Genesis 14:14

Genesis 14:14 says, 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.  Abram heard about Lot being taken captive and armed his trained servants, three hundred and eighteen of them, to go after Lot.  This was not many men to be pursuing a great army, but Abram had God on his side.  When we are facing great odds, we need to be sure that God is with us and that we are following His will.  Verse fifteen states, 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.  Abram was not a military man, and this is the only battle we have recorded of his participating in.  We are not necessarily called to be military people, but as followers of Christ we are a part of His army.  I believe that God led Abram to his strategy, and we must allow God to lead us to ours.  Verse sixteen says, And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.  We aren't told much about the battle, but Abram was successful and brought back everything.  Verse seventeen declares, 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.  This tells us that Chedorlaomer and his allies were destroyed.  Verse eighteen adds, And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.  There is more than one interpretation as to whom Melchizedek was, but we do know that he was a king and a priest.  This would mean that he was not set aside exclusively for the priesthood.  As followers of Christ, we may be called to serve in more than one capacity.  Verse nineteen states, And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:  Melchizedek blessed Abram in the name of God.  We cannot really bless people out of our own abilities, but must always do so by calling on God's blessings for others.  Verse twenty adds, And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.  God was blessed for having brought success to Abram, and Abram gave a tithe to Milchizedek.   We must always be quick to give God the glory when we are successful in our battles against sin.  Verse twenty-one states, And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.  The king of Sodom would have been satisfied to simply have his people returned to him, at least at this time.  Verse twenty-two declares, And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,  Verse twenty-three adds, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:  Abram refused to take any of the goods and gave God the credit for the victory.  Abram did not want anyone to think that he had become rich at someone else's expense.  We today must always look to God to guide us and must never attempt to serve Him simply for material gains.  Verse twenty-four concludes, Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.  Abram said he only wanted the food that his men had eaten, but that those who went with him, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre should be allowed to take what they wanted.  We should never attempt to limit what God blesses others with, but we also should never feel that God has to bless us materially.  Abram went only to rescue Lot and not to enrich himself.  We are challenged to present the gospel to the lost that they might be spiritually rescued, but we are never to do so in an attempt to enrich ourselves.