Lot Rescued & Abram Blessed – Genesis 14:1-24
Bethel Baptist Church – David Rising
Genesis 14:1-24; May 24, 2026 Sunday PM
Lot Rescued & Abram Blessed
Both Abram and Lot’s families and herds have settled into their places following the conflict that had arisen.
As they came back from Egypt and settled their respective families and herds, there arose a conflict between the herdsman over the land.
Abram suggested to Lot that he chose a place, and so he did. Lot settled to the east in the plains of Jordan.
Abram settled in Canaan and it so turned out to be God’s plan.
Of course.
Once again God told Abram that the land he was standing upon would be the land of promise, and so Abram ends up moving to live by the oak trees of Mamre in Hebron and there he builds an altar to the LORD and worships Him.
The conflict has been settled peacefully. It is always such a blessing when an amicable solution is reached after conflict.
But conflict is the way life goes so often, and as we see in Genesis 14 tonight, nephew Lot will find himself in big trouble.
Abram will have to come to the rescue, and at the end of the chapter we see Abram blessed by none other than our friend Melchizedek. Pray.
1. Lot is Captured, Rescued (14:18-24)
So that we may understand how Lot finds himself in trouble, Genesis 14 begins by setting the scene. Notice the circumstances of the surrounding nations.
14:1 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).
We have here a war taking place between these two coalitions of nations. The kings of four nations (an eastern nation alliance) make war with the kings of five nations (western kings).
Among the names and nations listed, the ones that stand out to us are Sodom and Gomorrah. As I noted previously, the location of Sodom and Gomorrah is believed to be in the southern portion of the Dead Sea.
And so we have these nations come together for the conflict there in the Valley of Siddim.
Three of these eastern kings joined with Chedorlaomer. Elam was a region in ancient Persia, and Shinar was Babylonia.
Verse 4 tells us why there was this war:
4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
Chedorlaomer king of Elam appears to be the leader of this coalition of four kings and the five kings had for twelve years been his vassal kings, serving this king of Elam.
However after twelve years of this servitude, they said enough. In the thirteenth year they refused to serve the king and so they rebelled.
To serve the king was to be subject to that king, and they were done doing that. They refused to pay tribute, and when funds are cut off people tend to take notice.
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.
These details give us background for what was happening at the same time as Abram and Lot were doing their things and why Lot got into trouble.
After the five kings refused to serve king Chedorlaomer, eventually this king retaliates against those five kings. They come from the east and attack. Verses 5-7 list those places he attacked along the way.
“The catalogue of the six places defeated by the eastern kings progresses generally from a north to south direction along the King’s Highway (Num 20:17; 21:22) in transjordan.[1]”
Mathews, K. A. (2005). Genesis 11:27–50:26 (Vol. 1B, p. 142). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
We could map this all out to see their progress to the west, but the point is clear: this war was taking place and it was getting closer to where Lot was living, near Sodom.
Remember, Moses is writing this after Israel has had a bit of history in this area. It would be the nations that settled south and southeast of the Dead Sea that the wilderness Israel would encounter on their way to the land.
This incident presents a situation that will require Abram to deal with it, and thus to be able to defend against other nations who might seek to take the land.
Now we have more details about this war:
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.
These two verses simply repeat what verses 1-3 told us in that summary introduction to the chapter. The names of the kings are not repeated here as they are noted by name in verse 2. The venue for this battle was of course in Lot’s backyard.
We now read about some of the topography of the land which will factor into the battle:
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.
These four kings come from the east and battle the kings of the west there in this area where there were essentially naturally occurring traps. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah are no match and the attacking kings ransack the cities and head back.
Oh, and they also take Lot along with his possessions.
We are carefully reminded that Lot was Abram’s nephew, a close relative.
Lot is taking along with the booty of these eastern kings as they head back home.
Lot was essentially was an innocent bystander. These eastern kings had refused to pay tribute to Chedorlaomer and so the king was coming to deal with it.
Sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of a situation that had nothing to do with us. Can God work in situations like that? We know from a biblical perspective that He can and does, but sometimes we get very frustrated when things go sideways like this.
Abram and Lot were not at odds as they had peacefully resolved their conflict in the days prior, and so what does one do when family is in trouble? Notice how Abram gets word:
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.
Someone successfully flees the scene and just happens to get word to Abram that Lot was taken. We already knew Abram dwelt near the oak trees of Mamre, but now we are told that he is a Hebrew.
There is plenty of discussion in the commentaries to discover the origin of the term and a potential connection to the Habiru people that date as far back as the 20th century B.C. Most reject that connection today and simply see the term Hebrew as a way that others designate Israelites to distinguish them ethnically.
Abram is not a native of the land, but a foreigner. But as a Hebrew now living in the land, he was not an enemy of those nearby. Mamre and his brothers are said here to be allies with Abram. It is good to have friends when you need help.
Notice now how Abram reacts to Lot’s captivity:
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.
Lot is noted as Abram’s brother, but that is just a way of speaking of the family connection. Indeed, he was family. Abram selects 318 skilled helpers and heads north to rescue his brother’s kid.
We can see Abram’s wealth in that he can tap 318 men, household servants, who were primarily seen as security detail.
“They are not shepherds who grabbed a spear or a sling and headed north for some 125 miles. They are individuals capable of making a successful attack against imposing odds.[2]”
Hamilton, V. P. (1990). The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1–17 (p. 406). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
They went as far as Dan. Now astute readers of the scriptures know that this is a way of describing a place in the north that reflects changes in history. Originally Dan was given a small piece of land west of the northern end of the Dead Sea, touching the Mediterranean Sea. That tribe migrated to the north later in history, and so going as far as Dan is to the north.
Abram took the 318 men, split them in half and attacked them in Hobah. Damascus is far north, to the east a little bit, in Syria. Damascus, as we will learn in chapter 15, is the home of Abram’s servant, Eliezer.
We are not given the details of how they accomplished this, but they had success.
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.
They head back home to his place in the plains of Jordan near the southern part of the Dead Sea.
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.
The king of Sodom, who had successfully hidden himself, now emerges and greets Abram and all on his way home.
“Now humiliated he stands before the victor Abram in the “Valley of Shaveh.” “Shaveh,” meaning “plain,” is explained in the text as the “King’s Valley” (2 Sam 18:18), perhaps the small plain where the Kidron, Hinnom, and Tyropoeon valleys come together, east of Jerusalem. This proximity to Jerusalem explains the sudden appearance of Melchizedek, the king of Salem (= Jerusalem).[3]”
Mathews, K. A. (2005). Genesis 11:27–50:26 (Vol. 1B, p. 148). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Some of this may seem trivial to us, but it is part of the record of all these events. As it turns out, since we are near Jerusalem, we find another meeting that is detailed below.
In the seven verses that follow, we are suddenly introduced to Melchizedek, king of Salem. We presume, given the context and the location of the previous encounter with the king of Sodom, that this meeting happened because in part it was close.
No doubt, word had spread when Lot was captured that Abram and these 318 men were on a mission to retrieve Abram’s nephew.
Now we see that the king of Salem also comes out to greet Abram:
2. Abram and Melchizedek (14:18-24)
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.”
What we see in this greeting is a commentary on the work that Abram had done within a spiritual context. This was not simply Abram returning with a good return. Rather, it was Abram who was blessed by God Most High.
The gift of food and drink along with the blessing elevated the encounter to recognize it as a work of grace by Abram’s God.
We see here that Melchizedek (which means king of righteousness) is described as both king of Salem but also priest of God Most High. King & priest.
You might recall during our studies in Hebrews quite a focus on Melchizedek.
The writer there shows how Jesus is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. There are several connections, but the fact that he was both king and priest connects with Jesus as well.
Melchizedek blesses both Abram and Abram’s God. He exalts God and exclaims Him as the One who possesses heaven and earth, including the territory where these kings had hauled off Lot.
It was ultimately not Abram but God who had given the victory.
We need this kind of commentary about our lives because we can be prone to think that we are the ones who actually are accomplishing things, especially when we win.
The king tells Abram that His God is the One who handed the enemy into his hand. And so while Abram was receiving the bread and wine, it was God who was getting the glory.
Abram’s response is noted:
And he gave him a tithe of all.
A tithe is a tenth and Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of “all” – presumably a portion of what he had recovered with Lot and his possessions. Some think this could have been the king’s tithe, but it was more than likely simply an offering of thanks on behalf of Melchizedek’s blessing to him.
This offering by Abram is also the source for that most interesting comment in Hebrews about Levi as it were paying tithes through Abraham. You can read up on that in Hebrews 7.
Now the account shifts back from the king of Salem to the king of Sodom. It can be easy to get these two confused. Salem’s king is a righteous person. The king of Sodom is not, which explains Abram’s reluctance here.
21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.”
He was willing to take a portion of the people (seems a bit strange to us), but he wanted Abram to have all the possessions. Abram had done a favor for the king of Sodom, but in reality it was prompted by his desire to help his family, Lot.
The king only wanted the people and wanted Abram to be paid as it were by the possessions he brought back.
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.”
Abram took a vow signified by the raising of his hand to the LORD. Notice that Abram also uses the same language for God that the king of Salem, Melchizedek had used. This was Yahweh, El Elyon, the One who possessed both heaven and earth. Pagan gods had similar titles, and so these designations were likely to set the true God apart from the others.
Abram’s concern was insightful and wise as he did not want the king of Sodom one day boasting that he was the one who had made Abram’s blessing possible. Abram was jealous to reserve that privilege for the true God.
Abram was willing, however, to let the king of Sodom feed his men their ration of food for the work they had done.
And thus ends this chapter and the account of Abram’s rescue of Lot and the blessing that came to Abram through Melchizedek.
Application
1. Nothing is random in the world in which God is the Most High God. Which is to say, everywhere.
For Abram, we see that his nephew got caught up in a situation that had nothing to do with his actions. These five kings nearby were being attacked by a coalition led by Chedorlaomer king of Elam because he was not receiving tribute as before. This led to their invasion of the territories that were near Lot, and Lot ended up being swept away in the conflict.
Random? As Abram rescues Lot, on the way back he meets Melchizedek who turns out to be a major character later in time. He is the priest whose priesthood is the pattern for Jesus’ priesthood. Would Abram have met this king at a different time, under different circumstances? Perhaps, but only God knows that.
2. Thus, we should trust and praise our God continually. Melchizedek reminds us that all the blessing and glory go to the LORD, who is the possessor of heaven and earth, the God Most High. There is no other, despite the diversity language of our day.
Yes, we believe that others have the right to express their views and ideas, but in the end there is only one true God and He is the God of the Old and New Testament. Our friends who do not believe in Jesus are truly in danger of spending an eternity in hell if they do not receive Him as their Savior. May we never forget that.