Poor Lot lost everything and was carried captive himself. How little he realized, when he “pitched his tent toward Sodom,” that such a sorrow was going to come upon him and his family! And we ourselves are only safe when we walk in obedience to God and His Word.
God loved Lot in spite of his failure and undertook for his restoration. Abram, who was in communion with the mind of God, loved his nephew Lot too. He felt for him in his sorrow and made plans to help him. He might have said, “It serves him right,” especially after the quarrel there had been between their herdsmen a short time before, but Divine love does not act that way. Divine love forgives and still loves. Surely this is the way God has acted with us. “He hath not dealt with us after our sins” (Psalm 103:1010He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. (Psalm 103:10)). If God gave us what we deserved, it would be eternal judgment, but He has forgiven us frankly and fully. We should always act the same way with others and forgive them no matter how badly they treat us.
Temptation After Victory
Abram did not love in word only, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:1818He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)). He went to Lot’s assistance at once, putting his own life in danger to do it. He recovered not only Lot and all his goods, but he recovered others, too, and came back in triumph. We are just as sure to have victory when we are doing the will of God as we are sure to have defeat when we are not.
After such a fine victory, a great temptation soon confronted Abram, for when we are able to do something for the Lord, Satan often tries to rob us of the blessing by getting our eyes off the Lord. We need strength from above after the victory, as well as before it. Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God, came to meet him with bread and wine. Then he blessed Abram in the name of the Most High God, which is the title which the Lord will take when He reigns over the earth in a soon-coming day. He will be the “Possessor of heaven and earth” then, but as yet He has not taken possession of His inheritance. Abram believed this in faith, owning His claims by giving tithes to Him of all he possessed.
Refusing the Gifts of the World
Having received the bread and wine, and the blessing of the Most High God, he was prepared to refuse what the king of Sodom was about to offer him. The king of Sodom told him to keep all he had recovered except the people. Abram had never wanted to live in the wicked city of Sodom, but now the temptation before him was just this — did he want any of the riches of Sodom when they were offered to him?
He had never sought after those things, but this was a more difficult decision to make when they were offered to him. However his mind was made up — he refused them completely. He would not receive even a thread or a shoelatchet from the king of Sodom. Only faith in God can enable us to make such decisions for the Lord’s glory.
There is something very beautiful in the way Abram acted here. While he refused for himself, he did not refuse for the young men with him who had eaten of Sodom’s food. However he gave them the example of his own faith, which should have been a word to them. May our lives be an example to others too!
Further Meditation
1. How did Abram love Lot in deed and in truth?
2. Mechizedek is a wonderful figure of the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s mentioned in Hebrews 7 where the writer draws attention to what makes the Lord Jesus so excellent. How does the Spirit of God use this Old Testament story to teach a New Testament lesson?
3. If you’ve never read Notes on the Pentateuch by C. H. Mackintosh, you would find it a real treat for your soul. It would take a really long time to read through the 1,964 pages that make up the set of 6 books on the Pentateuch, but I’m sure if you read all the way through, you would never regret it. You can find the same material for free by browsing the writings of C. H. Mackintosh in the Authors section of bibletruthlibrary.org.