Genesis 14:17-24 From Warfare to Worship

The story: We ended the story two weeks ago with Abram rescuing Lot from the kings of the
East.1 Lot’s journey had led him to become captive. With the word of the messenger Abram
arises, ghts, and rescues his Nephew. Today our story continues with the aftermath of the battle.
Two kings come out to meet Abraham. The king of Sodom and the king of Salem. Abraham
receives the blessing of Melchizedek but refuses the gold of Sodom. Today we will see a trial after
the victory, we will see a mutual giving, and we will see Sodom rejected. Please open your Bibles
to Genesis 14:17.

Outline
Vs17-18 Two kings come out to meet Abram. (A trial after the victory)
Vs19-20 Melchizedek blesses Abram and Abram tithes. (A mutual giving)
Vs21-24 Sodom’s o er is rejected by Abram’s oath to God. (No room for the esh)

Vs17-18:
Summary: Two Kings come out to meet Abram. We have already been told about Sodom
previously. Here we are introduced to someone new, Melchizedek.
A. The king of Sodom.
A. Genesis 13:13 told us that “the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the
LORD.”
B. We remember that this description is emphasising their wickedness. They were not sinners
like everyone else, they were on another level. This is the type that causes pain for others.
‘Against the Lord’ stresses that they were doing things not only against other people but
against God’s laws of heaven.2
C. Now the king of these people comes out to meet Abraham. What is he seeking? What
business does he want with Abraham? How will Abraham respond to him? The king of
Sodom, we will see in vs21, wants his people back, and he is willing to make Abraham rich
to get them. We will see Abraham’s response there.
B. The king of Salem.
A. The description of this king is quite di erent from the men of Sodom. Melchizedek does
not live against God but is a priest of God! ‘He is rst, by translation of his name, king of
righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.’3

1 When I began studying this chapter three weeks ago I was struck by how the events of ch12-13
are replayed in reverse order in ch15. In the middle of this was ch14. There we see an act of
redemption and also a new priesthood. Both of these events are point us to Christ, who, after his
work of redemption arises from the grave as a priest in the order of Melchizedek.
A. Genesis 12:1-9 This is the land
B. Genesis 12:10-13:4 Captive in Eygpt
C. Genesis 13:5-13 Division of Lot
D. Genesis 13:14-18 God’s Covenant with Abraham
E. Genesis 14:1-16 Abraham Rescues Lot (Babylon comes!)
E2. Genesis 14:17-24 Abraham is blessed by Melchizedek
D2. Genesis 15:1-6 God’s Covenant with Abraham
C2. Genesis 15:7-11 Divison of animals
B2. Genesis 15:12-16 Captive in Egypt
A2. Genesis 15:17-21 This is the land
2 NET Bible Translation notes - Heb “wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly." The
description of the sinfulness of the Sodomites is very emphatic. First, two nouns are used to form
a hendiadys: "wicked and sinners" means "wicked sinners," the rst word becoming adjectival.
The text is saying these were no ordinary sinners; they were wicked sinners, the type that cause
pain for others. Then to this phrase is added "against the Lord," stressing their violation of the
laws of heaven and their culpability. Finally, to this is added ‫( מְאֹד‬mé'od, "exceedingly," translated
here as “extremely").
3 Hebrews 7:2
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 B. After Abraham’s victory Melchizedek comes bringing gifts of bread and wine. ‘Melchizedek
o ers Abraham not just refreshment (though that would be welcome) but celebration.’4 The
bread and wine would not only strengthen the soldiers but also be a means to celebrate
the victory! He is not here to make a deal with Abraham, he is here to bless and strengthen
him.
C. So here we have two kings, completely opposite in description. A king of wickedness and
living against the Lord and a King of Righteousness and peace. They both come to meet
Abram. One is there to bless and strengthen Abraham while the other is there to make a deal
with Abraham.
A. I remember once my dad met a person selling something in the newspaper (today it would
be Ebay or メルカリ). He asked him why he was selling it and asked him clearly if it was
stolen. I remember that, and I understood that it was not good to bene t from another’s
wickedness.
B. What would you do if the head of the Ma a came to your door to do business with you?
“I’ll make you rich if you do this for me… etc” Would you do business with him?
C. Here the King of Sodom wants to make a deal with Abram. What should Abram do? It isn’t
clear how this is bad but yet it de nitely doesn’t seem good either. Should he make a deal
with the king of Sodom? What trouble could that lead to?
A. In his commentary on Genesis, John Goldingay says “Accepting the king’s o er would
imply getting into a relationship with the king of Sodom that he might regret; it would
put him under reciprocal obligation.”5
B. Abram, the king of Sodom is one person you do not want to tie yourself to.
D. Notice the timing of this trial. It comes after Abram’s victory.
A. Many trials/temptations come after a spiritual victory in the Bible. The people of Israel
left Egypt and came to Mt Sinai. They see the glory of God and hear Him speak! What
happens after that? They build a golden calf and worship an idol. Remember that after
the Baptism of our Lord immediately he was led into the wilderness where He was
tested for fourty days. You can read the temptation of the devil and the answer of
Christ in Matt 4 or Luke 4.
B. Trials and temptations will come, and they do come, especially after times of spiritual
strength. They promise a great reward if we go along with them. ‘I’ll give you all the
kingdoms of the world if you bow down and worship me’ is what the devil said to
Jesus. I think it is no mistake that after this, in the next chapter, God speaks to Abram
saying ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’6
C. So what would you do? In our story today, Abram deals with the king of Salem rst. He
is strengthened by his food, tithes, and receives his blessing. He worships God and
then speaks to the king of Sodom. And I think that is a good encouragement for us.
When we see trials coming towards us let us make worship even more a point in our
life.

Vs18-20:
Summary: Melchizedek brings out bread and wine and blesses Abram. Abram gives him a tenth
of everything.
D. Melchizedek’s blessing recognises two things, that God is the maker/possessor of heaven and
earth, and that God has given Abram the victory. God has blessed Abram so let us bless God.
E. What is going on? We have a priest. We have bread and wine. We have a blessing of Abram
and a blessing of God. We have an act of tithing. Putting these things together we see
Melchizedek is leading Abram in giving thanks to God for the victory! It is a moment of
worship and praise.
A. Is not this what we need in trials? A moment of rest and celebration which allows us to
face the world with new strength.
B. What food has the Lord given us to strengthen us in our trials? It is no mistake that
Melchizedek brings bread and wine, for Melchizedek is a type of Christ.

4 John Goldingay, Genesis 14:14-18

5 John Goldingay, Genesis 14:19-24
6 Genesis 15:1
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 A. Please read Hebrews chapter 7 and Psalm 110:4. They tells us that Christ is a priest in
the order of Melchizedek.
B. Here are some few ways that Melchizedek points us to Christ.
C. Melchizedek arrives after Abram redemptive victory of Lot. Christ is declare a priest in
Melchizedek’s order after his work of redemption is completed, rising on the third day.
D. Both Melchizedek and Christ are priest kings. Melchizedek is king of Salem, which is
Jerusalem. Christ is king of the New Jerusalem. The king of peace and the prince of
peace.7
E. Both Melchizedek and Christ bring bread and wine to share in worship of God most
high. And it is this that I want you to think about right now.
A. The bread and wine was a way to strengthen the soliders and celebrate their
victory. Remembering that, how should we think about Christ’s gift of bread and
wine to the church?
B. It is food of victory! It is food to strengthen us! It is food of celebration! The times
we celebrate communion as a church are special times. Moments our fellowship
with Christ and each other is confessed, experienced, and strengthened.8 Many of
us feel a holy seriousness before receiving communion. We remember our sins and
what Christ has done for us. But remember we are celebrating a victory! Therefore
let us move from sadness to joy when we receive communion! Christ is victorious
and his blessing has come upon us again!
C. But how does it strengthen us? It is not enough food to strengthen our bodies.
How would communion strengthen us? It strengthens us through the Gospel
promises proclaimed and received.
A. In my early 20’s I went through a great deal of pain trying to gure out if I was a
true Christian or not. But I couldn’t nd my answer looking inside into my heart.
There I only found more pain and confusion. I had to look outside. I had to look
at Christ. I had to hear the promise of the gospel, that Christ is given for
sinners, that I may nd refuge in Him.
B. But our hearts are ckle. We so often will believe that Christ is given for others,
even for the worst, but yet doubt that He is given for me. Yet what do we hear
when we receive communion? Christ says “This is my body given for you”. For
who? For you! Martin Luther emphasized these words. He says “for you” and
that means “for me”. The promise of the gospel comes to us all generally in
preaching, but the promise comes to us in a personal way in communion. When
I heard these words in my early 20s suddnely communion became joyful, even
something I looked forward to each week if possible! My faith was strengthened
and my battle with doubts began to change.
C. Melchizedek brings bread and wine to strengthen the soldiers and celebrate the
victory. Christ brings us bread and wine to strengthen our faith as we celebrate
His victory!
F. Here is also the rst appearance of the word tithe in the Bible. We saw Cain and Abel bring
o erings in Genesis 4. But here is the rst mention of giving a tenth.
A. Abraham receives food, drink, and a blessing, and gives Melchizedek a tithe, a tenth of all
he has.9
B. Notice that it is a mutual giving. Abram has received God’s blessing and he gives his
blessing back to God. Notice that it is in the context of celebration and worship.
C. A mutual giving is at the heart of any relationship; sharing gifts, possessions, and even
ourselves. So it makes sense that when we worship God we have this opportunity. We
tithe and give ourselves to God again, sharing our gifts and possessions. And at the same

7 Isaiah 9
81 Cor 10:16-17 Paul will call communion the local church’s koinonia (fellowship, participation,
communion) with the body and blood of Christ, and he will say our mutual eating of the bread
makes us one body.
9 The book of Hebrews will tell us that the greater always blesses the lesser. For Abram to give
tithes and receive a blessing from Melchizedek teaches us that Christ’s priesthood is greater than
the Levitical priests of the temple.
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 time God is here giving himself to us again, once again placing His blessing on us through
Christ.
D. Abram has been blessed and strengthened in worship to God and gives part of that
blessing back again. Now he’s ready to speak to the king of Sodom.

Vs21-24
Summary: The king of Sodom tells Abram to give him the people but keep the money. Abram
makes an oath to God and refuses to take anything from Sodom.
A. The Oath.
A. In vs22-23 Abram says “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of
heaven and earth, 23 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.”
B. To ‘lift your hand to the Lord’ means to make an oath. One commentator says “This oath,
this refusal, was Abram's declaration of dependence upon God.”10
C. As the victorious one, Abram was entitled to all the people and possessions he has won.
But he refuses to touch any of it. He rejects Sodom’s o er by an oath of dependence on
God.
A. An oath can be a powerful weapon in cutting o the esh. It is not a weapon based on
our strength, but a weapon based on our dependence upon God. We rely on God and
make no room for the esh.
D. So here is the question. When did Abram make this oath?
A. The ESV translation implies this is something Abram has already done, ‘I have raised
my hand/I have made an oath’. The NET translation and the Japanese Bibles seem to
have it as present tense, ‘I raise my hand/I make an oath’.
B. Abram mentions God Most High to the king of Sodom. That reminds us of the moment
of worship and praise that just happened. Perhaps Abram made the oath in that
moment of worship and praise, or perhaps because of that worship and praise, that
blessing he has received, he now makes this oath as he speaks to the king of Sodom.
C. The early Christians would make oaths when they gathered together. One Roman
o cier called Pliny the Younger wrote a letter to the Roman Emperor Trajan in 110AD.
Speaking of the Christians he says:
A. “they had met regularly before dawn on a xed day to chant verses alternately
among themselves in honour of Christ as if to a god, and also to bind themselves
by oath (sacramentum), not for any criminal purpose, but to abstain from theft,
robbery and adultery, to commit no breach of trust and not to deny a deposit when
called upon to restore it.”11
B. The Roman word for oath is sacramentum. The western Christians would often call
communion and baptism ‘sacramentum’ or more commonly today ‘sacraments’.
Oaths of God to us, but also oaths of us to God.
C. Abram has received bread and wine. He has been blessed in worship. And now he
makes an oath not to take anything from the wicked king of Sodom. He will depend
on God alone.
D. An oath can be a powerful weapon in cutting o the esh. It is not a weapon based on
our strength, but a weapon based on our dependence upon God. We rely on God and
make no room for the esh.
A. What would it mean for us as we leave worship today, like the Christians before us,
to make an oath in dependence on God to do good and abstain from evil?
B. Right now we have entered the season of Lent. We, along with other Christians, are
looking forward to Easter coming at the end of March. Many Christians make an
oath to give something up during this time.
C. Last year I heard the testimony of one wife. Her husband had decided to give up
Net ix and Disney+ during lent. She immediately noticed the good e ect this had
upon him. He wasn’t staying up too late anymore. As a result he begun to wake up
early and help her get the kids ready for school. She was overjoyed.
D. Would you consider making an oath and giving something up during this season?
Not out of legalism but out of dependence upon God and a desire to walk in

10 Preaching the Word Commentary - Note on Genesis 14:21-24

11 Pliny the Younger’s Letter to Trajan.
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holiness? If your not sure what to give up, and you are married, maybe ask your
spouse for advice.