January 21, 2019
Created for the Creator, not the Creation
Genesis 14
Gonzalo Morillas
Central Truth
Too often we enjoy the things of this world without acknowledging the source of all good things. Let's remember to praise the Creator. Enjoying His creation can be an act of worship.
Key Verse | Genesis 14:18-20
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Genesis 14
Abram Rescues Lot
1 In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 these kings 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 And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar.
8 Then 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 they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. 11 So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.
13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks 1 14:13 Or terebinths of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.
Abram Blessed by Melchizedek
17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor
2
14:19
Or Creator; also verse 22
of heaven and earth;
20
and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand 3 14:22 Or I have taken a solemn oath 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.’ 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”
Dive Deeper | Genesis 14
When I was saved in high school, even though I had not grown up in the church I quickly learned that Christians often "bless the meal" before consuming it. At first, this practice confused me, but with time, it simply became a norm that I began to adopt myself. I never really stopped to examine the reason we do that. What I failed to see then was something that I often fail to see today. Even as I experience the goodness of creation, I fail to praise the good Creator.
On any given day, after we enjoy eating, sleeping, or taking a hot shower, our minds quickly move on. I get it. I get so caught up in all of the good things happening around me that I often forget where those good things came from. Unlike Abram in this story, I forget to recognize where my victories originated and to praise God for His hand in it all. Melchizedek's blessing attributes Abraham's victory to the power of God. In response, Abraham's offering of "a tenth of everything" affirms the truthfulness of Melchizedek's words.
In Hebrews 7, the author circles back to this specific passage to support his claim that Melchizedek (whose name translates to "king of righteousness") is someone who resembles the Son of God. Melchizedek quickly appears and disappears in Genesis 14; so, as far as the Old Testament narrative is concerned, there is no end to his priesthood, and in that sense, he continues a priest forever. Like Melchizedek, Christ now serves as our High Priest forever, and because of that, we are to praise Him for the good gifts He entrusts to us and allows us to experience—no matter how minuscule they may seem.
Know that the Creator loves to bless His creation. Christ is the true king of righteousness, and His greatest gift to us is that His followers get to draw near to God on the basis of His perfect life and work.
Discussion Questions
1. Can you think of some important blessings given in Scripture? What are the blessings that have been granted to all Christians by their union with Christ (start with Ephesians 1:3)?
2. Do you ever find yourself forgetting to actively praise Christ for His great gift of salvation to us and slip into a religiosity that, in effect, denies Christ's sufficient, atoning death? Does this lead you to justify yourself by behaving morally and doing good rather than by faithfully following the new law inaugurated by Christ's death and resurrection? If so, discuss this with a trusted friend to help sharpen you in this area of your life.
3. How can you actively remind yourself to maintain a posture of worship and praise for the Creator as you experience His creation daily (Romans 1:21-25)?
4. We can rejoice in knowing that Christ is our true king of righteousness. How might His eternal ministry encourage us as Christians?
5. What conclusion can we draw from the fact that Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1-10)? How does this act of tithing demonstrate Melchizedek's superiority to other priests and his priesthood's similarity to the priesthood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:11-28)?