Genesis 14:17–24

The man of faith is not free from the enemy's attacks. Often, right after a victory, he has to face a fresh temptation. So it was with Abraham. "After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him." There was clearly a deep and cunning design of the enemy in this move. "The king of Sodom" presents a very different thought. It shows a very different side of the enemy's power from "Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him." In the first we have the hiss of the serpent. In the second, the roar of the lion.

Abraham returns from defeating the kings in victory. And the king of Sodom comes out to meet him. The Lord knew that would be a critical moment for Abraham, and He knows all about our future path. It is hidden from us, but He has given us His word as a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. So we may see the end, and have light for every step. But God sees the end from the beginning. He knows what will happen to us, and He knows how to prepare us for it. This was a moment of temptation to Abraham, and God gives Melchizedek to meet him first. God knows how to fill in all the blanks.

Why did "the priest of the Most High God" not come to meet Abram earlier? Because this was the very moment when Abram most needed the strength he had to bring. The enemy was about to dangle his glittering bait before the eyes of the man of God. So Melchizedek is on hand to show him the divine realities of the kingdom.

Melchizedek's ministry, king of Salem, in the valley of Shaveh — the King's valley — had strengthened Abraham, so that he was able to meet and overcome the alluring favours of the king of Sodom. And it is only as we remain in the King's valley, the low place, that we experience the priestly support of our true Melchizedek, the One who says, "I am gentle and lowly in heart."

The king of Sodom had gone out to meet the victorious Abram, as mentioned in verse 17, but he does not really come into the picture until verse 21. Wanting to repay Abram, he offered him all the goods of Sodom that he had recovered. The way Abram declined the offer is very striking. Through Melchizedek's ministry he now knew God in a new way. Now he was in touch with the Possessor of heaven and earth. So the goods of Sodom had no value for him, however attractive they might have seemed to others. What is more, they were all stained with the terrible sins of that city, and they brought defilement with them.

Melchizedek fully foreshadows the millennial glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. See Zechariah 6:9-13. He will receive His own throne and be a priest upon that throne. Significantly he appeared suddenly when Abraham was returning from defeating the allied kings. And then he blessed Abraham and made God known to him as the Most High (the millennial name of God), the possessor of heaven and earth. In the same way the true Melchizedek will one day appear, and after the defeat of the kings will begin His glorious rule.

He was a real man, not an imaginary figure — a man like any of us, but a king and a priest together. Melchizedek was priest of the Most High God, and both Testaments describe him that way (Gen. 14:18; Heb. 7:1). God owned him as a priest. He was also King of Salem — the city we believe was later known as Jerusalem. So he held both offices in himself, which is true of no one else but the Lord Jesus Christ. The parallel goes further, since the writer of Hebrews notes that we are told nothing about this mysterious man's parents, family line, birth, or death: he has "neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever" (Heb. 7:3).

First his name is Melchizedek, that is, "King of righteousness." Then he is "King of Salem," that is, "King of Peace." That order is always a principle in God's ways. In the millennium righteousness must first have its way before peace can come in... This is of course as true for the present as for the future, and fulfilled in the gospel in a far more wondrous way. As the effect of righteousness by the Cross peace has come to us, and our Melchizedek has indeed made good His name.

But above all he was priest of the Most High God. This is the name of God as supreme Governor of all things, and Genesis adds: Possessor of heaven and earth... In Abraham's walk of faith, the name of God for him was "The Almighty." But here Abraham has won a victory over the kings of the earth. So Melchizedek, the king of righteousness, blesses him in connection with God as Possessor of heaven and earth, the Most High. This looks onward to the royalty of Christ, a Priest upon His throne, when by the will and the power of God He shall have triumphed over all His enemies.

The priesthood here is clearly unlike any other. Melchizedek offers no sacrifice, and there is no intercession either. He brings out bread and wine for man, without a word of sprinkling blood before God.

Melchizedek, King of Salem (King of righteousness, King of peace) appears with bread, which speaks of the food that keeps life going. He also brings wine, which speaks of joy (Psalm 104:15). He came on the scene as "priest of God Most High," "Possessor of heaven and earth."

This stranger, commissioned by God, was on his way to fortify Abram's heart at the very moment when the enemy was on his way to attack... The enemy was about to hold out his shiny bait in front of the man of God. So Melchizedek is on hand to set the realities of God's kingdom before his eyes. He was about to feed and strengthen Abram's soul with the "bread" of the kingdom, and cheer him with its "wine," so that in the strength of that food he might rise above every attraction the world could offer.

The "bread and wine" refreshed Abraham's spirit after his fight with Chedorlaomer, the king he had just beaten. The blessing prepared his heart for his next fight, with the king of Sodom. Abraham had just conquered, and yet he was about to fight again. The royal priest refreshed the conqueror's spirit and strengthened the fighter's heart.

"Most High" is always the name of God that marks Him out as supreme over the earth. See, for instance, what Melchizedek said to Abraham when he came out to meet him, after the defeat of the kings who had carried off Lot: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth" (Gen. 14:19). The same name meets us in Daniel 4:24-25. There it presents God to Nebuchadnezzar as the One who, in His rule over the earth, was about to step in and judge him.

When man went astray and made many gods and many lords, He was then the Most High God.

Abram takes this food from the heavenly priest. He receives the blessing Melchizedek gives him, the blessing of the Most High. That title speaks of His supremacy over all — over kings and all the power of the enemy, King of kings and Lord of lords. He is "Possessor of heaven and earth." That title will be openly displayed in the coming thousand-year kingdom of our Lord, yet it is already true for faith at all times.

The battle Abraham fought, the first one recorded in Scripture, is a picture of the last battle of this age. That conflict brings in the reign of peace founded on righteousness, when God will show Himself as the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth. Sin cut the earth off from what is above it. Since then heaven and earth have not been joined, and the power of God has not taken hold of them for the blessing of man… But the day is coming when Israel will rebel no more and the nations will no longer be deceived. Satan will be thrown down from the evil height he holds, every idol will vanish, and God will be left the undisputed and plainly Most High, the possessor of heaven and earth.

He does not offer sacrifices at all. He blesses up, and he blesses down. After the victory of Abram is complete, he blesses him from the Most High God, and then he blesses the Most High God.

Abram owned goods on earth, but as yet he owned nothing of what God had promised him. To be blessed by the One who is Possessor of heaven and earth must have meant a great deal to him. Abram received the blessing, and he gave a tenth of everything… And since the greater blesses the lesser, we see, as Hebrews 7 points out, that as priest Melchizedek ranked above Abram and above the priesthood of Aaron.

It is especially sweet to notice the way Melchizedek introduces God to Abraham's thoughts. He calls Him "God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth." More than that, he declares Abraham "blessed" by that same God. This was what really prepared him for the king of Sodom. A man who was "blessed" by God did not need to take anything from the enemy. If "the Possessor of heaven and earth" filled his sight, "the goods" of Sodom could hold little attraction.

Melchizedek also pronounces a blessing on Abram (v. 19), just as the Lord Jesus pours His blessing on the church of God from heaven today. His hands were raised in blessing as He went up to glory after His resurrection, and this stays true through the whole present age of God's grace.

Blessing is often given a special meaning when addressed to God, and this meaning is closely related to worship and priestly service. The first priest in the Bible is Melchizedek, in Genesis 14. He came out to meet the victorious Abram, and he not only blessed Abram but also blessed God. This double blessing comes out from God to men, and then rises from men to God in response. Ephesians 1:3 shows it beautifully: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us." To bless means to "speak good." God's speaking good about His people has enriched them beyond all human dreams. Our speaking good to God cannot and does not enrich Him. But such a response from His children answers His love and gives Him His true place. It always rises to Him as a sweet aroma.

Then, on Abram's behalf, Melchizedek blessed God for the victory that had been granted. "Blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" Let us stop and ask ourselves a question here. Is the Lord on high able to give thanks for victories we have gained? Does victory or defeat mark our lives? Are we like Abram, overcomers of the world, or like Lot, overcome by the world?

Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek. More than that, Melchizedek blessed him. As we are told, "It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior." The person who gives a blessing is greater than the person who receives it. So Abram did not try to bless Melchizedek. Abram's act implied that he was under Melchizedek. Melchizedek's act implied that he was over Abram. Here is a double illustration and witness of surpassing dignity.

The inferior is blessed by the superior. So, as Hebrews 7 points out, Melchizedek as priest took precedence over Abram and over the Levitical priesthood of Aaron. Once we know the One this picture points to, how clear it becomes!

Everything you own belongs to God, and you are only a steward. But while many readily admit this in a general way, that is not all we have to consider. God has a particular claim beyond it. He claims a place in your everyday calculations — not just any place, and not second place, but first place… You may give Him a large portion of your time, intellect or money in a legal spirit. You may think you can then use the rest for yourself. And you can still be far, far away from the blessing… We read that Abraham gave him tithes — not of some, but of ALL. These are the terms. Place is greater than portion.

But the priestly act of Melchizedek was blessing, not intercession — blessing from the Most High God. This is priesthood exercised in its Melchizedek character. The King of righteousness and peace blesses the people God has accepted. What a blessed, refreshing thought — evil is gone, and blessing flows out unhindered through the great High Priest, the Priest of the Most High God, who possesses heaven and earth.

Abram won the second victory, brighter still than the first, through fellowship with the very springs of divine strength. The patriarch's spirit was in victory here, as his arm had been before. He had so taken in what the King of Salem said, and so fed on the bread and wine of that royal, priestly stranger, that the king of Sodom spread out his feast in vain. Abraham's soul had been in heaven, and he could not go back to the world.

Abraham is not only victorious over the hostility of the world. He also stands firm against both its horrors and its gifts. We may rise above the world's hatred, and yet fall beneath its kindness. And we are never more in danger of a fall than in the moment of a victory. This the enemy knows full well and so comes with his temptations at a moment when we may be off guard.

This stranger, commissioned by God, was on his way to fortify Abram's heart at the very moment when the enemy was on his way to attack (compare verses 17, 18, and 21). So why did "the priest of the Most High God" not come to meet Abram earlier? Because this was the very moment when Abram most needed the strength he had to bring. The enemy was about to hold out his attractive bait in front of the man of God. So Melchizedek is there first, to set the divine realities of the kingdom before his eyes.

The king of Sodom tells Abram he will take the souls, but leave the goods to Abram. But it was for the sake of the soul of Lot that Abram had fought: he had no interest in the goods... The Possessor of heaven and earth had rescued Sodom. That should have driven Sodom to see they needed the same faith as Abram — a faith that gives God the first place. But the ungodly world only walks by sight, not by faith.

A man who was "blessed" by God did not need to take anything from the enemy. If "the possessor of heaven and earth" filled his vision, "the goods" of Sodom could hold little attraction... Abraham refuses to let the king of Sodom make him rich. How could he think of delivering Lot from the power of the world, if the world governed him? The only true way to deliver another is to be fully delivered myself.

Now that he was in touch with the Possessor of heaven and earth, the goods of Sodom had no value for him, however attractive they seemed to others. On top of that, they were all stained with the huge sins of that city, and they carried that defilement with them.

Abram at once shows us that faith is more generous still. He knows what it is to be rich toward God. He refuses to tarnish His testimony by anything that would let the king of Sodom say, "I have made Abram rich." At the same time he pleads for the others. However self-denying Abram's grace may be, his large heart does not forget what is due to those who did not have his faith. He asks for Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, who had helped him.

The pilgrim man of faith sees Christ claiming, on God's part, all that is His own. That sight is the true antidote to the world's offers. Christ could not accept the kingdoms of the world from Satan's hand, but only from His Father. His followers can no more accept riches from a world that has rejected Christ for Satan. And that bread and wine which we receive from our true Melchizedek is the memorial of those sufferings that alone make us rich. For anyone who has tasted it, it means refusing a portion here.

Melchizedek leads Abram's soul into present communion with "THE MOST HIGH GOD, THE POSSESSOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH." This completes the wonderful contrast between "the King of Sodom" and "the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth" — "the goods of Sodom" and the vast possessions of heaven and earth. What a contrast, which faith always draws! Abram at once rejects the offer of the King of Sodom. The bread and wine, and the blessing of "the priest of the Most High God," had lifted Abram to such a height that he could take in the vast possessions of heaven and earth in one sweeping glance. From there he could look down on the contemptible proposal of the King of Sodom and reject it.

I have been looking into the force of the Hebrew words for Most High. It clearly refers, in the end, to God in the millennium — the coming age of His reign — as the supreme God then revealed, with everything false shut out. This is the force of the word. It names the One who, above and beyond all others, holds the place of the one true God, exalted as supreme in government. Jehovah is, as we know, the God who is in relationship with Israel, but He is the supreme God, the Most High. The full statement of the title, and the time of taking it, is in Genesis 14:19-20, 22. Israel's enemies are completely defeated and given into his hand. The heir of promise receives blessing from Him who possesses heaven and earth. He is supreme, and has taken all things into His possession.

Abram rejected the evil temptation of Sodom's king because Melchizedek had made known the name of God in a new way, "The most high God." Abram uses this new title and adds "Jehovah" to "the most high God."

He tells him he had sworn to the Lord God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth. He would take nothing at all that belonged to Sodom, not even the most trivial thing. Otherwise the king of Sodom could take the credit for making Abram rich (vv. 22-23). The Possessor of heaven and earth had brought about a deliverance for Sodom. That should have driven Sodom to realise they needed the same faith as Abram — a faith that gives God the first place. But the ungodly world only walks by sight, not by faith.

So, in verse 23, we find language of great decision. The young men had eaten certain things, and Abram's allies and helpers might take their portion. But as for himself, he would take nothing, not even the smallest item. He had been so fully enriched, both spiritually and materially, by God Himself, that he needed nothing more. Giving the king of Sodom the chance to say he had made Abram rich would have spoiled his testimony to that. It is the same in principle for us today. If we are enjoying the spiritual blessings that are ours, we have no need and no desire for the gifts or backing of the world.

Has he merely picked up Melchizedek's phrasing in speaking of God like this? How easy it is to pick up mere forms of speech — words and expressions whose meaning and power we do not know! How far are we prepared to be held responsible for the language of even the hymns we sing?

It is the fastening, by strap or ribbon, of the eastern shoe or sandal. It is mentioned as a thing of the least value, and untying it counted as a servant's job.

So in verse 23 we find language of great decision. The young men had eaten certain things, and Abram's allies and helpers might take their share. But for himself he would take nothing, not even the smallest item. God Himself had already enriched him so fully, in spirit and in goods, that he needed nothing more. That testimony would have been spoiled if he had let the king of Sodom say he had made Abram rich. It is the same in principle for us today. If we are enjoying the spiritual blessings that are ours, we need and want nothing from the world — no gifts, no backing.

Melchizedek leads Abram's soul into present communion with "the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth." That completes the striking contrast between "the king of Sodom" and the Most High God — between "the goods of Sodom" and the vast possessions of heaven and earth. A blessed contrast, and faith always draws it! … The bread and wine, and the blessing of "the priest of the Most High God," had lifted Abram so high that he could take in the whole wealth of heaven and earth at one glance. From there he looked down on the king of Sodom's shameful offer and rejected it.

Speaking to the king of Sodom, Abram stands on what Melchizedek has revealed. He acts on the full result of it in the way he deals with this world. He has lifted his hand to the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth, and he will not take. He will not give the world a chance to say, "I have made Abram rich." … Here Abram — with his brother, with the enemy, and with the world itself — is above the world. He is its master and superior, both morally and in fact. Lot is under its power; and if we enjoy the world, so are we.

Abram refuses to be enriched by the king of Sodom. How could he think of delivering Lot from the power of the world if he himself were governed by it? The only true way to deliver another is to be thoroughly delivered myself. As long as I am in the fire, it is quite impossible for me to pull another out of it. The path of separation is the path of power, as it is also the path of peace and blessedness.

The world comes before every Christian in two forms — in its coarse aspect and in its refined aspect. Egypt gives me the one, with all its idols, its magicians, its fortune-tellers and its slavery. Sodom gives me the other, with its honours, its ease and its luxury. Both have to be refused… The language of faith is, "I want nothing from you, and I will receive nothing here except from God."

Abram refused the king's reward, but God will be his reward… God said, "I am your shield; your reward shall be very great" (older versions read, "I am your exceeding great reward"). God meets the longing of his soul… as a reward for refusing the gifts of the world. Here was faithfulness to God. The man who had left everything at God's call, and would have riches only from Him, took care that the king of Sodom should never say he had made Abram rich.

Mamre: an Amorite chieftain who, with his brothers Aner and Eshcol, was allied with Abram. Gen. 14:13, 24.

Abram at once shows us that faith is more generous still. He knows what it is to be rich toward God. He refuses to tarnish His testimony by anything that would let the king of Sodom say, "I have made Abram rich." At the same time he pleads for the others. Abram's grace led him to give up his own claim. Yet his large heart did not forget what was due to those who did not have his faith. He asks for Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, who had helped him. It was only right that they should share in the spoil.

In the last verse of our truly interesting chapter we have a happy feature in the character of the true man of faith. Abram would not force others to walk by his elevated standard. He might be able to reject the offers of the king of Sodom completely. Others might not be able to. So he says about "Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, let them take their share." Our walk should always be "according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (Rom. 12:3) In our own day we have seen many people give up all kinds of worldly things at the start. Afterwards they plunge deeper into those very things. Why? Because they acted from mere excitement or human influence, and could not say with Abram, "I have lifted my hand to the LORD."

Abram did not ask that Aner, Eshcol and Mamre should act on the same faith as he did. He agreed that they should take some payment for their work. For faith is intensely personal. As for Lot, he too was a believer, and though he owed his deliverance to Abram's faith, even this did not stir his soul to walk by faith himself. It is sad to think that he went straight back to Sodom! Did the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth, not mean more to him than this?

The young men had eaten certain things, and Abram's allies and helpers might take their share. But for himself he would take nothing, not even the smallest item. God Himself had enriched him so fully, in spirit and in goods, that he needed nothing more. He would have spoiled that testimony by giving the king of Sodom the chance to say he had made Abram rich. It is the same in principle for us today. If we are enjoying the spiritual blessings that are ours, we have neither need nor desire for the world's gifts or backing.

Abram acted. How is it with us? The recovered spoil of five cities was doubtless a fine pile, but the man of faith looked at it all with supreme contempt. He had seen Melchizedek first. Otherwise he might have said, "What harm is there in it?"