Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.
Abraham’s nephew, Lot, had gotten himself into some trouble. In reality, it was not all Lot’s fault. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, he did choose the place. When Abraham told Lot he could take any portion of the land, Lot chose to move to Sodom. Lot wanted the night life and moved his family closer and closer into the city. When five kings came to subdue the city, Lot was a casualty of war. He was taken captive. Abraham comes to rescue him and restores him and Sodom to wholeness. Abraham will even be blessed by both the priest Melchizedek and the king of Sodom. Lot is the benefactor of that blessing. Yet, soon (in chapter 19), Sodom will be destroyed by God for their wicked behavior and God will rescue Lot, again, based upon Abraham’s prayer. What we have in these above verses is God’s grace poured out on Sodom and Lot. Yet, it won’t be much longer that they turn their back on God and fulfill their name as Sodomites. When people turn their back on God they will soon be filled with evil in their hearts. Think of Judas. He was offered and heard all the some grace, miracles and forgiveness as the other disciples and ended up the same as Sodom. When we turn our backs on God’s grace we open our hearts to evil and Satan’s domain.
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