INTRODUCTION:  Though Lot is a righteous man in his personal life (2 Peter 2:7-8 [7] And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: [8] (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
See All...), he runs with the wrong crowd (Genesis 13:12-13 [12] Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. [13] But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
See All...).  Abram rescues his nephew but he keeps a good distance from the king and goods of Sodom.  We should do the same.

1. THE BATTLE OF THE KINGS (Genesis 14:1-12 [1] 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; [2] That these 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, which is Zoar. [3] All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. [4] Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. [5] And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emins in Shaveh Kiriathaim, [6] And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. [7] And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar. [8] And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; [9] With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five. [10] And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. [11] And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. [12] And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
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1. The Participants in the Battle (Genesis 14:1-3 [1] 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; [2] That these 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, which is Zoar. [3] All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
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1. The kings of the east (Genesis 14:1And 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;
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1. Amraphel of Shinar (see Genesis 10:8-10 [8] And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. [9] He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. [10] And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
   See All...; Genesis 11:2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
   See All...; Daniel 1:2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
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2. Arioch of Ellasar [a kingdom in Mesopotamia]
3. Chedorlaomer of Elam
1. Elam is a kingdom in Persia  (Daniel 8:2And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
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2. Chedorlaomer is the leader of these kings (Genesis 14:4Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
   See All..., 17).
4. Tidal king of nations
2. The kings of the cities of the plain (Genesis 14:2That these 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, which is Zoar.
   See All...; see Genesis 13:12Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
   See All...; Genesis 19:28-29 [28] And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. [29] And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
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1. Bera of Sodom
2. Birsha of Gomorrah
3. Shinab of Admah
4. Shemeber of Zeboiim
5. King of Bela which is Zoar (see Genesis 14:8And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;
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3. The place of battle – the vale of Siddim
1. Probably at the south end of the Dead Sea (“the salt sea”)
2. Perhaps under water now; the southern portion of the Dead Sea is very shallow
3. A place of slimepits (Genesis 14:10And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
   See All...); these were pools of natural asphalt or tar (Genesis 11:3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
   See All...; Exodus 2:3And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
   See All...).
2. The Circumstances of the Battle (Genesis 14:4-9 [4] Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. [5] And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emins in Shaveh Kiriathaim, [6] And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. [7] And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar. [8] And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; [9] With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.
   See All...)
1. The rebellion of the cities of the plain (Genesis 14:4Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
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1. They served for twelve years.
2. They rebelled in the thirteenth year.
2. The military campaign of Chedorlaomer (Genesis 14:5-7 [5] And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emins in Shaveh Kiriathaim, [6] And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. [7] And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.
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1. Against the Rephaims, the Zuzims and the Emims (Genesis 14:5And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emins in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
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1. Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim
2. Zuzims in Ham
3. Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim
4. People east of the Jordan
5. Giants (see Deuteronomy 2:10-11 [10] The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; [11] Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites called them Emims.
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2. The Horites in Mt. Seir (Genesis 14:6And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.
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1. The country of Edom (Genesis 32:3And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
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2. Later inhabited by Esau and his descendents (Genesis 36:8Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
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3. The Amalekites and the Amorites (Genesis 14:7And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.
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3. The battle in the vale of Siddim (Genesis 14:8-9 [8] And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; [9] With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.
   See All...)
3. The Results of the Battle (Genesis 14:10-12 [10] And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. [11] And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. [12] And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
   See All...)
1. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were defeated (Genesis 14:10And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
   See All...).
2. The goods of Sodom and Gomorrah were taken (Genesis 14:11And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
   See All...).
3. Lot and his goods were taken (Genesis 14:12And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
   See All...).
2. ABRAM’S RAID ON THE VICTORS (Genesis 14:13-16 [13] And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. [14] And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. [15] And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. [16] And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
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1. Abram Hears of the Defeat (Genesis 14:13And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
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1. First use of the word Hebrew
2. Confederate with
1. Mamre the Amorite
2. Eshcol brother of Mamre
3. Aner brother of Mamre
3. The plain of Mamre was at Hebron (Genesis 13:18Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
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2. Abram Arms his Servants (Genesis 14:14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
   See All...).
1. Lot is here identified as the brother of Abram.
2. Abram has 318 servants.
3. They are trained—evidently to fight (see Psalm 144:1Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
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3. Abram Defeats the Kings of the East (Genesis 14:15And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
   See All...).
1. Abram is joined by his confederates (see Genesis 14:24Save 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.
   See All...).
2. He pursues them to Dan (Genesis 14:14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
   See All...b).
3. He divides his army (Genesis 14:15And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
   See All...).
4. He attacks by night—a surprise attack.
5. He defeats them and pursues them to Hobah next to Dasmascus.
4. Abram Recovers the Captives and Goods (Genesis 14:16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
   See All...).
1. Recovered all the goods
2. Recovered Lot and his goods
3. Recovered the women
4. Recovered the people
3. ABRAM’S MEETING WITH MELCHIZEDEK (Genesis 14:17-20 [17] And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. [18] And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. [19] And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: [20] And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
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1. He Returns to the Valley of Shaveh (Genesis 14:17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
   See All...).
1. In the king’s dale (2 Samuel 18:18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.
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2. North of Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley
2. Melchizedek Comes to Meet Him (Genesis 14:18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
   See All...).
1. King of Salem
1. Salem means peace.
2. Salem is another name for Jerusalem (Psalm 76:2In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
   See All...).
2. Priest of the most high God
3. He brings bread and wine [compare the elements of the Lord’s Supper].
3. Melchizedek Blesses Abram (Genesis 14:19-20 [19] And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: [20] And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
   See All...).
1. A blessing for Abram (Genesis 14:19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
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2. A blessing for Abram’s God (Genesis 14:19-20 [19] And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: [20] And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
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1. Possessor of heaven and earth (Genesis 14:19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
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2. Deliverer from his enemies (Genesis 14:20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
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3. Abram gives tithes of all (Genesis 14:20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
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1. First mention of tithing in the Bible
2. Next mention is when Jacob promises to tithe (Genesis 28:22And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
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4. ABRAM’S MEETING WITH THE KING OF SODOM (Genesis 14:21-24 [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.
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1. The King of Sodom’s Offer (Genesis 14:21And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
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1. The king of Sodom asks for the persons.
2. The king of Sodom offers Abram the goods.
2. Abram Refuses to Receive from the King of Sodom (Genesis 14:22-23 [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:
   See All...).
1. The vow to God (Genesis 14:22And 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,
   See All...; Deuteronomy 32:40For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
   See All...; Revelation 10:5-6 [5] And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, [6] And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
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2. The denial of Sodom’s goods (Genesis 14:23That 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:
   See All...)
3. Abram Takes Care of his Confederates (Genesis 14:24Save 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.
   See All...)

CONCLUSION:  Abram makes sure that God gets the credit for his success on the battlefield.  He also keeps separate from the wickedness of Sodom.  With his trained and armed servants, he was prepared for battle.  We can learn much from this story.