Abraham—Called by God: THE VICTORY OF THE CALLED

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THE VICTORY OF THE CALLED

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be 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 hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Genesis 14:18-20

So also Christ did not glorify Himself in becoming a High Priest, but it was He who said to Him, “You are My Son; this day have I begotten You”; even as also in another place He says, “You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec.”

Hebrews 5:5-6

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all; first being interpreted king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace; being without father, without mother, without genealogy; having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened to the Son of God, abides a priest perpetually.

Hebrews 7:1-3

In this message we come to the victory in Abraham’s experience (14:11-24). If we read the book of Genesis carefully, we shall see that apart from chapter fourteen it does not relate much concerning the international affairs among the Gentiles. But chapter fourteen gives us a record concerning the international fighting among the Gentiles. Why is there such a record? The wording in the Bible is very economical. Not one word is wasted. Nevertheless, chapter fourteen is almost entirely concerned with the international fighting among the Gentile kingdoms. The events in chapter fourteen, however, are not just related to international affairs but are sovereignly related to God’s people. Why does this chapter dedicate such a lengthy word to the international fighting among the Gentiles? Although this fighting apparently was international, actually it was sovereignly arranged by the Lord. God is sovereign over the environment and over all the events concerning His people. In the land of Canaan at that time, there were only two families of the Hebrew race—the family of Abraham and the family of Lot. All of the rest were Gentiles. In this chapter we see that God was sovereign, causing something to happen for the good of His people.

Chapter fourteen of Genesis relates the fighting between a group of four kings and a group of five kings. Eventually, the five kings were defeated by the four kings. If you read carefully, you will see this fighting was absolutely for Lot and for Abraham. In other words, both Lot and Abraham, the two Hebrews, were put to the test under God’s sovereignty. Was this fighting good or not? Humanly speaking, no fighting is good. However, in this chapter the fighting was good for Lot and especially for Abraham. In this message we need to see the profitable aspects related to God’s people in this fighting.

THE CAPTIVITY OF THE BROTHER

The fighting occurred mainly at Sodom. It mainly happened at Sodom because one of God’s people, Lot, was living there. Before the time of that fighting, Lot had separated himself from Abraham (13:11). Do you think that it was good for Lot to have separated himself from Abraham? No, it was not good. All of the young people today like to be separated from the older generation. In God’s economy, however, it is not good for the young ones to be separated from the older generation. If you do this, you will miss the mark and the protection. At the time of Genesis 13, God’s goal and eternal mark were with Abraham. If you had been there and had separated yourself from him, it would have been equal to separating yourself from God’s mark. God’s goal is with the called ones. If you separate yourself from the called ones, you separate yourself from God’s goal. Lot should never have separated himself from Abraham, because God’s goal was with Abraham. To leave Abraham was to leave God’s mark. Moreover, to leave Abraham was to leave the protection.

Lot was not firstly defeated by the four kings. That defeat was the issue of at least two foregoing defeats. Before Lot was captured by Chedorlaomer, he already had had two defeats. The first defeat occurred when Lot’s herdmen were striving against Abraham’s herdmen and Abraham offered Lot the choice of the land (13:7-11). When Abraham offered the choice to Lot, Lot should have said, “Uncle, my choice is you. My choice is your choice. I don’t like to make any choice of my own. If my herdmen will not listen to me, I will fire them, but I will never go away from you. I have no choice but you and your choice.” But, on the contrary, when Abraham gave him his choice, immediately, without much consideration, Lot made his choice and went his way. That was his first defeat.

After separating from Abraham, “Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom” (13:12). Lot was going downhill. After taking the first step downward, it was easy for him to take the second and the third. The first step was leaving Abraham, who stood afar off from Sodom. Lot took the way that was toward Sodom. He walked in the direction of Sodom. In the eyes of God, Sodom was a wicked and sinful city (13:13). Lot, as one of the people of God, surely knew this. He should have stayed away from Sodom and not have walked towards it. Nevertheless, because the land around Sodom was rich, Lot journeyed toward Sodom. Eventually, he moved into the city, lived there, and settled there. That was his second defeat.

Do you think that God will allow His people to dwell in such a wicked city? Certainly not. Thus, under God’s sovereignty, Chedorlaomer led the attack against Sodom. God allowed that war to take place. Four kings fought against five kings. Humanly speaking, the five kings should have been victorious since their number was greater. But the four kings defeated the five kings, and the city of Sodom was taken. The Bible stresses the taking of Sodom because Lot dwelt there. This fighting was not merely a matter of four kings against five kings; it was a fighting for one of God’s people. Lot might have been peaceful as he dwelt in Sodom, but God was not peaceful. God would never allow Lot to stay there in peace. God might have said, “Lot, you may have peace within, but I will stir up some disturbance from without. I will send the four kings to defeat the five kings and capture your city. They will capture you, your family, and all that you have.” This is in fact what happened to Lot. Lot suffered defeat after defeat. Eventually, as the last step of his defeat, he fell into the hands of the enemy. He was captured, and the king of Sodom could not help him.

FIGHTING FOR THE BROTHER

In the matter of the capture of Lot, God was sovereign. Genesis 14:13 says, “And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew.” The four kings had captured Sodom and all of its food supply, but one person who escaped told Abraham that Lot had been captured. Do you believe that this happened by accident? While so many others were captured, this one escaped. That person was preserved by God’s sovereignty. As we shall see, it must have happened because of the intercession behind the scene. The one who escaped did not run away but came purposely to Abraham and told him that Lot had been captured.

Unlike us, Abraham did not count the weak point of his brother and did not take pleasure in Lot’s suffering and calamity. Abraham did not say, “Lot should never have separated himself from me. I knew this was going to happen. He got what he deserved. I believe that God is sovereign and that Lot’s suffering comes from God. Be at peace and go home. God will preserve Lot.” I believe that many of us would have responded in this way. But Abraham was different. When he received this information, he made a strong decision to fight for Lot (14:14). As we shall see, Abraham prayed. In verse 22 he told the king of Sodom that before he went out to war he lifted up his hand to God. How could Abraham have prayed and made such a decision? It must have been due to the fact that someone behind the scene was interceding for him. I believe that the intercessor knew of the fighting that was going on and of the capture of Lot. As a result of this intercession, Abraham made a brief and bold decision.

Abraham decided to take his three hundred eighteen men and fight against the four kings and their armies. The four kings must have had several armies, the number of men in which must have been much greater than the number of Abraham’s men. How could Abraham have fought against them with such a small number? Moreover, they were kings and generals who had fought many battles, and Abraham was a layman. How could he fight against those who were experts in war? How could he defeat them with such a small number? Nevertheless, Abraham was bold, having confidence in God.

As far as Abraham was concerned, it was a shame for him to see that his brother had been captured. It is the same in the church today. It is a shame for us to see that any brother or sister has been captured. If a brother in the brothers’ house is captured and you see it, that is a shame. You should not tolerate it but should say, “I cannot bear with this. I must rise up and do something about it!” This is what Abraham did.

Abraham’s bold decision must have been due to the fact that behind the scene someone was interceding for him. Perhaps you are thinking that there is no record of this in the Bible. Neither is there a record of Melchisedec’s parents or genealogy. But do you believe that he had no parents or genealogy? Certainly he did, yet the Bible does not mention them. Many things behind the scene in this chapter are not recorded. I do believe that behind the scene there was some intercession. Someone concerned for God’s interest on earth was interceding for Lot, Abraham, and Abraham’s fighting.

We have seen that Lot’s defeat did not begin at Sodom. In the same principle, Abraham’s victory did not start with the slaughter of the kings. Abraham’s victory began when Lot departed from him. Abraham had been called by God, and he answered that calling by coming forward to the very land that God intended to give him. At that time, however, Abraham had nearly no experience. All he had was a little experience in answering God’s calling and coming forward to the place where God intended him to be. As we saw in the last message, a famine arose as a test to Abraham, and he was not able to withstand that test. Abraham failed God, trying by himself to make a living at the sacrifice of his wife. Under God’s sovereign teaching, Abraham learned a great deal by that failure. Abraham learned that God is sovereign over everything and that He knows everything concerning His people. Everything related to God’s called ones is in His hand. Abraham saw that, experienced it, and came fully into it.

Afterward, when the problem arose between Abraham and Lot, Abraham was victorious. His victory began at that time because he had learned the basic lesson in his going down to Egypt. We all must learn such a basic lesson. After you have been called and have answered God’s calling by coming to the place where He intends you to be, the first basic lesson that God will teach you is that, as a called one of God, everything concerning you is under God’s hand. God is sovereign over you. This was the basic lesson that Abraham learned by going down to Egypt. After learning that lesson, he gained the victory with Lot. When the problem arose with Lot, Abraham didn’t take his own choice; he knew that his choice was in the hands of God. That was the beginning of Abraham’s victory.

Then the time came when Abraham could show the whole universe that he was on God’s side. When Melchisedec appeared, two special titles of God are revealed: the Most High God and the Possessor of heaven and earth (v. 19). Both Melchisedec and Abraham spoke of God in this way. Abraham said, “I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth” (14:22). Abraham could say, “By going down to Egypt I have learned the lesson that my God, the One who called me, is the Possessor of both heaven and earth. I don’t need to have any choice. My choice is just He. I cannot bear seeing that my brother has been captured. This is a shame to me. I must take him back. I don’t care for the number of soldiers and I don’t care for the kings and armies. I don’t care that I have less than they do. My burden is to get my brother back. If I don’t do this, it is a shame to me.”

In fighting for his brother, Abraham risked his life. It was not a small thing for him to risk his life in order to rescue his captured brother. But he did it. The fight went smoothly, and Abraham pursued the enemy from the south all the way to Dan in the north. His victory must have been the result of the intercession behind the scene.

Abraham gained the victory by trusting in God. He had confidence in God because he had learned to know Him. Likewise, we all must learn to know God. We must learn that, even today, the earth is God’s. God is the landlord. He is not only the landlord but also the heavenlord. Both the heaven and the earth belong to our Father, the One who has called us. We need to have such confidence in Him. If we lack this confidence, we are already defeated and shall become a Lot.

Why was Lot defeated? Because, unlike Abraham, he did not learn the lesson that God is the Possessor of heaven and earth. Even after he had been rescued, there is no record that he thanked Abraham or said a word to the Lord. Lot was absolutely out of function. According to the following chapters, he went back to Sodom. Although his capture was a warning to him not to return to Sodom, he still went back, even after his capture and rescue. We see from this that once you have been defeated it is very difficult to keep yourself away from that defeat.

Although Lot had been defeated, Abraham was victorious. This victory was the peak of his outward experience. Later on, God came in to give him some inward experiences.

THE MINISTRY OF MELCHISEDEC

How was it possible for one who escaped to have come to Abraham, and how could Abraham have made such a brief and bold decision? What happened so that, after a short time, the enemy ran away? Melchisedec came in. Who is Melchisedec? He is a type of Christ. He is very much like Christ. When he came in, it signified that Christ came in. He was a type of Christ as God’s High Priest. This is not revealed in Genesis 14, but it is found in Psalm 110. In Psalm 110 we are told that God’s anointed One, the very Christ, is the Priest according to the order of Melchisedec, an order which is prior to that of Aaron. Before Aaron came into the priesthood, Melchisedec was God’s Priest already.

The Aaronic priesthood dealt with sin, taking care of things on the negative side. The ministry of Melchisedec, on the contrary, is positive. Melchisedec did not come in to take away sin. He did not appear because Abraham had sinned but because Abraham had gained the victory. Melchisedec did not appear with an offering to take away sin but with bread and wine to nourish the victor. Nearly all Christians consider Christ as the High Priest who takes care of sin, but hardly anyone pays attention to Christ as the High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec. As such a High Priest, Christ does not take care of sin but ministers to us the processed God, signified by the bread and wine, as our nourishment.

Do you not believe that before Melchisedec came to minister bread and wine, as the priest of God he was interceding for Lot and Abraham? I believe that he was. I do not believe that Melchisedec was sleeping during all the fighting and that when he heard the news of Abraham’s victory he hurriedly appeared to Abraham to minister bread and wine. I believe that Abraham’s brief and bold decision to fight for the rescue of Lot was stirred up by the intercession of Melchisedec. I also believe that the one who came to tell Abraham of Lot’s capture escaped because Melchisedec was interceding for Lot. As a priest, Melchisedec must have been taking care of God’s people. In answer to his intercession, one escaped from Sodom, told Abraham the news, and Abraham made the bold decision to fight for the rescue of Lot.

While we walk on this earth, many things happen to us. Apparently, these things just happen. Actually, behind the earthly scene, an intercession is going on. Our Melchisedec, our High Priest Christ, is still interceding for us in heaven (Heb. 7:25). His intercession overshadows us and cares for us.

Melchisedec’s coming to Abraham was somewhat of an indication of Christ’s second coming. What are we, today’s Abraham, doing here? We are slaughtering the enemies. Some of God’s people, like Lot, have suffered defeat after defeat. By God’s mercy, some others need to be today’s Abraham who experience victory after victory. We need to learn the basic lesson that our God, the One who called us, is the Possessor of heaven and earth. We are living for Him on the earth and we are His testimony. We do not tolerate any damage to God’s interest on earth. When we hear of such damage, we make a quick decision to defeat the enemy and to slaughter the kings.

We need to slaughter some kings daily. We need to slaughter the kings in our mind, emotion, and will. We need to slaughter the kings in our environment, families, and schools. After we have finished our slaughter of the kings, our Melchisedec will come to us, meet with us, and celebrate our victory. The Lord will not come back until we have slaughtered all the kings. Then He will return and drink the fruit of the vine with us, as indicated by His word in Matthew 26:29: “I will by no means drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of My Father.” Melchisedec interceded for Lot and Abraham. Today Christ, our High Priest, is interceding for all the overcoming ones. While He is interceding now for us in heaven, we are slaughtering the kings on earth. After the overcoming ones slaughter all the kings, our Intercessor, the High Priest of the Most High God, will appear with the full taste of the processed God.

Melchisedec’s coming signified that Christ had come. Our victory always makes Christ manifested. The people in our environment may find it difficult to see where Christ is. However, if we gain a victory, that victory will declare Christ to them. Our victory will bring in Christ in a new aspect. How interesting it is to see that suddenly, in chapter fourteen of Genesis, Melchisedec, whose name means the king of righteousness and who was the king of Salem, which means the king of peace, appeared. What does this signify? It signifies that Christ will be declared to people and brought to them by the overcoming ones. One day the whole earth will be surprised by Christ’s appearing. The people in the world do not even believe that there is a Christ, calling such belief nonsense. But after we have slaughtered all of the kings, Christ will suddenly appear. Christ will be made manifest by our slaughter of the kings, and the whole world will be surprised at His coming. To us, the overcomers, Christ’s second appearing will not be a surprise, but to the worldly people it will be a great surprise. They may say, “Who is this one? What is his name and where does he come from?” We may answer, “His name is Christ, the real Melchisedec, and He comes from the heavens where He has been interceding for centuries.”

We all need to echo the Lord’s intercession. If we turn to our spirit and contact Him, there will always be some echoing. If we go according to that echoing, forgetting our environment, enemies, and even ourselves, we shall gain the victory and slaughter the kings. At the end of our slaughter of all the kings, our Melchisedec will appear to us. That will be the second coming of Christ. When Christ comes in, the whole earth will know the Most High God. Then all the earth will realize that God is the Possessor of heaven and earth. The earth is not possessed by any king, president, statesman, or politician, it is possessed by the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and earth. How can this fact be declared to the earth? Only by our slaughter of the kings.

Abraham’s victory in chapter fourteen is not a small thing. In the Bible, God is revealed in a progressive way. In Genesis 1 we do not have the title, “the Most High God.” Even up to chapter thirteen we have neither this title nor the special title, “Possessor of heaven and earth.” Although you may have been a Christian for years, perhaps you have never realized that God has such titles. God is the Most High God and the Possessor of heaven and earth. He is the heavenlord and the landlord. By our experience of Christ, God’s titles are progressively revealed to us. In our experience of Christ, we shall realize that our God is the Most High God and the Possessor of heaven and earth. This must be our attraction and incentive to go on to slaughter the kings.

Do not be today’s Lot, for that is to be timid and cowardly. We all must be brief and bold because we have the Most High God and the Possessor of heaven and earth. Abraham told the king of Sodom that, before he went to war, he lifted up his hand to the Most High God, to the Possessor of heaven and earth. He went to war in such a spirit. Since Abraham had full confidence in the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and earth, he had to be victorious.

When Melchisedec came to Abraham, he blessed Abraham with the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and earth (v. 19). This proves that he was greater than Abraham (Heb. 7:6-7). He also blessed God for Abraham’s victory (v. 20). Our victory always causes our Melchisedec to grant us blessing and to give blessing to God. Our victory brings in more blessings in Christ, both to us and to God.

At Melchisedec’s blessing, Abraham gave him tithes of all, the tithes of his choice spoils (v. 20; Heb. 7:2, 4). This also proves Melchisedec’s greatness. Our victory gains the spoils, and the offering of our spoils to Christ always declares the greatness of Christ. Without victory, we have nothing to offer to Christ and His greatness will not be declared.

OVERCOMING THE TEMPTATION OF EARTHLY SUBSTANCE

Abraham’s victory regulated and restituted the whole situation and rearranged the entire environment. The four kings had defeated the five kings and had captured everything. The whole situation had been turned upside down. Abraham’s victory changed this situation altogether, turning it right side up. He turned the unjust environment into a just one and made the whole situation peaceful. As a result, there was the king of righteousness and the king of peace. Abraham’s victory stopped all the fighting and strife and brought in genuine peace.

The king of Sodom could humbly, honestly, and truthfully say to Abraham, “You have gained the victory. Everything that you brought back must be yours. You take it. All I want is my people.” If you and I had been Abraham, we probably would have said, “That is right and fair. I rescued your people and recovered everything that you lost. It is good that you have the people and that everything else be mine.” But the environment that was rearranged by Abraham’s victory was not at all like this. It was pure. Abraham said to the king of Sodom, “I will not take from a thread even to a shoe latchet,” and “I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich” (14:23). Abraham seemed to be saying, “If I take a thread from you, you will be able to say that you have made me rich. But I want to give a full testimony to the whole universe that my riches do not come from you. My riches come from the Possessor of heaven and earth, from my Most High God.” How pure this was! There in that situation we see righteousness and peace.

Consider the scene in Genesis 14 after Abraham had slaughtered the kings. Abraham had brought back everything, and the kings came out to meet him. Melchisedec, the priest of the Most High God, was there, granting Abraham the blessing and receiving tithes from him. All of the people were watching, wondering to whom the things would go. Even the people who had been captured and brought back by Abraham wondered whose people they would be from then on. Then Abraham said, “I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth.” Abraham said that he would not take anything. All the people received a full settlement. In that situation there was righteousness and peace. In a sense, it was like the millennial kingdom, full of righteousness and peace (Isa. 32:1, 16-18; Psa. 72:2-3, 7).

Abraham was fair, saying to the king of Sodom that he would take nothing “save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eschol, and Mamre; let them take their portion” (14:24). Abraham said that his fighters and confederates should have their portion but that he would give his portion to the king of Sodom. What a man he was! He had slaughtered four kings and now he was dealing with another one, the king of Sodom. He was over all of them. We Christians need to be this kind of person today. We must be higher than the earthly kings and presidents. There is only one who is above us—our Melchisedec.

In Genesis 14 we see that Abraham was very high. Can you believe that one who was so high could have been so low as to plan to sacrifice his wife for his living? Can you believe that the one who would sell his wife in Egypt could be so high as to be above all the kings? When Abraham was willing to sell his wife, he was in the lowest hell, but when he dealt with the kings, he was in the highest heaven. We all may be like Abraham in both respects. We may be mean, planning to sell our wives, or, by the Lord’s grace, we may be higher than the kings.

Abraham’s victory and his being higher than the kings were absolutely due to the intercession behind the scene. Behind the earthly scene, something was going on in heaven that determined the entire situation. We all need to see this.