Month: July 2025

Genesis 17

Genesis 17

Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old Yahveh appeared again to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be irreproachable,

Genesis 17:2 so that I may make my covenant between me and you and may multiply you greatly.”

Genesis 17:3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God spoke to him, and this is what he said,

Genesis 17:4 “Notice, my covenant is with you, and you will be the father of numerous nations.

Genesis 17:5 No longer will your name be called simply Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a noisy crowd of nations.

Genesis 17:6 I will make you exceedingly productive, and I will make you into nations, and kings will issue from you.

Genesis 17:7 And I will institute my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for a permanent covenant, to be your personal God and to your seed after you.

Genesis 17:8 And I will give to you and to your seed after you the land you wander,[1] all the land of Canaan, to permanently possess, and I will be their personal God.”

Genesis 17:9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

Genesis 17:10 This is my covenant, which you will stay with, between me and you and your seed after you: Every male among you will be circumcised.

Genesis 17:11 You all will be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and you all.

Genesis 17:12 He who is eight days old among you will be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from an outsider who is not of your seed,

Genesis 17:13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, will surely be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh to signify a permanent covenant.

Genesis 17:14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that throat will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Genesis 17:15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you will not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.

Genesis 17:16 I will bless her, and what is more, I will actually give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

Genesis 17:17 And Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Genesis 17:18 So Abraham responded to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”

Genesis 17:19 But God said, “Certainly,[2] Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you will call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his seed after him.

Genesis 17:20 Regarding Ishmael, I have heard you; notice, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will father twelve princes, and I will make him into an influential nation.

Genesis 17:21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”

Genesis 17:22 When he had finished talking with him, God left Abraham.

Genesis 17:23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him.

Genesis 17:24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

Genesis 17:25 And his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

Genesis 17:26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised.

Genesis 17:27 And all the men of his household, those born in the household and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

[1] מָגוֹר = wander, wandering. Genesis 17:8; 28:4; 36:7; 37:1; 47:9.

[2] אֲבָל = certainly. Genesis 17:19; 42:21.

Genesis 17 quotes:

“These covenants were made to be never ending, eternal, perpetual, and age-abiding. They were to continue to be in effect forever. However, in the promises, sacrifices and seals of these everlasting covenants there were elements that could not last forever because of their temporal nature. For example, the Abrahamic Covenant is spoken of an everlasting covenant and the seal of it, which is circumcision, is also spoken of as being everlasting (Genesis 17:13). However, the New Testament declares that the external expression of the seal, the circumcision of the flesh, was fulfilled and abolished at the cross. Therefore only the internal and spiritual reality of the seal, which is circumcision of the heart, can be everlasting. Likewise, the animal sacrifices of the everlasting covenants could never be eternal. Only through the once-for-all sacrifice of the Son of God could the principle of covenantal sacrifice be everlasting though the external form was fulfilled and abolished (Genesis 15; Hebrews 10). Though having temporal elements everlasting covenants are legally binding and remain in effect for eternity.”

Conner, Kevin J, and Kenneth P Malmin. The Covenants: Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Palestinian, Davidic, New, Everlasting. Updated and revised ed., City Bible Publishing, 1997. pp. 7-8.

“On this occasion, God’s mind is made up. The point is vividly expressed when God says Sarah “is going to bear you a son.” More literally, God says she “is bearing you a son” God speaks as we do when we say, “I’m coming,” when actually we are still finishing reading the newspaper. We mean that we are committed to coming and that we will definitely be there soon. And God indicates a commitment to Sarah’s having this baby; he will definitely be there soon.”

Goldingay, John. Genesis for Everyone. First ed., Westminster John Knox Press, 2010. p. 12.

“The idea, here in Genesis 17, seems to be the expression of settling, arranging or formalizing the covenant. Here the Lord takes steps in order to fulfill the covenant and seals it with a perpetual ordinance.”

Neilands, David L. Studies in the Covenant of Grace. Presbyterian and Reformed, 1980. p. 2.

Genesis 17 links:

Abraham- new things
Laughter
New
soul searching
Spring up, Oh Well
The consequences of separation
The Gospel Choice (Gal. 4-21-31)
The Gospel Preached to Abraham Gal. 3 1-9

THE WOMAN WHO WAS PAST THE AGE – jeffersonvann

GENESIS in Jeff’s library

NONE LIKE HIM

NONE LIKE HIM

2 Chronicles 6:13-19 NET.

13 Solomon had made a bronze platform and had placed it in the middle of the enclosure. It was seven and one-half feet long, seven and one-half feet wide, and four and one-half feet high. He stood on it and then got down on his knees in front of the entire assembly of Israel. He spread out his hands toward the sky, 14 and prayed: “O LORD God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth! You maintain covenantal loyalty to your servants who obey you with sincerity. 15 You have kept your word to your servant, my father David; this very day you have fulfilled what you promised. 16 Now, O LORD God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David, when you said, ‘You will never fail to have a successor ruling before me on the throne of Israel, provided that your descendants watch their step and obey my law as you have done.’ 17 Now, O LORD God of Israel, may the promise you made to your servant David be realized. 18 “God does not really live with humankind on the earth! Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built! 19 But respond favorably to your servant’s prayer and his request for help, O LORD my God. Answer the desperate prayer your servant is presenting to you.

Last week, we saw King David praying a prayer of repentance and intercession at the threshing floor of Ornan. This week, we move a few years into the future, and we find David’s son Solomon is now king. We are still in the same location, but now the temple has been built there. Solomon is doing the same thing his father did—praying. However, the purpose of his prayer is different. David had prayed because the destroying angel was attacking Jerusalem. He knew he was to blame, so David prayed for forgiveness and asked God’s mercy to stop the destruction. The LORD answered David’s prayer and halted his judgment. Now, David is gone, and his son Solomon has taken his place as king over the united Israel. The location remains the same, but it is now the site of the temple. Solomon is praying to dedicate the temple.

Let’s look at the context of Solomon’s prayer.

Solomon built a platform into the temple structure for prayer on behalf of his people. The platform was large enough to stand out among the beautiful temple buildings. It was a square measuring 5 cubits by 5 cubits and was 3 cubits high. It was not located inside the holy place or the holy of holies because Solomon, as king, did not serve as a priest. He could, however, go to the temple courts. Solomon created this platform as an official spot where the king could dedicate the entire temple area. Therefore, at the entrance of the temple, in front of the burnt offering altar, Solomon took his place to pray.

Look closely at what the text shows us about Solomon’s posture. He stepped onto the platform, then knelt down on his knees. He raised his hands and stretched them toward the sky. This posture reveals a lot about the purpose of Solomon’s prayer. As king, he was praying for his people, the nation of Israel. As the one responsible for building the temple, he was praying for that place. He was dedicating it for the worship of God according to the laws of Moses. He knelt to show he was not the ultimate ruler of the nation. He submitted to God and recognized God’s authority above his own. He knelt as a subject of God and a citizen of His kingdom.

He also raised his hands to the sky and spread them apart, symbolizing the focus of his prayer. He was praying for the temple they were dedicating to the LORD and for his ministry. He also signaled that his prayers were for the entire nation.

We have just celebrated our nation’s Independence Day. It is fitting for us, as citizens of this country, to express gratitude for the blessings we have received and the legacy we have inherited. However, as Christians, we must also recognize that our independence is always qualified. Like Solomon, we should come to God on our knees and submit to His sovereignty. The colonies were justified in rebelling against King George and declaring their independence from him and his realm. But we must not believe that a true Christian is ever completely independent.

Our dependence upon God means two things. First, it means he is the supreme authority over our lives. What he wants is always our highest aim. What he does not want is never an option for us. To seek something outside of God’s will is to rebel against his authority. It is treason for us. We don’t resent his intrusion into our lives because we understand that his will is also a blessing for us, not a curse.

Secondly, our dependence means that we have someone to turn to in order to improve our lives, correct our failures, or heal our diseases and injuries. When we have exhausted our abilities and used up all our resources, we can go to him for blessing and restoration. This was another reason Solomon stood on the prayer platform that day and prayed. He was seeking divine blessing. He was asking God to bless the place he had chosen to visibly manifest his presence: the temple. From that location, Solomon was also praying for God’s blessing on his entire house and kingdom.

I should also mention that there was a part of this new temple called the court of the nations or the court of the Gentiles. This was a place where even those outside the nation of Israel could come and access God and His blessings. You might remember that when Jesus overturned the moneychangers’ tables, it happened in the court of nations. The reason Jesus got so angry is that the moneychangers were doing their own business in the area that God had declared should be a house of prayer for all nations.

It is certainly appropriate for us to ask God to bless America. However, it is wrong to assume that America is the only nation God desires to bless. It is also incorrect to celebrate any nation’s independence from God. Many people in our country need to be blessed with the gift of repentance. So, when I say, “God bless America,” that is what I mean.

Now, let’s examine the content of Solomon’s prayer. I didn’t include the entire prayer in today’s message. I selected this section because Solomon starts his prayer with a lesson on theology. He describes the God of the Bible in contrast to all the other gods of different nations.

According to Solomon, God is unique. He says that there is no God like Him in heaven or on earth. It is important I clarify something from what we read here. Solomon is not suggesting that heaven contains multiple gods and that Israel’s God is just one among them. The words “heaven” and “earth” are poor translations. What Solomon actually means in his prayer is that God is unique among all the gods in the sky and on the land. Other nations and tribes made their own gods, often using something visible to represent them. Some chose features on the land, like a river, a fish, a bull, or a frog. Others selected features in the sky, like storms, the sun, the moon, or the stars. When Solomon prayed, he acknowledged that these are not truly gods. They are creations of the true God. Some appear powerful, but that power belongs to God. Some seem wise, but that wisdom comes from God. All these things in the sky and on the land are blessings from God, but they are not God Himself.

Solomon also says that God is reliable. He states that God remains loyal to his servants who sincerely obey him. The God of the Bible cannot be manipulated. He does not bow to the will of a shaman or priest. However, he can be trusted to fulfill the promises he has made in his word. God does not respond to rituals and threats, but he does respond to our faithfulness. When we are faithful like he is, he blesses us. If we show ourselves dependent on him, he will prove to be dependable toward us.

Solomon states that God keeps His promises. He reflects on the life of David, his father, and concludes that God has fulfilled His word to him. Then he looks ahead in faith and asks God to do what He has already promised: to continue blessing the nation with rulers from David’s dynasty. There is a hint in this prayer of another ruler, another anointed king in David’s line, who will one day come and establish God’s eternal kingdom.

Solomon also makes a concession in his prayer. He prays for God to bless the temple and take up residence there, but he acknowledges that God does not truly dwell with humankind on earth. The temple will be a physical symbol of God’s presence, but it will never contain the fullness of God’s presence.

God cannot be contained. He is the creator of the land, but He lives beyond it. He created the sky, but He dwells above it. Even the highest heaven, His divine residence, does not contain Him. He is everywhere, always. Even our word “good” fails to measure His goodness. Even our word “great” falls short of describing His greatness.

But despite his differences, today’s message highlights a moment when one of God’s creatures connected with Him. That’s a lesson for all of us. No matter how insignificant we think we are, we can still reach God through our prayers. No matter how sinful we become, we are only a prayer away from His forgiveness. No matter how long we have hardened our hearts and resisted Him, He still waits for us. He desires connection.

What happened after Solomon prayed that day? When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the LORD’s splendor filled the temple. The priests were unable to enter the LORD’s temple because the LORD’s splendor filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the LORD’s splendor over the temple, they bowed down on their knees with their faces toward the ground. They worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!” (2 Chronicles 7:1-3). That is the connection. From that time on, it was not just Solomon’s temple; it was the LORD’s temple. It was not just Solomon’s kingdom or David’s kingdom. It was the LORD’s kingdom.

Communion meditation:

1 Corinthians 8:5-6 NLT.

“There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.”

The apostle’s declaration here reflects the same truth that Solomon expressed in his prayer at the dedication of the temple. The world around both men was a polytheistic one—they believed in many gods. But the truth of Paul’s declaration and Solomon’s prayer pierces through all the false theology and independence. The reality is monotheism, yes, but it goes deeper than that. Paul emphasizes the one Lord, Jesus Christ. He tells us that we were all created through Jesus Christ and that we live through Him. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. As we remember what Jesus did for us on Calvary today, let us keep in mind that His sacrifice served a purpose. We all live through Him. He purchased eternal life for us. Let’s set aside all the false gods and rulers of the world — they are nothing but idols. Jesus is our true connection to the Father. He is the source of our resurrection life. Let us declare our independence from everything else and our loyalty to the One Lord.

Genesis 16

Genesis 16

Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian slave whose name was Hagar.

Genesis 16:2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Notice now, Yahveh has kept me from bearing children. Go in to my slave; maybe I will get children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Genesis 16:3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife.

Genesis 16:4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with disrespect on her mistress.

Genesis 16:5 And Sarai said to Abram, “This is your fault! I gave my slave to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked at me with disrespect. May Yahveh judge between you and me!”

Genesis 16:6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Notice, your slave is in your power; do to her what you want.” Then Sarai treated her harshly, and she escaped from her.

Genesis 16:7 The agent[1] of Yahveh found Hagar by a spring of water in the open country, the spring on the way to Shur.

Genesis 16:8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She answered, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.”

Genesis 16:9 The agent of Yahveh said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”

Genesis 16:10 The agent of Yahveh also said to her, “I will surely multiply your seed so that they cannot be numbered because of their greatness.”

Genesis 16:11 And the agent of Yahveh said to her, “Notice, you are pregnant and will give birth to a son. You will call his name Ishmael, because Yahveh has listened to your affliction.

Genesis 16:12 He will be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will dwell as enemy of all his kinsmen.”

Genesis 16:13 So she called the name of Yahveh who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who always sees me.”

Genesis 16:14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; notice — it is located between Kadesh and Bered.

Genesis 16:15 And Hagar gave birth to Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar gave birth to , Ishmael.

Genesis 16:16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael for Abram.

[1] מַלְאָךְ = agent. Genesis 16:7, 9, 10, 11; 19:1, 15; 21:17; 22:11, 15; 24:7, 40; 28:12; 31:11; 32:1, 3, 6; 48:16.

Genesis 16 quotes:

“Perhaps, realizing that her name was not mentioned in the covenant promise, Sarah thought God did not intend her to bear Abrahams child. Eugenia Price surmises, “I’m sure Sarai wanted to believe it, but to her practical mind, the facts were all against it: she was just too old. And so, she figured, before Abram was too old also they had better do the practical thing and help God along.”

Guy, Cynthia Dianne. Struggle Seek Grow : How 12 Women in Scripture Sought Spiritual Maturity. Gospel Advocate Company, 2011. p. 85.

“Genesis 16’s story of Abram and two women, Sarai and Hagar, showcases falling faith and distrust and shocking expediencies. The result was the first marital triangle in biblical history. Here we have the multiplication of rejection, anger, hurt, jealousy, and vicious cruelty. Life complicated itself exponentially, and there was no resolution. The following is a warning to all children of faith. “No perfect feet walk the path of faith” (Barnhouse).’ As Paul would warn, “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Are you a person of faith? Then pay attention.”

Hughes, R. Kent. Genesis : Beginning and Blessing. Crossway Books, 2004. p. 237.

“The story of Hagar’s flight (Genesis 16), for example, was intended to explain how Ishmael came to be born in the desert. With this in view it sketches a picture of his father’s household; and it shows how, by a completely comprehensible concatenation of circumstances, Ishmael’s mother while pregnant was brought to despair and fled into the desert. So it came about that Ishmael was born a child of the desert.”

Gunkel, Hermann, et al. The Stories of Genesis. BIBAL Press, 1994. p. 55.

Genesis 16 links:


Abram- the living one who sees me
Return and submit
The Gospel Choice (Gal. 4-21-31)

Maranatha Daily Devotional – May 26, 2015
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, January 8, 2019


GENESIS in Jeff’s library

Genesis 15

Genesis 15

Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of Yahveh came to Abram in a vision, and this is what he said: “Do not fear the future, Abram, I am your present shield; your future wages will be very great.”

Genesis 15:2 But Abram said, “O Lord Yahveh, what will you give me, because I stay childless, and the heir of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?”

Genesis 15:3 And Abram said, “Notice, you have given me no seed, and only a member of my household staff will be my heir.”

Genesis 15:4 And notice, the word of Yahveh came to him, and this is what he said: “This man will not be your heir; your very own son will be your heir.”

Genesis 15:5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward the sky, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So will your seed be.”

Genesis 15:6 And he believed Yahveh, and Yahveh counted it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:7 And he said to him, “I am Yahveh who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Genesis 15:8 But he said, “O Lord Yahveh, how am I to know that I will possess it?”

Genesis 15:9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

Genesis 15:10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half.

Genesis 15:11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

Genesis 15:12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And notice, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him.

Genesis 15:13 Then Yahveh said to Abram, “Know for certain that your seed will be foreign guests in a land that is not theirs and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years.

Genesis 15:14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they are enslaved in, and after that they will come out with great property.

Genesis 15:15 As for yourself, you will go to where your fathers are in peace; you will be buried having a good grey head.

Genesis 15:16 And they will come back here in the fourth generation, because the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

Genesis 15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, notice, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

Genesis 15:18 On that day Yahveh made a covenant with Abram, and this is what he said, “To your seed I promise this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,

Genesis 15:19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

Genesis 15:20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

Genesis 15:21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Genesis 15 quotes:

“While the covenant of Genesis 15 focuses primarily on nationhood (land and descendants), the covenant in Genesis 17 highlights Abraham’s special status as regards the nations. Unfortunately, biblical scholars have tended to blur the differences between these two covenants, some viewing them as parallel accounts of the same covenant, preserved in different sources.”

Alexander, T. Desmond. From Paradise to the Promised Land : An Introduction to the Pentateuch. 2nd ed., Paternoster Press ; Baker Academic, 2002. p. 86.

“Genesis 15 also includes the first Abrahamic covenant ceremony. “For the first time in the history of religions, God becomes the contracting party, promising a national territory to a people yet unborn. This pledge constitutes the main historic title of the Jewish people to its land, a title that is unconditional and irrevocable, secured by a divine covenant whose validity transcends space and time.” The promises made in previous chapters are here, in chapter 15, solidified. Literarily, the chapter as a whole constitutes “the ‘great reward’ promised to the patriarch.””

Tracy, Elizabeth B. See Me! Hear Me! : Divine. Peeters, 2015. p. 71.

“Since the reckoning in Genesis 15 and the obedient act of Abraham in Genesis 22 have long been read together, it is in the Jewish biblical tradition to see obedience as the ground of acceptance by God.”

Yeung, Maureen W. Faith in Jesus and Paul: A Comparison with Special Reference to “faith That Can Remove Mountains” and ’Your Faith Has Healed. Mohr Siebeck, 2002. p. 248.

Genesis 15 links:

Abram- dreadful and great darkness
Fear of the future
Planning for the future
the blessing of an unconscious death
The Gospel Preached to Abraham Gal. 3 1-9

Maranatha Daily Devotional – Friday, January 8, 2021
Maranatha Daily Devotional – May 25, 2015
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Monday, January 9, 2023

GENESIS in Jeff’s library

Genesis 14

Genesis 14

Genesis 14:1 During the reigns of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

Genesis 14:2 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 (also known as Zoar).

Genesis 14:3 And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

Genesis 14:4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Genesis 14:5 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,

Genesis 14:6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-Paran on the border of the open country.[1]

Genesis 14:7 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.

Genesis 14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also known as Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim

Genesis 14:9 with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five.

Genesis 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the pits, and the rest escaped to the hill country.

Genesis 14:11 So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and left.

Genesis 14:12 They also abducted Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, when they left.

Genesis 14:13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. They were partners of Abram.

Genesis 14:14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led forth his army, born in his household, 318 of them, and went to find them as far as Dan.

Genesis 14:15 And he strategically arranged his forces against them by night, he and his slaves, and defeated them and chased them to Hobah, north of Damascus.

Genesis 14:16 Then he brought back all the property, and also brought back his relative Lot with his property, and the women and the other people.

Genesis 14:17 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 (also known as the King’s Valley).

Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

Genesis 14:19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, owner of sky and land;

Genesis 14:20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Genesis 14:21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the throats, but take the property for yourself.”

Genesis 14:22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to Yahveh, God Most High, owner of sky and land,

Genesis 14:23 promising that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, so that you should not say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

Genesis 14:24 I will take nothing but what the young men have already eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

[1]מִדְבָּר = open country. Genesis 14:6; 16:7; 21:14, 20-21; 36:24; 37:22.

Genesis 14 quotes:

“Who was this first king of Jerusalem? Who was Melchizedek, through whom God stated His thoughts of election and redemption for Israel? He steps directly out of eternity into time. His name, his words and his actions, as well as the man he approaches and gives bread and wine, provide us with clues about the purpose of his appearance.”

Malgo, Wim. There Shall Be Signs in Heaven and on Earth 1948-1982. Midnight Call, 1980. p. 16.

“In Genesis 14, we are introduced to the first war ever recorded in Scripture. It is a stirring account, vividly contrasting the noisy, vaunted armies of earth against the quiet but invincible power of faith.”

Stedman, Ray C. Friend of God: The Legacy of Abraham, Man of Faith. Discovery House, 2010. p. 50.

“While the Bible does not profess to give us an ancient history complete in all details, nor even a broad outline of such, Scripture is historically accurate when it does touch on contemporary events. In Genesis 14, for instance, we encounter the names of nearly forty people, places, and nationalities—all testify to the veracity of the account.”

Flint, V. Paul. Strangers & Pilgrims : A Study of Genesis. 1st ed., Loizeaux Bros, 1988. p. 114.

Genesis 14 links:

Abram- rescue
God Most High
soul searching

Maranatha Daily Devotional – Friday, January 6, 2023
Maranatha Daily Devotional – May 24, 2015

GENESIS in Jeff’s library