The Life of Abraham (7): Returning from the Battlefield (Genesis 14:17-24)

The previous time we have seen that the cities of the plain had served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but the next year they refused to pay their tribute to him. The following year the kings of the cities of the plain were confronted with the armies of Chedorlaomer and were defeated. When Abram heard this and also that Lot and his family were taken along as prisoners, he immediately armed his men, battled with Chedorlaomer, and defeated him with the help of the Lord.

In the following portion of God’s Word it is written that Abram returned from the battlefield. On his way back he met two persons, the king of Sodom and the king of Salem. We have seen before that the king of Sodom fled and fell there. The rest of his army fled to the mountains. The king of Sodom was called Bera. Who is this? It can be Bera or his successor. Some think that the Bible speaks of his army that fell and not him personally. Who it was we do not know for sure.

The king of Sodom met Abram in the Valley of Shaveh, the king’s dale or valley. According to Josephus, it is a valley about two stadia north of Jerusalem, supposedly to be the valley of the upper Kedron, where Absolom’s pillar was afterwards erected (2 Sam. 18:18). This may be correct if the “Salem” mentioned afterwards was Jerusalem.

At the present writing we will place the king of Sodom in the background, because all our attention will be concentrated on a greater figure, the priest-king Melchizedek. The reason for his appearance, in the providence of God, was when Abram came in the vicinity of Jerusalem on his return. Salem or Jerusalem is the name of the city which has such an important place in Scriptures. In Psalm 76:2 we read: “In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion.”

Melchizedek met Abram and blessed him. He brought bread and wine for the tired soldiers. The Roman Catholics call it a sacrifice to justify their mass. This king acknowledged God’s sovereignty as He is the possessor of the whole earth. Abram also acknowledged that the Lord had given the victory. He gave the Lord the honor for what he has accomplished. Is this not lacking many times in our life? When we think we have done something good in our own eyes, then we honor ourselves and so easily forget that the Lord is the Giver of all good.

The name Melchizedek means King of righteousness. He is also called king of Salem, which means king of peace (Heb. 7:1-2). This king was a remarkable person as we can read in the epistle to the Hebrews. The fact that his life’s history is totally unknown to us, and what the apostle has written to the Hebrews, has led in former days to several speculations among the rabbis and the church fathers. Some were sure he was Enoch who had descended from heaven. Others thought he was Shem, the son of Noah. Again, others thought he was an angel, or even the Angel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus who assumed the human nature. There is also the theory that he was the son of Cainan (Gen. 5:12) who is said to have guarded the hill Golgotha, wherein Adam was said to be buried (who died in his days).

Others, including Dr. A. Kuyper, have tried to explain Melchizedek as a person who had yet a remnant of the original priesthood of Adam in the state of rectitude. They have ascribed this remnant to the restraining and preserving power and influence of God’s common goodness. And so we could go on to mention more erroneous interpretations of Melchizedek.

This man had two offices: He was king and priest. Only a few have received two offices, but Adam had three offices. This narrative leads to the conclusion that in the days of Abram’s sojourn there was still a remnant who knew Jehovah and served the Most High. They brought their sacrifices to the God of Shem through the high priest Melchizedek. In the midst of a wicked generation there were people — we do not know how many — who knew and served the Lord. Such a remnant will always be found on earth, according to the Lord’s promise.

Although Melchizedek stood outside of the generation of Abram, still he belonged to those who fear the Lord. This means that the testimony of Noah and his sons had evidently been maintained in other parts of the Middle East besides Ur and Haran.

There was however, one striking feature about the way Melchizedek was brought into this narrative: His parents are not mentioned, and there is no statement about his birth and his death. The reason for this lack of information is made clear in Hebrews 7:3: “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” This addition makes it clear that Melchizedek was brought on the scene as a type of Christ, the Messiah. The apostle does not speak of all these things of Melchizedek as a man, but as a priest.As a man, he was born like all other people; he had a father and a mother, also a genealogical register. But as priest he is different from the priesthood which was in the loins of Abram. Priests were found neither on his father’s side nor on his mother’s side. He was the only one in the family whom the Lord had called to this office. He was priest in God’s sovereignty. What does this mean? He was an eternal priest, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life: “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 7:17).

What is written that Melchizedek had no father or mother, is only related with his priesthood as we said before. For the priests after the order of Aaron, it was crucial that father and mother both were of the tribe of Levi. Later on this has been a reason that some of the priests could not be accepted after the exile in Babel. They had no proof that their parents were both descendants of Levi.

Melchizedek was priest of the Most High. This priesthood was of greater importance than that of Aaron, which the apostle proves in the epistle to the Hebrews as we have mentioned already several times. What are these proofs?, you will ask. Abram gave Melchizedek tithes of all his spoil; therein he acknowledges that Melchizedek is greater than himself, because the lesser gives presents to the greater. Some explain that Abram did not give tithes to Melchizedek, but the opposite; Melchizedek gave to Abram. From Genesis 14 it is not completely clear because there it is written, “And he gave him tithes of all.” But in Hebrews 7:4 it is clearly written that Abram gave tithes to Melchizedek.

So Abram is the lesser than Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High. This is not only applicable for Abram personally, but also for the priesthood which is yet in his loins, yet to be born — the priesthood after the order of Aaron. Christ became priest after the order of Melchizedek. By the fulfilment of Christ’s priestly work all the other priests must fall away. When did this happen? This happened when Christ had finished His work on Golgotha and died.

In Abram’s confession that Melchizedek is superior in his priesthood the fact lies that the priesthood of Aaron would disappear. Of this priesthood of Melchizedek it is also characteristically a mark that it was related to the kingship; so it was in the state of rectitude also. Melchizedek is presented as a forerunner or type of the great High Priest who would fulfill His priestly office far better and more efficacious than that of Aaron and the Levites.

The work of the priests was threefold: to sacrifice, to pray, and to bless. What did Christ sacrifice? He sacrificed himself to the Father as the blood of animals could not take away sin. The blood Christ has shed has an eternal power to take away the sin of His people, as Paul exclaims, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth” (Rom. 8:33). Only by His passive and active obedience was it possible to open a way of salvation and to free the elect from the bonds of Satan. Have we felt those bonds in our life? Only when we have become a sinner before God and the burden of sin becomes unbearable, then we will need Christ in our life as priest.

As priest Christ also prayed. We all know that the high priests among Israel carried the breastplate upon their heart with the names of the twelve tribes on it. This meant symbolically that Israel was laid upon the heart of the high priest. He carried them continually into God’s presence. This is true in a special sense for the Lord Jesus. He does not only carry His church uponHis heart, but also inHis heart. He remembers His church by day and night. This prayer is of the greatest importance for God’s children, otherwise all would be lost.

Christ does not only sacrifice and pray, but, as priest, he also blesses. Like Melchizedek blessed Abram, and the priests under the Old Testament blessed the people, so Christ blesses His church militant. What are those blessings? In the beginning, He delivers them from the power of the devil; He delivers them also from the curse of the law; He gives conversion, forgiveness of sin, sanctification and grace. During their pilgrimage through the wilderness of this world He strengthens them by His Word and Spirit, but also sustains them from day to day until they will receive the crown of victory.

Of course, there is a great difference between natural and spiritual blessings, which flow out of the covenant of grace. We do not deserve any blessing anymore since we left the Lord, but in His common goodness we receive yet many blessings for this life. When we may see God’s hand in all the good we receive, then it should become a miracle unto us, because of our sins we do not deserve it anymore. Paul says, “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” (Rom. 2:4b). For God’s children the promise is given that their bread and water will be sure, but above all, that they have a future for eternity.

Young people, when we read thus about the work of Christ as High Priest, then there is the question: Has there been a time in your life when you felt something in your heart that you have to be also for His account, because there is so much sin in your life? When the Lord shows us our sins, then we want to be delivered from them, but we are not able to do it ourselves. It is the work of the Holy Ghost to show us this, that there may be room in our heart for Christ who is the Savior. May the Lord grant such a blessing to us. Then it is not enough that we have a historical knowledge of Christ, but we need a spiritual knowledge of Him. He has said: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

In the latter part of Genesis 14, we hear of the king of Sodom again. He acknowledged that Abram was the lawful owner of the freed spoil, men, beasts and possessions. He asked only that his subjects be returned to him and Abram could keep all the goods. But Abram refused to take anything of the spoil and he confirmed it with an oath. He would take only that which his men required for their sustenance during the expedition, and in addition to this he would also allow his allies Aner, Eschol and Mamre to receive a part of the spoil if they so wanted.

Why did Abram not take anything of the spoil? Because the king of Sodom was a representative of the same wicked world power against which Abram had just fought. As such, the king of Sodom stood in stark contrast to Melchizedek. Abram could not have fellowship with the king of Sodom who was an idol worshipper. He would not allow the king of Sodom to have the opportunity to claim that he had enriched Abram. All the land of Canaan was Abram’s by faith in the promise of God. From the Lord only would he receive all his riches. He trusted the Lord.

There is definitely a lesson for us in Abram’s dealings with the king of Sodom. Do you see what kind of lesson? It is twofold. That our feelings are not always the way our neighbor should go. Abram did not want any of the spoil, but what his companions wanted to do was up to them. Abram did not rule over their conscience. If they wanted to receive their portion of the spoil according to the custom of those days, then he had no objections (Num. 31:25-47; 1 Sam. 30:21-25).

Also in spiritual life, we are inclined to make ourexperience the rule for others. We may not forget that all God’s ways are just as distinct from each other as the leaves of the trees. Never do God’s ways contradict His Word and testimony. So when you hear somebody speak about his conversion and you hear something that contradicts the Bible, then you know right away that it is not true; for example, when they can do everything on Sunday after their conversion. God’s people can fall into sin, but cannot live in sin anymore.

Another lesson we can learn from Abram is to be careful in choosing our friends. Abram could not become friends with the king of Sodom. Our friends have a strong influence on our lifestyle. There is a saying, “A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.” When we have worldly friends, then we will also become worldly. When we have friends like Abram, then we will be kept away from many dangers, although also the life of the saints is not perfect.

Many times we do not have friends like Abram and cannot live without the wage and honor which this world offers. Then we are so busy to receive the praise of the king of Sodom, or want to receive also an ox or an ass from the spoil. When this is the case with us, then it is not well. Not well, because we attach too much value to the wages of the world. Above all, it is not well because we show therein that we have no real interest in the things which meant everything for Abram: The favor and the blessing of the Lord make truly rich.

Questions:

1. Try to find in a commentary some errors about the person of Melchizedek (Gen. 14:17-24; Heb. 5:1-6; Heb. 6:20; Heb. 7).

2. Mention a few persons in the Bible who had more than one office.

3. What is the meaning of Christ’s passive and active obedience?

4. Give a description of the breastplate and its meaning (Ex. 28-29). Apply this to the Lord Jesus as High Priest.

5. The high priest Melchizedek was a type of the Lord Jesus. What was the most important work of the high priest under Israel and how was this a shadow or type of the work of Christ? Explain.

6. What was the custom in those days to divide the spoil taken in the war? (Num.31; 1 Sam. 30.)

7. Do you know some people in the Bible who had special friends? Give a few examples of such true friendship and what God’s Word says about friendship?

8. We have heard of Abram’s battle, victory and return. What do you think about war in general? Is there a just war or are all wars to be condemned?

The more godly a man is the more doth he feel the battle between the flesh and the spirit. Hereof cometh those lamentable complaints in the Psalms and other Scriptures. It profiteth us very much to sometimes feel the wickedness of our nature, and corruption of the flesh, that we may be wakened and stirred up to call upon Christ. So a Christian is made to see Jesus a wonderful Creator, who out of the heaviness can make joy; of terror, comfort; of sin, righteousness; and of death, life. This is our Ground and Anchor-hold, that Christ is our only and perfect Righteousness.

— Dr. M.Luther

Rev. A.M. den Boer is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed congregation of Sunnyside, Washington.

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