OVERCOMING THE DYSFUNCTIONS OF ISRAEL’S PATRIARCHS

IV. Helping Spiritually Troubling Relatives

(Genesis 14:1-24)

I. Introduction

A. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Israel’s patriarchs and their respective wives and families, though blessed of God, were imperfect people who at times made huge mistakes that led to serious marital and family dysfunction.

B. Thankfully, Romans 15:4 states that we can learn from whatsoever things were written in the Old Testament for our edification, and that includes our learning how to overcome the dysfunctions of Israel’s patriarchs.

C. We view Genesis 14:1-24 on the need to help spiritually troubling relatives with wisdom, grace and holiness:

II. Helping Spiritually Troubling Relatives, Genesis 14:1-24.

A. Partly due to Abram’s own initial disobedience to God, his nephew Lot became a spiritually troubling relative:

1. When God told Abram to leave Ur for the Promised Land, he was also to leave his kinfolk, Acts 7:2-3.

2. Nevertheless, Abam at first traveled with his family from Ur to Haran north of Canaan before eventually ending up in the Promised Land of Canaan with his nephew Lot (Genesis 11:27-32 and 12:4).

3. After they entered Canaan, Abram and Lot had to part company due to the inability of the land to contain them both along with the Canaanites who possessed Canaan, so Abram let Lot choose where to go and Lot chose the Jordan Valley. Lot them moved to the outskirts of the wicked city of Sodom, Genesis 13:1-13.

4. Lot’s choice of Sodom exposed his lack of holiness, for it was common knowledge that Sodom was wicked as evidenced by Abram’s later refusal to have any ties with Sodom’s king, cf. Genesis 14:22-23.

5. Due to Lot’s unholy choice to move to Sodom, he got into trouble and needed help, Genesis 14:1-13:

a. The kings of the Jordan Valley were first subject to Elam, but they rebelled against him, Genesis 14:2-4.

b. The Elamite king got three other kings join him in attacking the Jordan Valley cities, Genesis 14:1-3.

c. They conquered the Jordan Valley cities, capturing all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and their people, including Abram’s nephew Lot with his goods and family, Genesis 14:5-12.

d. One man escaped and came to inform Abram at Mamre in Canaan of the capture of Lot, Genesis 14:13.

B. Abram felt obliged to help his nephew Lot, so he mustered his men and allies to rescue Lot, Genesis 14:14.

C. This effort succeeded: Abram’s alliance defeated the invaders and recovered all the spoils of war that they had taken, including Abram’s nephew Lot with his possessions and family, Genesis 14:15-16.

D. However, after Abram’s victory, he practiced holiness where his nephew Lot had been unholy, Gen. 14:17-24:

1. On the one hand, Abram gave tithes of his spoils of war to Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God in thanksgiving to the Lord for having given him the victory, Genesis 14:18-20:

a. Melchizedek brought out bread and wine to Abram in celebration of his victory, blessing Abram for that victory because his victory was evidence of the blessing of God, Genesis 14:18-20b.

b. Abram responded by giving Melchizedek a tenth of his spoils of war in “gratitude to God for victory and to God’s priest . . .,” Genesis 14:20b; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Genesis 14:20.

2. On the other hand, Abram refused to have any ties with the wicked king of Sodom, Genesis 14:17, 21-24:

a. When the king of Sodom came out to greet Abram, he urged Abram to keep the possessions of Sodom that Abram had recovered, but to return only the king’s people of Sodom, Genesis 14:17, 21.

b. Abram refused this king’s urging, for taking anything from him would have made Abram obligated to and subject to Sodom’s king, and Abram did not want to be subject to such an evil man, Genesis 14:22-23; Ibid., ftn. to Genesis 14:21-24. Abram let his young warriors keep what they needed after their tiring battle and what his pagan allies wanted to keep, but he did not keep Sodom’s spoils for himself, v. 24. In contrast to Lot’s decision to fellowship with Sodom, Abram wanted nothing to do with Sodom’s king!

Lesson: When Abram disobeyed the Lord in taking his nephew Lot with him to Canaan only to see Lot choose to associate with wicked Sodom and thus be captured with his goods and family, Abram was obliged to extend great effort with significant danger to his men to deliver Lot while also refusing to have any fellowship with the wicked king of Sodom in contrast to Lot’s circle of fellowship.

Application: (1) If God calls us to holiness in associations opposite what unholy relatives practice, we should stay separate in fellowship even from unholy relatives for our own spiritual welfare. (2) If unholy relatives then face distress due to their lack of holiness, though we are obliged to help them as relatives, we should help them while also refusing to compromise with their sinful circle of fellowship and thus not fellowship with the ungodly.