Genesis 14:1-24 (3/11/15) Give Background Genesis 14:1-4 (NKJV) 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). 4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. This is the first time that war is mentioned in the Bible—but no doubt this was not the first war on earth (Nimrod). The only reason this war is mentioned is because it resulted in Lot, Abram’s nephew, being taken captive which led to Abram battling Chedorlaomer and his forces to get him back. This battle consisted of four kings from the north fighting with and defeating five kings from the south and putting them under tribute. The four kings of the north are: Chedorlaomer of Elam (modern Iran), Amraphel of Shinar (Babylon—modern Iraq), and the two other kings, Arioch and Tidal, represented the Hurrians and Hittites (peoples from areas within modern Turkey). These went to war against: Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 1 These five kings lived and reigned in the area east and south of the Dead Sea—which today is the Trans-Jordan Valley but biblically and historically is the area of Ammon, Moab and Edom. The four kings from the north (Hamites) led by Chedorlaomer defeated and subjugated the five kings from the south (Shemites). Genesis 14:4 (NKJV) 4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. Genesis 14:5-7 (NKJV) 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. So here we see Chedorlaomer gather up his forces in an effort to reconquer these kings. His strategy was to attack all of the cities around Sodom and Gomorrah first thus wiping out the smaller cities that were allies of Bera king of Sodom and Birsha king of Gomorrah. This would make Bera and Birsha more vulnerable to Chedorlaomer’s attack. In verse 5 we read of some of the tribes in the south that were attacked by Chedorlaomer and his armies—the Rephaim (“strong ones”); the Zuzim (“the powerful ones”); and the Emim (“the terrible ones”). These were the giants that the Bible calls the Nephilim (“fallen ones”—explain) 2 Deuteronomy 2:9-11, 19-21 (NKJV) 9 Then the LORD said to me, 'Do not harass Moab, nor contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.' " 10 (The Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. 11 They were also regarded as giants, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim…19 And when you come near the people of Ammon, do not harass them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as a possession.' " 20 (That was also regarded as a land of giants; giants formerly dwelt there. But the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, 21 a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed them before them, and they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place… Merrill Unger in his book on demonology believes that part of the uncleanness of Sodom, Gomorrah and the surrounding cities was not only militant homosexuality—but demonic infiltration and hybridization—the kind we saw in Genesis 6 before the Flood. (Explain) Genesis 14:8-10 (NKJV) 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. 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. Archeology has confirmed this portion of the Bible. Between 1974 and 1976, approximately 20,000 cuneiform tablets were discovered in Syria that dated between 2500 and 2000 B.C.—which would put them around the period we are studying in Genesis 14. When they were studied it was discovered that they contained the names of all five towns mentioned in Genesis 14— Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela or Zoar listed in the precise biblical order. 3 The mention of ‘asphalt pits’ in v.10 caused John D. Rockefeller, the founder of the Standard Oil Company, when he read this, to conclude where there is asphalt or tar pits there must be oil. This led him to drill in the area where he did find an abundance of crude oil. Genesis 14:11-12 (NKJV) 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. As I said, the only reason this battle is mentioned is because Lot, Abram’s nephew, was captured. This would lead to Abram going to war against these kings in order to get Lot back. I believe this was in the plan of God because it was going to be one of the ways He would begin to fulfill His promise to Abram made in chapter 12 when God said, “I will bless you and make your name great…” Genesis 14:13-16 (NKJV) 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. 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. 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. Abraham was a man of faith and peace. 4 When Lot’s herdsmen and Abram’s herdsmen began fighting with each other over grazing rights—Abram didn’t fight with Lot he let him choose first what land he wanted. But even though he was a man of faith and peace—he was also practical and prepared. Abram wasn’t looking for a fight but if evil threatened the safety of his family he wasn’t opposed to doing what needed to be done to protect them either. Abram wasn’t a pacifist—you can be a man or woman of peace and faith and not be a pacifist— that is no contradiction. Francis Shaeffer said, “I am not a pacifist. For me to be a pacifist in an evil world would mean I would have to abandon the people I love when they needed me most.” When Abram found out that his ‘brother’ (family) Lot was taken captive—his response was to do something about it. He could have justified doing nothing— “They didn’t attack me so I don’t want to get involved”. “Lot disrespected me in choosing first where to graze his flocks and herds—serves him right.” “Lot should have been more careful in choosing where to live…” That was the general attitude of the German people (many who were clergy) when Hitler began persecuting the Jewish people—“it doesn’t concern me”. “Am I my brother’s keeper” Cain asked God—the answer is yes. 5 Turning your back on someone in need or who has been taken captive by the enemy is not faith or godliness—it’s sin. Genesis 14:14 (NKJV) 14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants (slaves) who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. Abram maintained his own private militia—as I said, he was a man of peace but he was also prepared to fight evil. For him to have a militia this big it meant he must have had over a thousand people under his care—family and slaves. There are those that want to condemn the Bible for condoning slavery—and I understand where they’re coming from. People need to realize that the goal in life isn’t to find freedom—it’s to find the right master.