Genesis 12 – 14
Abraham,
Man of Faith
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In the first eleven chapters of Genesis, we were introduced to four crucial events in Earth's history, namely: The Creation, The Fall, The Flood, and The Tower of Babel. Three of these events were directly initiated by God and one, The Fall, gave us the story of God's deep involvement at that historic turning point in the human race, when he stepped in as both righteous Judge and loving Redeemer. From this point on (chapters 12-50), we will now be introduced to four very important people in God’s dealings with the fallen human race, namely: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
This entire second section centers on the Abrahamic Covenant, as given by God to Abraham. In chapter 12, we have God’s general promise of it to Abram. Then, in chapter 15, we will see how God made it into an irreversible, unconditional and permanent covenant that has affected all of mankind down to our present day.
After studying these chapters, we will better be able to see the “big picture” of the workings of God in history. It would be helpful, as we go along, if we would ask ourselves why the Lord has included each particular story or event in his Word. So, please make it a habit to ask: Why is this chapter recorded here? And: Why did God include this event at this point in the narrative? At times, we may struggle to see how the pieces fit. But, in the end, it will all come together and present us with a beautiful picture of the will and ways of God … who chose to reveal himself to these four men and who, in turn, became vessels of the revelation of himself to all of the rest of mankind.
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12:1-4
Now the LORD had said to Abram: ‘Get out
of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I
will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless
you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will
bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ So Abram
departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and
The first thing to note here is how God often chooses his people from the most unlikely places and under the most unlikely circumstances. When God chose Abram, he and his family were just ordinary idol worshipers from Ur of the Chaldees. Ur was a great cultural, intellectual, linguistic and wealth center of its day. Modern geometry has its roots there. So, Abram was just a fellow from a heathen home and a heathen society that married their half sisters. We read in Joshua 24:2b-3,
Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
'Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham
and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of
the River in old times; and they served other gods. Then I took
your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the
When God called Abram, he was living in Haran with his father and family. They had moved to Haran from Ur. When Terah, Abram’s father, took the family there, it must have seemed like moving from New York City to some little burg in Wyoming. But, it was at Haran that Abram’s great adventure with God would begin. Immediately, in obedience, Abram moved out as God had instructed him to. He was moving from that which was security to that which was insecure ... a step into the dark valley of the unknown ... simply because God had asked him to do so. That kind of obedient faith is a rare thing in our world and is a beautiful thing to behold.
The second thing to notice here, is that God often has a habit of leading his people into hazardous and very insecure places. That’s because it is in the hard places, the insecure places, the dangerous and the unfamiliar places, that God’s children really get to know him. When Jesus recruited his disciples, he told them … Follow me and I will make you fishers of men (Matt. 4:19). I’m sure they said … My, what a wonderful call! But, do you recall where he immediately led them? He led them into a storm, out in the middle of the Sea of Galilee! But, had they not obeyed and followed him, they would have missed out on one of the most amazing displays of the power of their God and his Word that has ever been seen by the eyes of men. More importantly, they would have missed out on the beginning of the unveiling of just who Jesus Christ truly was. In Mark's account of it, he writes,
Then He arose and rebuked the
wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased
and there was a great calm But He said to them, ‘Why
are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’ And they feared
exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this
be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’
So it was with Abram, as well. By faith, he obeyed, moving out of Haran at the Word of God. Subsequently, he would find himself in many a tight and insecure spot. However, it was in those places and circumstances that he would get to know his God. If we could ask him … Was it worth it, Abraham? I’m sure he would tell us … Absolutely!
When God called Abram to himself, in the opening verses of chapter 12, he gave four great promises to Abram. Later, these promises would be formalized into the Abrahamic Covenant. Let’s look at them. God said:
1. I will make you a great nation.
At this point in time, Abram had no children. In retrospect, we know that God did exactly as he promised but, Abraham didn’t know that. Yet, he believed God and, as a result, from him there arose the great nation of the Jewish people.
2. I will bless you and make your name great.
Most people in the world today, know who Abraham was. The entire Jewish, Christian and Islamic world, hold him up as a key figure in their religions. Again, in retrospect, we can see that God was true to his word.
3. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.
Two illustrations of how this promise has worked itself out in history are found in the Bible books of Esther and Obadiah. In the book of Esther, an Assyrian named Haman plotted to have all the exiled Jews in Assyria killed and built a gallows to hang Mordecai, the central Jewish figure in the book. Remember what happened? Esther, the Queen (a Jewish girl), interceded before the king for her people and Haman ended up being hanged on his own gallows! God's promise to Abraham was working itself out in shoe leather, you see. Also, in the book of Obadiah, we see what happened to the Edomites, who made the mistake of cursing the Jews as they were being carried away captive by the Babylonians.
May I chase a rabbit here for a moment? Do you think that this promise is still in effect today? Yes, it is. A promise is a promise and the book of Romans says that the gifts and calling of God cannot be revoked (Rom.11:29). Look what happened to Hitler. You know, I truly believe that the primary reason for the blessings which our own nation has experienced, finds its source in this promise made by God to Abram so long ago. Since our founding as a Christian nation, we have had sympathy for, and have offered a friendly hand to, the Jewish people. It is natural for us, Gentile Christians, to act this way, since our roots are so entwined with those of God's Jewish people. Our Savior was a Jew. Our salvation is tied to the Jew’s New Covenant … into which we Gentile believers have been grafted (Rom.11:11-25). Currently, the enemies of the Jews are numerous and vicious. But, mark my words … God will deal with them all one day. They are touching the apple of his eye, you see ... for God will continue to honor his word to Abram. As you have it in Zechariah 2:8-10:For thus says the LORD of hosts:
‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye. For
surely I will shake my hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their
servants. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent
4. In you, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
Now, that is a very big promise, brother. And, don’t you wonder what Abram must have made of it? Surely he thought … What did God mean by that? And, how will he do it? Again, in retrospect, we know that God was speaking of the wonderful blessing he would send to all of mankind when he would send his Son, Jesus, born from Abraham’s seed, into our world in order to provide God’s great salvation to every person on planet Earth. This brings to mind that scene, before God throne, in Revelation, where we read,
And they sang a new song, saying:
‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for you were
slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue
and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God;
and we shall reign on the earth. Revelation 5:9-10
May I ask a question, dear saint? Are you really into the
promises that God has given to you … like Abram was into the promises that God
gave to him?
II Peter 1:2-4
Grace and peace be multiplied to
you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as his divine power has given
to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of
him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us
exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust.
Each of us believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, have personally taken hold of at least one of the promises of God. Namely, the one that says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (Acts16:31; John 3:16). But, that was just the beginning of entering into his promises. Do you know any others? Have you tucked them away in your heart? Do you cherish them and are your feet standing solidly upon them? As the wonderful old hymn puts it...
Standing on
the promises, I cannot not fail,
When the howling storms of doubt
and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall
prevail,
Standing on the
promises of God!
There are two very important principles to take note of here:
First, it is vital that each child of God know what the promises of God are. They’re all right there in the Word of God. Find them. Memorize them. God put them there specifically for you.
Second, each one of God’s children must act upon the promises God has given them. This is where the men are separated from the boys. Here lies the great difference between a babe in Christ and a mature saint. Mature believers are people who know the promises of God and are standing upon them.
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12:5-8
Then Abram took
Sarai
his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had
gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in
Driven by the remembrance of God’s command, promises and
Shekinah glory … Abraham took his wife,
Sarai, and his nephew, Lot, and departed from Haran
for parts unknown. Having no idea where he was going, he simply moved out in
obedience. Beautiful, is it not? As you have it in
Hebrews 11:8:
By faith Abraham obeyed
when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an
inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
Real faith is a wonderful thing to behold. It always demonstrates itself by obedience. The book of James speaks of a sham faith that acts just the opposite. You could call it lip service faith. It always lacks good works and obedience. As you have it in James 2:17-20:
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
Abram’s faith was the genuine article. It was demonstrated by his obedience in leaving Haran. And notice, the minute Abram moved out in obedience, God appeared to him again. Very often, it isn’t until we untie from everything and move out in obedience that God appears to us and gives us further direction and the comfort of his presence. So, Abram received yet another great promise from God. God said … To your descendants I will give this land. Wow! Later, this promise, too, would be embodied in a formal covenant and then re-iterated to Isaac and Jacob and, again, to all the people of Israel in Moses’ day. Even later still, it would also be embedded in the Davidic Covenant, given to King David, as well.
I get the impression that the land of Palestine belongs to the Jews, don’t you? However, their actual possession of it has been quite another matter. They lost possession of it because of disobedience and sin and the rejection of their God and Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). And, they will never fully possess it again until they repent and turn back to him, their one and only, true and living God. Their God is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself. When they acknowledge him … then, he himself will lead them once again into their Promised Land that they may possess it forever, never to be uprooted and displaced from it again (Psalm 10:20-22; 12:11-12; 53:6; 102:13-22,28; 106:45-48; Isaiah 27:6, 12-13; 30:19; 35:8-10; 43:5-7; 51:11; 54:7; 60; 61:1f; 66:19; Jeremiah 12:14f; 16:15; 23:1-8; 30:1-11, 17-24; 31; 32:37-44; 33; 51:5; Ezekiel 28:25-26; 34:11-31; 36:8-11, 22-38; Hosea 2:14-23; Amos 9:11-15; Zechariah 8).
One more thing, before we move on. Did you notice Abram’s response to this new promise of the land that he was to receive? Immediately, he built another altar and worshipped. This was an automatic response to his inward faith in the word of God that had been given to him. Everywhere Abram went, you will find there were two things … his tent and his altar. Worship was a big part of Abram’s life and the bedrock expression of his faith. So it also is, with all who truly believe in, and love, the Lord their God.
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12:9-20
So Abram
journeyed, going on still toward the south.
Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to
The Bible is full of history. And, it is always faithful in
telling it just as it happened. It doesn’t gloss over flaws, mistakes or sins.
It just faithfully tells us what was said and what happened. Abram made a good
number of critical missteps which are recorded here in chapter 12. And, by them,
we are given some insight into what God had to work with when he called Abram to
himself. This incident, here in chapter 12, began when a famine came to Abram’s
home in Canaan. I believe that God sent it. Have you
noticed that God refines the faith of his children through trials? Peter likens
it to gold being refined in a furnace. As you have it in
I Peter 1:6-9:
In this you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various
trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious
than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise,
honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen
you love. Though now you do not see him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy
inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith; the salvation
of your souls.
Abram was a man of great faith who had seen the glory of God. Yet, like all of God’s children, he was far from perfect. Often, he would resort to his own thinking and schemes to deliver himself from his troubles. Sound familiar? He was not all that different from you and me … was he? We all have a long way to go. Yet, how well our Lord knows us! So, he causes us to learn and grow by sending trials into our life … so that our faith, being more precious than gold, can be refined. And, ultimately, it will … be found to praise, honor, and glory … at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Worried about his life and safety, Abram concocted a plan. He would go down to Egypt and get his needs met there. Also, he would instruct Sarai, to say that she was his sister, in order to avoid any unpleasant situations and possible dangers to himself. Now, when did God tell Abram to leave Canaan? He didn’t, did he? Remember when Noah stayed inside the ark for nearly two months after the door had already been opened? God had told him to get on board the ark and Noah was not about to leave it until God told him to do so. Abram stumbled in this regard. He just up and left the place where God had told him to be. Then there followed a series of disasters. Right out of the chute, having concocted a half truth about Sarai, he promptly lost possession of her to Pharaoh. Then, he was found out and called on the carpet and ended up being thoroughly humiliated and unceremoniously expelled from Egypt. Ever been in similar situations? It was no fun, was it? Did Abram learn anything? We shall see.
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13:1-4
Then Abram went up from
Abram returned to the place where he had literally walked away from the will of God. It is a basic principle that, before a child of God can continue on in his or her walk with the Lord, they must first go back to where they stepped out of his will in the first place. This is the basic principle behind First John 1:9,
If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
First John, by the way, is a book about fellowship with God. It teaches us that our fellowship with God … not our salvation … is what is broken when we sin. So, when a child of God’s fellowship is broken with their God, God has not turned his back on him or her. Rather, they have turned their back on him. The road back, like it was for Abram, is by returning to where they left the Lord in the first place. We believers do that by simple confession of the sin that made us turn our backs on God. Then, by humbly confessing of our sin, we return to the place where we went astray and our great and gracious Lord is always right there ... waiting to welcome us back. His arms are always open to his children. They are never, never closed. As you have it in Isaiah 1:18:
Come now, and let us reason together, Says the LORD, Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
Abram was instructed to go to a land that God would show him. He went and arrived there. God said … to your descendants I will give this land. Abram was never told to leave that special place of promise. But, he looked at his immediate circumstances and left the Promised Land on his own accord. The hardship of famine was enough to cause him to step out of the will of God and leave the land where he was supposed to be. Now, he returned to the place where he should have been all along. Upon his arrival, his fellowship with God was immediately restored at the altar at Bethel. Dear saint, are you where you belong … spiritually or otherwise? No? Then go back where you belong. God is waiting for you there.
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13:5-11
Lot also, who went with Abram, had
flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support
them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great
that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of
Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of
Here, we get another look into the character of this man, Abram. Although he was rich, he was generous, peace loving and not at all materialistic. Jesus said … You cannot serve God and money (Matt. 6:24). First John 2:15-17, says,
Do not love the world or the
things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father
is not in him. For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God
abides forever.
We are also given a good look at the character of Abram’s nephew,
Lot, here. Although Lot is cited in II Peter 2:7, as a man of faith ... his
personal walk with God exhibited a great deal to be desired. His treatment of
his Uncle Abram demonstrated this in no uncertain terms. Lot had become rich
because of his Uncle Abram, yet he didn’t acknowledge it for a minute. He was
disloyal and self-centered. Lot was a carnal man. Sadly, many Christians
today are like Lot, as well. As we have it in
First Corinthians 3:1-3:
And I, brethren, could not speak
to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in
Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not
able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still
carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you
not carnal and behaving like mere men?
Lot took sides with his herdsmen in the problem over the lack of grazing for the flocks. I can picture him storming into Abram’s tent in anger and indignation, can't you? But, Abram’s response was mature and spiritual. OK , Lot, I know how we’ll solve this problem, you just choose whatever land you want … and I’ll take whatever is left. Isn’t that amazing? Yet, this solution fit Lot to a tee. He made his choice immediately. Notice, however, he made his decision solely on the basis of appearance and personal advancement. He didn’t bother to consult the Lord, nor seek the advice of Abram, nor give a second thought to Abram’s welfare. Lot saw … Lot chose … Lot moved out. Shortly, we will see that his decision resulted in his becoming a prisoner and, ultimately, losing all that was dear to him. He was like the fellow who, all his life had coveted a Cadillac, then, when at last he had enough money, he rushed out and bought one. But, as he gleefully drove it off the lot, he was hit by a garbage truck! Lot’s decision was based on greed and the lust of his eyes. And it led him into one disaster after another. That’s always the way it is with the carnal lifestyle. And, make no mistake about it, carnality is a chosen lifestyle. So also is the spiritual lifestyle. It too is a matter of choice. By choice ... we believers live out our lives as carnal people or spiritual people. It’s just that simple. These two life-styles are outlined for us in I Corinthians 2:14-3:3.
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13:12-18
Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and
pitched his tent even as far as
Right away, we see that the end results of Lot’s selfish decision was not going to be a good one. Lot moved himself, along with all of his family and servants, into the middle of a moral cesspool! Furthermore, he had left the true source of prosperity in his life ... namely, his association with his Uncle Abram who was constantly being blessed because of his genuine and humble walk with God. Proverbs 13:20, says,
He who walks with wise men will be
wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
First Corinthians 15:33, says,
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (NIV)
The deliberate breaking of these basic
common sense life principles, played themselves out in very disastrous ways in
the life of Lot and his family. Down there in the lush plain of the Jordan
River, he found himself surrounded by unbelievably wicked people. And, to make
matters worse, he chose Sodom as his new home … a city that was scheduled for
judgment. Meanwhile, Abram was enjoying yet another visit from the living God.
There is no doubt, who the real winner was.
God told him to look around in every direction. Then, he said …
Everything you see I give to you and your descendants ...
forever. In addition, God promised Abram that his descendants would be
as numerous as the dust of the ground! Then, the Lord invited Abram to go on a
walking tour of his Land of Promise saying … Everywhere your foot
trods is yours. Some promise, aye? Some
gift! Reminds me of
James 1:17,
Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
So, once again, Abram moved out in obedience … moving all his family and things down to Mamre. Arriving there, he built an altar there unto the name of the Lord.
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14:1-12
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch
king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer
king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations, that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of
Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah,
Shemeber king of Zeboiim,
and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
All these joined together in the
The next trial that came into Abram's life was a war. It began, when four city-kings invaded Abram and Lot’s homeland. I’m reminded of the story of David and Bathsheba here, found in II Samuel 11. The first verse of that chapter says it was the time when kings go forth to battle. Apparently, it was that time of year in Abram’s country. So, four invading kings came into the valley where Lot lived. Five kings from the plain went out against them, but they lost the battle and, our text says many fell there at the slime pits of the Valley of Siddim ... a site that was probably appropriate to their sins. In the end, Lot was taken, along with his entire family and all of his possessions.
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14:13-16
Then one who had escaped came and
told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth
trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of
Eshcol
and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram.
Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own
house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by
night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of
Abram was no lightweight when it came to war. Three hundred eighteen of his servants were trained warriors. However, he was doubtless outnumbered by the four kings who had taken Lot captive and who had defeated a long list of kings in the area, including all the kings of the plain. However, by the providence of God, Abram was tipped off about the whereabouts of the kings and their condition. Then, he devised a clandestine plan of attack. His strategy was one of surprise, combined with a coordinated night raid on the camp of the invaders. And, God gave him the victory. Make no mistake about it … Abram’s success was clearly supernatural. David’s words to Goliath come to mind here, do they not?
This day the LORD will deliver you
into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I
will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air
and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there
is a God in
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14:17-24
And the king of
We come here to a very, very important and key person in Scripture … namely, the priest/king of the city of Salem, named Melchizedek. His name means king of righteousness and the name of his city, Salem, means peace. Salem would later become Jerusalem. We read here that Melchizedek was the priest of the Most High God. This is the first recorded priesthood in the Bible. It is important to note that it existed prior to the Levitical priesthood which was established much later by the Law of Moses. The Bible says that Melchizedek is a type, or picture, of Christ. So, like Jesus, he was both a king and a priest and he reigned from Jerusalem as our Lord will also do one day. Furthermore, Melchizedek had no recorded birth or parents, nor any record of his death. He simply steps forth here on the pages of Scripture and then disappears. This circumstance of having no record or a beginning nor end, strengthens his suitability to be a type of Christ … a point made in Hebrews 7.
Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek from the spoils of war he had captured when he rescued Lot. In doing so, unknowingly, Abram demonstrated the superiority of the Melchizedekan priesthood over that of the Levitical priesthood. How so? Well, the book of Hebrews makes the point that Levi, (the father of the tribe of Levi, who later became Israel’s Aaronic priesthood) in effect ... was himself paying those tithes to Melchizedek … since he was, at that point in time, still in Abram’s loins! Let’s take a moment to read about the importance of this, as it is laid out for us in Hebrews 7:1-10:For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
Now, the Lord Jesus Christ was appointed by his Father to this
very priesthood. Therefore, Jesus is a Melchizedekan
priest. As you have it in Psalm 110:4-5:
The LORD has sworn and will not
relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.’
The Lord is at your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of his wrath.
Hebrews 7:11-14, builds on this truth...
Therefore, if
perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for
under it the people received the law), what further need was there that
another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and
not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also
a change of the law. For He of whom these things are
spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.
For it is evident that our Lord arose from
So, according to the Word of God, Jesus is a priest forever according to the order of
Melchizedek. And, therefore, dear saint, you and I are also priests of
this same order ... since we are in Christ. Did you know that
you were a Melchizedekan
priest? As you have it in
Revelation
1:5-6:
...and from Jesus Christ, the
faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of
the earth. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and
has made us kings
and priests
(Lit.: a kingdom of priests) to his God and Father, to him be glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen.
One last note … notice that Abram refused to take any of the spoils from the battle for himself. He was highly protective of the fact that his prosperity was from the Lord's hand alone ... and no one else.