Genesis14_21-24

Genesis 14:21-24

And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift 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 any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest 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, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

In the world, if you govern some people, you will have the authority of allocation and can take what you want from your people. The king of Sodom was shrewd enough to know what the foundation of his rule was. Therefore, he made his request to Abram: he wanted the persons first and let Abram keep the goods. Nevertheless, Abram refused the king of Sodom, because the king of Sodom did not know God and evaluated everything on earth according to the flesh.

Abram answered the king of Sodom by declaring what he had sworn to the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth. This oath indicated that Abram feared God and believed in Him. He overcame the temptation of earthly goods and wealth. What Abram did was contrary to general human nature. As we know, if a man spends time and energy doing something with unknown risks, he will naturally want to gain something in return — especially resources such as persons, goods, gold, and silver. However, when Abram rescued his brother Lot, he considered his goal already achieved. Moreover, he gave thanks to the most high God and kept his heart pure before God, unpolluted by wealth.

Although Abram refused the spoils of war, he provided for those who had come with him and permitted them to take their portion. Abram was also a considerate man who cared for those around him.

Abram knew that he had won because of God’s help. He had fought for his brother, not for earthly goods. It is clear that a man who follows God carries a distinct mindset and faith, unlike those who follow the world.