Genesis 14:13-24: a reflection

13One who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew. At that time, he lived by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner. They were allies of Abram. 14When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his three hundred eighteen trained men, born in his house, and pursued as far as Dan. 15He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot and his goods, and the women also, and the other people. 17The king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High. 19He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. 20Blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all. 21The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the goods for yourself.” 22Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to the LORD, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion.”

After Abram rescues his nephew Lot and the captured people, the king of Sodom offers him a reward: Give me the people, and take the goods for yourself. But Abram refuses to take anything: I have lifted up my hand to the LORD, God Most High, that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. Abram would not let the king of Sodom, a tainted benefactor, be able to claim credit for his blessing; he refused to be beholden, so that God alone, not the king of Sodom, would be seen as the source of his prosperity.

Notice why Abram refused the reward: so that God alone would be credited with his blessing. He had a right to the spoils; but he would not take them from the king of Sodom, lest that king be able to say he had made Abram rich. Abram wanted his blessing to come from God alone, not from a tainted benefactor who could then claim credit or hold it over him. He refused to be beholden to the wrong source, to owe his prosperity to the king of Sodom rather than to God. His refusal guarded the truth that God, not the king of Sodom, was the source of his blessing; he would not let another take the credit that belonged to God.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too may need to refuse gain from the wrong source, so that God alone is credited with our blessing. There can be gain offered to us from tainted sources, benefactors who would then claim credit for us, or hold their gift over us, or compromise us by our being beholden to them; and like Abram, we may need to refuse it, so that God alone is the source of our blessing. Not all gain is worth taking; some would make us beholden to the wrong source. Do not take gain from a tainted source that would then claim credit for your blessing or make you beholden; let God alone be the source of your prosperity, as Abram refused the king of Sodom's spoils. Be willing to refuse gain from a tainted source that would claim credit for your blessing or make you beholden to it, so that God alone is credited with your prosperity, as Abram refused to let the king of Sodom say he had made him rich; for it is better to owe our blessing to God alone than to be enriched by a tainted benefactor who could then claim us as his own.

Lord, after Abram rescues his nephew Lot and the captured people, the king of Sodom offers him a reward: give me the people, and take the goods for yourself. But Abram refuses to take anything: I have lifted up my hand to the LORD, God Most High, that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. Abram would not let the king of Sodom, a tainted benefactor, be able to claim credit for his blessing; he refused to be beholden, so that you alone would be seen as the source of his prosperity. Show me why Abram refused the reward: so that you alone would be credited with his blessing. He had a right to the spoils; but he would not take them from the king of Sodom, lest that king be able to say he had made Abram rich. Abram wanted his blessing to come from you alone, not from a tainted benefactor who could then claim credit or hold it over him. He refused to be beholden to the wrong source. His refusal guarded the truth that you, not the king of Sodom, were the source of his blessing. Take that to my heart, for I too may need to refuse gain from the wrong source, so that you alone are credited with my blessing. There can be gain offered to me from tainted sources, benefactors who would then claim credit for me, or hold their gift over me, or compromise me by my being beholden to them; and like Abram, I may need to refuse it. Keep me from taking gain from a tainted source that would then claim credit for my blessing or make me beholden; let you alone be the source of my prosperity, Lord, as Abram refused the king of Sodom's spoils.