Genesis 14
The Priesthood of Worship

Genesis 14

War of the Kings

1 And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is by the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived in Hazazon-tamar. 8 And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in the valley of Siddim, 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them. But those who survived fled to the hill country. 11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed. 12 They also took Lot, Abram’s nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom.

13 Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

God’s Promise to Abram

17 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” He gave him a tenth of all. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.” 22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 “I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share.”

Unpacking Genesis 14

Last time, we studied Genesis 12 and saw that God called Abram to establish a new nation unlike the world's nations. Today, we’re going to study Genesis 14 and see this new nation has a specific orientation to God through a specific form of worship: the priesthood.

As we turn to Genesis 14, the year is something like 2084 B.C. We skipped Genesis 13, but back in Genesis 13, Abram and Lot discussed who was going to live where. Lot chose to live in the Jordan Valley and settled in Sodom. Abram continued to live separately from the people by living near Hebron.

At some point, Sodom began to experience troubles with a local king named Chedorlaomer (also spelled Kedorlaomer in some translations). Along with four other cities in the region, Sodom had to serve Chedorlaomer with a “service” that was likely a tax or fine they were forced to pay him. Eventually, they grew tired of this arrangement and verse 4 says in the thirteenth year, five cities of the Valley of Siddim rebelled against Chedorlaomer and refused to pay him a tribute any longer.

They apparently didn’t think through their plan very well, and soon Chedorlaomer came down with an army and three other kings. The battle was five against four, Chedorlaomer had the four. Yet, Chedorlaomer defeated the five kings of the south and carried them along with the spoils of battle, the women, and the children off to the north. Lot and his family were also taken captive and needed to be rescued.

Going on to verse 13, Abram was living near the oaks of Mamre, near Hebron, which is about 20 miles south of what would later become Jerusalem. By this time, Abram had become a powerful man. He hears that his nephew Lot has been kidnapped, and he gathers 318 of “his trained men,” and they head north to rescue Lot.

They followed Chedorlaomer’s forces northward to a place called Dan. Dan was far to the north, beyond modern-day Israel and up towards Assyria. In verse 15, Abram divides his small band of fighters into even smaller groups, and they attack Chedorlaomer’s army at night. The night attack surprises them, and Chedorlaomer is defeated!

This amazing victory was clearly divinely orchestrated. Think about it, if five cities could not defeat Chedorlaomer’s army, it is not likely a small band of 318 men could either. They were victorious because the hand of the Lord was with them!

So, Abram gathered up Lot, the people, and the “spoils of the battle” and brought them back home. After he returned, two kings from his home region celebrated with him: the king of Sodom (verse 17) and the king of Salem (verse 18).

The king of Sodom governed the city of Sodom, which was destroyed in Genesis 19 for its wickedness. So, the king of Sodom was probably not known for his moral character.

The other king, however, is extremely important to those of us who are in Christ. He’s the reason why this is a “Key Chapter.” Verse 18 tells us the king of Salem’s name is “Melchizedek.” Melchizedek’s name combines two Hebrew words: melek means “king” and tsadek means “righteousness.” Thus, Melchizedek was a king who stood out as someone who was uniquely righteous in this wicked region.

Melchizedek is also the first priest mentioned in the Bible. In verse 18, he is called the priest of the “most high God,” signifying that Melchizedek did not follow pagan gods. He followed the most high God, the one true God, the Lord.

In verses 19 and 20, Melchizedek blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Melchizedek has good theology and ties Abram’s victory to its proper source: the Lord.

After this, in verse 20, Abram gives Melchizedek a tithe of the spoils. This is the first mention of the tithe in the Old Testament. The term tithe is a specific term used when someone gives a tribute to someone else, usually a king or the Lord. It is understood to be given out of gratitude or obedience (not forced). Likewise, the term tithe is specifically 10% of something. If a person gives more or less than 10%, they are technically not giving a tithe but something else.

Continuing in this account, notice what transpires in verse 21. In verse 21, the King of Sodom says to Abram, “Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.” He was basically saying, “Abram, you have rescued my people. Although I’ll take them back, you can have all the stuff you captured!” But in verse 22, Abraham refuses. Why? In verse 23, he explains he will take nothing, not even a thread nor a sandal strap, from these spoils. Why not? Because he doesn’t want any of this to make him rich!

Why was that such a big deal?

This goes back to the kind of nation God had chartered Abram to establish back in Genesis 12. Abram was on a mission from God to establish a new nation of people who would follow God. He didn’t want anything from the rebellion of the world to be used to establish this holy nation. He already lived separately from the world. Here, he only needs what God will give him. He trusts God. God will give everything these people need so that God will get all the glory.

This passage also shows us this new nation will be joined with a priesthood that specifically worships the Lord, as opposed to the pagan gods of the world. Temporarily, the nation of Israel would worship God through the Aaronic Priesthood (the priesthood in the line of Aaron). In the New Covenant, the priesthood would be “according to the order of Melchizedek,” which is the priestly line Jesus is in (Hebrews 6:20, 7:11). Psalm 110:4 explains this spiritual reality saying, “The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.’”

We’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves, so we need to pause and explain what a priest is. The priesthood was a giant object lesson that taught a critical truth: We are separated from God by our sins, and we need a mediator to fix that. This teaching is not popular in our world, but it’s true.

Along these lines, the priesthood also shows us that we can’t go to God on our own terms. God decides how He will reconcile with us, not the other way around. Therefore, God established the priesthood to show people there is a separation between Him and us and that separation can only be bridged by someone God approves.

Let’s talk about how this is different from the world's mindset. Think back to the garden of Eden and the fall. After the fall, Adam and Eve were immediately separated from God. However, they were not separated from Satan. Therefore, sinful people cannot be in fellowship with a Holy God; however, they can potentially be in fellowship with an unholy demon! That is why Satan and the demonic realm will often give people a sense of spirituality to deceive them into thinking they can have fellowship with God without Jesus. They can’t, but they are duped into believing they can.

Most pagan religions rejected the notion of the exclusivity of God. Pagans generally said their gods were available to anyone and everyone. It was the Jews who said, “God is too holy for you to come before Him.” The message of the priesthood taught that God is too holy to have any fellowship with our sins, and for us to approach God, we need a mediator.

For roughly 2000 years, from the days of Melchizedek to the days of Jesus, the Jewish priesthood stood as a testimony to these truths. Israel was the only nation of people truly in fellowship with God because they were the only nation with access to Him through His approved mediators. Put another way, they were the only nation that had access to God because they were the only nation that had a priesthood appointed by God to reconcile people to Himself, which brings us back to Jesus.

Hebrews 2:17 and 4:14 say Jesus is our High Priest. A key theme throughout the book of Hebrews is that the Old Testament priests were only shadows of the New Testament priesthood of Jesus. Like with the Old Testament priests, Jesus’ priesthood encompassed His life, His obedience, and His offering of Himself as a representative of His people. God chose him for this purpose. He was appointed by the Father and commissioned for this work. He faithfully carried out His duties and lived a life of purity and obedience. Therefore, Jesus is fully qualified to be our High Priest.

How does He serve as our High Priest? Not with the blood of bulls and goats, but with His own, holy blood. In our study in Genesis 9, we said blood is so holy it can cover, or atone, for another person. Here we’re seeing how. Only through a valid priest making a valid atonement. As our High Priest, Jesus gave His life and shed His blood for us. His death was an offering of atonement whereby His blood (and His innocent life) covers our sins. He went before the Lord on behalf of us. He represents us to God as our High Priest. Therefore, if we are in Christ, when God sees us, He does not see our lives, obedience, or offerings but Christ’s. And since Jesus is our High Priest, and because His offering is acceptable to the Father, He draws us near to God.

This brings us back to Genesis 14 and the priesthood of Melchizedek.

In Genesis 12, God called Abram to establish a new nation. Today, we see that this new nation would have a holy priesthood. For a time, it would be a priesthood in the line of Aaron. Ultimately, it is an eternal priesthood in the line of Melchizedek, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Now how does this apply to our lives today? Well, we still come to God through a priesthood, specifically the priesthood of Jesus. He is the only priesthood instituted by God to last for eternity. That’s why the New Testament quotes Psalm 110:4 so often. Again, Psalm 110:4 says, “The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.’” Notice that this priesthood is eternal. Notice that God makes this promise and will not revoke it. Only the Melchizedekian priesthood, the priesthood of Jesus, stands forever.

Therefore, when we approach God, we still need to approach Him through a priest. Not the ancient priesthood of the Jews, nor even some human priesthood of today, but through the high priesthood of Jesus, who was a priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Sometimes Christians inadvertently proclaim a message that sidesteps the priesthood of Jesus. They stray into thinking they do not actually need to approach God through Christ as their High Priest. These people have missed the important truth of the Old Testament priesthood. Here we see that since the earliest days of when God first formed His people, He taught them that they need a representative before God. God must ordain the priesthood, and He has only ordained two priesthoods: Aaron and Melchizedek. The Aaronic priesthood was earthly and ended at the cross. The Melchizedekian priesthood is heavenly and eternal. Therefore, we still approach God through a priesthood, except it is the priesthood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In practical terms, we express this truth every time we pray to the Lord and acknowledge that we come to Him only through the merits of Christ given to us by His shed blood, which has atoned for our sins and redeemed our lives.

If these truths are not a regular part of your prayer life, especially your private prayer life, I encourage you to consciously introduce them into your prayer times with the Lord. In doing so, you honor God’s plan and design, you exalt Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and you increasingly align your mind and thinking to God’s revelation. The net result will be growth and maturity in your fellowship with the Lord.

Study and Discussion Questions

Listening to the Key Chapters Podcast on this chapter provides further insights into the following questions.

1. Underline every occurrence of the phrase “God Most High.” What do you think using this phrase indicates about God? How might this be different than what the typical Canaanite believed about their gods?

2. Using a Bible atlas or online atlas, locate on the map the approximate location of Hebron (near Abraham’s home) and Dan (the region where Abraham rescued Lot). Roughly how far apart were they? What kind of effort would go into traveling this distance for combat?

3. Put a C on the map of the location for “Salem,” which would later be known as “Jerusalem.” Why is it important for us to know that Melchizedek was the king and priest of this city?

4. Genesis 14 is a key chapter because of what it tells us about Melchizedek. However, Melchizedek does not arrive on the scene until verse 17. What events led up to his introduction?

5. Who were the two kings mentioned in verses 17 and 18? Given the city the king of Sodom presided over, what might we infer about this man?

6. How does this study explain Abram’s refusal to receive any of the spoils of victory in Genesis 14:23? What does this indicate about the foundation of this new nation of people who follow God? What does this show us about Abram’s faith?

7. According to the study, what does Genesis 14:18 mean when it says that Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High? What “time period” is the Melchizedekian Priesthood for? How are we in this time period today?

8. Melchizedek was a king from Salem, which was later renamed “Jerusalem.” The name “Salem” means “peace.” What does this indicate about this “King of Peace”? What does this suggest about the nature of the Lord’s heavenly city?

9. The study cites Psalm 110:4 twice. Psalm 110:4 says, “The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.’” What insights did the study explain about this verse? Who is this verse addressing? How “long” will this priesthood last?

10. According to the study, what object lesson did the priesthood teach? As New Covenant believers, who is our priest? How does He reconcile us to God?

11. What did you think about the principle in the study that said sinful people could have fellowship with Satan but not with a holy God? How might Satan seek to give people a semblance of spirituality to keep them from approaching God through Jesus, our only true High Priest?

12. According to the study, how does Jesus serve now as our High Priest? In your personal times of prayer and worship, do you approach the Lord through the atonement of Jesus? Why or why not?

13. One of the most important takeaways from this passage is that Jesus is in the priesthood of Melchizedek. We see this also in Psalm 110:4 and later in Hebrews 7:17. Why is this vital to understanding the New Covenant's priesthood versus the Old Covenant's priesthood?

14. Having taken this time to think about the priesthood, the Lord has only appointed two priesthoods, that of Aaron and Melchizedek. What does this indicate about the other priesthoods that man has created in this world? Why are they not necessary?

15. Before this study, did you understand your need for a priest to reconcile you to God? How will this study change your understanding of how you approach Him?