Title: True Victory (Genesis 14:14-23)
As the saying goes, 'Peace is the most valuable of all the blessings in the world' (S.T. Coleridge), despite the fact that everyone wants peace, not war, war continues on this earth.
Movies and novels about war are thrilling and very interesting, but if they become reality, they will be the greatest tragedy on earth and will wipe out the happiness and joy of the defeated people like a typhoon, so war must be won. is to do So what is true victory in war?
1. Abram's victory Lot, Abram's nephew, was blinded by bathing in water and forsook Abram and God's grace (Genesis 13:11) So Lot chose all the Jordan and moved to the east, just as it is said that they departed from each other, Sodom. He chose Abram and Gomorrah and left, but the result (Genesis 14:12) was that he also captured Abram's nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom, and plundered his possessions as well, as it is said that he was caught up in the war and lost everything.
(Galatians 6:7) As the saying goes, “Whatever a man sows, he will also reap what he sows.” This shows well what kind of results will come to those who abandon their faith in God and trust in humans and pursue their own interests. It's showing.
When this news came to Abram, if Abram had had a narrow heart like a small boat, he would not have looked back to Lot, but Abram was prepared to threaten his life and immediately dispatched 318 vassals with 318 men (Myeongjo) to rescue Lot. I did.
The people who attacked Sodom and captured Lot were four (Mingjo) allied armies, and the number and strength were incomparable to those of Abram. It was something to think about.
However, the result (Gen. 1 (Gothic) 4:15) was like the saying, “We divided the vassals and destroyed them by night, and pursued them as far as Hoba on the left side of Damascus. They attacked and came to find Lot, his possessions, and all those who had been captives.
2. Secret of Victory The war between Abram and the Allied Forces is the first history of war recorded in the Bible, and it teaches us a very valuable lesson. Most of the wars are battles of quantity, with a large army and a man armed with excellent new weapons to win, but Abram's war was a victory that broke the conventional wisdom. The fact that Abram was able to defeat 4 (Myeongjo) allied armies with 318 (Myeongjo) vassals from his own house, not an elite army, is equivalent to the victory of 300 Gideon (Myeongjo) in the Book of Judges. If it is the same as defeating 13 (Mingjo) Arab armies in just 6 (Mingjo) days, what is the secret?1) Victory of faith God said to Abram, whoever curses you I will curse (Genesis 12:3). God gave the blessing of victory to Abram, who believed the word and went out because he was with Abram as promised.
2) Victory of love Considering what Lot did to Abram, he could have just left Lot as a prisoner of war. Even though Lot betrayed Abram, Abram's love for Lot did not change (Proverbs 17). :17) As the saying goes that a friend has undying love and a brother is born for a time of peril, he made him win when he was ready to risk his life to rescue Lot.
3. Victory over water lust From ancient times, wars bring misery to the loser, but the victor gets a lot of spoils and slaves. 1) Glory to God by tithing Abram himself realized that the cause of his victory was not in himself, but in God (Genesis 14:20). Praise be to the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your hands. As it is said that Abram gave a tenth to Melchizedek (Gothic) of what he had obtained, he gave the tithe to Melchizedek first, giving glory to God.
2) Refusal of King Sodom's Gift The king of Sodom, who was released from prison by Abram, was so grateful for Abram's grace (Genesis 14:21). The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Send people to me, and you should take the goods." Abram flatly refused this. Because when Abram received it from the kings of the Gentiles, he knew it would be a snare for the rest of his life.
It must have been a great victory for Abram to defeat 4 (Myeongjo) allied forces with only 318 (Myeongjo) men, but we know that it is a more difficult battle than that, and that he won the battle with himself, that is, that this is a real victory. must remember