A Warrior

A Warrior

Good morning Class. 

Question of the Day: What is something that you haven't done in a while that you really miss doing? 

My answer is that I have not been an active parent in a very long time.  What I mean by that is a parent of kids under the age of 18.  This weekend I am at Pisgah being girls dean Thursday through Sunday.  I am loving it so much and it dawned on me, that what I miss is just being a mom.  Oh I know I'm still a mom, but being a mom of adult children, (which is such a wonderful joy and blessing) is very different from being a mom of teenagers and younger and I am really enjoying this time.  

This weeks lesson is interesting.  I think the best way to tackle it is to just read it as a class.  It is two chapters. Let's read it together and then discuss it. 

Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.

5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.

8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.

14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring[a] forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”

18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.

Let's unpack this passage for a minute...

If you were to pick an overall theme, or a title for this chapter what would you make it?

There are two quotes.  One Abram and one God.  

1. Summarize what Abram said. 

What are two things that Abram is doing here? 

• Stopping the quarreling.  Unwilling to get into the drama.
•  Giving Lot the choice.  Being unselfish.

Life application? 

2. Summarize what God says to Abram?

Do you think there is a correlation between what Abram did and what God said to him here?

Does anything stand out to you in this blessing?

Abram Rescues Lot

14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,[a] Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, 2 these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.

8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomerking of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, 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 when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew.Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother[b] of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram.14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
    who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

I have to admit I have never really seen Abram as the warrior.  I guess I have always seen him as the wealthy old man who doesn't trust God as he should too many times. 

Here I get a different picture of Abram.  He is feared by these kings.  

This meal that was had between the kings and Abram is fascinating.  The NIV application commentary says...

"The meeting between Abram and Melchizedek takes place in the Valley of Shaveh. The designation of it as the King’s Valley connects it to the valley just south of Jerusalem, most likely where the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys meet. The communal meal they share typically indicates a peaceful agreement. Hittite treaties refer to the provision of food in wartime by allies. Melchizedek is anxious to make peace with such a proven military force, and Abram submits to the chief king of the region by paying a tithe, thereby acknowledging Melchizedek’s status by giving him a portion of the spoils."

So Abram now has the reputation of not only being a wealthy man who worships God but a warrior you don't want to mess with.

This week I had the privilege of hearing a fantastic testimony from a girl who has quite a story.  I will not share all the details but just to say this girl had all the men in her life fail her and harm her until she was a grown woman.... One day in sharing her testimony to a male godly mentor, he got visibly upset at her story, you could say even angry and then as she started to get emotional he just embraced her and let her cry.  In that moment it was the first time she felt like anyone was willing to fight for her. 

Warriors...

Are we warriors?

Are we known as being warriors?

When you see injustice happening are you fighting for those who need it?

Are we warriors for our kids?

What about for the person we don't like very well?

Look I realize I'm a girl, and a peace loving one at that, but this week I have been convicted that perhaps I need to be willing to be a warrior for those who need. 

How can we be warriors?

The first thing I hear is "Pray warriors", and I think of the movie the war room.

Are we really being pray warriors or do we just say we are praying, but we really don't?

What are other ways to be a warrior?

Lot and his family and the women were rescued.

They were rescued and brought home...

To rescue and bring home is a powerful thought.

I can't help but think of all those being picked up for sex trafficking, Can you imagine how trans formative it would be to be rescued and brought home.  Are we rescuing and bringing home those who are in need?

The woman I spoke of earlier, also in her story had a point where she felt called by the Holy Spirit, in her darkest moment to reach out to a person for help.  That person was willing to rescue her and bring her home. 

As a church, how can we make sure that we are always willing to rescue those in need and bring them home?

It is messy for sure but we MUST!

Is there someone that God is calling you today to reach out to?

Is there a battle that God is calling you to fight?  Maybe it is personal, maybe it is to come along side someone else, but the question is are you willing?

This lesson goes on, and here we see Abram refusing to take any of the spoils.

Why?

What principal do we learn here?

What is the takeaway?

I pray that as a church we never take credit or glory for what the Lord is doing!

I pray that in our homes, we never take credit for the blessings, the wealth, or the happiness!

Why is it so important that we give the credit where credit is due.... God?

In closing this lesson it is my prayer that we will all be willing to be warriors!

Warriors who are willing to rescue and bring home all!

When we do may we always make sure that all the credit and all the glory goes where should.... the glory belongs to God!


Know Love.
Live Love.
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