Then the victors took all the goods of Sod′om and Go·mor′rah and all their food and went on their way. They also took Lot, the son of A′bram’s brother who was dwelling in Sodom, as well as his goods, and they continued on their way.
After that a man who had escaped came and told A′bram the Hebrew. […]
Thus A′bram heard that his relative had been taken captive. With that he mobilized his trained men, 318 servants born in his household, and went in pursuit up to Dan. […]
He recovered all the goods, and he also recovered Lot his relative, his goods, the women, and the other people.
What I learned:
In this passage, the loyalty of Abram (later Abraham) is center stage as he valiantly steps up to the plate in the search and rescue of his relatives who were being held hostage.
Although it had been Lot who had decided to move his household into the area that wound up being a war zone, Abram pro-actively and without any self-interest or hesitation resolved to organize a campaign to save them.
Abram’s loyalty reminds me of the loyalty God feels for us when we are in trouble and out of options.
“Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good;
His loyal love endures forever.”
(1 Chron. 16:34).
He is also a God of action, and even when someone falls into the most helpless of states- that is death- he promises to raise them in the resurrection.
“Your dead will live…” (Isa. 26:19).
Bible Reading Highlights 