The Battle and the Blessing

THE BATTLE AND THE BLESSING

“And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up mine hand unto the LORD, the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoe latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich. …” (Genesis 14:22-23)

            Here is a very valuable and instructive lesson from the life of Abram.  It is an account of his encounter with two kings -- one from Sodom and another from Salem, the ancient name for Jerusalem.  One was a king of unrighteousness and ruler over a wicked city, the other a king of “righteousness” from the city of “peace.”  It occurred subsequent to Abram’s return from a major victory and reminds us of the opposing calls of allegiance that come from the enemy of our souls and from the One who loves and cares for us.

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            Returning from battle, Abram and his troops were approached by the King of Sodom.  But before this wicked king could cut a “deal,” Abram was met by Melchizedek, a mysterious man who stepped in with bread and wine to refresh Abram and his troops from the recent conflict. Blessing him, Melchizedek reminded Abram of the true reason for his victory—God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, and everything in between.  The blessing reaffirmed in Abram his resolve to stay wholly committed to the Lord at this critical juncture in his life. Prepared in heart, Abram was now able to refuse the alluring offer made by the King of Sodom and thus make his victory truly complete.  

            And so it is with the Lord Jesus, our King and Priest who graciously refreshes us from our battles, reminds us of our commitments at vulnerable times, and readies us for the temptations that may come our way.  Mark Kolchin is Executive Director of Know the Word Ministries, a teaching Elder at Bethany Bible Chapel, and serves of the Board of Trustees of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Malachi 1-4; Psalm 75; Proverbs 20

Compass Pointers: “The person who is not moved….to leave the Law and the confidence in his own righteousness for the Liberty of Christ, has a heart that is harder than stone and iron.  Paul….does not say that works are objectionable, but to build one’s hopes for righteousness on works is disastrous, for that makes Christ good for nothing.  Let us bear this in mind when the devil accuses our conscience.  When that dragon accuses us of having done no good at all…say to him, ‘You trouble me with the remembrance of my past sins; you remind me that I have done no good. But this does not bother me, because if I were to trust in my own good deeds, or despair because I have done no good deeds, Christ would profit me neither way.  I am not going to make Him unprofitable to me’.  This I would do if I should presume to purchase for myself the favor of God…..by my good deeds or if I should despair of my salvation because of my sins.” Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 10:10; Level 2: John 10:7-18

Anchored to the Rock: It is significant that there is no record of the Lord teaching His disciples how to preach; but He took time to teach them how to pray and how not to pray. L. A. T. Van Doore