Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19990919.htm

GENESIS: THE SOURCES OF GOOD AND CALAMITY IN OUR ORIGINS
Part III - God's Ongoing Program Of Countering Man's Apostasy At Babel
D. Round Three: The Battle Of Faith Regarding One's ASSOCIATIONS
(Genesis 14:14-24)
  1. Introduction
    1. We live in a world where we are expected to get along with other people. In fact, one of the signals of social maturity is the capacity to co-exist with others who are diverse in thought and culture from us.
    2. However, God expects us to be separate from those who are spiritually evil as He is separate, cf. 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. At some point, that means trusting God with our associations, and making sure we associate with the upright and not with the wicked!
    3. As Nimrodian apostasy sought to unite man into a great world ecumenism apart from God and His will, God called Abram away from that unity to a life of faith. Eventually, that life of faith involved the battle of trusting God when Abra m had to take a stand against unity with the godless. His stand instructs us today:
  2. The Battle Of Faith Regarding One's ASSOCIATIONS, Genesis 14:14-24:
    1. When Abram's nephew, Lot along with the inhabitants of Sodom was taken captive by invading city state rulers, Abram understandably mustered his forces and alliances to attack Lot's captors, Gn. 14:14-15.
    2. Abram's campaign was successful as part of God's covenant to bless him, and he defeated the invaders, collecting all the booty and captives they had taken, Gen. 14:16.
    3. Following the battle, Abram was met by two significant city state kings:
      1. The king of Sodom whose city had been looted by the former invaders went out to meet Abram to ask that Abram give him only the freed captives of Sodom and to keep the goods captured in payment for his battle victory, Gen. 14:17, 21.
      2. Another king, a king-priest of Salem, which is ancient Jerusalem, went out to meet Abram to bless him and supply "rations" for Abram's soldiers, Gen. 14:18, Ryrie St. B., KJV, ftn.; B.K.C., O.T., p. 54.
      3. These kings are closely compared in the Hebrew text by way of a figure of speech known as a chiasmos:
        1. The king of Sodom is introduced in verse 17 (a) only to have the narrative about Abram's dealings with him interrupted by the introduction of Melchizedek (b) and Abram's interaction with him (b') prior to a return to discuss Abram's interaction with the kin g of Salem (a'), Ibid., B.K.C., O.T.
        2. This figure shows a close and significant comparison is made by the author, Moses of these two kings, E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used In The Bible, p. 374.
      4. The comparison is a moral one, and it affected Abram's relationships with the two kings as follows:
        1. On the positive side, the king of Salem in Melchizedek was called the priest of the Most High God who blessed Abram and gave his men rations. Abram honored this godly king-priest with tithes of all that he had taken, Gen. 14:18-20.
        2. On the negative side, Abram refused to take the king of Sodom's offer to keep his goods for returning his people of the city, for Abram apparently felt this king was dangerous to deal with, and did not want him later to boast that he had made Abram rich, Ge n. 14:21-23. Abram let the soldiers keep what they had eaten of the food taken from Sodom necessary for their sustenance, and he let his Canaanite allies keep their allotted portion of the booty from Sodom if they desired, but he wanted nothing of Sodom th at would in any way league him with that wicked king, Gen. 14:24.
Lesson: Abram trusted GOD for his gaining fame and wealth, NOT SINFUL MEN, thereby standing against the ecumenical interdependence of man promoted by Nimrodian apostasy. In so doing, it meant drawing a line AGAINST fellowship with the king of Sodo m though it conversely meant paying tithes to the godly Melchizedek, king of Salem!

Application: If we see GOD as our SOLE Provider, then we fellowship with HIM. If we truly fellowship with GOD, we of necessity will avoid fellowship with those who are at enmity with our GOD as GOD would lead us to do, cf. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. In this way, we are NOT ecumenical, but yet truly UNITE with others of LIKE fellowship in the Lord, cf. John 17:16-21; Gen. 14:17-24.