that Jesus can be both King and Priest? That was expressly forbidden in Levitical Law. Kings were not to take on the role of priest. Saul offered a sacrifice to the Lord without the Samuel, the priest and lost his right to reign over it (1 Samuel 13:8-15). But Jesus is not part of the Aaronic Priesthood. He is of the order of Melchizedek, who was both king and priest over Jerusalem.
God the Son took on human flesh and dwelt among us. He lived a perfect life and died on a cross in place of sinners. We deserved God’s wrath and justice and He took the punishment of all who would ever believe upon Himself. Those who turn from ruling their own lives and entrust their selves to Christ have their sins paid for on the cross and are credited with the righteousness of Christ. This one who rules and reigns and is a priest has accomplished salvation for us. He rose from the grave three days later and finished the work.
The finished work of our king and priest, Jesus Christ has completely accomplished our salvation. It has brought us into fellowship with God. It has given to us a right to be in the Kingdom of God. We are now adopted children of God and the promises God gave to Abram are ours in Him.
Now we understand that God is with us. And we will be with Him forever in the New Heavens and Earth.
And because of this we can walk faithfully amid the adversity that we will certainly face in this life. Because of what Christ has done on our behalf, because He has brought us into fellowship with God forever we can entrust our lives and our future to Him and have courage in any and every situation. We can work to prepare ourselves for trials to come by resting upon the foundation of Christ and His Word. And we can grow in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Conclusion
As I was reading from the Book of Isaiah, I came across a passage of Scripture that sums up what is being said here today from the life of Abram. We can face the hardships and struggles that come before us because we trust the Lord. We can have courage because the Lord is with us.
The second was from the very next chapter. Horrible things were about to come upon the people of Israel and God called upon them to be prepared. They were to live courageously amid the conflict that was to come.
“Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.” Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 51:7-11 ESV)
Difficulty is coming and it might possibly be intense. But we are God’s people, and He is with us. He cares for us and watches over us. And this gives us courage to be faithful through the difficult days we are living through.
Be courageous for the Lord is with you.
R. Dwain Minor
[1] https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5/text
[2] I list this passage because the word “abomination” is associated with homosexuality. The very fact that “abomination” was on the list of sins means that the homosexual behavior was in view. I am arguing that the list includes homosexuality. But even if you think that it doesn’t, the use of the Hebrew word “yada” or “to know” obviously has the pursuit of sexual relations as its meaning in the Genesis account.