Genesis 14
messenger dox
Call to worship:
Pastor andrew Loginow
OT: Psalm 110
pastor zachary mcguire
NT: Colosians 2.8-15
song:
o church arise
apostles creed:
dr. brett eckel
song:
lord I need you
Confession & Pardon:
pastor michael champoux
prayer over tithes & offering:
pastor Shane sluka
song:
Christ the sure & steady anchor
Sermon:
dr. al loginow
Genesis 14
Introduction
Last week after church B and I were talking with Brandon and Randy about all the ridiculous things the kids are saying these days like “rizz,” and the number that shall not be named. Brandon said, “what about ‘Roman Empire?’” I hadn’t heard that one. Apparently “Roman Empire” means obsession – something your mind is fixated on all the time. I guess there is a TikTok trend where women ask their husbands or boyfriends how often he thinks about the Roman Empire and answers vary from 3-4 times/month to multiple times/day. Time wrote an article on it in September 2023.
There is something about war that fascinates men. Whether the great wars of history, or even fantasy, like Homer’s Odyssey or The Lord of the Rings, men are captivated by, study, debate, and contemplate war. Genesis 14 is the 2nd installment in the Abraham-Lot trilogy that Pastor Kevin introduced last week and is the 1st occurrence in Scripture of nations at war. And we approach this pericope as we do all Scripture – asking God, by His Spirit to reveal Jesus to us in His Word. We submit to this Scripture passage asking the same question we do of every text in the Canon – why did Jesus have to die and resurrect for this to be true?
War (vss. 1-10)
To answer that question, step one is to consider the grammar and the history of the passage. The first 10 verses introduce the setting – the War of the kings. During the Middle Bronze Age city-states were ruled by vassals, here referred to as kings. These city states paid tribute to the king with the largest army, which was Chedorlaomer king of Elam; in turn, his army provided protection. Of course, if tribute was refused, his army invaded– sort of like an ancient Near Eastern mafia.
As good Bible students, we should already feel some tension. Last week Pastor Kevin reminded us of a continual refrain in Genesis, what scholars refer to as, “Steinbeck Symbolism” (jk, scholars don’t say that). But they could, if they wanted to, because Steinbeck draws from this theme for the title of his classic, East of Eden. In Genesis east = trouble; it’s a literary marker indicating rebellion against God. After Adam is expelled from Eden, the cherubim and flaming sword are placed at the east of the garden barring entry (Gen 3.24).
After Cain murdered his brother Able, he went away from the presence of yhwh and settled east of Eden (Gen 4.16). Last week, when Lot separated from Abraham, Lot journeyed east (Gen 13.11). It’s not so explicit but here in Genesis 14, Chedorlaomer marches from the east to wage war. We’re already clued in that trouble is afoot.
Before we proceed in the narrative, let’s take a momentary excurses. Christians have always understood that Scripture shapes how we think about the world. Because this is the 1st mention of war in Scripture, it’s fair to pause and ask, what does the Bible teach about war? One major view of Christians throughout history has been Christian Pacifism – based on Jesus’ teaching, all believers must abstain from taking up arms.
The other most prominent view, and the view that seems to fit best with Scripture, in my estimation, is what St. Augustine called Just War Theory. Just War Theory concedes that war is a consequence of sin in the world, but also stipulates moral parameters of what constitutes just war: (1) just cause (Jus ad Bellum) – not for vengeance, power, or territory, but response to injury and restoration of justice; (2) declared by legitimate government, not private individuals (Rom 13); (3) the goal is peace, even while engaging in violence; (4) minimization of destruction and avoiding cruelty. The Lord Jesus told us that there will be wars and rumors of wars until his 2nd coming (Matt 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). History has proven thus and we see the same today. As Christians we aspire to think rightly about the world around us, trusting, 1st and foremost not in the wisdom of the world, but in the Word of God.
Capture (vss. 11-12)
This war in Genesis 14 appears to be won by Chedorlaomer and his allies. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah are defeated and flee. In the retreat, verse 10 says, some fell into tar pits that sprinkled the valley. Talk about a bad day!
To the victor go the spoils. The triumphant king took all the possessions of the conquered and this included Abraham’s nephew, Lot. Remember last week Lot moved to Sodom when he split from Abraham. Lot left the protection of the covenant community to pursue the pleasures of sin and now finds himself in slavery.
Let’s not miss what’s going on here – the bigger picture, the intention of the divine author. Genesis 14 is history, it happened, it’s not a fairy tale, or a fable, or religious myth, but it is not mere history. It is redemptive history; theological history; typological history. The capture of Lot is typological of, a shadow of, our slavery to sin and death.
Like Lot we have all been captured, enslaved. When the serpent deceived Eve and led our father Adam into sin, we were all the spoils of that defeat. Adam’s guilt is imputed to us. And, like Lot, we have all surrendered to the process of sin – we see, we desire, we take. In thought, word, and deed, by what we do, in what we leave undone, we do not love God with our whole heart, we do not love our neighbors as ourselves.
We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3.23). We were all dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2.1). We were all guilty and justly deserve eternal conscious punishment in hell. Like Lot, we needed rescue.
Rescue (vss. 13-16)
And thanks be to God, that’s what happens – for Lot and for the church! One of Abraham’s allies’ escapes to inform him of his nephew’s captivity. And then ole’ Abe goes into stealth mode. Anybody like the show The Rookie? We used to watch it, but it got a little too ridiculous (I know, shocking for a network show). There’s one episode where they go on like a seal team six mission to Central America or something. These are beat cops in LA. I know several local law enforcement officers; that’s not a typical Tuesday, you know what I mean?
Anyway, that’s basically what Father Abraham does here – he goes all zero dark thirty. He takes 318 trained men to execute a night raid, or attack, or whatever. They defeat Chedorlaomer’s forces and rescue Lot.
Some reflections on this text: (1) Abraham’s an absolute gangster; (2) This was encouragement for the original readers – post-Exodus Israel wandering in the wilderness – because they would find themselves at war with these same nations on that same land. yhwh had given their father Abraham victory, and he can do the same for them. (3) And this is the main point, the truest truth of this pericope, Jesus is the true and better Abraham who rescues his sinful family from the slavery of Satan, sin, and death.
This story isn’t about how you can be victorious over your problems because Abraham defeated these kings. You’re not Abraham. You’re Lot. Jesus is Abraham.
Like Abraham, Jesus came to rescue his family who selfishly left him. For our salvation the only begotten Son of God was conceived by the Spirit and born of the virgin. In our place He lived without sin. But unlike Abraham, the victory of Jesus did not come by taking up his sword, but by laying it down. The victory of Christ was accomplished through his vicarious death on the cross. And like Abraham’s rescue mission, carried out by night, the sky went dark as the Lord Jesus hung nailed to a Roman cross, bearing the wrath of God against the sins of His elect.
But Jesus’ defeat was his victory. On the 3rd day he rose victorious for the justification of his people. And the Holy Spirit applies the victory of Christ to his people through faith and repentance. Do you see why Jesus had to die and resurrect for Genesis 14 to be true? And more importantly, are you trusting in Jesus? The message of Genesis 14 is repent and believe the gospel!
Blessing (vss. 17-24)
The blessing of God is found in the victory of Jesus. That’s what we see in verses 17-24. Abraham returns from his victory and is met by 2 kings: the king of Sodom and Melchizedek, the king of Salem, which would later be called Jerusalem. We can’t help but notice a strong contrast between these 2 kings. To state it bluntly – the king of Sodom is a bad guy; Melchizedek is a good guy.
After king of Sodom escaped from his tar pit, the 1st words that escape from his mouth are, “Give me.” The 1st words Melchizedek speaks is, “Blessed be.” The king of Sodom barters with Abraham for the spoils. Melchizedek freely bestows – not only does he bring bread and wine to nourish Abraham’s men (by the way, how can we not hear the Eucharistic echoes in this text? Pastor Kevin is going to preach a whole sermon on this next week, so we won’t dwell on it, but don’t miss this Old Testament shadow of the sacrament we’re about to take), but Melchizedek also bestows blessing on not only Abraham, but also God Most High, the possessor of heaven and earth and the one who has delivered Abraham’s enemies into his hand. The footnote on this verse in the NET bible reads: “Melchizedek provided a theological interpretation of Abram’s military victory.”
And notice how the story ends – Abraham doesn’t take any of the spoils for himself. He tithes to Melchizedek, who is a Priest-King of God, in Jerusalem, he receives only what his men have already eaten, and leaves the rest, saying,
“I have lifted my hand to yhwh, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’”
Abraham is trusting God’s promise. He is not trusting in the wealth this world has to offer, or those who are in powerful positions in this world. Abraham is trusting the promise God made in Genesis 12, and that God reiterated both in Genesis 12 and 13. It’s the promise traced all the way back to the garden. It’s the protoevangelium – the 1st gospel of Genesis 3.15: the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent.
Conclusion
And the seed of the woman did crush the head of the serpent. I think that’s why, deep down, men are so captivated by war? I think it’s because we all know we’re in one. Regardless of the territorial or geopolitical wars that plague history or even the globe currently, there is a war raging at a much grander scale. It is a war not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers (Eph 6.12).
It is war involving human souls, and angels, and demons, and death, and God Himself. These battles rage every day in our hearts and minds, in our homes and churches all over the planet. And these battles will continue until the last day, but the war has already been won. By his death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus has defeated Satan, sin, and death forever. Let’s fixate our minds on his kingdom because it’s greater even than the Roman Empire.