Men in the Bible: A Man with Little Foresight And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of…
Men in the Bible: A Man with Little Foresight – How short-term advantage led to long-term captivity
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. 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. – Genesis 14:8-12
We are still considering the personality of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. If there is any indication that all we had earlier shared about him was true, particularly his immaturity as well as lack of wisdom and foresight, that was validated in the scenario that played out in our reference passage today.
Lot thought he was being smart by choosing the prime land for himself and leaving his uncle, Abraham, with the not-so-attractive second best. He could have allowed his uncle to choose first, but he took that privilege onto himself. He impetuously chose where he wanted to settle, leaving Abraham to contend with the seemingly lesser option.
However, the incidents that ensued afterwards only revealed how unwise he was, as what he considered a land of peace and abundance was only a troubled land. Despite the lush green that he saw, which made him decide to settle in that part of town, the settlement was only a time bomb waiting for the right time to blow off, and blow off it did not long after Lot settled there. A more grounded person would have known better.
For Lot, however, he only went to camp with trouble because not long after settling, a long-brewing war broke out among the kings in that region, and even though he was not part of the skirmish, Lot and all his assets were taken captive by the rampaging kings.
No doubt, when he was choosing that place to stay, he must have thought that he had hit a jackpot. But that turned out to be a calamity. He must have thought he would become abundant and prosperous in his new location, but he only became a captive instead. All because he lacked foresight. We should not be like him.
Men in the Bible: The First Man to Tithe So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the…
Men in the Bible: The First Man to Tithe – How worship, obedience, and honouring God with substance began
So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. And the king 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. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all. – Genesis 14:16-20
Our exploration of biblical figures continues today with a focus on Abraham, the first man to tithe in the Bible and arguably recorded history.
We had earlier considered how devout Abraham was in his disposition to God and how he alone built several altars of worship to God at different turns in his evolution as a person. He was indeed a man of the altar. And as we can see from today’s passage, he was not just a man of the altar alone; he also worshipped God with his resources, as evidenced in his setting aside ten per cent from the spoil he took from war and giving that portion to Melchizedek, a priest of God.
What Abraham did was remarkable because in his days, paganism was the order of the day. People freely worshipped idols and other tokens. However, it did not take Abraham much time to recognize that Melchizedek was a priest of God. He did not just note this fact alone; he also backed his reverence with action by giving the priest of God ten per cent of the spoils he and his men gained from war.
Just like maintaining an altar of fellowship, giving is another form of worship. Abraham demonstrated what a true believer he was by doing what no one before him had done: He gave a tenth of his gains to God. By doing so, he also started a rite of paying tithes that has endured for thousands of years.
Men in the Bible: A Man Who Blends Integrity with Sensibility But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High,…
Men in the Bible: A Man of Integrity Without Extremes
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” – Genesis 14:22-24
Another lesson we can learn from Abraham was intelligence, which helped him blend integrity with sensibility. He was not an extremist of a sort in his avowal of uprightness. It is not that tilting towards extremes in moral uprightness is bad in itself, but when it comes to the feelings, welfare, and well-being of other people, being extreme can be a sin in the eyes of God. It was this curious lesson that Jesus spent much of His ministry trying to get the Pharisees to understand.
In the context of our reading today, Abraham, upon his triumphant campaign from his battle with the coalition of kings who took his nephew captive, did more than rescue his relative. He also took bounties of war in his wake upon his victorious campaign.
Upon his return, the King of Sodom, one of the beneficiaries of the campaign gladly offered to give Abraham all the bounties he recovered from the kings he defeated. However, Abraham had his own reservations about the king of Sodom. So he bluntly told the latter that he had vowed to God not to take anything for himself from the spoils he took from the enemies. That was a demonstration of integrity in itself.
It is one thing to make a vow when you do not have anything that can tempt you. It is another thing, however, to keep such vows when one is presented with tempting attractions that could make one reconsider the vow. Abraham might have found himself in this position as well. He might have been tempted by the sheer number of booties he claimed from the coalition of kings he went to fight.
However, he had made a vow about what he would do in the aftermath of the battle. He would not take anything for himself so that the king of Sodom would not have the bragging right that he was the one who made Abraham rich. Abraham did not want to mix God’s blessing with humans’ blessing. He stuck to his gun and did not accept the invitation of the king of Sodom to take the booty for himself. But then he did not stop there. Listen to him:
“I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High… that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” – Genesis 14:22-24
The real lesson here is that Abraham did not say because he himself was not going to collect anything from the bounties of war, therefore the men who accompanied him to the battle, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, should also not take anything for themselves. He was sensitive enough to consider his companions’ needs, even when those men were lower than him in stature, and would have opted to align with his resolution of no bounty. He did not put them in a difficult position that would make them look bad on account of his own constitution. He did not ride roughshod on their collective sensitivities because they were lower in rank than he was. That was integrity with sensibility.
On the contrary, even before his companions voiced their support for his stand or their protestation at his deprivation, Abraham was very proactive and sensitive to their aspirations by communicating the caveat in his terms to the king of Sodom: Yes, he was not taking anything for himself, but these three men must be allowed to take what they consider fair and appropriate for their efforts and risks. He did not use his own stance to hush them up or disregard their needs. That is an easy error the upright frequently make.
That is why this lesson cannot be over-emphasized for the apostles of moral rectitude who use their own liberty to override the needs and aspirations of others in their circle, either because such people are subordinate to them or do not have much say in the matter. There are some seemingly right stances we can make that will dangerously trample someone else or undermine their dignity, if we cross that line we may unwittingly offend God Himself. Wisdom is profitable to direct.
Men in the Bible: A Responsible Man Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in…
Men in the Bible: A Responsible Man
Now when Abram heard that his 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. He divided his 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 as the women and the people. – Genesis 14:14-16
Another sterling attribute we can learn from Abraham’s character is responsibility. He was a quintessential responsible man, as we can see in our reference passage today.
We had previously discussed how mature and large-hearted Abraham was in contrast to his immature and unwise nephew. Although they were from the same family and related by blood, the characters of the two men were poles apart. Abraham was everything Lot was not: mature, wise, reverential, and more.
We also saw Lot’s brazenness in the saga of his workers clashing with Abraham’s; he did not just seem to care that his workers might be disrespecting his benefactor by so doing; he also did not do anything to redress the situation until Abraham himself made an overture of peace to him. As if that was not bad enough, Lot also chose the better portion of the land as a settlement for himself without much regard for his uncle’s preference.
All this notwithstanding, when Lot fell into trouble as a result of his choice, Abraham did not hesitate to mobilize forces to go and rescue his nephew from the invaders who had taken him captive. Abraham could have said it served him right. But he neither said so nor acted it. Rather, he was quick and earnest in his desire to rescue Lot from the marauders who seized him and his assets.
Abraham demonstrated an unusual sense of fraternity and responsibility by going all out to fight with the group of kings and their soldiers who took Lot captive. That was a war he had little or nothing to do with. But he got himself involved all the same because of his nephew. A more responsible behavior we may yet find.
Another lesson we can learn from God is His disposition to a balancing act. He is not a God of extremes. Even though some who profess to follow Him go to extremes in His name or make extreme claims on His behalf, extreme is not a label that one can pin on God. He balances the acts.
Understanding God: He is Not Moved by Sentiments
Another lesson we can learn from the personality of God is that sentiments do not move Him. Therefore, He cannot be deceived into making a wrong judgment or call, as humans tend to do.
Understanding God: He is A Creator
He is a Creator. This is not to be interpreted loosely, particularly in the light of our contemporary use of the word. God is the ultimate Creator, as He created all things, even the ends of the earth (Isaiah 40:28).
Understanding God: God of the Beginning
There is no better way to begin this journey of exploring the people and entities in the Bible than to start with God. He is not just the beginning but is the origin of all things.
Women in the Bible: A Paragon of Beauty
What made Sarah’s beauty so compelling that kings and nations took notice? Explore the deeper layers of grace, favour, and mystery surrounding one of Scripture’s most unforgettable women — and discover why her story still provokes wonder today.
Men in the Bible: A Man of Ambition and Adventure
Terah may not have reached Canaan, but his courage to start a life-changing journey laid the foundation for Abraham’s destiny. Discover how ambition and bold steps mark a life of significance.
Men in the Bible: An Impetuous and Impudent Man
A revealing glimpse into a man whose choices exposed deeper issues of character, showing how hastiness and entitlement can quietly shape a destiny, and why his story still speaks to us today.
Men in the Bible: A Man with Little Foresight
Sometimes what looks like a smart choice can hide the seed of a mistake. This reflection from Scripture invites us to think again about how foresight — or the lack of it — shapes a man’s story.
Men in the Bible: The First Man to Tithe
Before laws, temples, or traditions, one man honoured God with his substance. Abraham’s tithe was not commanded, demanded, or enforced. It flowed from reverence.
Fathers in the Bible: A Destiny-Shaping Father
What makes a man a truly aware father? Discover how one man’s prophetic foresight shaped his son’s destiny and changed generations forever.
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