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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
(6 ) THE FEARLESS FRIEND , 14:1-16 “And he brought back his b ro th er Lot.” Here we have an account of Abram ’s friendship and battle for Lot, his victory, and recovery of Lot and th e spoils of war. You can tru s t a tru e man of God to play an unselfish p art, and you can tru s t God to tak e care of him. (7 ) FAITH ’S REWARD, 14:17-24, “Blessed be Abram of th e most high God.” < Here is a beau tifu l closing scene. The victorious leader, unwilling to tak e any of the spoil, determ ines to keep unsullied his name and refuses to ta k e any riches a t the hand of a heathen king, though th e spoil was all his by the rig h t of th e war. The appearance of Melchizedek, king of Salem, and his blessing, closes the scene, bu t leaves us no room to tell w hat a blessed lesson th ere is in it. Enough to say th a t Abram ’s unselfish conduct provoked a blessing, and glori fied God. Topics fo r Study (1 ) Why did God choose Abram? (2) W hat was th e foundation of Abram ’s faith? (3) W hat was the cause of his fall from faith ? (4) Why did Abram take Lot w ith him? (5) Was Lot’s choice a n atu ra l one? (6) How did Abraham know th e a rt of w ar? (7) W hat does the appearance of Melchizedek suggest? (8) Would it have been w rong for Abram to take the spoils of war, and why? , 12:1-3. A th ird sta rt is made w ith humanity. Adam had failed, Noah’s descendants had failed, and now another attem p t was to be made. The form er attem p ts were made w ith the race, b u t th is one was made by means of an in dividual as th e founder of a nation which should in tu rn bless th e race. Abraham , as the founder of th e Jewish n a tion, was intended by God as (a) a w itness to Him to the re st of Mankind (Isa. 4 4 :8 ), (b) a depository of God’s revelation (Rom. 3:2)-, (c) a p reparation for th e Messiah and Saviour (Isa. 53), (d) a channel of blessing to th e world (Rom. 15:8-12).-—Griffith Thomas. “Get th ee ou t.” Separation was th e keynote of Abra ham ’s life from first to last, and in th a t separation to th e will of God he found all his peace and blessing. God never places burdens on His people’s shoulders w ithou t giving them power to respond. “ God’s biddings are H is enabl ings.” ' He encouraged Abraham w ith a three-fold prom ise; (a) A land (1 2 :1 );.*(b) a seed (1 2 :2 ), (c) a world-wide blessing (1 2 :3 ).— Griffith Thomas. V. 7. How beautifully God meets those who respond wholly to Him. They are assured of His presence (1 2 :7 ), of His promises (12:2, 3), of His power, and of His peace. —Griffith Thomas. This gift to his seed of th e land should be strongly em phasized. It was, and is, Jehovah’s land. Ezekiel speaks of it as “th e middle, or navel, of th e e a rth .” (38:12, R. V .), and it is peculiarly situ ated geographically, commercially and politically, bu t especially historically and prophetically. So closely is Jehovah’s purpose of redemption associated w ith th e land as well as th e people of Israel th a t when they are separated from it, as we shall see, they are separated from Him, and th e lapse of tim e in th e ir history is no t con sidered un til they are retu rn ed to th e ir land again. In a word, they can never dwell elsewhere and be His people or fulfill th e ir calling.—-James M. Gray. COMMENTS PROM THE COMMENTARIES V. V. Morgan
The gift of the land (modified by prophecies of th e ir dispossession and resto ration ) is confirmed in Gen. 15: 13-16; Jer. 25:11,12; Deut. 28:62-65; Deut. 30:1-3. Two dispersions have been accomplished. The th ird is now in effect. The land is to be fully resto red to them a t Christ’s retu rn . H ear the voice of God a t th e opening of the dispensations. At creation, “Let th ere be ligh t.” A t redemption, “ I will p u t enm ity.” A t th e founding of the nation, “Get thee out.” A t th e beginning of the Christian era, “This is my be loved Son.” A t the m illennium , “Come, ye blessed.” Three things characterized Abram ’s life,— faith, separa tion, service. These are the chief essentials to a godly life. (2 ) FAILURE IN EGYPT, 12:10-20 “Abram went down into Egypt.” A fam ine is always a te st of faith. Egypt is always “ down” and means trouble. It is always a type of the world w ith its snares (Rev. 11 :2 ). Egypt is a well-watered land, bu t it is not w atered from heaven (Deut. 11:10, 11) The influences which affected Abram in Egypt were fa m ine, falsehood, (he iied ), failu re (implicated o th ers), fru itless (no testim ony). To doubt God is n atu ra l to m an’s h eart. Egypt always means failu re to the man of faith. In Egypt, Abram used worldly methods, and language w ith a measure of tru th . Worldly dependence upon the p a rt of Christians or churches leads to a “toning down” of th e message of the Gospel and in terferes w ith communion. There is no satis faction in Egypt but,’ on th e contrary, treason and strife; possessions, bu t no peace. F a ith leads out of Egypt and back to th e land. Abram went back, up and out, to th e place of the a lta r (Psa. 42:1, 2). (3) FATAL FELLOWSHIP, 13:1-9 “And Abram w ent up out of Egypt, and Lot w ith him .” The riches of th e world cause strife. Abram lo st his influence w ith Lot because of his Egypt experience. Lot prospered in Egypt, as well as Abram. Their in terests conflicted and they w arred over th e ir rights. Poor people get along together b etter th an rich people. The poor days are usually the best days for fam ilies and churches. Strife brought out w hat was in the h earts of Abram and Lot. Abram said, “Let th ere be not strife ” (Prov. 20 :3 ; Phil. 2 :3 ). Abram walked w ith God. Lot w ent w ith him. Lot knew God bu t did not tru st Him. God did not call Lot. Abram had an altar. Lot had none. Abram ’s m agnanim ity is shown in his action. He gave Lot the choice. F aith can afford to let God choose. To God’s man it makes no difference,^-w hether it be to the rig h t or to the left. (4 ) LOT’S FOOLISH CHOICE, 13:10-13 “Lot chose him all the plain of Jo rd an .” Lot’s choice was seemingly shrewd, b u t supremely selfish, short-sighted and it sealed his separation from Abram. Choice always indicates character. Lot’s choice was w ith out reference to God, to sp iritu al interests, to Abram or to eternity, and he lost fellowship w ith Abram and w ith God. (5) FIDELITY’S REWARD, 13:14-18, “All th e land which thou seest to thee will I give it.” ' God’s gift to Abram was manifested in His presence, the promise of th e land, and His blessing upon his posterity. The scene closes around th e altar, (v. 18).
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