Genesis 14. Read the last four verses with
me, beginning with verse 21. King of Sodom. Now, let me remind
you of the story. Abram had just rescued Lot had
just slain all those enemy kings and
rescued his nephew, his brother Lot, from captivity. And Melchizedek just approached
him, and Abram gave tithes to him. And then verse 21, the king
of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons and take the goods. to thyself. Abram said to the
king of Sodom, I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the
Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will
not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will
not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldst say, I have
made Abram rich." Save only that which the young men have eaten,
and the portion of the men which went with me, Nair, Eschel, and
Munry. Let them take their portion."
We quote the Scripture all the time that whatsoever things are
written are written for our learning. This is written for our learning.
All Scripture is profitable. or doctrine, our learning, and
through patience, that is, waiting on the Lord, and comfort of the
Scriptures. We should get comfort from the
Scriptures that we might have hope, hope in our God, hope in
His wisdom, hope in His power, hope in His mercy, hope in His
providence. That's what this story is about,
that we should hope and trust and the Lord Jehovah Sikhenu,
the Lord will provide. We should hope in Him. A lesson
in faith. A lesson in faith in God's providence. To trust the Lord. To rely upon
the Most High God who is the Possessor of heaven and earth.
That we don't need men to do anything for us. We don't. doeth all things, performeth
all things. Now, Abram is one of whom so
much is written in the Scripture, in the Old Testament and New.
So there's a reason why the Lord keeps teaching us through the
lesson of Abraham. Abraham is called the father
of the faithful, meaning he's the first one. God showed us
who he chooses, how he calls, how he brings out his people
from the heathen, from the world, reveals himself to them, gives
them faith and their pilgrims, strangers and pilgrims, sojourning
and God providing everything, leading them to a promised land. Faith. God gives it and what
it does. What faith does is it believes
God like Abraham. And God accounts us righteous
just for believing and trusting Him. He says that over and over
again about Abram, doesn't he? In Galatians and Romans, he just
believed God. He didn't do anything until he
believed. And it was counted unto him for
righteousness. That's good news, isn't it? Just
faith. And Abram is an example too of
how a believer is both humble Meek, but bold for the truth. Remember, we didn't know Abraham,
really, until his brother was taken. And then he went after
those that took him. Poor, yet rich in faith. Faith
leaves everything, like Abraham did. His father, his house, his
everything, to have everything in his God, his portion in God. Alright, here's the story. Verse
21, the king of Sodom said unto Abram, give me the persons, you
take the goods to yourself. This heathen king made an offer
to Abram. He's really in no position to
make any offer to Abram. Abram, this whole thing belongs
to Abraham. God told him, he gave it to him. And Abram had just taken captive
and rescued this fellow. And yet here he is making this
offer to Abram. I thought what a type this is
of ignorant, presumptuous sinners who try to bargain with God,
who owns everything, who's right everything is, yet they try to
make bargains with God. And this heathen king acknowledges
Abraham. He does acknowledge something
of his honor and his might, like men do of God, of Christ, they
acknowledge a little bit, but not as they should. They don't
bow to him as Lord. It struck me, too, that the king
of Sodom was in on and listening to Melchizedek talk to Abraham,
but he made no impression on him, did he? Melchizedek, we
believe, that was the Lord Jesus Christ, who appeared to Abram.
Abram was greatly blessed. When the king of Sodom heard
this, it didn't bless him, did it? He didn't get anything from
it. So it is with men and women around the Gospel. But we've
already seen Abraham, and we're going to see him again as a type
of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom every knee shall bow. And
every tongue will confess, like this fellow, that everything
belongs to Him. And men will acknowledge that,
not out of love to Him, not out of true obedience to Him, but
out of necessity. They will have to bow. And salvation
is for God to show us now who He is and bow to Him in praise
and honor and worship and in love and admiration. and thanksgiving
and appreciation for rescuing us from captivity. He's the Savior. God is the Savior of the whole
world. That is, He saves men's lives daily, and they don't know
it. He rescues people daily, and
they don't know it. Keeps them from harm's way daily,
and they don't know it. And they don't give Him the honor
and the glory that is His due. But He's the true Savior of the
souls of His people. And they know it. They know it. So here we have this heathen,
godless man acknowledging Abram. And I thought about this. Abram
is just a man. He's just a man. He's just like
us. He really is. We may think of Abraham as being
something better than us, but he's not. He's just a man. It's by the grace of God that
he is what he is. It's by the grace of God that
he did what he did. He's no better than us. Everything
he did and knew and could do and what faith he had and what
courage he had, God gave it to him. He acted upon it, yeah. He believed God. But he's just
a man and he's a true man of God. And even this heathen, godless
sodomite recognizes this true man. He's a man. And I believe
it so today. Especially in this day of so
many shallow, ridiculous, silly people in religion who claim
to be God's people. Claim to believe God, yet I believe
the world mocks it. I know they do. They're mocking
it. Making a mockery because people are making a mockery of
God. And they're so silly and so shallow. Preachers and people
alike are just so ridiculous that the world's stopping at
them. But not a true man of God. Not a true woman of God. Not
a true child of God. I know that self. They have their
respects. We may not love them or like
them, but they have some of the respect of the people of this
world. Because they're people of their word. Like Abraham. He's a man of his word. Their
testimony. Abraham's going to show him,
I don't want what you have. I don't need what you have. God
provides for me. And that's the testimony of every
one of God's people. And courage and conviction. They're
not wishy-washy. Abram knew who he believed and
was persuaded he was able to keep that which he committed
unto him against that day. And he lived it. And so it is
with God's people. Not murmurs and complainers.
Oh, we do. Bless God, He does keep us from
it and convicts us of it. Well, here's what Abram said
to the King of Sodom, verse 22. The King of Sodom said, Give
me the persons, you take the goods to yourself. Abram said
to the King of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord,
the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and earth. I will not
take a thread to a shoelatch from you. I don't leave one thing
you have. I'm not going to take it. But first of all, and here's
the whole, there are two principal characters in this early life
of Abraham, stories of Abraham. Abram and Lot. Abram and Lot. When God called Abram and brought
him out, Abram brought Lot with him. Lot was the boy that he
took in who was an orphan, remember? A nothing, a nobody. Abram didn't
need Lot. Lot needed Abram. Abram chose
Lot. Abram loved Lot. Abram brought
Lot out with him. Abram taught Lot. Abram made
him rich. Abram did everything for Lot.
Abram saved Lot. time and again. We're going to
see him save Lot not once, but twice, three times. He keeps
saving Lot. Lot needs to save him over and
over and over again. What a picture this is of our
Lord Jesus Christ and us. That's why it was written. That's
why so much is said of these two, Abram and Lot. Incredibly,
now the king of Sodom He said to Abram, you take all the goods,
you give me the persons. Lot was one of those. Lot and
his wife and Lot and his children were some of those persons, all
right? Incredibly, incredibly, Lot must
have wanted to go back to Sodom. Can you believe that? Because
he did. Why would he do that? So Abram just had to rescue him
from captivity, near death. It's a miracle of God's grace
that Lot wasn't slain in all that battle. But he wasn't. God
preserved him even in the midst of all that wickedness and captivity. God must have loved him even
while he was yet a sinner. Lot wanted to go back to Sodom.
Can you believe how stupid and ignorant a person can be? Be
in captivity. spared by mercy and grace and
yet want to go back to that? How blind and ignorant can you
be? Yet there are some people in this room right now just like
that. What this tells me is that Lot
did not yet know the Lord. He didn't know the Lord. He wouldn't
have wanted to go back to Sodom. He's going to know the Lord.
I can't wait to get to chapter 19. The Lord being merciful to
Lot. Lot standing in the gate. Brother
Todd preached from it, didn't he? But Lot standing in the gate. I believe the Lord is making
him... Well, that's another chapter.
But the fact that he still wanted to go back to Sodom tells me
that he didn't know the Lord yet. He didn't know the Lord
yet. What's it going to take to get
Lot out of Sodom and Sodom out of Lot? Great mercy. Great grace. What's it going
to take to get Lot to quit loving Sodom? Great mercy. The same it takes to bring us
out and bring the world out of us. But Abram said this, and
that's a little footnote there. It's behind the scenes here.
is there but not forgotten. Abram said to the king of Sodom,
I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord. I have lifted up my
hand unto the Lord. Now this was a custom among the
Jews years ago and still is actually. Even heathen religions, Islam
and so forth, you see them praying to Allah like this. That's still
a custom, lift up hands as in Like a beggar seeking help, holding
the hands up like this. A charismatic Pentecostal religion
today with all its show. It's all show, you know. They're
doing this for show, to be seen of me. But David said he did
that. I've lifted up my hand. Like
a beggar seeking help. Like Bartimaeus. You can't help
but think when Bartimaeus was on the side of the road that
he was holding his hands up. Paul wrote this, I will that
men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands. And the word is
used in Scripture, prayer and supplication. That is, prayer,
calling on the Lord to supply. Prayer and supplication. The
point here is, Not so much to lift up your hand, but to pray
unto God. Abram prayed unto the Lord. Abram
called on the Lord. Before he went after Lot, he
called on the Lord. He begged the Lord. He's one
man. He has 318 servants, household
servants, shepherds going after one that they love against thousands
of warriors. Orange warriors. Can you imagine
how he called on them? Abram was always calling on the
Lord. Look at this. This is how you know he's a child
of God. This is how you know all of God's people are His people. Chapter 12, verse 7, the last
line says, He built an altar unto the Lord who appeared unto
him." He was so thankful, so grateful that he worshiped the
Lord who appeared unto him. He was an idolater before, but
now he worships the Lord, Jehovah. And then the last line of verse
8 says, "...he built in an altar unto the Lord, and called upon
the name of the Lord." Oh, Jehovah, thank You for revealing Yourself
to me. Oh, Jehovah, thank You for choosing me, loving Me, for
calling Me, for bringing Me. Oh, Jehovah, thank You. Whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, not only
from sin, but from every situation. Keep calling. Pray without ceasing. That's what Abraham did. Look
at chapter 13, verse 4. He went back to Bethel. Remember,
that's where the Lord revealed Himself, the house of God, Bethel.
And he went to the place of the altar. He went back to the beginning
of his continent. And where he had made it first
and there, Abram called on the name of the Lord. Again? Yes.
All the time. Always. In every situation, Abram
called. That's how you know. Oh, Jehovah. Oh, Lord. Save me. Keep me. Forgive me. He just came out
of Egypt. Lord, forgive me for going back
to Egypt. I should have stayed right here. Why didn't I trust
you? I almost lost Sarah. I almost lost my family. A lot
is lost. Forgive me." He called on the
Lord, didn't he? And so do we. So do God's people. They all call on the Lord. Whosoever
shall come shall be saved. You need saving from anything? Come. Come. So Abram is faced now here He
was faced with great danger and a formidable foe and enemies
that far outnumbered him, thousands of warmongers and he and a few
servants. And he prays unto the Lord God
of heaven, Lord, help me. For thy honor, for thy glory,
would you help me? Lord, for Lot's salvation and
his family, would you help me for my salvation? To keep from
losing this my brother and I'll be overcome with great sorrow,
would You please have mercy upon Lot and save him through me?
Lord, would You please? If You do, if You help us, if
You fight our foe for us and deliver Lot from captivity and
deliver us from harm, if You use me, use these few servants
of Thine to set this captive free, we'll give You all the
glory, all the honor. We'll not give it to any man.
It's all up to You, Lord. This is what He said. I lift
up my hand to the Lord of Heaven. Oh, that we would pray that every
time the Gospels preach from this place. We've got lots in
our midst who are in captivity as I speak. And this is what
the Lord uses, a mighty poor servant, but with a message of
a powerful God who sets the captive free. Oh Lord, Jehovah, would
you bless this thy servant to set your captive free. He's in captivity and doesn't
know it. He's so ignorant he doesn't know
it. He's blind and he doesn't know it. Would you open his eyes,
her eyes? Lord, help. That's what Lot said. I've lifted up my hand unto the
Lord of heaven. I've lifted up my hand. Look at it again. I've
lifted up my hand unto the Lord. We don't ask men for help. We ask the Lord. The Lord is
our help. He said, I am thine help. my
ever-present help, didn't it? I lift up, David said, mine eyes
unto the hills of Mount Zion, a hill called Golgotha, from
which cometh my help. I lift up my hand unto the Lord,
the Most High God. If you lift your hand up, if
you call upon the Most High God, you can't get any higher. Why
go anywhere else when you can go straight to the top? If you could plead your case
to the highest court in the land, if you could have a hearing from
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, would you bother with
these little circuit riders?" He goes straight to the top.
Well, we have access. We have boldness. We can come
in the name of Christ to that Most High God. He says, the Father
hears you, the Possessor of heaven and earth, Why should we beg
and plead with men to do anything for us? Huh? God owns it all. Go straight to the One who owns
it all. Psalm 24 says, The earth is the Lord's and the fullness
thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. Our Lord said
that to us in Psalm 50. He said, If I were hungry, I
wouldn't tell you, but all the cattle on all a thousand hills
belong unto me. The gold and the silver. I don't
need your money. Not your money anyway, it's mine.
All the gold and the silver and all the mines is mine. A possessor of heaven and earth.
If we really believed that, he wouldn't bow and scrape to me,
I wouldn't. Abram didn't. Abram didn't. Verse 23, he said, I will not
take from a thread to a shoelatchet. I've lifted up my hand to God.
And I said, I will not take from a thread to a shoelace. I will
not take anything that is thine, lest thou should say, I have
made Abram rich. I will not take anything. He
says, I don't need any more riches. I have sufficient. I don't want
all these things that you have. I came to get a lot. But he's going to leave Lot with
it. He could have demanded Lot come with it. But this was in
the Lord's purpose, wasn't it? Abram says, I'm not going
to let it be said that the king of Sodom made me rich. No, no. The Lord God is my provider,
he said. You keep all the stuff. Except,
verse 24, save that. Except that which the young men
have eaten. These servants, 318 servants. He gave orders to Sodom, king
of Sodom, to feed those men, give them a portion, and the
men that went with him, Nair, Eschel, and Mamre, his confederates,
let them take their portion. What is this all about here? Well, this is another beautiful
type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ came to seek and to save
the lost, like Lot. like us, to deliver his captives
free. And like Abram said, I've lifted
up my hand to heaven, our Lord, in that great high priesthood
prayer, what did he say? He lifted up his eyes toward
heaven, said, Father. Lifted up his eyes to heaven
in that great prayer for his people. He vowed a vow. He was the head, the surety of
the everlasting covenant. He said, Father, you have sent
me to do this work. for you, glorify thy name, glorify
thy son also with the glory you gave him from the beginning of
the world. Christ came here to set his captives free, not to
take anything from us, and he doesn't need our help. And Christ by himself, Scripture
says, purged our sins, defeated Satan by himself, defeated sin,
defeated death, hell and death. God gave all things unto him,
all power, all glory, like Abram. He's a possession. No man contributed
one thing to what our Lord did when he came down. And not one
thread of man's works will be added to his work. That glorious
robe of righteousness that he brought out by his own hand,
not one thread of man's help went into that. And we're not
worthy to buckle his shoe latches, John said. John said that. John said, I don't save anybody.
He's the Savior. I'm not worthy to unbuckle or
tie His shoes. You see, our God, our Christ,
doesn't need anything from man and doesn't get any help from
man in our salvation. He did it all. He did it all.
And yet Christ gives the command to sodomites to support His people. We don't ask them. We don't beg
them. Don't you do it now. Don't you bow and scrape the
sodomites. Our Lord gives the command. And they're going to
do it. They're going to do it. Didn't
He say that? He said, you give. Freely you
have received, freely give. You give. And if you give, men
shall give to you. Press down, shaken together.
Running over shall men give to you. Why? Because I've ordered
them. I've ordered this thing that you will find favor in the
eyes of the Egyptians. You just do what I say. You just
follow me. Don't you bow, don't you scrape, don't you beg, don't
you plead, don't you cow toot, don't you, I want to say, lick
their boots or whatever. Don't you do it now, because
I'm the Lord. I own it all. I own them, I own
the jobs you work, I own everything, the Lord said. You're mine, they're
mine, and I've given orders concerning all things. You trust me. You
bow to me. You call on me. You need help,
you come to me. Don't give them an ounce of glory
for it. You give me all the glory. I've ordered them, and it will
be. Do you believe that, God? Oh, why
don't we act like it? We don't have to leave the sovereign
God, like we say, do we? Trust Him. Trust Him. And you
know what, Lord, as a picture of Christ
there, a type of Christ, and the scripture says, as He is,
so are we, even in this present world. In the work of the gospel
in the church, We dare not seek any outside help from this world
in the work of the gospel. We just do not accept a dime
from anybody in this work of the Lord. It's the Lord's work,
and He will provide. He will lead His people to provide
for and support His work. When these so-called churches
go out and do all these things, all these piddling things, Things
that make a mockery, make God to be weak. He has to have a
bake sale to raise money. He has to have a spaghetti dinner
to support his church. Are you kidding me? That's not
the God of the Bible. Anybody that does that doesn't
know God. They don't know God. Is that too hard? That's a fact. Abram said this, didn't he? And
covetous? You know, I don't have to tell
you how covetous religion is. so-called church or religion
that's so covetous with all the trappings, all the ostentatious
buildings and all that, they don't know God. They're in it
for riches and honor and glory. That's what they're in it for.
To build the bigger building. To have the most people. Raising
fund. Raising money. They don't know
God. Abraham said, I don't want a dime from you. I've got enough. Came here on a mission to save
a soul. We don't need money. We don't
need your money. If we do, God will provide. And
this church has never reached out to the world. One time, a
lady outside of this, an unbeliever, just kept insisting, insisting
we take money. I didn't, and I turned her down.
Kept turning her down, turning her down. I said, we don't need
it, the Lord provides. Turned her down. Finally, I accepted.
Somebody said, accept it. I regret that to this day. I
regret it to this day. Because she's proud of it. And I feel like borrowing the
money and giving it back. Well, that's so. That's so. And
I've brought this up so many times, but it's a good illustration
of this, because as he is, so are we. Abram, our Lord, the
church in Ashland, the Lord greatly blessed that
church through the preaching of the gospel. And they went
on TV. Back in what year did he go on
TV? 1970, 1971? 1971, 2? Somewhere around there. And back then, it cost $800 a
program in 1970. That's equivalent of now for
somebody to do the math. $3,000 or $4,000 a week. That's a lot of money. A lot
of money. Well, they didn't have one bake
sale, not one fundraiser, not one single plea. The pastor did
not make one single plea over the airways for one dime from
one person. No, sir. And the Lord kept that
on the air for what? Thirty years. And brought many
of His sheep in to hear the Gospel through that man. The Lord will
provide. That's His name. Trust the Lord like Abraham. No doubt.