Weekly Sermon
Genesis 14:18-20 reads, “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”
In Genesis 13 we find that Abram and Lot had both become rich in flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. Yet this created a problem; the land was not able to support both sets of flocks and herds. Thus a strife arose “between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle.” (Genesis 13:7) In order to solve this strife, Abram offered for Lot to separate himself in whatever direction he would choose and then for himself to go in the opposite direction. Even so, we read of Lot’s choice in Genesis 13:10-13 – “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”
Yet eventually Lot moved himself and his family into that wicked city of Sodom. Now, over time Sodom, Gomorrah, and the other two cities of the plain entered into conflict with Chedorlaomer king of Elam and the four kings that were confederate with him. Thus we read in Genesis 14:10-12, “And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.”
When Abram received news of this matter, he gathered a force in order to deliver Lot from captivity. Indeed, the Lord granted Abram a great victory. Even so, we read in Genesis 14:13-16, “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. 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. 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. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.”
Then in Genesis 14:17-20 the account continues, “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 Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he [Melchizedek] blessed him [Abram], and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abram] gave him [Melchizedek] tithes of all.”
Now, in Genesis 14:18-20 the Lord our God is called “the most high God” three times. In Genesis 14:19 Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God, described Abram as being “of the most high God.” Abram was a servant of the most high God. In like manner, we believers are also the people of the most high God. He is our eternal Savior, and we are His chosen ones. He is our heavenly Father, and we are His dear children. He is our Lord, and we are His servants. He is the most high God, and we are His peculiar people. In 1 Peter 2:9-10 God’s Word declares, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” Again in 2 Corinthians 6:16 God’s Word declares, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Yet again in 1 John 3:1 God’s Word declares, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” Indeed, we are the people, the children, the servants of the most high God. So then, what can we learn from Genesis 14:19-20 concerning this relationship?
Genesis 14:18-20 reads, “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”
In Genesis 13 we find that Abram and Lot had both become rich in flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. Yet this created a problem; the land was not able to support both sets of flocks and herds. Thus a strife arose “between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle.” (Genesis 13:7) In order to solve this strife, Abram offered for Lot to separate himself in whatever direction he would choose and then for himself to go in the opposite direction. Even so, we read of Lot’s choice in Genesis 13:10-13 – “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”
Yet eventually Lot moved himself and his family into that wicked city of Sodom. Now, over time Sodom, Gomorrah, and the other two cities of the plain entered into conflict with Chedorlaomer king of Elam and the four kings that were confederate with him. Thus we read in Genesis 14:10-12, “And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.”
When Abram received news of this matter, he gathered a force in order to deliver Lot from captivity. Indeed, the Lord granted Abram a great victory. Even so, we read in Genesis 14:13-16, “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. 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. 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. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.”
Then in Genesis 14:17-20 the account continues, “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 Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he [Melchizedek] blessed him [Abram], and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abram] gave him [Melchizedek] tithes of all.”
Now, in Genesis 14:18-20 the Lord our God is called “the most high God” three times. In Genesis 14:19 Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God, described Abram as being “of the most high God.” Abram was a servant of the most high God. In like manner, we believers are also the people of the most high God. He is our eternal Savior, and we are His chosen ones. He is our heavenly Father, and we are His dear children. He is our Lord, and we are His servants. He is the most high God, and we are His peculiar people. In 1 Peter 2:9-10 God’s Word declares, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” Again in 2 Corinthians 6:16 God’s Word declares, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Yet again in 1 John 3:1 God’s Word declares, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” Indeed, we are the people, the children, the servants of the most high God. So then, what can we learn from Genesis 14:19-20 concerning this relationship?
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