ABRAHAM REFUSES BOOTY

This is the temptation. According to the Code of Hammurabi of that day, this man Abram had a perfect right to the booty and even to the persons.

But the king of Sodom is clever; he says, “Give us the persons, and you take the booty—it’s yours.” That was a temptation to Abram.

Genesis 14:21-24 KJV

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

[22] 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,

[23] 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:

[24] 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.

Genesis 14:21

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

• Satan will now use the king of Sodom, endeavoring to draw Abraham into his web. He will use money to do so.
• Forever after, when anybody would say, “That man Abram is certainly a wealthy man. God has blessed him,”
• I think that the king of Sodom would have said, “Blessed him, my foot! God didn’t bless him. I gave it to him; I’m the one who made him rich!”
• Abram knew that. Listen to him now.

Genesis 14:22

And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up my hand unto the LORD, the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and Earth

• The king of Sodom may have proposed an amalgamation of sorts with Abraham; but the Patriarch proclaims to all concerned that his allegiance is totally and completely to “the LORD, the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and Earth”; in this, he proclaims the fact that he is beholden to no man, but yet gracious to all men.

Genesis 14:23

That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich

• The temptation is strong, and in more ways than one; however, the Patriarch passes the test with flying colors:

Genesis 14:24

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.

• Abraham was held to a much higher standard than those with him. While it was no problem for them to take some of the goods, he could not take even as much as a “shoelatchet.”
• The man of God presently should understand the lesson taught here, that while we are in the world, we are never to be of the world.

I hope that you have really enjoyed this post,