“In the Days of Kings”

September 19, 2016

“In the Days of Kings”

Blessings folk!

God gave land to Abram.
He told Abram to lift up his eyes, to look at the land, to walk the land.
Abram’s response?

Gen 13:17-18

“Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”

Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.


He moved to the oaks of Mamre.
He built an altar to the Lord.
He worshipped.

This should be the response of all of us to the Lord and His commandments and instructions - to worship.

Now…a little context for the continuation of Abram’s story…

Gen 14:1-11

And it came about 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).

Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and defeated 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 conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived 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 arrayed 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 survived fled to the hill country.

Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed.


Though somewhat mind-numbing in the detailed account of names and places, this type of Biblical passage is important.

We are introduced to places.
We are introduced to people.
We are introduced to the political state of affairs.

We see that nothing has changed.
Kings rule.
Regions and communities fight.
Man seeks his own way.
Evil reigns.

What does this have to do with Abram?
You have likely already noted…Sodom…Gomorrah.