Today's reading.
In this passage we learn that Abram is kind of a bad ass. This story has the makings of a Liam Neison movie: "he was a mild-mannered shepherd... until they messed with his family."
Five kings take on another four kings (14:8-12), and the four beat the five. The four kings make off with the loot and take a few hostages, including Lot, Abram's nephew. When Abram hears about it, he gets on his general's robe, gathers his own private army (you can tell he was rich; can you afford a private army of 318 mercenaries?), and takes off after Lot. And where five kings couldn't win the battle with their combined forces, Abram wins the day single-handedly.
If ever there were a moment for a person's head to get big, this was it. Abram had beaten four serious military powers with his own army. I don't know about you, but if I were in Abe's shoes, I'd be pretty tempted to pride.
In his grace, God sends a preacher to keep Abram grounded. Melchizedek greets him after his victory and preaches this message to him: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" (14:19-20). In his finest hour, Abram is reminded that he achieved victory at the pleasure of the Almighty. Success came, not from his military might or skill, but by God's grace.
Abram is presented with the chance to respond to God's work with faith. And he responds well: "Abram gave him a tenth of everything" (14:20). Tithing, giving sacrificially to the Lord, is not a legalistic obligation, but a natural response of faith to God's grace.
Our faith has to make it's way to our possessions. Do we believe what we have is the result of our hard work? Do we believe that our success is our own making? If we do, we'll keep what we have for ourselves. If we believe, however, that God graciously provides for us, that he opens doors, that every good and perfect gift is from him (James 1:17), then how can we be selfish with his gifts?
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