2. John 15:13 (NET)
No one has greater love than this – that one lays
down his life for his friends.
3. Abram’s Relationship to Lot (review)
• Uncle Abraham – He loves him as an uncle
• Like an adopted son – He loves him like a son
• Lot benefitted under Abram’s blessing
• Lot chose to seek his own way, rather than
walk in the blessings of Abraham (his eyes
were on Sodom)
• Lot’s choices put him and his family at risk
• Abram loved him enough to let him go
4. Unforeseen events can bring loved
ones back into our lives.
• Sickness
• Death
• Natural disaster
• Finances
• Family problems
• Politics
• War
Politics and War brought Lot
back into Abram’s life.
5. Genesis 14 (NET)
1 At that time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch
king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and
Tidal king of nations 2 went to war against
Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah,
Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of
Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3
These last five kings joined forces in the Valley
of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
7. Bullies want what isn’t theirs
4 For twelve years they had served
Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year
they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year,
Kedorlaomer and the kings who were
his allies came and defeated the
Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the
Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh
Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their hill
country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which
is near the desert. 7 Then they attacked
En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, and
they conquered all the territory of the
Amalekites, as well as the Amorites
who were living in Hazazon Tamar.
9. Little Kings stand up to the Bully Kings
8 Then the king of Sodom, the
king of Gomorrah, the king
of Admah, the king of
Zeboiim, and the king of
Bela (that is, Zoar) went out
and prepared for battle. In
the Valley of Siddim they
met 9 Kedorlaomer king of
Elam, Tidal king of nations,
Amraphel king of Shinar,
and Arioch king of Ellasar.
Four kings fought against
five.
10. The Bullies Win!
• 10 Now the Valley of Siddim
was full of tar pits. When
the kings of Sodom and
Gomorrah fled, they fell into
them, but some survivors
fled to the hills. 11 The four
victorious kings took all the
possessions and food of
Sodom and Gomorrah and
left. 12 They also took
Abram’s nephew Lot and his
possessions when they left,
for Lot was living in Sodom.
11. Abram’s Alliance with Friends
13 A fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew.
Now Abram was living by the oaks of Mamre
the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and Aner.
(All these were allied by treaty with Abram.)
12. Love Takes Drastic Actions
• 14 When Abram heard
that his nephew had
been taken captive, he
mobilized his 318
trained men who had
been born in his
household, and he
pursued the invaders as
far as Dan.
14. Love Means Going the Distance
15 Then, during the night,
Abram divided his forces
against them and
defeated them. He
chased them as far as
Hobah, which is north of
Damascus. 16 He retrieved
all the stolen property. He
also brought back his
nephew Lot and his
possessions, as well as
the women and the rest
of the people.
15. Rescuing Loved Ones May Rescue
Others
After Abram returned
from defeating
Kedorlaomer and the
kings who were with
him, the king of Sodom
went out to meet
Abram in the Valley of
Shaveh (known as the
King’s Valley).
16. Abram doesn’t loose perspective
18 Melchizedek king of Salem
brought out bread and
wine. (Now he was the
priest of the Most High
God.) 19 He blessed Abram,
saying, “Blessed be Abram
by the Most High God,
Creator of heaven and
earth. 20 Worthy of praise is
the Most High God, who
delivered your enemies into
your hand.” Abram gave
Melchizedek a tenth of
everything.
17. Knowing False Piety
21 Then the king of Sodom
said to Abram, “Give me
the people and take the
possessions for
yourself.”
18. Love Knows who provides
22 But Abram replied to the
king of Sodom, “I raise my
hand to the LORD, the
Most High God, Creator
of heaven and earth, and
vow 23 that I will take
nothing belonging to you,
not even a thread or the
strap of a sandal. That
way you can never say, ‘It
is I who made Abram
rich.’
19. Love Honors Allies
24 I will take nothing
except compensation
for what the young men
have eaten. As for the
share of the men who
went with me – Aner,
Eshcol, and Mamre – let
them take their share.”
20. Extreme Love:
• Doesn’t hesitate to rescue the one loved
• Takes extreme measures
• Will go great distances
• Doesn’t say, “He got himself into it, let him work it
out.”
• Will to risk self and others for the one loved.
• Will get friends involved if needed.
• Will disregard personal reward.
• Will give credit where credit is due.
• Will make great sacrifices (physical, financial, other)
21. Extreme Love Takes Extreme Measures
Abram’s extreme love for Lot moved him to
extreme measures for us.
God’s extreme love for us moved Him to take
extreme measures for us.
Is our love extreme enough to take extreme
measures?