SoThen Abram departedwent asup thefrom LordEgypt
had
Remember spokenit said “Abram went down to himEgypt”
now “Aswent theup Lordfrom had spoken to him” – we will see this a lot with Abraham. Everything God told Abraham, he did it.Egypt”
And Lot went with him
Lot represents a sort of half-way point between Abraham who was a man of faith,He and the rest of Abraham’s family (i.e. the ones that didn’t even come)
Lot shows us that by Abraham’s faith, Lot receives blessing and Lot is influenced. So Lot had some of the faith of Abraham – but we will see that Lot stops halfway and separates from Abraham. Because he only had a part of the faith of Abraham – not as much as Abraham.
Lot did not hear God’s voice like Abraham, but Abraham would tell him “God said xyz” and Lot would say “ok let’s do it!” – but he himself, did not really hear God
He was righteous by acquaintance, but not righteous in the true sense
And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lotall histhat brother’she son,had, and allLot theirwith possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to gohim, to the land of Canaan.South
HaranYou can imagine Abraham walking back to Egypt in all thanksgiving, thinking he would never leave God again
Abram was thevery place they stopped on the way to Canaan
Abram’s father (Terah) was the one who said they should stop there – but that was not what God wanted. And they were stuck there for almost 15 years until Abram’s father died. But God gave him the calling again.
This is whyrich in thelivestock, Gospelin we read “If anyone comes to Mesilver, and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26)
It does not mean an actual hatred of family members, but rather to love God more than men. If God says something and someone says something else – we do what God wants
If you compare Ur with Canaan, it’s as if someone left a rich populous country and went to a poor land in thegold.
desert in the middle of nowhere. Hearing God say “go to Canaan” he might think that God is taking him to a place better than where he is… and then he reaches Canaan and sees what it is, what would he think? He might think “doesn’t God want what’s best for me? Doesn’t he want me to live in higher standards?” God wants us to live in higher standards in our spiritual life.
Many people think that oncebeing theyrich increaseis inevil theiror a sin… and justify it by saying Christ’s words that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. But here is a man who is very And yet, he had the best relationship with God,God theyon willearth.
get
Richness everythingis theynot wantthe problem, but rather the relationship with money and richness is – if money is your god, or money is controlling your life, that is not right
Abram had so much in the world – more money, nicer house, etc.
So they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were in the land.
He also found that there were already people living there and kingdoms and nations living there? Abram might think “what am I gonna do about these people? I don’t even have a son or an heir” – but Abram didn’t think any of that. He moved according to the wayriches that he knew: “The Lord said – so Abrahm did asnot thecount Lord had said”
Then the Lord appeared to Abram
This is the first time we see this word – The Lord appeared to Abram. This means Abram saw Him. The Lord said – Abram heard. Now the Lord appeared and Abram saw.
The Lord appearing is the next level aboveit or past the Lord speaking. Seeing God is higher than hearing God. This is why in the Litany of the Gospel we say “blessed are your eyescare for theyit, seebut andrather your hearscared for theyhis hear” – why don’t they just say ears/hear? We are going to listen to the gospel. Because the more someone hears God and listens and walks in God’s way, they will start to see God
When you see “appeared” – you should immediately recognize this as the Lord Jesus Christ; the Word of God; God the Son. Because God the Son is the One who appears in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Any prophet or apostle who has seen God has seen Him as Christ. “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; I am in the Father, and the Father in Me” (John 14:9)
And said, “To your descendants I will give this land.”
Only after Abram followed God’s commandment until the very end, did he see God
If we follow God’s commandment until the end of our life, we will see Godrelationship with our eyes
And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
Where did Abram get this idea of building an altar? Remember that Noah built an altar immediately after leaving the ark – and Abram is the tenth generation grandson of Noah – so this idea of an altar must have been passed down from generation to generation.
Altar
An altar is used to give thanks to God – every time God gives you something good, don’t forget to come to the Church and worship before the altar and offer thanksgiving.
An altar is also used as a place to make your request to God
The altar becomes a witness between man and God. And we will see it in Isaac, Jacob and Moses and David, etc.
Our Liturgy (work of the people) revolves around the altar – giving thanks to God, and requesting from God
Abram built altars before making for himself a habitation… the Church should come before your home. Your prayer should come before your work. Your spiritual life should come before anything else. What is due to God is before what is due to you or those around you
Abram does not really build himself a habitation, but is always on the move
And he movedwent on his journey from therethe South as far as Bethel, to the mountainplace eastwhere ofhis tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel
Whyand didAi, he move again? This was probably from God
The place was later called “Bethel” (house of God) – we’ll keep seeing this place throughoutto the Old Testament people keep going and coming from it, and it kind of reminds usplace of the Churchaltar (house of God) and how we might sin but then come back and sin and come back.
Andwhich he pitchedhad his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east;made there heat builtfirst. anAnd altarthere to the Lord andAbram called on the name of the Lord.
SoAbram whatis doesreturning back to where he started – as if starting over. Again, calling on the name of the Lord.
It is a renewing or a recharging – reminds us of Christ who told the apostles He would meet them in Galilee (which was far, but the first place they met Him)
Bethel was the place where Abram saw God, so he is returning back as in repentance
He went back to this place not because of its land or location but because it meanis thatthe Abrahamplace of the altar
Abram called on the name of the Lord?Lord What– he returned to prayer
Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents.
Remember that Abram was heto saying?be Whata blessing to all of those around him
Lot did not realize that his good fortune and riches and success – were a result of being with Abraham who was with God. He thought it was his own success.
Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.
That’s weird… land back then did not have the crowdedness that it has today (cars and buildings, etc – but this is thea namedesert)
The land was not able to support them because of thehow Lord?rich Abrahamthey doesn’twere!
know
Those ain namepoverty forcan God,usually support one another, but hethose hasliving heardin hisrichness voiceusually andcan’t seenstand him.each Inother
This is all from the Newdevil Testamentwho wewants knowone Hisor nameboth “ourof Lord,them Godto andfall
Savior, Jesus Christ”
And wethere won’was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.
Devil doesn’t see a name for Godstart with Abraham,the orbig guys – Abram and Lot. They are family. But he starts with Isaac.the servants – the herdsmen. And when Jacob wrestles with God, he will ask him “what is Your name?” And God says “why is it that you ask about My name?” and doesn’t give a name. So He’s always just called “the Godherdsmen offight, Abraham,they the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob” – and then Moses has toeach go to Egypttheir leader (Abraham and tell them God sent himLot) and theystart askputting “whichwords god?”in (becausetheir theyears
The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.
Why is this sentence here?
The Canaanites and Perizzites are polytheistic)the –people sowho hedon’t tellsknow GodGod.
“all
It ofis theiras gods have names – I needif to tell themus… Yourwhere name”would they go? Where would Lot go? To the people who don’t know God? They would destroy you! The only reason they haven’t destroyed you yet is because of Abram! And who will be there if they leave the land? The Canaanites and GodPerizzites says “tell them YHWH sent you” – YHWH (four consonants that cannotwould be pronouncedready into any language) and that mean “I AM” –take the Being – the One who Is. “I AM” And God’s name becomes YHWH or “I AM” all the way until we find out His name is Emmanuel – God with us.
“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32), (Acts 2:21), (Romans 10:13)land.
So Abram journeyed,said goingto onLot, still“Please towardlet there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.
Abram’s reaction is that of love – he doesn’t try to justify his herdsmen or blame Lot’s herdsmen or talk about the South.situation.
SoHe Abramdidn’t (accordingtry to whattake credit for Lot’s riches, or for raising Lot. He didn’t take offense. His main concern is to keep the peace and love with his nephew who is like his son.
This is one of the characteristics of a man of God
told
“For him)we keptare onbrethren” moving– Abraham’s humility. Lot should have humbled himself and said “brethren? No you are my father; you are my master; you are in charge; I follow you”
Abraham doesn’t care which part of the land – all he cares about is God. His desire is God.
Please separate from me.
ImagineThis Godis tolda himhard “blessingword for Abraham to say – he has no children. Lot is like his son. But he wants to make it easy for Lot
If you take the left, then I will bless you” and all these nice things, and Abram listened and left his land, and his family, and his father’s house and was obedient and built all these altars and finally getsgo to thisthe right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”
For a shepherd, choosing is so easy – either rain or green land andis whatgood. happens?Desert Ais famine.bad.
And Abramlot wentlifted downhis eyes
What a disaster. Lot lifted his eyes and looked at the earth and looked at the ground.
It is the same temptation Satan used on Christ “look at all this I will give it to Egyptyou if you worship me” but Christ looked up to dwellheaven there,and forsaid “You shall worship the famineLord wasyour severeGod, inand theHim landonly
Andyou hereshall we see one of Abram’s weaknesses
It’s so important to learn from the weaknesses of the saints, just as we learn from their virtue. Sometimes when we focus on their virtues, we may not be able to relate “how can I relate to a saint” – but when we remember their weaknesses, we feel they are so close to usserve”
HisLot, weakness was a fearinstead of famine, or worrying about what would happen if the famine reached him. And this weakness comes when one’s eye is looking at theAbraham worldand tooseeing much.
Christ
Hethrough didn’thim, seelooked at the famineground and ask God “is this famine coming for me or not?” Maybe God would have told him “noat the famine is for the Canaanites to repent – it won’t touch you” – but in this case, Abram was scared. We don’t hear that in this situation Abram prayed or talked to God or thought in a spiritual way. “There was a famine in the land, and Abram went down” – it is written geographically, of course, but the word “went down” indicates to us a spiritual decreaseearth
“forand saw all the famineplain wasof severe in the land”
It is as if Moses wanted to explain to us –Jordan, that we should understand it was reallywell hardwatered oneverywhere Abraham(before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.
Comparing to the Garden of Eden!!!
TestsThen ofLot Faithchose for himself
ThisGod’s ischildren thedo firstnot test of faithchoose for Abraham
He’s building altars, obeying God, and then he’s hit with a famine. To put it in other terms… he’s attending liturgies and Sunday School and Bible Study and Praises and Vespers and suddenly, he’s hit with a famine. When hit with a famine, do we attach ourselves to God? Or to men?
A young woman who isn’t married finds herself needing lovethemselves – isbut she to attach to worldly desires, go out and try to marry just anyone, etc. Or attach to the altar andthey let God choose for her?them
SomeoneAbram is getting older and feels that no one asks about him – does he search amongput the peopledecision forin someoneGod’s to ask about him, or attach to the altar and let God ask about him?
hands
all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And itthey cameseparated tofrom pass,each whenother.
he
The wasdevil closesuccessfully tosplit entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you areup a womanrighteous of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.”
Sin begets sin. Sin leads to sin. When he was close to entering Egypt, he found out the Egyptians were brutal and might see that Sarai is beautiful, take her and kill him. If you knew that, would you continue your journey? Or turn around?
Abram is starting to think in the wrong way – not praying
Abram starting with “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance” – he’s almost trying to appease her with these first words. Like when a man wants something from his wife so he gives her a few good words first. And she thinks it’s so nicefamily – but really what he’it’s saying is not nice.Abram’s fault, it’s Lot’s
AndLot Abramacted tellsin herthis “listen… these guys are pretty terrible. They might kill me and take you.” And you can imagine Sarai asking “okay should we go back?” and Abram says “nah let them take you as long as they let me live” – WHAT?! Abram!!!
This is not the personality of Abram! Lying, fear, worrying, earthly thinking
“Please say you are my sister”
Sarai was related to Abram –scenario like the daughterProdigal ofSon – took what was his father’s, went to live in worldly pleasures, loses it all, and is accepted by his father but not of his mother. A half-sibling. So you can imagine him convincing her like “we won’t really be lying” or calling it a “white lie” or a half-lie. But in the end, the cause is fear and because it is fear, it is a lie and a sinagain
“thatAbram itdwelt mayin bethe wellland withof meCanaan, forand yourLot sake”dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.
AsLot ifshould “ifhave Iasked live I might be able to get you back”
“that I may live because of you”
Where is God in this? Abram’s thinking is completely off here
So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, thatabout the Egyptiansplace sawhe was moving to… he asked about the woman,waters that she was very beautiful.
He who is scared of ghosts will always see them – Abram through fear gave himself in toand the devil,herbs and nowthe trees but not the devilpeople. isHe takingdidn’t advantage
Many times we make all the wrong decisions and take all the wrong paths and then say “why is God doing this to me” – you did it to yourself!
The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh.
And the situation blew up – not just Egyptians it went all the way up to Pharaoh. As if God is trying to REALLY teach Abram a lesson.care.
And the womanLord was takensaid to Pharaoh’sAbram, house.after Lot had separated from him:
God came to comfort him (“I wonderam whatyour friend and I won’t leave you”) and to commend him and to reward him
“Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are – northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.
You can imagine that Abram feltis thatso day.sad Afrom manLot without children,leaving, and his wifehead takenis fromdown. him.But God tells him “lift your eyes”
Abram looks around north, south, east and west and sees… sand, dust, desert. And takenGod totells Pharaoh’shim house“count –the whodust” can speak up against Pharaoh? Andand he iscan’t probablycount toothe embarrasseddust toand evenGod talksays to“so God.will Heyour knowsdescendants that it’s his fault.be.”
And whatAbram, wouldof course, doesn’t even have one grain of sand so far. No children. And of course he do?will Heonly can’t go backlive to Canaansee withouta Saraifew of his children – God’sbut promisewe wasknow that anyone who has faith in God is a son of Abraham.
Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for himI give it to haveyou.” descendantsAnd Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.
Abram had faith – how can he have descendants without Sarai? So everything God said go walk in the land and Abram did it
Lot was thinking of building a barn and some machines for shepherding and whatever else… Abram was thinking of building an altar.
Genesis 14
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations, that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
This is a pauseworld –war! not5 becausekings Godagainst paused4 it,kings
but
So becausethe Abramworld pausedis it.in war and Lot, who chose green grass and water, finds himself in the middle of a war. Abraham who chose God, finds himself sitting in the desert with his family and his wealth in peace
The devilworld playsis gamesfull of wars and violence and noise, but there is one living from morning until evening in prayer at the altar. This is the Kingdom of God.
All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
Chedorlaomer was king of Elam and he took 4 kings with ushim against 4 other kings (two of which were Sodom and Gomorrah)
In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar. And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains.
Sodom and Gomorrah lost the war to the other side
Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
Lot, when wehe falllived intowith Abram he had food to feed a bigcity sin– and now as soon as he left, he has lost everything he had
Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram.
If it was one of us, we would probably say “I told you so” to Lot or a“it’s bigLot’s mistakefault! I told him!” or makemaybe a bad decision, the devil will whisper in our eareven “canwhat youwould reallyI standdo in front of Godkingdoms rightand now?nations?”
But Abram did not think – no, he prayed
Now when inAbram realityheard that ishis brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
Think of how many people were in Abraham’s household? Just the timetrained youservants mostwere need318 toand standremember in frontnone of God.those Toare goAbraham’s andsons
tell
Those Godwho “Iare ampaying terrible”attention “Imight madesay that a mistake”few “Fixthousand ityears forlater, me”we “I’mhave sorry”318 bishops who rose up against the heresy of Arianism but of course this is just a coincidence
He treateddivided Abramhis forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well foras herthe sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, malewomen and femalethe servants, female donkeys, and camels.people.
What profit is the sheep, oxen, donkeys, servants and camels without Sarai? What’s the point of them if you’ve lost your wife, your children of promise, your land of Canaan, your altar?
“What profit is it to a man if he gains the world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)
The people here are not sinning knowingly – they think she is his sister. And they are even giving him so many gifts. TheyAbram did all this for Lot, but of thiscourse ineveryone peace.
from
Sodom
Butwas theset Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plaguesfree because of Sarai,Abram
Abram’s wife.attack
Whohere deservedwas thisdefinitely plague?a Pharaoh? Or Abram?
God in this moment cannot leave Abram to be lost nor Sarai to be hurt – why? Because they are His children.
And we see this in our life – in the times when we have done everything wrong,miracle and wewas aren’tsuccessful praying or fasting, we are surprised to find thatthrough God is there ready to take care of everything for us
And Pharaohthe calledking of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.
So the 4 kings who lost to 5 kings were avenged by Abram and said,his “Whatsoldiers is– thisso youit havemust donebe tofrom me?God
Why
This didwhole you not tell me that shesituation was youra wife?message Whyfor didLot
you
say,
Then ‘SheMelchizedek isking myof sister’?Salem Ibrought mightout have taken her as my wife.
Pharaoh’s words to Abram were probably the most effective – because who is Pharaoh? He did not hear God’s voice, he did not see God, he did not know God –bread and yetwine; he was rebukingthe Abraham.
priest
Many times, we are rebuked or even feel rebuked, but people who do not knowof God –Most likeHigh. Jonah whenAnd he toldblessed thehim marinersand said: “IBlessed ambe runningAbram away from theof God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earthearth; andAnd theblessed seabe andGod allMost therein”High, andWho theyhas weredelivered likeyour “seriously?enemies Whyinto wouldyour youhand.” doAnd that?”
he gave him a tithe of all.
AThis wake-upking call
was
Innot the beginningpart of the chapter,war Godat toldall! AbramHe came out of nowhere and he’s mentioned for a few verses and then never again mentioned until 800 years later when David writes in the Psalms a prophecy about Christ “You are a priest forever after he willorder beof aMelchizedek” blessingand tothen again not mentioned another 800 years until St Paul writes about the otherrelationship peoplebetween –Christ and atMelchizedek.
the
So endwho ofis thethis chapter,mysterious king? And when he met with Abram, he did some strange things…
Abram is the sourceone supposed to be blessing people… but Melchizedek came and blessed Abram
And it is known that celebrations involve slaughtering an animal and eating it, or offering it to God… but Melchizedek came and took bread and wine and broke the bread and ate
And Abram offered a tithe to Melchizedek
And Melchizedek is called priest of athe curseMost-High forGod… Pharaoh. And you can imagine what’s going on through Abram’s head – “if I had only gotten permission from God,but the wholepriesthood landis not established until Aaron, the grandson of EgyptLevi, wouldthe grandson of Abraham, whom Melchizedek blessed
Melchizedek does not have beena blessedknown byfather myor present.”mother or genealogy or beginning or end of life…
Melchizedek was a king AND a priest… and his name means “King of Righteousness” and his title (King of Salem) meaning “King of Peace”
This mysterious character is a type of Christ
NowBlessing therefore,of hereMelchizedek
The role of the priest is your wife; take her and go your way.”
Another message for Abram – Go back to Canaan!speak Gothe backword of God to the waypeople (OT and NT)
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth” – blessed is Abraham from the Lord.mouth of God Most High
The priest in the NT is the presence of Christ on earth. Many timeswho thesereject messagespriesthood, maythink comethat topriesthood usis froma thosemediator webetween leastGod expectand them.man, but the Scripture is clear that the Mediator is Christ (who is both God, and Man). But our priests are the presence of Christ and are just doing the things Christ did (i.e. sacraments).
SoTithe
Pharaoh
First time we hear of tithes
Tithes are not commanded hisuntil menhundreds concerningof him;years andlater theyin sentthe himLaw away,of withMoses… histhis wifemust andbe an oral tradition
Tithes are the bare minimum – this is why in the New Testament Christ never mentions tithes. But he talks about giving all that you have
“Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he had.was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.” (Hebrews 7)
King of Sodom and King of Salem went out at the same time to Abraham. Melchizedek to tell Abraham “blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And king of Sodom to say “Give me the persons and take the goods for yourself.”
Whenever we hear the voice of the devil telling us “you are good – you serve well” And filling us with pride, we will hear the voice of Christ in the other ear saying “humble yourself before the Lord”
