The King of Salem

The last time we saw Abram, he had finally come to the point in his life where he was trusting God to meet his needs. He and his nephew, Lot, had parted ways, and Lot had gone to the east of Canaan to dwell in the Jordan river valley. The note that we have about Lot is that he was living near the city of Sodom. In the first half of chapter 14, we find out that it hasn't taken long for Lot to get in trouble. Remember last time we said that Lot is one of those guys who makes his decisions based solely on what he sees. He doesn't pray to seek the wisdom of the Lord. He doesn't study God's Word or consider God's commands. He just does what seems most advantageous to him. So, at the end of Chapter 13, we find out that Lot is dwelling near Sodom, and Sodom is a very wicked city. Now, in Chapter 14, Lot isn't just dwelling near Sodom... verse 12 tells us that he is dwelling in Sodom.

Here is how this becomes a problem for Lot, and eventually for Abram too. Lot is dwelling in Sodom, and every spring, as was a tradition in the ancient times, the kings would go out to battle.

Every major city had its own king and its own military, but the struggle was always over what territories outside of the city belonged to one city or another. So, these kings would regularly fight over the land that sustained their cities. Also, some cities had pledged allegiance to greater cities for the sake of protection or money. Because of that, many of them had to pay taxes to that greater king. Well, it's just such a situation that Lot finds himself caught in. We find out in verse 1 that Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, was a great king who demanded fealty from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, along with some others. But, Sodom and Gomorrah had grown tired of paying their taxes, so they formed an alliance and marched against the king of Elam. The armies met in the valley of the Dead Sea, and apparently the armies of Sodom and Gomorrah got their tales kicked. Because the victory was so decisive, the king of Elam and his armies marched into Sodom and Gomorrah, looted, raped, pillaged and took away as many citizens as they could to be their slaves. And guess who is caught up in all of this? None other than the man of sight, Lot.

Fortunately for Lot, one man escapes and comes to Abram and tells him about the loss and the fact that Lot has been taken captive. So, Abram forms a raiding party of 318 men and the attack this victorious army and defeat them. This is the background for what I want to preach on this morning.

What I would like to look at is the aftermath of this great victory for Abram. As we study this passage today, I have one question for you: Are you seeking the approval of men, or the approval of God? In looking at this passage, I want to divide it into two parts: “The Priest is accepted”, and “The Playboy is rejected”. Let's look at our text together in Gen. 14:17-24.

The first thing that I want you to see in this text is that the priest of God is accepted by Abram.

As Abram is returning to the promised land from this great victory, no doubt word is spreading like wildfire about the victory that this nomad had over the great king of Elam. Because of this, there are two kings that come out to meet Abram as he is returning. The first king I want to look at is the king of Salem, Melchizedek. The only things we know about Melchizedek are found right here. There is no mention of him in ancient history, and there is no more mention of him in the historical narrative of the Bible. But, what we learn about him right here, and what the New Testament tells us about him, gives us all we really need to know. From this passage we can learn three very important things about him.

First, Melchizedek is the king of Salem. It is thought that very likely, Salem is short for Jerusalem. If so, then word has traveled to Jerusalem, and the king of Salem was so impressed that he felt that he must meet this nomad. Second, it says that Melchizedeck was a priest to God Most High. This is interesting for two reasons. For one, it was not common practice for the king to also be the priest of the city. These were two separate offices held by two separate men. But, it's also interesting because Melchizedek is no normal priest for this area. Most priests in this area were pagan priests. But, Melchizedek is said to be the priest of the Most High God. Finally, we can see that Melchizedek is respected by Abram. Abram is the man of faith, the one who has received a special blessing from God. But, it says in verse 20 that Abram gave a 10th of all that he had gained in battle to Melchizedek.

Abram doesn't know this man, and he certainly doesn't owe him anything, so why does he give him a 10th of his possessions? Because Melchizedek represented the only King that Abram served. Abram trusted in God Most High to fulfill his promises to him, and Melchizedek represented God, so Abram honored Melchizedek.

The second thing we see is that the Playboy is rejected by Abram. We find out verse 21 that Abram is also met by the king of Sodom. The king of Sodom also extends a blessing of a sort.

Remember that Abram has won back all of the loot and the people that were stolen from Sodom. The possessions that Abram carries with him now are really the possessions of the people of Sodom. So, the king of Sodom, as reward for Abram's victory, offers that Abram can take all of the possessions that he has gained from the battle, but leave the people. This sounds like a great deal, but without hesitation, Abram rejects the offer. Notice th reason Abram gives for rejecting it in verse 22. Abram made a promise to the Lord that he would not take anything, because he didn't want the king of Sodom going back and bragging that the reason Abram is so great is because I gave him everything he has. Abram wanted to make sure that God got the glory for this victory, and he didn't want God's glory being preempted by some playboy from Sodom.

Brothers and sisters, are you seeking the approval of man rather than the approval of God?

Might you have jumped at the opportunity that the king of Sodom had given you? Might you have been like Lot, a man or woman of sight rather than a man or woman of faith, and seeing that great treasure, might you have jumped at the chance to possess it? To do so would mean that you would miss out on the approval of God, and the approval of God is what matters in the end. Jesus said it this way: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul.” Are you jumping over backwards to make the world like you? Are you going out of your way to gain the approval of men so that you can fit in or move up or earn just a little more? In the end, that stuff will be burned up in the fire, and all you will have gained from the approval of men is hell and judgment.

But, the Bible tells us that there was another man who was like Melchizedek in many ways. He is not just the king of Jerusalem, he is the king of kings. He is not just a priest of God, he is the priest who stands before the Father now pleading for us. Jesus Christ was the perfect King and Priest. In fact, the Bible tells us in Heb. 7 that Jesus is a better priest that Melchizedek. Why is that? Because Jesus paid for your sins with his own blood. He didn't just slaughter an animal, which could never really pay for anyone's sins, but he took the beating, the nails, the lashings, the mocking that you deserved. His approval is the only thing that matters. The approval of men doesn't matter in the end, but the approval of God does. And the only way to gain the approval of God is to trust in the sacrifice that Jesus offered for you.