January 12 Daily Devotional

Genesis 14

After Lot had lived at Sodom for some time, trouble began. There arose war in the land. Some kings of the northern territory made war with the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, and three other cities. This battle was fought in the plain not far from Sodom. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were defeated. The conquering soldiers entered the gates of Sodom and Gomorrah, went through the streets and took everything they could find to carry away. They even took some of the people and led them away to become slaves. Also Lot, together with his family and what he owned, fell into the hands of the enemies.

One of the captured men escaped and fled. He came to Abram at Mamre near Hebron and told him all about the battle and what had happened. When Abram heard this, he called together his three hundred and eighteen servants, and with some other friends, he hurried to pursue the enemy. After a long march across the country they came to the enemy’s camp at Dan, where the Jordan river begins. It was night and the hosts of the enemy were lying asleep. Abram and his men, trusting in God, rushed upon them and defeated them. In haste they fled into the mountains, leaving them their tents and all the goods and the people which they had taken away from Sodom and Gomorrah. In the camp Abram found Lot with his family and property.

Coming back the people of Canaan honored Abram for his courage, and the king of Sodom went out to meet him. It was a place near the city of Salem (Jerusalem) which was afterward called “The King’s Valley.” The king of Sodom offered Abram all the silver and gold and other goods he had taken from the enemy’s camp, and asked only that the people be returned to Sodom. But Abram would not take anything for himself. So all the people and their possessions could be returned to their homes, even Lot with his family and belongings. You would think that after this he would have seen that it was wrong to live in Sodom, but’ he went back and made it his home once more, even though his heart was made sad by the wickedness he saw around him.

Another king also came to meet Abram. It was Melchisedek. He was the king of Salem, and also a priest of the most high God, whom he worshipped. He blessed 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 hands.” Abram gave Melchisedek tithes of all. After that he returned to his quiet tent-home under the oak trees near Hebron.