Origins: Abraham Pt 3 – Rescue & Mechizedek
Readings: Genesis 14, Psalm 110, Hebrews 7. 1-22 (the latter two are included partway through the sermon recording)
We welcome Rev. Bob Capper as our guest preacher as we continue our series on Abraham.
The story so far
Today we continue our series on the life of Abraham (still called Abram at the moment). It is a key part of the Old Testament in helping us understand what it means to belong to God’s family and follow Jesus today. So far we’ve heard about how God took an ordinary man Abram & his family, and called him to set out to an unknown destination, but given amazing promises as he did so. His descendants would become a great nation, and bring blessing to the whole world. After starting well, Abram has a blip when he compromises his wife Sarah in Egypt, but returns to the promised land and has his calling from God refreshed. Last week we saw a contrast between Abram’s generosity in giving Lot the choice as to w1-22here to take their growing followers and flocks, and Lot’s selfishness in choosing the fertile Jordan valley, which (the narrator hints) would also put him in spiritual danger among the notorious people of Sodom.
Introduction
As we live our lives, sometimes a national or international crisis can impact our lives. Governments changing, wars affecting food prices, even impacts of AI. Today we read of this happening to Abram. However the events that unfold become a vital part of the ongoing story of God’s working.
In our reading from Genesis 14 we had a dramatic account of three battles. The first two concern attacks by 5 Eastern kings (Chedorlaomer of Elam plus) on 4 Western ones. Well done to our reader Jean for managing all those long names! (Some may want to picture Dragons & Cardiff [East] v. Ospreys & Scarlets [West]!) We can’t go into all the details of these battles, but one of those defeated in both of them is the king of Sodom – and after the second one Lot and his family, living as we will remember in Sodom – are captured and taken North. In the third battle, Abram takes to arms and chases north after them to rescue Lot and the others.
After the third battle, our passage focuses on two aftermath meetings between Abram and Melchizedek, and Abram & the king of Sodom.
Let’s pick up on some themes.
(1) Uncle Abram
Abram will spend a lot of time bailing out his nephew Lot – as the consequences of Lot’s worldly and ‘bad choice’ of heading East continues. Family life can be like that, can’t it. A dad staying with us recently with his 3 daughters commented on something he had heard “parents are only as happy as their unhappiest child”.
Even when people go far from God, Christians are to go on caring. Genesis 14 tells the story of the ‘saintly’ rescuing the ‘worldly’. Christians are called to serve the world, and that sometimes includes trying to mitigate the consequences of people’s bad choices.
Abram being called to bring God’s blessing (12:3) begins with those closest to us.
(2) Warrior Abram
In this week’s reading we see a whole new side of Abram as an energetic and able military leader of a clan. Last week he was wandering around with flocks and herds. This week he’s charging into battle! Genesis tells us he could muster a nice little army of 318 “trained men, born in his house (ie loyal)” (v.14). A not insignificant band for the miliary encounters of that time. Probably the 5 invading kings from the East were more of a raiding party, enough to do the job, than a large army.
Hearing the news of the defeat of Sodom and the others, probably in the area down South of the Dead Sea), the capture of Lot and his family, and knowing that the raiders are heading North, Abram and his men set off from their base near the ‘oaks of Mamre’, around modern Hebron, set off in pursuit.
The writer carefully mentions they pursue the attackers past Dan, and Damascus in the far north. In other words, the Genesis account wants us to understand – they’ve been chased right out of the Land promised to Abram! It’s a glimpse of the future, a foretaste of how God will one day, centuries later, fulfil his promises to Abram. There, in the north, Abram defeats the 5 kings and releases the captives including Lot and all the booty with them.
(3) Aftermath: Two Encounters
Following Abram’s victory, the narrative focuses on two encounters.
(a) A gracious encounter – Melchizedek king of Salem. This mysterious figure (not among the combatants so far as we can tell) emerges to offer the victors the generous gifts of “bread and wine”. Genesis tells us he was not only a king but also a priest – “He was priest of God Most High” (v.18). Not only does he bring gifts, as a priest he blesses Abram:
‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.’
At Abram’s call (12:2,3), God had spoken of “those who would bless you”, and clearly Melchizedek is one of those. The text continues: Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Back to Melchizedek in a moment. But first note the contrast in the second meeting.
(b) A surly encounter – the king of Sodom
This one is deliberately set alongside Melchizedek to show how different they are. Here is one of the rescued kings – or whose people have been rescued by Abram – and with no thanks. Just 6 rude words: “Give me people; take property yourself”.
The tone is disdainful. God had also spoken to Abram concerning “those who dishonour you” (12:3), and clearly the king of Sodom is one of those. And you will hear of the final downfall of Sodom in a few chapters’ time. But we find
(c) Abram is also gracious
Despite this surly response, Abram himself won’t keep any of the booty – although those who accompanied him from local tribes are allowed their share. The wording of what Abram actually says to the king of Sodom is interesting:
‘With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, “I made Abram rich.”
The name for God he uses there “God Most High” is the same one used of Melchizedek, but linked to the future covenant name of Israel’s God, “The Lord – Jaweh”. Abram and Melchizedek are on the same hymn sheet so far as God is concerned, the king of Sodom isn’t!
(4) Going Deeper
Let’s try and go a little deeper with the story. In particular, how it fits into the unfolding story of God’s salvation revealed in the Bible.
(a) Abram and the nations
That promise God made in Week One is so important that we need to remind ourselves of it now:
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3)
God was at work calling a nation, the descendants of Abram. They would be known as his “chosen people”, who become the Israelites, and the Jews. Though they would enjoy many blessings and privileges, God’s ultimate purpose wasn’t just for their benefit, but rather through them to bring his blessings to the nations, to the world. We know that ultimately that promise was fulfilled when Jesus was born into the Jewish nation, but died and rose again to bring salvation to the whole world.
Long before then, we get little of hints of that pattern of God’s chosen servants bringing blessing to their neighbours. So here, God’s servant Abram is used to deliver the neighbouring tribes who had suffered oppression by the invading armies. This is the pattern of God’s intervention: defeat of his enemies, leading to blessings to “nations” which will receive them.
Abram’s refusal to take spoils of war is also significant, and his gracious response to the King of Sodom who was so surly and ungrateful to him.
Through Jesus, we as Christians today are given the task of being agents of God’s blessing to those around. We are to serve our neighbours. Pray for our neighbours and for our troubled world. According to Jesus, that even means “loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44)
(b) Abram and Melchizedek
We will finish with Abram and Melchizedek, because the Bible has quite a lot more to say about this mysterious character.
i) Notice first of all that God’s servant Abram suddenly comes across a surprising ally in his service of God. Here, in the midst of pagan Canaan, someone else seems to be on the side of the true God – he is “priest of God most high”. Now that could have just been a high deity of paganism, but when he meets Abram he seems to recognize Abram’s God as his own.
For Christians today, that means that we should expect God the Holy Spirit to be beginning to work in people’s lives long before they actually meet a Christian, and learn about Jesus and his saving love. Missionaries have seen this happening.
“In 1972, Don Richardson, a Christian missionary and scholar, published a book called, Peace Child. It was followed by a film and became a missionary classic in which he shared how he and his wife risked their lives to share Christ with the cannibalistic Sawi people of New Guinea. A cultic tribal tradition proved to be a gateway for the gospel… In [a later] book, Eternity in their Hearts he researched the folk religions of ancient people to discover the way God may have prepared them for the gospel with ‘redemptive analogies’. His conclusion is that God had prepared many groups of people to receive the message of Jesus Christ.”*
The writer of the book I’m quoting from there believes this was true of the Druids, the elite leaders of the Celtic tribes in Britain, of whom Julius Caesar in his Commentary on the Gallic Wars commented that the Druids ‘make the immortality of the soul the basis of their teaching.’ He believes this was a factor in the rapid reception of the gospel in Britain in early centuries.
ii) Later in scripture Melchizedek is seen as a precedent of a future priestly ruler in Jerusalem. So “Salem” (Gen. 14:18) is seen to be Jerusalem. Applied first of all to King David, and then to “great David’s greater Son” Jesus.
[In the service, Psalm 110 and Hebrews 7:1-22 were read at this point.]
(c) Jesus and the “order of Melchizedek”
Psalm 110 is the most quoted psalm of the New Testament, not least by Jesus himself.
It was applied to the priestly-Messiah Jesus now enthroned in heaven (a great theme of Ascensiontide), and supreme over the nations, and subduing his enemies. Bringing the universe under his rule. His ancient but new order of priesthood is now ‘forever’ (v.4)
Hebrews 7, picking up on Genesis 14 and the psalm, speaks clearly of Jesus the fulfilment of Melchizedek. He is the king of peace, Salem meaning peace. The passage picks up on the 10% tithes given by Abraham [Hebrews uses this form] to Melchizedek, commenting that these are given the from lesser to greater – so Jesus is greater than Abraham. Jesus’ high-priesthood is ‘after the order of Melchizedek’. He is the true “forever” priest. His high-priesthood comes not from descent from Aaron (like the Jewish priests) but his mighty resurrection from death, “the power of an indestructible life” (v.16). Jesus brings “perfection” & a “better hope” (v.19) & a “better covenant” (v.22) (than Abraham’s even?) for Christians. He is warning Jewish Christians, tempted to avoid persecution by reverting to their Judaism, that there is no future role for the priesthood of Aaron, whose sacrifices cannot take away sins. Only Jesus can.
Conclusion
As so often in Genesis we begin with Abra(ha)m and end with Jesus! If Abraham had to fight a battle, our battles are spiritual, fought for Jesus with the armour of God and prayer.
Jesus will be the way God’s blessing ultimately comes to the nations. Jesus is the Ascended Ruler & our Great High Priest, blessing us as Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Doing so daily, continuously, forever!
* Peter Edwards, Early Christianity in Britain, p.68