Genesis 14:21–24

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?"