Read with Me
Genesis 14:1-12 (HCSB)
In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim waged war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, as well as the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). All of these came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea). They were subject to Chedorlaomer for 12 years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in the mountains of Seir, as far as El-paran by the wilderness. Then they came back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they defeated all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and lined up for battle in the Valley of Siddim against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim contained many asphalt pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, but the rest fled to the mountains. The four kings took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on. They also took Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom, and they went on.
Listen with Me
During this time period, even though many of those who had been scattered from Babel had settled into their home areas, there were still a lot of power plays going on. Strong kings, often with allies, would look for new areas to conquer and for greener pastures (literally) to take over, and weaker people that they could subject to servitude.
In this case, four kings from the north and east of Canaan united against the five cities of the plain, which they had subjugated earlier, but which were now rebelling against their authority. They approached the land to reinforce compliance and the tribute owed to them, by first moving south along the east side of the Jordan, conquering as they went, and then turning back to the north on the west side, targeting the green farmlands in the valley. Their intent was to reconquer the five cities and re-subjugate the five kings.
Word of their approach reached the five kings, and they banded together and marched south in order to do battle against the invaders before they were able to come into the valley. That seemed like a decent strategy at first, but they ended up having to fight in the area round the Dead Sea, the low point in the Rift Valley, identified here as the Valley of Siddim.
The battle didn’t go well. In fact, it turned into a complete rout, with the armies of the valley fleeing. In the process, some of them fell into the many tar pits that covered the barren landscape around the Dead Sea. Others fled to the hills, leaving the cities themselves defenseless. The four kings reconquered all five of the cities and took their inhabitants captive. Those captured included Abram’s nephew, Lot, who had ultimately settled in the city of Sodom, as well as all his flocks and herds, and his servants who were in the fields surrounding the city. With so much booty and the reclamation of so much territory, the four king’s completed their raid and headed back to the north.
Pray with Me
Father, it is easy for us to think that the times after the flood were more peaceful and idyllic than they were, with all the people, so close to their unity at Babel, getting along well. But the confusion of the languages fractured any unity that could have been possible, and the deep seated wickedness of the human hearts moved those who were strong to strive for riches and mastery over the bodies of those seen as weaker. Without Your strong influence being allowed to rule in their hearts, the people became cruel, violent, almost animal-like. Even though you did have a few people who followed You, the darkness of sin and rebellion had truly penetrated a huge chunk of the people in the world. This shows us how quickly and easily we can decline into far less than we were created to be when we separated ourselves from You. Help me, Lord, to walk closely with You always, to live in Your light as a real human being, and to allow Your light to shine brightly through me. Amen.