SKIRMISH IN THE SLIME PITS

BOOK OF GENESIS

CHAPTER 14

 

            Glad you could return for another slice of Daily Bread.  We’ve been finding out about the events that happened to Abram in the last few segments, and this time the story concerns his nephew Lot.

            You may remember that Abram and Lot separated because all that they owned was growing too fast for the land to support, and Lot chose to settle in the plain of Jordan.  In particular, he pitched his tent in the direction of Sodom.  Now Sodom had a terrible reputation of being a community of extremely wicked people.

            As if that wasn’t bad enough for Lot to deal with while trying to follow God’s plan, you have in the meantime, a war brewing.  You see, five of the several kings of Canaan, served a king named Chedorlaomer for twelve years.  Well, they were getting a little tired of it.  So in the thirteenth year, they rebelled.  Then in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer buddied up with three of his king pals and they went to battle.  Five kings waged their war in the salt sea, which was full of slimepits at the time. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah tried to escape but were defeated there, and those that were left ran to the mountain. 

            The kings from Canaan lost and the winners took all the valuables from Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and went their merry way.  Oh, one more thing, they took slaves ... One of which was Lot, and all he owned, too.

            Now, one guy, who escaped came and told Abram what happened.  When Abram heard this, he gathered three of his allies and 318 of his workers and told them all of a rescue plan.  They defeated the four kings and their armies and brought back all the valuables, as well as Lot and his belongings, and the women and the people too.

            Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and priest of the most high God, met Abram on his way home and blessed him then blessed God who delivered Abram’s enemies into his hand.  So Abram gave Melchizedek tithes, or one tenth, of all they brought back.

            Now this is an interesting point to make.  Because of this action, people think of tithing as giving the church one tenth of what we earn in our “jobs.”  But have you ever thought that we are to give one tenth of everything we DO?  Not just monetarily speaking.  How about for example, if you work for worldly things for forty hours per week, could you spend four hours per week serving God in some way?  You listen to the radio for an average of three hours a day.  Would tithing be listening to Spiritual music for a couple of hours a week?  Abram had the right idea.  Listen to what he says when he’s given the opportunity to keep the loot from his victory.

           When they got back to Sodom, the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the people, and take everything else for yourself as a reward for what you have done.  But Abram said to him, I promised the Lord who owns Heaven and earth that I wouldn’t take a thread, even down to a shoe buckle so then you’ll never have good reason to say you made Abram rich. And he added, I only want what the share of the allies and those who went with me want, let them take their portion.

            Lot could probably explain to you better than anybody:  Sometimes you end up in a bad place without meaning to and it’s a blessing when God steps in to rescue you from certain danger.  This won’t be the last time Lot finds himself in that situation, as you’ll find out down the road.  Don’t miss it.

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