The World's Wars and God's Man Text: Genesis 14:1-12
Introduction: Geopolitics and the Man of Faith
We live in an age that is convinced of its own sophistication. Our political analysts and talking heads speak of global conflicts, economic pressures, and military alliances as though they were the ultimate realities. They draw their maps, calculate their risks, and project their power, all while remaining completely oblivious to the real story that is unfolding. They see the kings, but they do not see the King. They see the battles, but they do not see the war.
Genesis 14 is a chapter that feels strikingly modern. It opens with a complex international conflict, a coalition of kings from the East sweeping down to crush a rebellion of city-states in the West. This is the first war recorded in Scripture, and it is a clash of empires. We have names, places, and political grievances. It is a messy, bloody affair, the kind of thing that fills our news feeds today. And right in the middle of this grand, geopolitical drama, the camera suddenly zooms in on two men: a compromised believer named Lot, and a faithful patriarch named Abram.
This is how God tells history. He shows us the machinations of worldly power, the arrogance of kings, and the movements of armies, but He does so in order to frame the actions of His covenant people. The world thinks that the important story is the one about the four kings against the five. But God is telling us that the truly important story is about how this great war impacts His friend, Abram, and his foolish nephew, Lot. The history of the world is the backdrop for the history of the church. All the sound and fury of godless men is simply the stage upon which the covenant drama is played out. This passage teaches us that the world's conflicts, however large they may seem, are ultimately subservient to God's covenant purposes. And it forces us to ask ourselves a crucial question: when the world goes to war, where will we be found? Will we be like Lot, compromised and captured by the world, or like Abram, separate from the world and ready to act as God's instrument?
The Text
And it happened in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 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). All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). Now for twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled. So in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is by the wilderness. Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh). And they struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who were living in Hazazon-tamar. 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 arranged themselves for battle against them in the valley of Siddim, against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five, 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 remained behind fled to the hill country. Then they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and departed. They also took Lot, Abram’s nephew, and his possessions and departed; now he was living in Sodom.
(Genesis 14:1-12 LSB)
The Imperial Coalition (vv. 1-4)
The chapter begins by listing the players in this international conflict.
"And it happened in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 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). All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). Now for twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebeled." (Genesis 14:1-4)
We have a confederation of four powerful kings from the East, from the region of Mesopotamia. Shinar is Babylon. Elam is Persia. These are the heavyweights. They are led by Chedorlaomer, the apparent emperor of this coalition. For twelve years, a group of five Canaanite city-states in the Jordan Valley, including Sodom and Gomorrah, have been paying tribute to him. They are vassal states. But in the thirteenth year, they decide they have had enough. They rebel. They stop paying their taxes.
This is the timeless story of empires. A distant power demands tribute, and the local rulers eventually grow weary of it and assert their independence. This rebellion is a political and economic calculation. The kings of the plain have calculated that the cost of rebellion is less than the cost of continued submission. They have weighed the odds and decided to take their chances. But their calculations have left God out of the equation, which is always a fatal mistake.
Notice the names of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah: Bera and Birsha. These names in Hebrew sound like "in evil" and "in wickedness." This is not a coincidence. Scripture is telling us the character of these cities through the names of their rulers. They are governed by evil and wickedness. This is the society that Lot has chosen to pitch his tent toward, and as we will see, to eventually move right into.
The Punitive Expedition (vv. 5-7)
Chedorlaomer does not take the rebellion lightly. He waits a year, gathers his allies, and launches a massive military campaign to put down the insurrection.
"So in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and struck the Rephaim...the Zuzim...the Emim...and the Horites...Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat...And they struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites..." (Genesis 14:5-7 LSB)
This is not just a direct march to Sodom. This is a sweeping campaign of shock and awe. Chedorlaomer's army marches down the King's Highway, east of the Jordan, systematically crushing a series of formidable tribes along the way. The Rephaim, Zuzim, and Emim were known as races of giants. These were not insignificant skirmishes. This was a powerful, disciplined army subjugating the entire region. They were sending a message: resistance is futile.
By the time they turn back toward Sodom, they have pacified the whole territory. They have cut off any potential allies the rebellious kings might have had. It is a brilliant military strategy. From a purely human perspective, Chedorlaomer is a competent and ruthless emperor. He knows how to project power and maintain his empire. But he is still just a pawn on God's chessboard. His entire campaign, in the ultimate analysis, is for the purpose of testing Abram and disciplining Lot.
The Battle of the Tar Pits (vv. 8-11)
Finally, the two armies meet for a decisive battle in the valley of Siddim.
"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 arranged themselves for battle against them in the valley of Siddim...now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them...Then they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and departed." (Genesis 14:8-11 LSB)
The five kings of the plain march out to meet the four kings from the East. The battle is joined. But the rebellion, which began with such bravado, ends in a complete rout. The armies of Sodom and Gomorrah break and flee. The very geography of the valley becomes their enemy. The valley was "full of tar pits," or bitumen pits. As the soldiers of Sodom and Gomorrah run for their lives, their own kings fall into these sticky, inescapable pits. It is a picture of utter humiliation. The wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
The result is total defeat. The eastern kings plunder Sodom and Gomorrah, taking everything of value, all their wealth, all their food, and a portion of their population as captives. The rebellion has failed spectacularly. The calculations of Bera and Birsha were wrong. Their worldly wisdom led them to ruin. This is what happens when you build your city on a foundation of wickedness and rely on your own strength. It is only a matter of time before the tar pits swallow you up.
The Compromised Believer (v. 12)
And now, the camera zooms in. The real point of the story, from God's perspective, comes into focus.
"They also took Lot, Abram’s nephew, and his possessions and departed; now he was living in Sodom." (Genesis 14:12 LSB)
In the midst of the plunder and the captives, one man is singled out: Lot. Why? Because he is Abram's nephew. He is a member of the covenant family. And what is he doing here? The last time we saw him, he was "pitching his tent toward Sodom" (Gen. 13:12). Now, the progression of his compromise is complete. The text says plainly, "he was living in Sodom."
Lot made his choice based on what he could see. He saw the well-watered plain and chose the path of worldly prosperity. He wanted the good life. He walked by sight, not by faith. And the path of sight led him from proximity to Sodom to residence in Sodom. He started as a neighbor to the wicked, and he ended as a citizen. And when judgment fell on Sodom, it fell on him too. When the world's system collapses, those who have invested themselves in it will collapse with it.
Lot is a picture of the carnal Christian. He wants the blessings of Abram's God, but he also wants the comforts and pleasures of Sodom. He tries to have it both ways. He wants one foot in the kingdom of God and one foot in the kingdom of man. But this is an impossible balancing act. When the world you have cozied up to comes under judgment, you get swept away with it. Lot lost his possessions, his freedom, and very nearly his life, all because he chose the green grass of Sodom over the stony hills of fellowship with God's man, Abram.
This is a sobering warning. We are constantly tempted to make Lot's choice. We look at the world, and it appears so attractive, so prosperous, so "well-watered." We are tempted to pitch our tents toward it, to adopt its values, to send our children to its schools, to enjoy its entertainments. We tell ourselves we are just being practical. But the progression is deadly. Pitching your tent toward Sodom today means you will be living in Sodom tomorrow. And when the Chedorlaomers of this world come to plunder it, you will be part of the spoil.
Lessons in the Rubble
What are we to take from this ancient account of war and plunder? First, we must see that God is sovereign over all the political and military turmoil of the world. The rise and fall of empires, the clash of kings, and the outcomes of battles are all orchestrated by His hand to serve His ultimate purposes. He uses the godless ambition of a Chedorlaomer to chasten a compromised believer like Lot.
Second, we must recognize the profound danger of worldly compromise. Lot's story is a tragic case study. His desire for material comfort and ease led him step-by-step into the heart of a depraved culture. He chose what looked good to his eyes, and it cost him dearly. We must constantly examine our own hearts. Where are we pitching our tents? Are our decisions driven by faith in God's promises, or by the allure of what the world calls success? Are we willing to dwell in the hard places with Abram, or do we long for the green plains of Sodom?
Finally, this passage sets the stage for the heroic faith of Abram. While the kings of the world are fighting for power and wealth, and while Lot is being carried away as a consequence of his foolishness, Abram is dwelling apart, living by faith. He is not entangled in these worldly alliances. And because he is separate, he is free to act as God's agent of deliverance. The world's wars reveal the true state of men's hearts. They reveal the folly of the wicked, the compromise of the carnal, and, as we shall see, the courage of the faithful. The question for us is simple. When the battle comes to our valley, which of these will we be?