Troublesome Mess
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.
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.
Well my goodness, gracious, mercy me if it isn't the dearly departed come trotting home once again. Maybe that's the whole problem isn't it is this thing not doing as it should here on the earth. Seeing all this then, is it any wonder that our God has now had to make Sodom and Gomorrah a ruin. This means one of two things, either Gomorrah had taken a vessel or Sodom had rather which was why Abram dared not touch anything therein the whole city. You never know do you when you could be taking the king of Sodom on home. I mean, that's a discomforting thought isn't it then so as most truly. It's also where the Lord had to give them instructions concerning certain nations which were known to do it before to destroy everything possibly containing the vessel then later. That meant for some of the people that the stuff they'd rather had to go after the people or so. Though we're not talking about the legions and customs of men. I mean, really the issue here is how Abram even had sense to find his own brother. There's a war going on with what's not entirely visible yet Abram had just connections enough with the people that lay around in the land to have found out where they were staying again. It's like this, if one person who knew the way there was able to come and lead Abram on back again, that's what you'd term as a guide in particular. Basically these are just like people who'd lent out their service. They'll show you where things are or how to get there. Then too, there's also some guides of the men and we'll call them teachers now and again. Abram had trained his own men in art of warfare and kept them all safely with the utmost of care. Probably he'd even fed a few or sheltered them in just out of the cold. Then for service to him I'm sure he'd paid them with wages or coin or a few animals of which he'd had many and some also to spare. When it came down to it really, Abram probably was a good man as far as these had considered then truly though for certain no man is good except for the Lord then in full.
Have you figured which way is the mountain from there on back again? I'd say it's more likely towards the right side if you're looking up from Egypt there in particular. Then too I'm not sure it would be right to classify the Red Sea location as central to all of this action. Though, there's a pretty good theory that Abram's in the plain of Mamre which as you'd recall is near to the centre of his journey and then from there he went where in particular? Surely, these didn't go hide out right by the mountain that Abram first camped out at when he brought himself on into Canaan. So thus the chasing began all the way to Dan as the expression went whether physically or metaphorically just in the middle. Then there's
Hobah,
which is on the left hand of Damascus
Which also is very near to Samaria then proper, or it was in Jesus day back when I last checked it or so. Not that I'd had opportunity of living back then, just that that's where it was in the Scripture last seen by Samaritan locations.
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.
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.
Well, that's the story of how Abram had fed a whole region and also returned to them what had been theirs in the beginning more than likely before Sodom had started his trading. I mean, it's probably a pretty good deal certainly considering the king of Sodom shouldn't have been given anything not even a person. You know, once he got back all the men of his regions, that's how Gomorrah had gotten back into business again though in one central location. Then too there's Melchizedek king of Salem which is peace to those of you that consider the region. Though I know some of you are awful allergic to those things that make up the notion. I mean, you might not have seen the Lord yet in this section, yet he's still on the throne and altogether sovereign whether noticed or not so as back then. The other things I would mention is whether you can find the valley of Shaveh or the king's dale there in particular.