In Genesis 14, five kings who were under King Chedorlaomer rebelled against him which began the first war recorded in the Bible. Chedorlaomer defeated the 5 kings, but also captured Lot, Abram’s nephew, taking him, his family, and all their goods. When the news reached Abram, he gathered his soldiers and fought to rescue his nephew. His battle was successful as he was able to rescue Lot, his family, and their goods. The chapter ends as Melchizedek blesses Abram as well as Abram giving a tithe to Melchizedek.
Lot, as he settles in his land after departing from Abram, is quickly captured by the idolatrous nations surrounding him, a display of what happens to us when the lusts of our flesh direct us in the midst of idolatry and rebellion. When we get too close to the world, the world will take us in and enslave us, and once we are enslaved to the world, we become as one of the world and this leads only to destruction.
There is only one hope once we are entrapped in the world and that is, a rescue from an outsider. Someone not enslaved to the world must come and save you from the world. In this story, Abram, an outsider living in Canaan, comes and saves his nephew Lot from the idolatrous nations. If you want to know what love and grace is, this is the story to learn them from. Abram shows real love and grace for Lot by going to war with the idolatrous nations to rescue Lot from them. He shows love by sacrificing his life and the lives of his men to save Lot. He shows grace by saving Lot who chose to go live amongst the idolatrous nations on his own chasing after the lusts of his flesh. Lot didn’t deserve to be saved, but Abram saved him regardless.
This story foreshadows the grand story of the Bible of Jesus Christ, the outsider, sacrificing His life for His brothers who are enslaved to the world. You and I came into this world and was enslaved to it chasing after our own lusts of the flesh and our own desires. We are headed to destruction. Yet by the love and grace of Jesus Christ, He went to war for us sacrificing his life so that we may be saved from the world. He conquered the world and set us free from it.
So now, we as Christians know what Christ has done for us and we can go to war against the world for our brothers. We can fight this world by going against the grains of this world and loving others by caring for them and revealing to them that they can be saved from this world also.
So when are you going to war for your brothers?
This is a great lesson for us all to live by. God, open our eyes today so we can see the world through your eyes. Someone loved us and took a risk by sharing the good news of Jesus with us. Who can share with today?