Sunday Night Notes 10/18/2015
Genesis 14 – Abraham and the Battle of Nine Armies
Context of the Battle:
1. In the days of Abraham, before they had national governments, people still sought safety in
numbers.
a. You would either join a city or you would work for a wealthy man like Abraham
b. The deal was that they would serve the leader in exchange for protection.
c. Thus, some men grew powerful because they had a lot of people working for them.
d. At the same time, many men grew powerful through battle and conquest.
Chedorlaomer the Big Cheese:
1. Chedorlaomer seems to have been a king that got powerful and ruled over many cities by force.
a. The cities of the Jordan Valley served Chedorlaomer as vassal cities, meaning that they
paid high taxes to him in exchange for protection.
i. As long as they paid, he would guaranteed their safety from any potential attacks,
but if they didn’t pay, they would need protection from him!
b. Well, the cities under Chedorlaomer decided they wanted to stop paying taxes, so they
rebelled against Chedorlaomer and a massive war breaks out.
i. Verses 5-7 tell us that Chedorlaomer’s armies had obliterated every other army
that rebelled against them. No one had defeated this guy.
ii. Five kings of the vassal cities go up against Chedorlaomer and his three friends,
most likely making this the largest battle in all of history at that time (v.9).
The Battlefield:
1. The battle took place in a massive valley that pitted the armies on a different side.
a. To make things even worse, verse 11 says that the entire valley of Siddim was full of tar pits.
2. As the battle ensues, Chedorlaomer and his allies make the rebelling armies run away to the hills.
a. As they were running, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell into the tar pits and were likely
killed.
b. Chedorlaomer then took all the spoils of war and a few POW’s, including Lot, and headed
north back to his home.
Uncle Abe to the Rescue
1. One of the rebelling soldiers was able to escape from the battle, and he ran to tell Abraham that his
nephew had been taken as a hostage.
a. Abraham doesn’t hesitate to rally 318 men and carry out his own rescue mission.
b. He and his men marched more than 100 miles north until they were able to spot the enemy.
c. Abraham and then distributes and assigns his armed men, and they carry out a night raid
attacking Chedorlaomer’s army from different directions.
i. Even though they were probably fighting against over a thousand soldiers, the 318
men of Abraham won a decisive victory,
ii. Instead of gathering up the prisoners and property and running back home, Abraham
and his men pursued Chedorlaomer’s army for another 50 miles!
How to be Great like Abraham:
1. Fight the physical battles in front of you in a spiritual way.
2. Be available and willing to sacrifice in order to help those who are in need.
3. Deal righteously with unrighteous people.
4. Keep all of your victories in perspective and remain humble.
5. Value your relationship with God more than anything else.
Discussion Questions:
1. Which of the five points above stands out to you the most? Why? ____________________
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2. Write down one practical way you can apply this week’s lesson to your life: ____________
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