For years critics of the Bible have laughed at the
fourteenth chapter of Genesis.
Encyclopedias of a hundred years ago do not even mention the existence
of Amraphel, king of Shinar. This
chapter was named as proof against the inspiration of Scripture. But then in 1901 an Egyptian archaeologist
made a discovery in a remote town in Israel.
He discovered a set of cuneiform tablets and suddenly the positive
identity of Amraphel was made. He is
none other than Hammurabi, the first king of Babylonia. Together with his set of laws, called the
Code of Hammurabi, this discovery not only affirmed the historicity of
Amraphel, it erased one of the major weapons of attack biblical critics had in
their dwindling arsenal.
This week we will dig deeply into Genesis 14 and find not
only solid evidence of biblical inspiration, but a dramatic revelation that
will bring substantial clarity to our understanding of spiritual warfare. Here on the pages of chapter 14 we find the
first biblical record of human warfare in which a coalition of four kings swoop
in and defeat five kingdoms in ancient Palestine. One of these defeated kings was the king of
Sodom.
Now it’s instructive to note that these kings operated more
like mayors. They had few standing armies so when Chedorlaomer, king of Elam,
and his cohorts defeat Sodom and the other towns; they not only capture the
spoils, but the important people as well.
The Bible tells us that Lot and his family are captured by this coalition
and taken away. When the news comes to
Abram in the hill country around Hebron this Abram who exhibits meekness and
kindness in chapter 12, suddenly turns militaristic. He marshals 318 of his trained men and takes
off to defeat this kingly coalition and save his nephew and his family.
In this story of Abram’s exploits we find an amazing
revelation of God’s design to defeat the prince of this world, Satan. Here in Genesis 14:10-24 we find the
foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the answer to the question, “What
role does the believer play in spiritual warfare?”
It’s tempting to launch into a full exegesis of the text
right here, but I’m determined to wait until Sunday. Suffice to say that what we find in Genesis
14:10-24 is a perfect prelude to the communion elements that will be distributed
then.
In preparation for our study you may wish to consider the
following:
1. What
are the circumstances of Abram’s life at this point in time? (How old is
he? Where does he travel to fight?)
2. Who
are these 318 trained men? What is their
military training?
3. How
do the words of verse 20 capture the essence of Abram’s exploits?
4. How
is it that Melchizedek is called the greatest figure of the Old Testament? (Note the companion text for Sunday: Hebrews
7:1-10.)
5. Where
is the Valley of Shaveh? What role does
this valley play in future biblical history?
6. What
does the name Melchizedek mean?
7. What
does the Bible mean when it says that someone is righteous?
8. What
is the significance of the name of God used in verses 18, 19, 20, and 22? Have we heard this name before in this
preaching series?
9. What
is the significance of this name to Abram?
10. What is the
meaning of the Bible’s juxtaposition of the King of Sodom and the King of
Salem?
11. What is the
significance of Melchizedek’s gifts to Abram?
12. What is the
meaning of Abram’s words in verses 22 and 23?
13. What
lessons are here for us in our fight against Satan and his forces?
Can’t wait for Sunday!
