Year 4, Day 13: Genesis 14

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Up

• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.

Abraham displays a great sense of Up in this passage.  He comes across two kings.  One of them gives spiritual truth.  The other offers worldly gain.  Which one does Abraham choose?

Abraham meets Melchizedek.  Melchizedek offers him a spiritual blessing.  In Melchizedek, Abraham sees a spiritual superior.  In fact, this is the only man in Genesis that Abraham treats as a spiritual superior.  Melchizedek gives Abraham a spiritual blessing and Abraham humbles himself in his midst.  Abraham gives him a tithe.  Abraham values the spirituality of Melchizedek because of his relationship with God.

Then Abraham meets Bera, the king of Sodom.  Bera offers Abraham all the plunder from the war if Abraham would allow him to have the people.  On the surface, Bera is giving Abraham an opportunity for incredible worldly gain.  But Abraham is able to reject this offer.  Again, this is because of his relationship with God.   For Abraham, worldly gain is nothing if it doesn’t come from God.

Because Abraham has a good Up relationship with God, he is able to live with values that reflect that relationship.  He is able to be humble when called upon.  He is able to value true blessing rather than worldly gain.  It all starts with Abraham’s relationship with God.

<><