Genesis 14:21-2421And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. 22And 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, 23That 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: 24Save 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. (Genesis 14:21‑24)
Abram’s joy at the blessings bestowed upon him by Melchizedek brought forth a suited response: “And he gave him tithes of all.” verse 20. That is, he acknowledged the person and authority of the one before him, and felt the conviction that the first portion of what he had recovered should go to him. We should bear in mind that the law and its stipulated tithing was not yet established, nor is there any record that Melchizedek suggested any gift to come from Abram. It was rather the voluntary act of an outflowing heart.
Later, for the period that the law was to prevail, God did establish that the giving of a tenth should be compulsory, because through the hardness of their hearts and, without a commandment to guide them, many of His people might fail to give any portion to Him at all. However, the Christian now is not under the law: “For ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:1414For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14). Christian giving is on a higher level than the law. The Lord’s own words are, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:3535I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35). The believer should delight to give liberally, according to his circumstances. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:7,87Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (2 Corinthians 9:7‑8). Is this not a lovely rule for the child of God to follow? As the Lord has given to each in material blessings, He then calls on His own to return willingly out of that abundance.
“And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.” verse 21. This request may seem at first to have been reasonable. One might say, if it had not been for Abram, nothing would have been recovered at all. Should he not then claim for his own the fruits of the victory? No. Abram’s meeting with Meichizedek enabled him to put things in their proper light. Had not God already greatly enriched him in every temporal way? Why then should he add to it that which had its origin in Sodom? Furthermore, it was not in the spirit of personal gain that he had ventured forth on the campaign; but rather to rescue his nephew Lot. Abram was entirely devoid of any selfish purpose in what he had done and while Satan would have liked to introduce greed and selfishness through the offering made by the king of Sodom, his heart was above temptation because he had just been refreshed in the remembrance of God’s blessings to him.
“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, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.” 10:22,23.
ML 05/16/1965