Genesis 14

¹ In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, ² these kings 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). ³ And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ⁴ Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. ⁵ In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, ⁶ and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness. ⁷ Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar. ⁸ Then 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 they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim ⁹ with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. ¹¹ So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. ¹² They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way. ¹³ Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. ¹⁵ And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. ¹⁶ Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people. ¹⁷ After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). ¹⁸ And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) ¹⁹ And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; ²⁰ and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. ²¹ And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” ²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, ²³ that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

I am a sucker for epic battle and warrior stories. I think lots of people are! Whether it is Braveheart yelling “Freedom!” or the speech of Theodin King before the walls of Minas Tirith, I get fired up at those moments. When I was in high school I memorized the epic opening monologue for the movie Conan the Barbarian and used to play the soundtrack from time to time. I can still say it. Now, to say this rightly, you have to say it in a deep and grave voice. Then you must envision war drums kicking in the moment the narrator concludes. Here you go:

Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And onto this, Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!

Ah! Epic heroes and battles are just so thrilling to get immersed in. Genesis 14 provides us with another such scene of days of high adventure. There is bravery, heroism, and awe-inspiring courage in this chapter. But there is also more. There is deep theological movement and maneuvering happening here as well, and things of the soul happening that are even more important than the political realities playing out on the surface.

It is one thing to know God’s power and quite another to know God’s name.

Ultimately, chapter 14 of Genesis is about God. To get to this, though, we get to see an inspiring act of bravery on the part of Abraham.

¹ In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, ² these kings 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). ³ And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ⁴ Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. ⁵ In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, ⁶ and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness. ⁷ Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar. ⁸ Then 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 they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim ⁹ with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. ¹¹ So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. ¹² They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way. ¹³ Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. ¹⁵ And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. ¹⁶ Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.

Abraham’s heroism sets the background for the theological movements to come, and what bravery it is! Before King Leonidas and his band of Spartans stood against the Persians there was Abram and his 318 against the coalition of kings. And what mighty men these were! Abraham proved himself to be a great leader of men. The men he led were “trained men, born in his house.” Obviously Abraham saw the importance of having his men at the ready! Abraham was therefore an adept strategist, and this plays itself out memorably in his daring rescue mission.

Even so, it is after the conflict ends that Abraham’s ability to maneuver is put on full display, yet here it is theological, not militaristic. After rescuing Lot, Abraham has an encounter with two personages: the king of Sodom and the priest-king of Salem, Melchizedek. If you read this encounter too quickly you will miss what is really at play here: the correct naming of God.

¹⁷ After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). ¹⁸ And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) ¹⁹ And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; ²⁰ and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. ²¹ And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” ²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, ²³ that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

The issue can be seen when we consider the name that Melchizedek ascribes to God and the name that Abraham ascribes to God. We can isolate the pertinent verses thus:

19 And [Melchizedek] blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth

Melchizedek uses the title, “God most high” (vv.18-20)

אֵ֣ל                 עֶלְי֔וֹן

Elyon               El

Most High       God

And Abram, when responding to the king of Sodom’s offer of great wealth, uses the title, “the Lord most high” (v.22)

עֶלְי֔וֹן              אֵ֣ל                  יְהוָה֙

Elyon               El                YHWH

Most High       God             the Lord

In English, it is hard to see the issue. To get at what is going on here we must understand that Melchizedek’s term El Elyon, “God Most High,” may possibly be referring to the Canaanite conception of God. Robert Alter observes of “El Elyon” that “El is the proper name of the sky god in the Canaanite pantheon, and Elyon is evidently a distinct, associated deity, though here the two appears as a compound name. But the two terms are also plain Hebrew words that mean ‘God the Most High,’ and elsewhere are used separately or (once) together as designations of the God of Israel.” Alter concludes that, “whatever Melchizedek’s theology, Abram elegantly co-opts him for monotheism by using El Elyon in its orthodox Israelite sense (verse 22) when he addresses the king of Sodom.”[1]

That is helpful. What we do not know is what exactly Melchizedek meant by “God Most High.” Did he mean the one true God or did he mean the Canaanite gods El and Elyon? Old Testament scholars are divided. What is clear, however, is that Abram decides to tweak the title in an important way. He calls God, “The Lord [YHWH], God Most High.” In one fell swoop, one adept maneuver, Abraham pronounces the covenant name of the God who the king of Sodom (certainly, regardless of Melchizedek’s understanding) only knew in a vague sense.

In other words, the king of Sodom knew the divine power but Abraham knew the divine name: YHWH, the covenant-keeping God of Israel.

Walter Brueggemann notes that the “Canaanites worshiped him as ‘Most High God,’ but it was the liberated Israelites who knew his name…In the present form of the text, Melchizedek the Canaanite (vv.19-20) calls God only ‘God Most High,’ whereas it is Abraham in response (v.22) who discloses the true name.”[2] John Walton argues that “we have no reason to think of Melchizedek as a worshiper of Yahweh or even as monotheistic. It is Abram who identifies El Elyon as Yahweh.”[3] Walton’s first contention may be right, but his second contention is certainly right. Abram (at the least to the king of Sodom if not to Melchizedek as well) revealed that it is one thing to know God’s power and quite another to know God’s name.

There are numerous people today who content themselves with vague notions and vague names for God: the man upstairs, the little voice within, etc. They know that He is present and they know that He is powerful, but they do not know Him! But we must know Him!

Abraham’s naming of God with the covenant name of YHWH reveals that Abraham was not only pointing to the fact that He knew God’s character, he was also pointing to the fact that we can be in relationship with this God. We can know Him. We can know His name. We can be in relationship with Him! This God of gods has a name: YHWH, the Lord, God Most High!

It is one thing to know God’s signs and another to know the reality to which the signs point.

Yes, it is one thing to know God’s power and quite another to know His name. It is also one thing to know God’s signs and another to know the reality to which the signs point. Here we must return to the fascinating character of Melchizedek.

¹⁸ And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) ¹⁹ And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; ²⁰ and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Melchizedek is a strange-sounding name but it means “righteous king.”[4] Our text tells us that Melchizedek bore two titles: priest and king. He was the priest-king of Salem, a city that most believe to be Jerusalem. What else do we know about Melchizedek? Not much! But he is a fascinating figure! John Calvin said of Melchizedek that “whoever he was” he “is presented before us, without any origin, as if he had dropped from the clouds, and…his name is buried without any mention of death.”[5]

This is true, yet the writer of Hebrews will give us further and crucial knowledge about him. The writer of Hebrews will show that Melchizedek, whoever else he was, was a kind of sign, a pointer to the coming Prophet-Priest-King Jesus. What the writer does in Hebrews 7 is fascinating. In short, he takes a comment from Psalm 110 and uses it to contrast two types of the priesthood: one earthly (the order of Aaron) and one heavenly (as signified in Melchizedek and as fulfilled in Jesus). It is a fascinating text! Listen:

¹ For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. ³ He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

²³ The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. ²⁶ For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Note that Melchizedek “resembles” (v.3) Jesus. He is not Jesus (though, yes, some argue that he is). Rather, Melchizedek is a type, a sign, a pointer, a provocative signpost to Abraham of something, someone, greater to come! He meets Abraham, again, provocatively, Genesis 14:18 tells us, bearing bread and wine. While we must be careful with this, it is very hard for us as followers of Jesus not to see in this too a sign of the coming of Christ and of His work on the cross signified in communion.

The writer of Hebrews says that Melchizedek resembled Christ. Yet Christ is great still. Christ, he says, is “able to save to the uttermost” (v.25) because “he offered up himself” “once for all” (v.27). Indeed, we “draw near to God through” Jesus!

Dear church: some know the power and some know the name. Some know the signs and some know the reality. And that reality and that name is Jesus! He is priest above all other priests, King above all other kings! In Exodus 14, God was giving the great patriarch Abraham clues, hints, signs of things to come. But now the sign has been fulfilled: the King-Priest Jesus has come to meet us with His body and His blood! Now we understand what Jesus meant in John 8:56 when He said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”

Yes, Abraham first saw the types and signs of Jesus, but one day, many days later, Abraham was allowed to witness from glory the coming of Jesus, the one to whom all the signs and all the symbols and all the types pointed. Abraham saw and rejoiced! And so should we! So should we! For Christ has come! He is above all others. There is none other like Him, nor could there ever be!

Do you know the name? Do you know the reality? Do you know Jesus?

 

[1] Robert Alter, The Five Books of Moses. The Hebrew Bible. vol. 1 (New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 2019), p.47n19-20.

[2] Walter Brueggemann, Genesis. Interpretation. (Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1982), p.136-137.

[3] John H. Walton, “Genesis.” Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009, p.83.

[4] Robert Alter, p.47n18.

[5] R.R. Reno, Genesis. Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible. (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2010), p.29-154.