The war of the four kings with the five.

1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphe! king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; 2 That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. 3 All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar.

And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; 9 With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king 4 Twelve years they served of Shinar, and Arioch king of Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5 And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

6 And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness.

Ellasar; four kings with five.

10 And the vale of Siddim was full of slime-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.

12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and

7 And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is departed.

LECTURE 27.

The result of choosing plenty with the wicked.

This is the first recorded instance in all history of nation warring against nation. And this war appears to have arisen from oppression on the one side, and rebellion on the other. Most opposite are both these practices, oppression and rebellion, to the spirit of the Gospel, which provides a twofold security for peace; first, forbidding those who have strength to use it for purposes of oppression; and secondly, enjoining such as are in subjection by no means to rebel. So profitable is peace on earth towards attaining peace in heaven! So much ought we readily to sacrifice of the advantages which lie here within our power, in order to gain those which are there placed within our reach!

But a propensity to oppress and to resist, a pleasure in strife and in revenge, these are natural to the heart of fallen man.

So

that of the first two brothers, whose names are set down in the history of mankind, one rose up against the other and slew him. And again, when the race of men had commenced almost anew from Noah, after so few generations, that all men then alive might easily trace their relationship to each other, one of the first things we read of, as soon as there were nations and kings, is, that they were at war one with another. Certainly this nearness of relationship seems to aggravate the wickedness of the war. And it is well for us here to lay to heart, how doubly wrongful is all oppression, retaliation, strife, or quarrelling, amongst those who are nearly related. But at the same time it ought to be observed, that though the lapse of ages has made it hopeless to trace our relationship, we are no less certainly made of the same blood with the men of all other nations of the earth, than the four kings and their troops were with the five kings and theirs. And if the strife of these early nations is offensive in our eyes, considering how lately all had sprung from one family, what must our own many wanton wars appear, in the sight of Him, who sees in one comprehensive view all the generations of mankind, from the beginning of the creation to the end of time?

Amongst the countries which chiefly suffered in this warfare were Sodom and Gomorrah. The kings thereof fled, and fell. They that escaped took refuge in the mountains. And the conquerors "took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way." So fared it with this fertile country, that was like "the garden of the Lord;" ch. 13. 10; war drove away its inhabitants, or reduced them to destitution. And so fares it with as many as possess abundance on the earth, but are without peace in themselves, or amongst each other; their riches are but vanity and vexation of spirit. Amongst the sufferers on this occasion was Lot; "they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed." This was the common practice of war in those times, to make slaves of all whom they could take away by force. And like to this is the slavery which all they have to submit to, who choose with Lot to enjoy the plenteousness of the world, in the company of the wicked. A sudden destruction comes upon them unawares. The goods in which they trusted, vanish. It is death that has overtaken them. It is Satan who is carrying them off to be his slaves for ever.

O Thou who alone art able, save, help, and deliver them! Let not these our brethren, O Lord, perish for ever! But do Thou with thine own right hand and holy arm get unto Thyself the victory!

Abraham rescueth Lot; giveth tithes to Melchizedek.

13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner and these were confederate with Abram.

14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shavel, which is the king's dale.

Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:

24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their

18 And Melchizedek king of portion. LECTURE 28.

Melchizedek an eminent type of Christ.

If

Abraham and Lot had parted, owing to a strife between their herdsmen. Abraham had given Lot his choice as to the direction in which he would settle; and Lot had chosen in a way which could not fail to be unwelcome to his father's brother. And yet when Lot was taken captive, all differences were forgotten on the part of Abraham, in his anxiety to rescue his brother's son. there are any with whom we have been in any way at variance, how gladly ought we to seize on an opportunity of doing them a good turn! If we hear of their having fallen into any trouble which we might be able to relieve, how heartily ought we to labour for their benefit, how earnestly to contend for their deliverance! But chiefly if either our enemy or our friend has fallen into sin, has been taken captive by Satan at his will, we ought to gather

together all our strength, and run with all speed to the rescue. This is the Christian's warfare, to intercede with God in prayer against sin, the world, and the devil; to intercede in behalf of them that fall, that it may please God to raise them up, as well as in behalf of them that stand, that it may please God to keep them strong and safe.

On the return of Abraham from the rescue of Lot, two kings went forth to meet him. The king of Sodom, whom we must suppose to have lately succeeded to the throne on the death of the former one, see ver. 10, made what may be considered a liberal proposal, as to the spoil which Abraham had taken, "Give me the persons," meaning his own subjects who had been rescued, "and take the goods to thyself," as an acknowledgment of thankfulness for this seasonable aid. But Abraham refused to receive any such acknowledgment. For he had vowed to the Lord that he would accept nothing of the king of Sodom, lest he should that he had made Abraham rich. Only he agreed that his confederates should have their portion, and he was willing to accept as a present that which the young men had eaten, so much of the spoil belonging to the men of Sodom as had served his band for food by the way. No doubt it was his resolution to owe all his prosperity only to "the most high God." And his aversion

say

to the sins of the men of Sodom, might further make him scruple to take any thing that was theirs. Oh that we may ever abhor the gains of ungodliness! Oh that we may never wilfully receive gain or gift, from any source, of which we know that it ministers to sin, or detracts from the glory of God!

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine." This was the other king, who came out to meet Abraham. "And he was the priest of the most high God." At a time when kings were little more than the heads of large families, this appears to have been a common arrangement amongst men, perhaps originally enjoined by God. But Melchizedek was no ordinary priest, no ordinary king; for we know both from the book of Psalms, and from the Epistle to the Hebrews, that he was a signal type of Jesus Christ. When therefore he brings forth bread and wine, we see Christ giving food to his victorious saints, eating bread with them, and drinking wine with them, in the kingdom of heaven. And when he blessed him," and blessed God for delivering his enemies into his hand, what is this but Christ giving us his blessing, praying the Father that we may overcome our enemies, and giving thanks to the Father for our victory? And when Abraham gave a tenth of all the spoil to Melchizedek, how ought this to reprove the prevalent unwillingness to give God's ministers their due maintenance, and much more to make us ashamed of our sinful backwardness on every occasion of spiritual success, in not giving to the great Captain of our salvation, the honour due unto his name?

God maketh a covenant with Abraham by sacrifice.

1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus ?

3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit

midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.