A Tale of Two Kings, Two Priests, Two Cities Text: Genesis 14:17-24
Introduction: The Unavoidable Choice
Every story, every interaction, every decision is a collision of kingdoms. There is no neutral ground in God's world. Every square inch of the cosmos, every moment in time, is contested territory. You are either building the City of God or you are building the City of Man. You are either serving the King of Righteousness or you are serving the king of Sodom. There is no third option, no demilitarized zone, no Switzerland. This is the drama of all human history, and it is set before us in miniature here in Genesis 14.
Abram, fresh from a stunning military victory, a righteous war to rescue his kinsman Lot, finds himself at a crossroads in the King's Valley. Two kings come out to meet him. Two priesthoods are represented. Two cities, two worldviews, two futures are placed before him. One offers a blessing from God Most High. The other offers a deal from the city of destruction. One offers bread and wine, a foretaste of fellowship with God. The other offers the plunder of a wicked city, a temptation to self-aggrandizement. Abram's response in this moment is a defining test of his faith. It reveals where his ultimate loyalties lie. He is not just choosing between two men; he is choosing between two gods, two gospels.
We face this same choice every day, though perhaps in less dramatic fashion. The world, like the king of Sodom, is always offering us a deal. "Take the goods," it says. "Take the credit. Build your own name. You can have the stuff, just give me the souls." The world wants to make us rich in its currency so that it can claim ownership over us. And then there is Christ, our great Melchizedek, who comes to us not with a deal, but with a blessing. He offers us bread and wine. He offers us Himself. He offers us a righteousness that is not our own and a blessing that flows from the true Possessor of heaven and earth.
This passage is far more than a historical curiosity. It is a foundational lesson in spiritual discernment. It teaches us how to distinguish the blessing of God from the bait of the world. It shows us that true wealth is found not in what we can accumulate for ourselves, but in what we receive from and give back to the true King. And it provides a stunning foreshadowing of the one who is a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.
The Text
Then after he came back from striking down Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. Then he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then he gave him a tenth of all. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me, but take the possessions for yourself.” Then Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to Yahweh God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, so that you would not say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share.”
(Genesis 14:17-24 LSB)
Two Kings Meet the Victor (v. 17-18)
We begin with the setup in the valley. Abram has just won an impossible victory. He is the conquering hero.
"Then after he came back from striking down Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High." (Genesis 14:17-18)
Notice the contrast that is immediately established. The king of Sodom, representing a city synonymous with rebellion and perversion, "went out to meet him." He is eager, ready to make a deal, to salvage something from his defeat. He represents the opportunism of the world. But then, another figure appears, almost out of nowhere. Melchizedek, king of Salem. His name means "king of righteousness," and his city, Salem, means "peace." So here we have the King of Righteousness from the city of Peace.
This is not just any Canaanite chieftain. The text gives us his two most important titles: king and priest. In the economy of Israel that would come later, these two offices were to be kept separate. A king could not be a priest, as King Uzziah learned to his sorrow. But here, in this mysterious figure, the two offices are joined. This is a direct pointer to the one who would be the ultimate King-Priest, Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews makes this explicit, spending a great deal of time on the point that Jesus is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7).
And what does this King-Priest do? He doesn't come to negotiate. He comes to serve. "He brought out bread and wine." This is an act of refreshment and fellowship for a weary warrior. But it is more than that. It is a sacramental meal. Long before the Last Supper, long before the Passover, we see a priest of God Most High serving bread and wine. This is a gospel ordinance in seed form. Melchizedek is ministering the grace of God to Abram, feeding him with the signs of covenant fellowship. This is what Christ, our Melchizedek, does for us at the Lord's Table. He meets us after our battles, and He refreshes our souls with the tokens of His sacrifice.
Melchizedek is a priest of "God Most High," El Elyon. This title for God emphasizes His supreme sovereignty. He is the God over all other gods, the ultimate authority. This is a crucial point. The king of Sodom represents a local, petty kingdom. Melchizedek represents the King of the universe.
The Blessing and the Tithe (v. 19-20)
Melchizedek's ministry is one of blessing, which provokes from Abram an act of worship.
"Then he blessed him and said, 'Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.' Then he gave him a tenth of all." (Genesis 14:19-20)
The blessing has two parts. First, Melchizedek blesses Abram. "Blessed be Abram of God Most High." This is not a mere wish; it is a priestly pronouncement. He is declaring Abram's covenant status. And notice the title he ascribes to God: "Possessor of heaven and earth." This is a direct statement of ownership. God owns it all. This is the foundation of all blessing. Because God owns everything, He can give it to whomever He pleases. Abram is blessed because He belongs to the God who possesses all things.
Second, Melchizedek blesses God. "And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." This is crucial. Melchizedek is teaching Abram, and us, the grammar of victory. Abram didn't win because he was a clever strategist or because his 318 men were elite commandos. Abram won because God Most High gave him the victory. All glory, all credit, all honor goes to God. The world wants to celebrate the strength of man. The gospel celebrates the grace of God. Melchizedek redirects all the glory to the proper place.
How does Abram respond to this priestly ministry? "Then he gave him a tenth of all." This is the first tithe mentioned in Scripture. It is an act of worship and submission. By giving a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek, Abram is acknowledging two things. First, he is acknowledging that Melchizedek is a true priest of the true God, and that he holds a superior spiritual office. The author of Hebrews argues that this proves the superiority of Melchizedek's priesthood over the Levitical priesthood, because here Levi, figuratively in the loins of his great-grandfather Abram, paid tithes to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:9-10). Second, Abram is acknowledging that everything he has is a gift from the "Possessor of heaven and earth." The tithe is not a payment; it is a joyful recognition that the first ten percent, and the other ninety percent, all belong to God. It is an act of faith, returning the first fruits to the one who gave the whole harvest.
The Counter-Offer (v. 21-24)
Now the scene shifts. The king of Sodom, who has been standing by silently, now makes his move. The contrast is stark.
"And the king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give the people to me, but take the possessions for yourself.' Then Abram said to the king of Sodom, 'I have raised my hand to Yahweh God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, so that you would not say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share.'" (Genesis 14:21-24)
The king of Sodom offers a deal that, on the surface, seems reasonable, even generous. "You keep the stuff, I'll take the people." But it is a spiritually toxic proposition. The king of Sodom wants to be Abram's benefactor. He wants to be the one who can say, "I made Abram rich." He wants to entangle Abram in a web of obligation. He is offering Abram the riches of a cursed city, a city ripe for judgment. To accept this offer would be to compromise his testimony and to give glory to a pagan king that belongs to God alone.
Abram's refusal is absolute and emphatic. He has already sworn an oath. Notice the name he uses for God. He combines the covenant name, Yahweh, with the name Melchizedek used, "God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth." He is making a clear theological statement. The God of Melchizedek is his God, the covenant Lord. He has learned the lesson. Since his God is the possessor of everything, he doesn't need a grubby handout from the king of Sodom.
His refusal is total. "I will not take a thread or a sandal strap." He wants no part of Sodom's wealth. He wants there to be no ambiguity about the source of his blessing. God promised to make Abram's name great and to bless him. Abram is determined to let God be the one to do it. He would rather be poor with God's blessing than rich with Sodom's stuff. This is a profound act of faith. He is trusting in the promise of God over the plunder of the world.
He is not, however, a pietistic fool. He makes practical provision for his men and his allies. "Let them take their share." He is righteous, not self-righteous. He is responsible for those under his care. But for himself, he will not touch the unclean thing. He has chosen his king, and it is not the king of Sodom.
Conclusion: Whose Blessing Do You Want?
This encounter in the King's Valley is a paradigm for the Christian life. We are constantly met by these two kings. The king of Sodom is always whispering in our ear, offering us shortcuts, compromises, and the world's definition of success. He offers us wealth, but it comes with strings attached. He offers us recognition, but it is the kind that fades. He offers us the goods, but he wants our souls. He wants us to build our lives on the foundation of a city that is destined for fire and brimstone.
But our Melchizedek, the Lord Jesus Christ, also comes out to meet us. He doesn't come to make a deal. He comes with a blessing. He comes with bread and wine, symbols of His broken body and shed blood. He reminds us that the victory has already been won, not by our strength, but by His. He reminds us that our Father is the Possessor of heaven and earth, and that we are blessed in Him with every spiritual blessing.
Abram's response must be our response. We must learn to tithe to our King, which is to say, we must acknowledge that everything we have comes from Him and belongs to Him. Our time, our talents, our treasure, our triumphs, they are all His. And we must learn to refuse the offer of the king of Sodom. We must resolve, by God's grace, that we will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap from the world's system of advancement, lest the world should say, "I made that Christian rich."
Let God be your benefactor. Let Christ be your King. Let the blessing of God Most High be your portion. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and all the plunder of Sodom besides, and to lose his own soul? Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will take the bread and wine.