14:8-12
The Dead Sea area, which is where most of the action was taking place, was a place rich in minerals of various sorts. The four kings won the battle against the five and carried off much plunder from Sodom and Gomorrah. They also carried off Lot, Abram’s nephew. This is the key event as far as this chapter is concerned. As noted earlier, there are some who say Abram should never have let Lot come with him when he left Ur of the Chaldeans. Now it is true that Lot caused a lot of trouble. However, it is Lot who chose to travel with Abram, Abram did not make him come. More importantly, the incidents with Lot bring out the best in Abram, and there are positive teachings from all these incidents.
14:13-16
Abram learned of what had happened to Lot. Abram was living with people who had made an agreement with him. On hearing the news Abram gathered a small army, 318 fighting men, from his household. The word used for “trained men” is not used elsewhere in the Bible, but has been found in Egyptian excavations, just another small piece of evidence supporting the historicity of the text. Some might think that the army of 318 is too small to accomplish the task given to them, but there several things that can be said. First, we are not dealing with vast armies at this stage. Secondly is the power of God! Then there are Abram’s allies, and they would have the element of surprise. Abram won the battle and recovered Lot, his people and his goods.
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