|
Soon after Lot went to live in
Sodom, a great king named Chedorlaomer, and other kings with him, came,
and fought against the city and the people of Sodom. Chedorlaomer
conquered the king of Sodom, and took away all the riches of the city, and
made many of the people prisoners, and Lot was made prisoner among
them. See how vain and foolish it is to love and trust in riches and
worldly things! Lot went to Sodom, hoping to enjoy all his great
possessions: now, he had lost everything, and was made prisoner
himself. When Abram heard
what had happened to Lot, he armed himself, and his servants, and pursued
the army of Chedorlaomer, and smote them, and brought all the people and
goods that Chedorlaomer had taken, and delivered Lot; and Lot returned in
safety to Sodom. The king of Sodom offered to give great riches to
Abram; but Abram would not take any reward; for he wished only to show
kindness to others, not to enrich himself. Let us try to imitate
Abram, and to be kind and generous as he was. The Bible says,
"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the
things of others." Philippians 2:4. When
Abram returned, the king of Salem, who was named Melchizedek, came out to
meet him, and gave bread and wine to him and his servants, to refresh
them. Melchizedek was a priest as well as a king, and he blessed
Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be
the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy
hands." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth part of all the
riches that had been taken, to show how much he honored and respected him. We
read no more of the history of Melchizedek; but the Bible teaches us, that
he is to remind us of another and greater king and priest—of
the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Melchizedek was a type, a likeness,
of Jesus. Jesus is a king; He reigns in the hearts of his people
now; He will reign over all the world hereafter. And he is a priest
too; He has offered up the sacrifice of himself, to take away our sins,
and He ever lives in heaven, to make intercession for us there.
|
