Following Examples

For the Glory of God Genesis 14:1-16 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WANTED •TO GET THE PEOPLE OF PHILADELPHIA •INTERESTED IN STREET LIGHTING, •HE DID NOT TRY TO PERSUADE THEM •BY TALKING ABOUT IT; INSTEAD, HE HUNG A BEAUTIFUL LANTERN •ON A LONG BRACKET BEFORE HIS OWN DOOR •THEN HE KEPT THE GLASS BRIGHTLY POLISHED, •AND CAREFULLY AND LIT THE WICK EVERY EVENING…. •AT THE APPROACH OF NIGHT↓ PEOPLE WANDERING ABOUT •ON THE DARK STREET SAW FRANKLIN'S LIGHT •A LONG WAY OFF AND CAME UNDER THE INFLUENCE •OF ITS FRIENDLY GLOW WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS •IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE FRANKLIN'S NEIGHBORS BEGAN PLACING LIGHTS IN BRACKETS •BEFORE THEIR HOMES, AND SOON •THE ENTIRE CITY AWOKE TO THE VALUE •OF STREET LIGHTNING AND TOOK UP •THE MATTER WITH INTEREST AND ENTHUSIASM. PEOPLE LEARN MORE BY EXAMPLE •THEN THEY EVER WILL FROM WORDS •YOU CAN TALK TILL YOUR BLUE IN THE FACE •BUT PEOPLE ARE GONNA REMEMBER •THE THINGS YOU DO…. NOT WHAT YOU SAY WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THE BIBLE •USES EXAMPLES TO TEACH US MANY LESSONS •THE BIBLE USES POSITIVE EXAMPLES •TO SHOWS US THE THINGS WE SHOULD DO •AND NEGATIVE EXAMPLES TO SHOW US WHAT NOT TO DO MANY TIMES, THE SAME PERSON IS •BOTH A POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EXAMPLE •AS WE STUDY THE LIFE OF ABRAM •HE WILL PROVIDE BOTH A POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EXAMPLE •TODAY WE ARE GOING TO SEE A POSITIVE EXAMPLE TURN TO GENESIS 14:1 •ABRAM HAD COME BACK FROM EGYPT AFTER LYING TO PHARAOH •HE AND LOT HAD SPLIT UP BECAUSE THEY WERE SO RICH •THE LAND COULD NOT SUPPORT THEM BOTH LOT HAD MOVED TO SODOM •WHERE THE MEN THE MEN WERE WICKED •AND ABRAM HAD WALKED THROUGH ALL THE LAND •AND SET UP CAMP IN HEBRON •AND BUILT AN ALTAR TO THE LORD GENESIS 14:1–4 AND IT CAME ABOUT IN THE DAYS OF AMRA-PHEL KING OF SHINAR, ARI-OCH KING OF EL-LA-SAR, KE-DOR-LA-OMER KING OF ELAM, AND TID-AL KING OF GOIIM, THAT THEY MADE WAR WITH BERA KING OF SODOM, AND WITH BIR-SHA KING OF GOMORRAH, SHIN-AB KING OF AD-MAH, AND SHEM-E-BER KING OF ZEB-OIIM, AND THE KING OF BELA (THAT IS, ZOAR). ALL THESE CAME AS ALLIES TO THE VALLEY OF SIDDIM (THAT IS, THE SALT SEA). TWELVE YEARS THEY HAD SERVED KE-DOR-LA-OMER, BUT THE THIRTEENTH YEAR THEY REBELLED. MOSES HAS BEEN TELLING US •ABOUT ABRAM AND LOT AND ALL THE SUDDEN •HE SEEMS TO CHANGE TOPICS AND TELLS US •ABOUT KINGS AND KINGDOMS •WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? WHY WOULD MOSES GIVE US •SO MUCH DETAIL ABOUT THE POLITICAL SITUATION? •WELL FOR ONE THING HE IS SETTING UP •THE STORY, HE IS GIVE US SOME BACKGROUND INFO •THESE KINGS AND THEIR WARS ARE GONNA BE IMPORTANT BUT THERE IS ANOTHER REASON… •MOSES WROTE GENESIS FOR THE ISRAELITES •HE WROTE IT WHILE THEY WERE WANDERING •IN THE WILDERNESS.. BEFORE THEY ARE TO •ENTER INTO THE PROMISED LAND THESE KINGS AND KINGDOMS HE IS •TALKING ABOUT HERE… • ARE THE HISTORY BEHIND THE PROMISED LAND… •THE KINGDOMS THEY ARE FIGHTING OVER •WILL COME TO BE THE PEOPLE ISRAEL WILL FACE •AS THEY ENTER THE LAND ONE OF THESE KINGS KE-DOR-LA-OMER •HAD FORMED A COALITION… A GROUP OF KINGS •THIS COALITION COVERED A LARGE AREA •WE HAVE HISTORICAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL •EVIDENCES FOR MANY OF THESE KINGDOMS AND THEY WERE SPREAD FROM •MODERN DAY IRAQ UP TO SYRIA •DOWN BOTH SIDES OF THE JORDAN RIVER •PAST THE DEAD SEA AND PART WAY TO EGYPT •THAT IS A HUGE AREA OF LAND TO COVER…. FOR THE ISRAELITES READING THIS •THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE WORLD •THIS IS A DESCRIPTION MOST POWERFUL •GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME •AND LIKE ALL POWERFUL PEOPLE THEY DON’T GET ALONG WHEN MOSES WRITES THAT FOR •TWELVE YEARS THEY HAD SERVED KEDOR-LA-OMER, BUT THE THIRTEENTH YEAR THEY REBELLED. •HE MEANS THESE KINGS HAD PAID •A TRIBUTE EVERY YEAR FOR 12 YEARS •AND THEN IN THE 13TH YEAR THEY QUIT PAYING HIM THIS WAS ACTUALLY A FAIRLY •NORMAL ARRANGEMENT… KINGS OF •SMALLER KINGDOMS WOULD PAY •TRIBUTE TO A MORE POWERFUL KING •AND HE WOULD PROTECT THEM THE PEOPLE MOSES IS WRITING TO •THE ISRAELITES WOULD HAVE BEEN •FAMILIAR WITH THESE KINDS OF ARRANGEMENTS •SOME OF THE KINGDOMS IN THE PROMISED LAND •HAD SIMILAR ARRANGEMENTS AS THEY READ THESE THINGS •THEY MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE KINGDOMS •THEY WOULD BE FACING AS THEY ENTERED •THE PROMISED LAND…THEY MIGHT HAVE WONDERED •HOW THEY COULD DEFEAT SUCH KINGDOMS… NOW I DON’T ACTUALLY KNOW ANY •ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN KINGS •BUT I AM PRETTY SURE THEY DON’T LIKE IT •WHEN YOU STOP PAYING THEM TRIBUTE •KE-DOR-LA-OMER CERTAINLY DOES NOT LIKE IT GENESIS 14:5–9 IN THE FOURTEENTH YEAR KE-DOR-LAOMER AND THE KINGS THAT WERE WITH HIM, CAME AND DEFEATED THE RE-PHA-IM IN ASH-TEROTH-KARN-AIM AND THE ZU-ZIM IN HAM AND THE E-MIM IN SHA-VEH-KIR-IA-THAIM, AND THE HORITES IN THEIR MOUNT SEIR, AS FAR AS ELPARAN, WHICH IS BY THE WILDERNESS.↓ THEN THEY TURNED BACK AND CAME TO EN-MISH-PAT (THAT IS, KADESH), AND CONQUERED ALL THE COUNTRY OF THE AMALEKITES, AND ALSO THE AMORITES, WHO LIVED IN HAZA-ZON-TAMAR…. AND THE KING OF SODOM AND THE KING OF GOMORRAH AND THE KING OF ADMAH AND THE KING OF ZEB-OIIM ↓ AND THE KING OF BELA (THAT IS, ZOAR) CAME OUT; AND THEY ARRAYED FOR BATTLE AGAINST THEM IN THE VALLEY OF SID-DIM, AGAINST KE-DOR-LA-OMER KING OF ELAM AND TID-AL KING OF GOIIM AND AM-RA-PHEL KING OF SHINAR AND ARI-OCH KING OF EL-LASAR—FOUR KINGS AGAINST FIVE. SO KE-DOR-LA-OMER ROUNDED UP •A GROUP OF LOYAL KINGS AND WENT OUT •TO SQUASH THOSE KINGS THAT HAD REFUSED •TO PAY TRIBUTE TO HIM IN THE 13TH YEAR •BUT THEY DON’T GO RIGHT AT THE REBEL KINGS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE REBELS •THROUGH A SERIES OF VICTORIES COMING •DOWN THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE JORDAN RIVER •ALL THE WAY TO THE SALT SEA •WHICH IS NOW CALLED THE DEAD SEA… WE DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS •KE-DOR-LA-OMER AND HIS COALITION •JUST CONQUERED MOST OF THE PROMISED LAND •THE SAME AREA THAT MOSES’ READERS •ARE ABOUT TO ENTER AND CONQUER SO… ANYONE WHO COULD BEAT •KE-DOR-LA-OMER COULD CERTAINLY CLEAR •THE PROMISED LAND FROM ALL WHO RULED IT •IF MAYBE GOD SHOWED THAT HE COULD •DEFEAT KE-DOR-LA-OMER THROUGH ABRAM THEN MAYBE THESE PEOPLE WITH •MOSES WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT •GOD COULD CONQUER THE HOLY LAND •THROUGH THE NATION OF ISRAEL… •BUT FIRST JUST TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND HOW POWERFUL •KE-DOR-LA-OMER AND HIS BUDDIES ARE •THEY ARE GOING TO WIN ONE MORE BIG BATTLE •SO FAR THEY HAVE BEEN TAKING ON KINGS •ONE AT A TIME, BUT IN THIS LAST BATTLE THEY WILL BE OUT NUMBERED •MOSES DESCRIBES THIS A BATTLE OF •FOUR KINGS AGAINST FIVE KINGS •THE 4 KINGS ARE KE-DOR-LA-OMER AND HIS BUDDIES •AND THE 5 KINGS ARE A GROUP OF KINGS FROM THE SOUTHERN END OF •THE JORDAN VALLEY… YOU WOULD EXPECT •THE LARGER FORCE TO WIN… BUT THE POINT IS •JUST HOW POWERFUL KE-DOR-LA-OMER IS… •SO THIS FIGHT DOES NOT GO AS EXPECTED THE ISRAELITES READING THIS •WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT ALL THE GREAT •BATTLES THAT EGYPT HAD FOUGHT •HOW THEY HAD CONQUERED KINGDOMS •THE ISRAELITES WOULD HAD BUILT THE MONUMENTS TO THOSE BATTLES •AND THEY KNEW THAT ONLY THE •STRONGEST KINGS WIN THE BATTLE •THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CERTAIN •THE LARGER FORCE OF 5 KINGS WOULD WIN GENESIS 14:10–12 NOW THE VALLEY OF SID-DIM WAS FULL OF TAR PITS; AND THE KINGS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH FLED, AND THEY FELL INTO THEM. BUT THOSE WHO SURVIVED FLED TO THE HILL COUNTRY. ↓ THEN THEY TOOK ALL THE GOODS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH AND ALL THEIR FOOD SUPPLY, AND DEPARTED. THEY ALSO TOOK LOT, ABRAM’S NEPHEW, AND HIS POSSESSIONS AND DEPARTED, FOR HE WAS LIVING IN SODOM. WE ARE NOT TOLD WHY THE KINGS •OF SODOM & GOMORRAH WERE FLEEING •AND WE DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED •TO THE OTHER THREE KINGS BUT •WE CAN SEE FROM THE TEXT THAT THE KINGS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH •FELL INTO THE PITS FULL OF TAR •NOW WHEN IT SAYS THE KINGS FELL IN •THAT MEANS MORE THAN JUST THE TWO KINGS •THAT MEANS THEIR ARMIES FELL IN AND SOME FOLKS THAT FELL IN •SURVIVED AND FLED TO THE HILL COUNTRY •AND SOME THAT FELL IN DIED IN THE TAR •WE ARE GONNA SEE A BIT LATER THAT THE •KING OF SODOM IS SURVIVED … THE OUTCOME OF THIS BATTLE •IS PRETTY CLEAR… KE-DOR-LA-OMER •AND THE FOUR KINGS UTTERLY DEFEATED •THE 5 KINGS OF THE JORDAN VALLEY •THAT MAKES THEM THE TOP DOGS OF THEIR DAY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD THE WINNER •OF THE BATTLE WAS ALMOST ALWAYS •SEEN AS BEING FAVORED BY GOD •KE-DOR-LA-OMER AND HIS BUDDIES •JUST DEFEATED A LARGER ARMY SO TO THE FOLKS READING THIS •THEY ARE FAVORED BY GOD AND TO THE VICTOR •GOES THE SPOILS…AND THESE GUYS TOOK EVERYTHING •THAT WAS NOT NAILED DOWN •THEN THEY TOOK ALL THE GOODS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH AND ALL THEIR FOOD SUPPLY, AND DEPARTED. THAT TERM GOODS MEANS ANYTHING •THAT WAS USEFUL.. FOOD, TOOLS, WEAPON •ANIMALS, CLOTHING… ANYTHING WORTH ANYTHING •BUT THEY DID NOT JUST TAKE THE STUFF •THEY ALSO TOOK LOT, ABRAM’S NEPHEW, AND HIS POSSESSIONS AND DEPARTED, THIS IS CRUCIAL… THIS IS BIG •THIS STATEMENT EXPLAINS WHY MOSES •HAS BEEN TELLING US THIS STORY •UP TO THIS POINT THIS HAS JUST BEEN ABOUT SOME KINGS •MAKING ALLIANCES… GOING TO WAR.. TAKING STUFF BUT ALL THE SUDDEN IT GETS PERSONAL •AND DID YOU SEE THE REASON WHY THEY TOOK LOT •MOSES TELLS US THE REASON WHEN HE WRITES •FOR HE WAS LIVING IN SODOM. •THAT MEANS IF LOT HAD NOT BEEN LIVING IN SODOM HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TAKEN •NOW FOR THE ISRAELITES THIS ACCOUNT •JUST GOT MUCH MORE INTERESTING •THEY CALLED ABRAM… FATHER ABRAHAM •HE IS VITALLY IMPORTANT IN THEIR HISTORY AND ALL THE SUDDEN HIS NEPHEW •HAS BEEN TAKEN CAPTIVE BY THE MOST POWERFUL •COALITION OF KINGS IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME •WHAT IS ABRAM GONNA DO… WILL HE SAVE LOT? •REMEMBER LOT HAD TAKEN THE BEST LAND AND LEFT ABRAM THE POOR LAND •WHEN HE HAD MOVED HIS TENTS •AND SETTLED NEAR SODOM •SO THE QUESTION IS… WILL ABRAM •HOLD THAT AGAINST HIM… OR WILL HE RESCUE LOT? GENESIS 14:13–16 THEN A FUGITIVE CAME AND TOLD ABRAM THE HEBREW. NOW HE WAS LIVING BY THE OAKS OF MAMRE THE AMORITE, BROTHER OF ESHCOL AND BROTHER OF ANER, AND THESE WERE ALLIES WITH ABRAM. WHEN ABRAM HEARD THAT HIS RELATIVE HAD BEEN TAKEN CAPTIVE, HE LED OUT HIS TRAINED MEN, BORN IN HIS HOUSE, THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN, AND WENT IN PURSUIT AS FAR AS DAN. HE DIVIDED HIS FORCES AGAINST THEM BY NIGHT, HE AND HIS SERVANTS, AND DEFEATED THEM, AND PURSUED THEM AS FAR AS HOBAH, WHICH IS NORTH OF DAMASCUS. HE BROUGHT BACK ALL THE GOODS, AND ALSO BROUGHT BACK HIS RELATIVE LOT WITH HIS POSSESSIONS, AND ALSO THE WOMEN, AND THE PEOPLE. THIS FUGITIVE THAT TELLS ABRAM •WHAT HAS HAPPENED WOULD BE ONE •OF THE SOLDIERS THAT FOUGHT AGAINST KE-DOR-LA-OMER •THERE IS A REASON HE COMES AND TELLS ABRAM •WHEN IT SAYS HE TOLD ABRAM THE HEBREW THAT MEANS ABRAM IS LEADER •OF THE HEBREWS… ABRAM IS NOT •A HEBREW HE IS THE HEBREW ….. THE HEAD HONCHO.. •SO THIS FELLA WHO ESCAPED THE FIGHT •GOES TO THE HEAD OF THE HEBREWS TO TELL HIM THAT LOT… A HEBREW HAS BEEN •TAKEN CAPTIVE ALONG WITH HIS PEOPLE •AND ALL HIS POSSESSIONS. •BY THE WAY… THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE WORD •HEBREW IS USED IN THE BIBLE. THE HEBREWS ARE NOW A SPECIFIC •GROUP OF PEOPLE AND ABRAM IS THE LEADER…. •ABRAM AS THE LEADER OF THE HEBREWS •HAD MADE AN ALLIANCE WITH THREE AMORITES •WHOSE LAND HE WAS LIVING ON •SINCE ABRAM HAD AN ALLIANCE WITH THESE BROTHERS WE MIGHT EXPECT THAT ABRAM •WOULD CALL ON THE BROTHERS TO HELP IN A MILITARY CONFLICT… •BUT GOD RARELY DOES THE EXPECTED • HE ALWAYS WANTS TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHERE A VICTORY COMES FROM AFTER HEARING THAT LOT HAS BEEN •TAKEN CAPTIVE, ABRAM GATHERS HIS TROOPS •AND GOES AFTER KE-DOR-LA-OMER TO RESCUE LOT •NOW REMEMBER LOT HAD CHOSEN THE CHOICE LAND •AND HAD LEFT ABRAM THE POOR LAND BUT ABRAM, WILL NOT HOLD THAT •AGAINST LOT… HE WILL DO THE RIGHT THING •HE WILL TAKE HIS TRAINED MEN, BORN IN HIS HOUSE •AND NOTICE IT IS ONLY 318 MEN… •THAT IS NOT REALLY A LARGE FORCE AND IT DOES NOT MENTION THAT •ANY TROOPS FROM HIS AMORITE ALLIES •CAME ALONG TO HELP… JUST ABRAM AND HIS MEN •REMEMBER KE-DOR-LA-OMER HAS 3 OTHER KINGS WITH HIM •ALONG WITH ALL THEIR TROOPS…. MOSES WRITES THAT THE 318 MEN •CHASED AFTER THE ARMIES OF THE 4 KINGS •ALL THE WAY TO THE LAND OF DAN… •THEY WERE NEAR THE SOUTHERN END OF THE DEA SEA •AND THEY CHASED TO THE NORTHERN END OF THE JORDAN RIVER THAT MEANS THEY CHASED THEM •80+ MILES.. THROUGH SOME VERY ROUGH TERRAIN…. •WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY MEN THE 4 KINGS HAD •BUT IT IS LIKELY THEY HAD MORE THAN 318… •AND YET THEY RAN FROM ABRAM AND HIS MEN THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS •THAT THE ISRAELITES READING THIS WOULD UNDERSTAND •FIRST THEY WOULD SEE THAT THE REASON •ABRAM WENT INTO THIS BATTLE WAS BECAUSE •LOT HAD BEEN CAPTURED PRIOR TO THIS ABRAM HAD NOT •GONE INTO BATTLE AGAINST ANYONE •THIS IS THE ONLY TIME WE SEE ABRAM •FIGHT ANY MILITARY BATTLES •AND THE REASON WAS TO SAVE HIS KINSMAN… HIS RELATIVE THE ISRAELITES READING THIS •WOULD LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING •CARE OF EACH OTHER AS THEY GO INTO THE •PROMISED LAND… IF ONE HEBREW IS ATTACKED •THEY WILL ALL RESPOND AND COME TOGETHER SECOND THEY WILL SEE THAT WHEN •GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE IN A FIGHT •YOU DON’T NEED NUMBERS •KE-DOR-LA-OMER AND HIS ARMIES HAD DEFEATED •ALL THE KINGDOMS THEY HAD FACED THEY HAD DEFEATED THE 5 ARMIES •OF THE JORDAN RIVER VALLEY •AND YET THIS SAME KE-DOR-LA-OMER RAN FROM •ABRAM AND HIS FORCES… OH BY THE WAY •THE NAME KE-DOR-LA-OMER MEANS SERVANT OF THE DIVINE BUT SEE KE-DOR-LA-OMER SERVED •A FALSE GOD… AND ABRAM SERVED THE TRUE GOD •SO THE SERVANT OF THE FALSE GOD •RAN AWAY IN FEAR FROM THE SERVANT •OF THE ONE TRUE GOD AND THESE ISRAELITES WHO ARE ABOUT •TO GO INTO THE PROMISED LAND •WOULD UNDERSTAND FROM THIS •THAT THE PEOPLE WHO SERVED THE FALSE GODS •OF THE LAND OF CANAAN WOULD FLEE FROM THEM↓ AS THEY CONQUERED THE LAND •GOD HAD GIVEN THEM •THIS WOULD HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND •HOW THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO WHAT •GOD WAS CALLING THEM TO DO IN THE PROMISED LAND THE LAST THING THE ISRAELITES •WOULD GET FROM THIS IS THAT GOD KEEPS •HIS PROMISES.. GOD HAD PROMISED ABRAM •THAT GOD WOULD CURSE THOSE WHO CURSED HIM •AND WHEN KE-DOR-LA-OMER AND HIS ARMIES TOOK LOT CAPTIVE…. THEY HAD •CURSED ABRAM AND THEREFORE GOD WOULD •CURSE THEM… AND HE DID JUST THAT •AND IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE ISRAELITES •TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD FULFILLS HIS PROMISES SO, ABRAM HAS CASED KE-DOR-LAOMER •ALL THE WAY UP THE JORDAN RIVER •AND WHEN HE CATCHES HIM… •HE USES A SURPRISE NIGHTTIME ATTACK TO DEFEAT THEM •THIS TACTIC IS SIMILAR TO ONE LATER USED BY GIDEON GIDEON WAS ALSO FACING A MUCH •LARGER FORCE.. AND GIDEON ALSO HAD •ABOUT 300 MEN.. AND IN BOTH CASES THE LEADER •SPLITS HIS FORCES INTO SEPARATE GROUPS •AND ATTACKS AT NIGHT… CHASING THEM DOWN AS THEY RUN NOW IT IS KINDA DIFFICULT TO •FIGURE OUT JUST HOW FAR ABRAM •CHASED THE DEFEATED FORCES OF KEDOR-LA-OMER •IT DEPENDS ON WHICH PART OF DAN THEY WERE IN •AND EXACTLY WHERE HOBAH WAS… THIS IS A REALLY LONG CHASE •OVER 150 MILES FOR SURE •AND SOME OF THE ROUGHEST TERRAIN IN THE WORLD •ABRAM REALLY WANTED TO RESCUE LOT •HE WENT ALL OUT... HE PUT IN THE EFFORT AND HE RESCUES NOT JUST LOT •THE TEXT SAYS ABRAM •BROUGHT BACK ALL THE GOODS, AND ALSO •BROUGHT BACK HIS RELATIVE LOT WITH HIS POSSESSIONS, •AND ALSO THE WOMEN, AND THE PEOPLE. THAT IS AN AMAZING RESCUE •HE WENT TO RESCUE LOT.. BUT HE ALSO •FREED ALL THE OTHER CAPTIVES •AND GOT BACK ALL OF LOTS POSSESSIONS •AND ALL THE GOODS TAKEN FROM SODOM…. TO THE ISRAELITES READING THIS •IT WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD AS A TOTAL VICTORY •A COMPLETE DEFEAT.. IT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE •OF THE KIND OF VICTORY THEY WERE CALLED TO HAVE •OVER THE PEOPLE IN THE PROMISED LAND THIS ACCOUNT WOULD HELP THEM •TO UNDERSTAND HOW GOD WORKS THROUGH •OUR EFFORTS… ABRAM DID NOT SIT BACK IN MAMRE •AND WAIT FOR GOD TO RESCUE LOT •HE HAD TRAINED HIS MEN… HE TOOK THEM OUT AND PUT FORTH THE EFFORT •TO DO WHAT WAS RIGHT…RESCUE HIS KINSMAN •FROM THE SUPERIOR FORCE… 4 KINGS AND THEIR ARMIES •HE HAD PURSUED THEM GREAT DISTANCES •DEFEATED THEM AGAINST THE ODDS AND RESCUED LOT THE ISRAELITES COULD LEARN •A GREAT DEAL FROM THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAM •AND SO CAN WE… THE BIBLE IS FULL OF EXAMPLES •WE HAVE EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE SHOULD DO •AND WE HAVE EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE SHOULD NOT DO IN THIS CASE ABRAM IS AN AMAZING •EXAMPLE OF SOME THINGS WE SHOULD DO •THE FIRST THING I WANT US TO SEE IS ABRAM’S •EXAMPLE OF RESTRAINT… ABRAM HAD A TRAINED •FORCE OF FIGHTING MEN BUT HE DOES NOT USE THIS FORCE FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL GAIN •NOW REMEMBER HE AND LOT HAD TO SPLIT UP •BECAUSE THE LAND COULD NOT SUPPORT BOTH OF THEM •ABRAM COULD HAVE USED HIS FIGHTING MEN •TO TAKE MORE LAND BY FORCE CLEARLY HIS TRAINED MEN •WERE STRONG ENOUGH TO DO THIS •THEY JUST TOOK OUT 4 KINGS AND THEIR ARMIES •BUT ABRAM DID NOT ENTER INTO CONFLICT FOR PERSONAL GAIN •WE NEED TO LEARN BY HIS EXAMPLE EVEN WHEN WE HAVE THE POWER •TO WIN A CONFLICT AND TAKE WHAT WE WANT •WE SHOULD NEVER ENTER INTO CONFLICT FOR PERSONAL GAIN…. •ABRAM ONLY ENTERS INTO CONFLICT TO PROTECT •TO RESCUE HIS KINSMAN LOT WE NEED THAT KIND OF RESTRAINT THE SECOND THING I WANT US •TO SEE IS HOW ABRAM DOES WHAT IS RIGHT •REGARDLESS OF HOW HE HAD BEEN TREATED •LOT.. ABRAM’S NEPHEW HAD TAKEN THE BEST OF THE LAND •WHEN ABRAM ALLOWED HIM TO CHOOSE LOT COULD HAVE LET HIS UNCLE •HAVE THE BETTER LAND…HE COULD HAVE DIVIDED •THE BEST LAND AND SPLIT IT WITH ABRAM •BUT HE TOOK THE CHOICE LAND •AND LEFT ABRAM WITH THE POORER LAND AND YET… ABRAM DID NOT HOLD •THIS AGAINST HIM… NOW REALIZE.. •IF ABRAM HAD LEFT LOT IN THE HANDS OF KE-DOR-LA-OMER •THEN ABRAM WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE CHOICE LAND •BUT ABRAM IS NOT LOOKING OUT FOR HIMSELF HE IS NOT MAKING A DECISION •BASED ON GREED OR REVENGE •BUT BASED ON WHAT IS RIGHT IN GOD’S EYES…. •NOT BASED ON WORLDLY CONSIDERATIONS •BUT BASED ON THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD… THIS IS REALLY HARD FOR US TO DO •WE REALLY DON’T LIKE IT WHEN •PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF US.. WE WANT •TO GET THEM BACK FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO US •BUT.. THE TRUTH IS.. GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT WE DON’T EVER NEED TO WORRY •ABOUT GETTING BACK AT PEOPLE •GOD HAS THE VENGANCE… AND JUSTICE THING COVERED •WE ARE CALLED TO LOVE… FORGIVE.. AND SERVE OTHERS •ABRAM IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF POWER UNDER CONTROL ABRAM IS NOT PERFECT •NO HUMAN BEING IS.. WE HAVE SEEN •HIM LIE ABOUT WHO IS WIFE IS.. HE WILL •FAIL SOMETIMES AND HE WILL BE AMAZING IN •HIS FAITH AT TIMES… GOD PROVIDES AMAZING EXAMPLES •IN THE BIBLE OF WHAT WE SHOULD DO •AND WHAT WE SHOULD NOT DO… •WE NEED TO MAKE SURE TO TAKE THE TIME •TO LEARN WHICH EXAMPLES TO FOLLOW AND WHICH TO AVOID BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HAD •A GOOD IDEA… STREET LIGHTS… •BUT TO COMMUNICATE THIS IDEA HE CHOSE •A VERY WISE METHOD… HE DID NOT GO TALK TO PEOPLE •HE DID NOT WRITE ABOUT STREET LIGHTS IN THE PAPER HE PUT A STREET LIGHT OUTSIDE •HIS HOUSE… A FANCY NICE LOOKING ONE •AND HE KEPT IS SHINY AND POLISHED •HE LIT IT EVERY NIGHT.. SO FOLKS COULD SEE IT •AND SOON EVERYONE IN TOWN WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW GREAT HIS STREET LIGHT WAS •THEY TOOK TO THE IDEA ON THEIR OWN •THEY SAW IT WAS GOOD AND BEGAN PUTTING OUT •STREET LIGHTS OF THEIR OWN… •HUMANS LEARN FAR MORE BY EXAMPLE THAN THEY DO BY WORDS •WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THE BIBLE NOT ONLY •TELLS US HOW TO LIVE… IT SHOWS US… •WHEN WE READ ACCOUNTS IN THE BIBLE •OF HOW PEOPLE HANDLED CERTAIN SITUATIONS WE NEED TO LOOK TO SEE •IF THERE IS A POSITIVE EXAMPLE WE CAN FOLLOW •OR IF THERE IS A NEGATIVE EXAMPLE WE CAN AVOID •WHEN WE SEE A POSITIVE EXAMPLE LIKE •ABRAM RESCUING HIS NEPHEW LOT WE NEED TO TAKE THE LESSON •TO HEART AND ALTER HOW WE LIVE •LEARNING TO NOT ENTER INTO CONFLICT FOR •PERSONAL GAIN… LEARNING TO ACT •BASED ON GOD’S WILL NOT ON HOW PEOPLE TREAT US WE DO THIS BECAUSE GOD HAS •CALLED US TO GROW TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS CHRIST •AND THE BIBLE IS OUR BEST SOURCE •FOR HOW TO DO THAT.. SOMETIMES IT TELLS US HOW •SOMETIMES IT SHOWS US HOW.. THIS GOD WHO CALLS US TO BE •MORE LIKE JESUS ALSO CALLS US TO TELL OTHERS •THAT HE LOVES THEM AND WANTS AN ETERNAL •RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM… EVEN THOUGH WE ALL SIN…