Shadowland: Beginnings: Week 19

Genesis 14

The First Rescue of Lot

• 14:1 Shinar - where Babylon was built. Elam - Iran before the Medes and Persians.
• 14:1-3 Nine kings plus Abram's army make 10 kings at war in a valley in the middle east. This foreshadows the 10 kings of Revelation. The deliverance of Lot foreshadows the deliverance of the Jewish remnant from the anti-christ.
• 14:10 "full of tar pits" - warning of judgement to come.
• 14:11-12 Lot could not be distinquished from the people of Sodom by the Elamites.
• 14:13 Abram is allied with the Amorites, for whose sake Israel's conquest of the land is delayed 400 years (15:16).
• 14:14 Abram is quite bold, Proverbs 28:1 "The righteous are as bold as a lion." He is also quite rich, being able to field a fully equipped army against 4 kings from his personal servants. But his army is quite small. Judges 7:7
• 14:18 Melchizedek is identified with Shem in Jewish tradition, and Shem is contemporaneous according to the genealogy in Genesis 10. However, the Scripture makes a point of *not* giving any details concerning Melchizedek, so that Hebrews 7:1-3 states, "For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 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." See Psalm 110:4

  Joshua 10 - The king of Jeru-salem is still called Adonai-Zedek.

  "Brought forth bread and wine." - a type of the way Christ provides out spiritual food and drink.

  Melchizedek, King of Salem - righteousness before peace.
  Romans 5:1 "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God." Isaiah 32:17 "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever."

• 14:21 "Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself." The king of Sodom regarded "his" subjects as assets.
• 14:22-23 "I have lifted up my hand" - Abram had made a vow not to take spoil for himself.
• 14:24 But he does not forget to recognize the claim of the Amorite neighbors who shared in his peril. His vow does not bind them. 1 Corinthians 5:9-13

Topics for Next Week - Take One

• 15:2 - Eliezer, meaning of name and typology
• 15:6 - Justification by faith, tie to Romans
• 15:13 - Prophecy of Egyptian bondage, and the iniquity of the Amorites.