Genesis 14 Commentary
Four kings defeat five powerful kings. Naturally, the four kings inherit the lands of the five powerful kings.
Then Abram defeats the four kings. He bosses nine kings in total, the four and the five under the four! Emperor Abram? Yes, and why not? But never mind the political capital, think of the promise of the LORD God. How do we put pieces together?
Could this be the moment Abram possesses the land the LORD God gave him? Check the lands of the defeated kings and see the picture more clearly!
But strange Abram won’t boss anyone. He even refuses to take material gains from the victory. He has zero interest in building an empire. The nature of God’s kingdom is typified by Abram’s attitude. The kneeling kings won’t make him great; the LORD God does make him great.
“…so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’” This arrogance in the LORD is a must-have for every saint! The Most High God makes Abram’s name great; not humans!
Of course, grateful kings line up to say their thanks. Among them is a special king (King), Melchizedek. Abram should be receiving gifts but not now. He offloads 10% of his possessions to Melchizedek. It’s called a tithe; it’s for God. Tithes are never for humans!
The word “priest” is used for the very first time, and it’s applied to Melchizedek.
But wait a minute. So, do we have another structure besides the Abrahamic structure? And who is this Melchizedek to say such heavy things to the blessed Abram?
Priest and king at the same time… This combination is unique. The thought of Jesus on His throne and serving as the High Priest comes to mind. He receives worship from the blessed Abram. The real identity of Melchizedek could be interesting.
A couple of lines here in this chapter and the author of the Book of Hebrews nearly runs out of ink writing about Melchizedek! Ponder.
Melchizedek brought out bread and wine. Jesus used these two components during his last meal with his disciples. We can freely make these connections as we have permission from the Book of Hebrews.
Yesterday, Lot pitched a tent near sin-infested Sodom. Today, Lot is living in Sodom. He is a resident! A little compromise is all it takes for a fully blown infestation of wickedness! Nearness. Just this time.
We can pick up a couple of key lines. Possession of land is a reality. Secondly, Abram’s status is beyond that of a local king, even in the physical. Thirdly and hidden behind the victory is Abram’s role as the “Blesser of nations”. He saves them, not to enslave them but to set them free. The symbols tell a deeper story of what Abram’s seed would eventually do.
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