Genesis14_1-7

Genesis 14:1-7

And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;

 That these 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, which is Zoar.

All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.

And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.

It is the first recorded war between two different coalitions of nations. Four kings ruled over other countries and kings. Their leader was Chedorlaomer, whose name meant “a bundle of something” in Hebrew. What Chedorlaomer did was consistent with his name’s meaning — he bundled every country and king together. Meanwhile, he united other kings to enslave other peoples and compel them to serve. Nevertheless, those enslaved kings rebelled and resisted their rulers together. Then the leader Chedorlaomer led his coalition to conquer those vassal nations.

According to this pattern, is it not familiar to us? Yes, it is the basic historical model of humanity. One united group defeats another and enslaves them to serve their interests. It is a recurring cycle of human history. The higher standard of living enjoyed by some must be built on the service of others. Hence, war is continuous among different nations and kings. Service is the keyword for understanding the essence of war. If a country fails in war, its nations must serve all the needs and demands of the victorious country. Whatever excuse is offered — however reasonable or noble it sounds — the real goal is to seize the power of allocation.

In fact, the rulers grow stronger and more powerful, while the defeated grow weaker and weaker. Under normal circumstances, the winner maintains a higher position than the loser. That is why the four kings continued to conquer more and more countries even after the five kings rebelled.

Furthermore, the four kings formed one coalition, and the five formed the other. Each side shared similar interests and goals. Therefore, war is unavoidable because of human nature.