1 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:06,220 Thirteenth chapter of the book of Genesis. 2 00:00:07,740 --> 00:00:10,420 In chapter 12, we find that Abram had 3 00:00:10,420 --> 00:00:13,620 gone down into Egypt because of the famine. 4 00:00:15,940 --> 00:00:18,300 And there, as a result of a lack 5 00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:20,620 of faith and trusting God to take care 6 00:00:20,620 --> 00:00:22,700 of him, he had Sarah pass herself off 7 00:00:22,700 --> 00:00:23,800 as his sister. 8 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:31,479 God brought a plague upon the Egyptians because 9 00:00:31,479 --> 00:00:33,220 the Pharaoh had more or less taken her 10 00:00:33,220 --> 00:00:34,120 into his harem. 11 00:00:35,140 --> 00:00:41,060 And he rebuked Abram for the deception and 12 00:00:41,060 --> 00:00:44,300 ordered his men to allow Abram to travel 13 00:00:44,300 --> 00:00:44,860 freely. 14 00:00:45,780 --> 00:00:48,940 And so now Abram is returning from Egypt 15 00:00:48,940 --> 00:00:50,080 in chapter 13. 16 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,100 He went up out of Egypt, he and 17 00:00:53,100 --> 00:00:55,660 his wife and all that he had, and 18 00:00:55,660 --> 00:00:57,560 lot with him into the south. 19 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:59,740 That would be into the south part of 20 00:00:59,740 --> 00:01:06,120 the land of Canaan, into the area of 21 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:13,580 Beersheba, Kadesh, Barnea, Hebron, there in the southern 22 00:01:13,580 --> 00:01:14,140 part. 23 00:01:15,620 --> 00:01:20,720 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in 24 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,040 silver, and in gold. 25 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,440 So, God had blessed Abraham in a material 26 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,720 way, rich in cattle, silver, gold. 27 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,600 And he went on his journeys from the 28 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,760 south, even to Bethel, unto the place where 29 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,540 his tent had been at the beginning, between 30 00:01:41,540 --> 00:01:43,100 Bethel and Ai. 31 00:01:43,940 --> 00:01:45,860 So, when Abram first came into the land, 32 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:47,500 his first stop was at Shechem. 33 00:01:48,290 --> 00:01:50,860 And then he came back towards the Jordan 34 00:01:50,860 --> 00:01:53,000 River at a high point. 35 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,620 This is the highest point in the Jerusalem 36 00:01:56,620 --> 00:02:00,900 range of mountains, which begins actually in the 37 00:02:00,900 --> 00:02:03,900 area of Samaria and goes almost to Beersheba. 38 00:02:04,260 --> 00:02:07,080 Just before you get to Beersheba, the Jerusalem 39 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:08,620 mountains sort of fade out. 40 00:02:09,060 --> 00:02:10,760 But this is the highest point. 41 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,360 And there is this mountain between the city 42 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:16,260 of Bethel and Ai. 43 00:02:16,940 --> 00:02:20,280 The mountain in which he had just a 44 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,740 tremendous view of the entire land. 45 00:02:24,580 --> 00:02:26,520 Abram, when he first came there, was able 46 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,400 to see the entire land. 47 00:02:28,540 --> 00:02:31,360 And there he built an altar unto the 48 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,000 Lord and worshipped the Lord. 49 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,540 And now he returned again to this spot 50 00:02:36,540 --> 00:02:37,260 of Bethel. 51 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:43,700 The place is actually sort of a significant 52 00:02:43,700 --> 00:02:44,440 place. 53 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,420 It was near Bethel there that Jacob was 54 00:02:48,420 --> 00:02:52,920 fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau. 55 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,740 And he used a pillow of a rock. 56 00:02:56,820 --> 00:02:58,980 And he had the dream and the awareness 57 00:02:58,980 --> 00:03:00,500 of the presence of God. 58 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,140 And there God made the covenant with Jacob. 59 00:03:04,620 --> 00:03:06,780 And said, I am going to be with 60 00:03:06,780 --> 00:03:08,240 you whether so ever you go. 61 00:03:08,740 --> 00:03:09,800 I'm going to bless you. 62 00:03:09,860 --> 00:03:10,960 I'm going to prosper you. 63 00:03:11,220 --> 00:03:12,800 And I'm going to bring you back into 64 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:13,360 this land. 65 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,180 And Jacob sort of made his deal with 66 00:03:15,180 --> 00:03:16,820 God and said, if you'll be with me, 67 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,060 if you'll bless me and prosper me, I'll 68 00:03:19,060 --> 00:03:20,620 give you a tenth of everything I get. 69 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:25,700 And so Jacob made his deal with God 70 00:03:25,700 --> 00:03:27,600 and he left from the place of Bethel. 71 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:32,020 Later on in Jacob's career, God said to 72 00:03:32,020 --> 00:03:33,980 him, I am the God of Bethel. 73 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,480 And the Lord commanded him to return to 74 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:37,940 Bethel. 75 00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:40,820 It was at Bethel that Jacob first became 76 00:03:40,820 --> 00:03:41,840 conscious of God. 77 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,620 And God then challenged him to return to 78 00:03:44,620 --> 00:03:46,840 that place really of your first consciousness. 79 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,080 More or less as Jesus called upon the 80 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,120 church of Ephesus to return to their first 81 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:52,480 love. 82 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,060 That place where you first met God or 83 00:03:55,060 --> 00:03:56,960 you first became conscious of God. 84 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:58,860 And it seems that God seeks to call 85 00:03:58,860 --> 00:04:01,920 us back to that place of our beginnings. 86 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:03,120 The beginning of our faith. 87 00:04:03,260 --> 00:04:05,340 The beginning of our devotion. 88 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,340 The beginning of that excitement of knowing God 89 00:04:08,340 --> 00:04:09,700 and walking with God. 90 00:04:10,300 --> 00:04:12,860 Sometimes we begin to take things for granted. 91 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,600 Our Christian experience begins to sort of just 92 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,320 become a prosaic kind of a thing. 93 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,300 I just sort of, you know, go along 94 00:04:20,300 --> 00:04:23,040 with it and I lose the excitement. 95 00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:25,600 God said to Israel at one time, where 96 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,720 is the excitement of the espousal? 97 00:04:27,900 --> 00:04:29,680 You know, when I first called you out 98 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,340 and upon all the people was holiness under 99 00:04:33,340 --> 00:04:33,740 the Lord. 100 00:04:33,820 --> 00:04:35,840 In other words, the consciousness of the people 101 00:04:35,840 --> 00:04:37,080 was a God consciousness. 102 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,660 They were so aware of the presence of 103 00:04:39,660 --> 00:04:42,060 God and they were so excited in the 104 00:04:42,060 --> 00:04:42,780 things of God. 105 00:04:43,140 --> 00:04:45,100 And God is saying, where is the excitement 106 00:04:45,100 --> 00:04:47,740 of that espousal when I first drew you 107 00:04:47,740 --> 00:04:49,940 out of Egypt and all of you were 108 00:04:49,940 --> 00:04:51,480 aware and conscious of me. 109 00:04:54,340 --> 00:04:57,340 And we see movements of God's Spirit such 110 00:04:57,340 --> 00:04:59,560 as we are experiencing here. 111 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:02,380 And it's so exciting. 112 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:06,020 Just the work of the Lord and the 113 00:05:06,020 --> 00:05:08,900 excitement of everyone just being, you know, turned 114 00:05:08,900 --> 00:05:10,120 on for Jesus. 115 00:05:10,340 --> 00:05:12,980 And just, you know, we realize His presence, 116 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:13,560 His power. 117 00:05:13,740 --> 00:05:15,400 We see His work and there is that 118 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,060 beauty of the excitement of God's work in 119 00:05:19,060 --> 00:05:19,780 our midst. 120 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,320 There's always a sad and tragic day when 121 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,320 that excitement begins to wane a bit. 122 00:05:25,460 --> 00:05:27,680 And we begin to take for granted those 123 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,660 things that at one time were so special 124 00:05:30,660 --> 00:05:33,000 and important and exciting to us. 125 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:36,680 God help us that we will never take 126 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,640 for granted His goodness, His grace and the 127 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:42,080 blessings that we've experienced. 128 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:45,940 I pray that that excitement shall never diminish. 129 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,360 That each day we'll be excited with the 130 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:52,820 presence of God and with the work and 131 00:05:52,820 --> 00:05:54,980 the power of His Spirit within our lives. 132 00:05:54,980 --> 00:05:59,660 That we'll never lose that just overawed kind 133 00:05:59,660 --> 00:06:02,060 of an experience that God is working in 134 00:06:02,060 --> 00:06:02,800 our midst. 135 00:06:04,260 --> 00:06:07,480 God is demonstrating His love and His power. 136 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:13,280 That we'll always have that fresh relationship with 137 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:14,100 Jesus Christ. 138 00:06:17,090 --> 00:06:20,890 And so Abram returned to Bethel, the place 139 00:06:20,890 --> 00:06:22,350 where he had built an altar and offered 140 00:06:22,350 --> 00:06:23,710 a sacrifice unto God. 141 00:06:23,710 --> 00:06:26,270 And God had first promised to him the 142 00:06:26,270 --> 00:06:28,770 whole land that was before him. 143 00:06:32,230 --> 00:06:35,810 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had 144 00:06:35,810 --> 00:06:38,730 his flocks and his herds and his tents. 145 00:06:39,710 --> 00:06:41,970 And the land was not able to bear 146 00:06:41,970 --> 00:06:44,210 them that they might dwell together. 147 00:06:45,170 --> 00:06:48,650 For the substance was great so that they 148 00:06:48,650 --> 00:06:49,970 could not dwell together. 149 00:06:50,450 --> 00:06:53,590 And there developed a strife between the herdmen 150 00:06:53,590 --> 00:06:56,870 of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's 151 00:06:56,870 --> 00:06:57,370 cattle. 152 00:06:58,090 --> 00:07:00,210 The Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt in the 153 00:07:00,210 --> 00:07:00,550 land. 154 00:07:00,690 --> 00:07:03,770 And so here there began to be a 155 00:07:03,770 --> 00:07:05,630 division between Lot and Abram. 156 00:07:06,630 --> 00:07:10,550 Lot was Abram's nephew, but Lot's father Haran 157 00:07:10,550 --> 00:07:12,330 died very early. 158 00:07:13,390 --> 00:07:15,490 And Lot was left as an orphan. 159 00:07:16,350 --> 00:07:19,490 And so Abram more or less adopted him 160 00:07:19,490 --> 00:07:21,010 as much as he did not have any 161 00:07:21,010 --> 00:07:23,010 children of his own up to this point. 162 00:07:23,630 --> 00:07:26,290 He had more or less adopted Lot and 163 00:07:26,290 --> 00:07:27,690 raised Lot. 164 00:07:27,870 --> 00:07:31,530 So Lot was really like a son to 165 00:07:31,530 --> 00:07:34,210 Abram and journeyed with him. 166 00:07:34,310 --> 00:07:39,230 But now they both become very prosperous, the 167 00:07:39,230 --> 00:07:41,430 hand of the Lord's blessing upon their lives. 168 00:07:42,490 --> 00:07:46,290 And you remember Abram had about 300 men 169 00:07:46,290 --> 00:07:47,970 servants that he could arm for battle. 170 00:07:48,130 --> 00:07:50,670 Gives you an idea of the size of 171 00:07:50,670 --> 00:07:53,330 the multitude that was going with Abram. 172 00:07:53,470 --> 00:07:56,050 And Lot was probably just about in the 173 00:07:56,050 --> 00:07:56,970 equal position. 174 00:07:57,230 --> 00:08:00,290 And so because the land just wasn't big 175 00:08:00,290 --> 00:08:04,590 enough for all of them to graze their 176 00:08:04,590 --> 00:08:05,810 cattle and sheep together. 177 00:08:06,310 --> 00:08:09,530 And strife began to rise up between the 178 00:08:09,530 --> 00:08:12,250 servants of Lot and the servants of Abram. 179 00:08:12,330 --> 00:08:16,690 Abram called Lot and he said unto him, 180 00:08:16,970 --> 00:08:18,750 Let there be no strife, I pray thee, 181 00:08:18,810 --> 00:08:21,010 between me and thee, and between my herdmen 182 00:08:21,010 --> 00:08:23,130 and thy herdmen, for we are brothers. 183 00:08:24,070 --> 00:08:26,270 Is not the whole land before thee? 184 00:08:26,410 --> 00:08:29,010 Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me. 185 00:08:29,050 --> 00:08:30,490 And if you will take the left hand, 186 00:08:30,550 --> 00:08:31,309 I will go to the right. 187 00:08:31,350 --> 00:08:33,230 If you'll depart to the right hand, then 188 00:08:33,230 --> 00:08:34,030 I will go to the left. 189 00:08:34,030 --> 00:08:37,010 And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld 190 00:08:37,010 --> 00:08:38,929 all the plain of Jordan, that it was 191 00:08:38,929 --> 00:08:42,530 well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom 192 00:08:42,530 --> 00:08:43,049 and Gomorrah. 193 00:08:43,470 --> 00:08:44,990 It was even as the garden of the 194 00:08:44,990 --> 00:08:48,210 Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou 195 00:08:48,210 --> 00:08:49,190 comest to Zorah. 196 00:08:49,690 --> 00:08:53,650 So at that time, of course, it was 197 00:08:53,650 --> 00:08:55,590 not too long after the flood. 198 00:08:56,710 --> 00:09:00,570 The Great African Rift was probably somehow related 199 00:09:00,570 --> 00:09:01,270 to the flood. 200 00:09:01,270 --> 00:09:04,110 As we mentioned, there was a whole change 201 00:09:04,110 --> 00:09:07,070 of the geographical surface of the earth at 202 00:09:07,070 --> 00:09:08,230 the time of the flood. 203 00:09:09,330 --> 00:09:15,130 And in the beginning, the Dead Sea was 204 00:09:15,130 --> 00:09:19,090 formed actually because there was no outlet for 205 00:09:19,090 --> 00:09:20,230 the Jordan River. 206 00:09:21,390 --> 00:09:23,890 And in the beginning, there would not have 207 00:09:23,890 --> 00:09:28,930 been the high salt content, which has been 208 00:09:28,930 --> 00:09:31,530 leached out of the soil through the years. 209 00:09:31,690 --> 00:09:33,290 And because there is no outlet for the 210 00:09:33,290 --> 00:09:36,530 Dead Sea, all of the mineral salt contents 211 00:09:36,530 --> 00:09:39,830 has just continued to build up over the 212 00:09:39,830 --> 00:09:40,350 millennia. 213 00:09:40,810 --> 00:09:44,050 So that today, of course, there's not possible 214 00:09:44,050 --> 00:09:45,990 that anything can live in the Dead Sea. 215 00:09:47,670 --> 00:09:52,330 But at that time, there was probably not 216 00:09:52,330 --> 00:09:56,550 the high concentration of salts that we have 217 00:09:56,550 --> 00:09:57,090 today. 218 00:09:58,010 --> 00:10:01,310 And before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, it 219 00:10:01,310 --> 00:10:05,190 was all well-watered and it was a 220 00:10:05,190 --> 00:10:07,870 place of really lush vegetation. 221 00:10:08,070 --> 00:10:10,970 Of course, you're in a deep depression, 1200 222 00:10:10,970 --> 00:10:14,130 feet below sea level, almost 1300 feet below 223 00:10:14,130 --> 00:10:15,790 sea level there at the surface of the 224 00:10:15,790 --> 00:10:16,330 Dead Sea. 225 00:10:16,910 --> 00:10:21,670 And the weather is tropical type weather. 226 00:10:22,590 --> 00:10:25,550 Gets very hot in the summertime and stays 227 00:10:25,550 --> 00:10:27,410 quite mild in the wintertime. 228 00:10:28,430 --> 00:10:30,990 Usually in the wintertime, it is in the 229 00:10:30,990 --> 00:10:33,490 70s, high 70s, low 80s. 230 00:10:33,590 --> 00:10:35,430 Can get up into the 90s even during 231 00:10:35,430 --> 00:10:36,630 the wintertime down there. 232 00:10:37,130 --> 00:10:41,990 And so it's great for growing tropical kind 233 00:10:41,990 --> 00:10:46,150 of foods, papaya, mango, and of the tropical 234 00:10:46,150 --> 00:10:47,110 types of foods. 235 00:10:47,110 --> 00:10:49,870 And, of course, all kinds of vegetation, citrus 236 00:10:49,870 --> 00:10:52,970 fruits and so forth grow very profusely down 237 00:10:52,970 --> 00:10:56,110 there around Jericho today where they have a 238 00:10:56,110 --> 00:10:59,070 good water supply, a fresh water supply. 239 00:10:59,290 --> 00:11:02,170 So it is interesting because you're in such 240 00:11:02,170 --> 00:11:05,750 a deep rift, so low, that there are 241 00:11:05,750 --> 00:11:08,450 springs that just come out of the mountains 242 00:11:08,450 --> 00:11:12,530 and flow then on into the valley. 243 00:11:12,530 --> 00:11:15,310 And before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, 244 00:11:15,410 --> 00:11:17,030 much more, it was like the Garden of 245 00:11:17,030 --> 00:11:18,310 the Lord, it was like the Garden of 246 00:11:18,310 --> 00:11:18,590 Eden. 247 00:11:19,450 --> 00:11:23,190 So Lot looked down at that lush tropical 248 00:11:23,190 --> 00:11:28,270 area and he chose to move down in 249 00:11:28,270 --> 00:11:29,430 that direction. 250 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:33,800 And Lot chose all of the plain of 251 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,220 Jordan and Lot journeyed east. 252 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,400 And they separated themselves one from the other. 253 00:11:40,020 --> 00:11:42,400 And Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan 254 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:44,360 and Lot dwelled in the cities of the 255 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:44,740 plain. 256 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:49,940 And he pitched his tent toward Sodom. 257 00:11:52,420 --> 00:11:54,540 This was, you might say, sort of the 258 00:11:54,540 --> 00:11:57,160 beginning of the backsliding of Lot. 259 00:12:00,340 --> 00:12:02,420 First of all, his choice was a fleshly 260 00:12:02,420 --> 00:12:03,040 choice. 261 00:12:08,590 --> 00:12:12,770 He really didn't consider Abraham and Abram's needs. 262 00:12:13,410 --> 00:12:16,950 But looking to himself first, he chose the 263 00:12:16,950 --> 00:12:20,390 plain of Jordan and then he pitched his 264 00:12:20,390 --> 00:12:22,250 tent toward Sodom. 265 00:12:23,470 --> 00:12:26,270 The next time we find him, he is 266 00:12:26,270 --> 00:12:28,070 sitting in the gates of Sodom. 267 00:12:28,850 --> 00:12:30,630 Or actually, he's living in Sodom because he's 268 00:12:30,630 --> 00:12:32,290 captured as he lives in Sodom. 269 00:12:32,450 --> 00:12:36,770 So, at the beginning, pitching toward Sodom, attracted 270 00:12:36,770 --> 00:12:39,790 somehow by this wicked city. 271 00:12:43,310 --> 00:12:45,870 But the men of Sodom were wicked and 272 00:12:45,870 --> 00:12:47,990 sinners before the Lord exceedingly. 273 00:12:48,110 --> 00:12:49,830 It's a very wicked place. 274 00:12:50,910 --> 00:12:53,550 And yet, Lot seemed to be somehow attracted 275 00:12:53,550 --> 00:12:54,410 by it. 276 00:12:55,250 --> 00:12:57,210 There does seem to be a certain type 277 00:12:57,210 --> 00:12:59,150 of an attraction to sin. 278 00:13:00,370 --> 00:13:03,290 Satan does make it look very attracting. 279 00:13:06,460 --> 00:13:08,920 There is a way that seemeth right unto 280 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:10,820 man, but the end thereof are the ways 281 00:13:10,820 --> 00:13:11,360 of death. 282 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:12,860 You want to look down the road and 283 00:13:12,860 --> 00:13:14,400 find out what it leads to. 284 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:18,180 Sin can be very exciting. 285 00:13:20,310 --> 00:13:22,010 Sin can be very thrilling. 286 00:13:22,410 --> 00:13:26,090 It would be wrong to say that it 287 00:13:26,090 --> 00:13:26,470 isn't. 288 00:13:26,510 --> 00:13:28,230 It can be very pleasurable. 289 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,800 But it eventuates in death. 290 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:37,600 The wise man will look down and see 291 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:38,820 where is the road leading. 292 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,480 It might be a fun road to travel. 293 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:46,660 It might be filled with allurement, excitement. 294 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,340 But where is the path leading me? 295 00:13:52,450 --> 00:13:55,450 My ambition is to someday ride the rapids. 296 00:13:56,570 --> 00:13:59,150 Either in the Grand Canyon or up this 297 00:13:59,150 --> 00:14:00,470 Idaho. 298 00:14:02,750 --> 00:14:04,870 I just would love to get on a 299 00:14:04,870 --> 00:14:06,890 raft and go down the rapids. 300 00:14:10,030 --> 00:14:11,230 I think that it would be a... 301 00:14:11,230 --> 00:14:13,570 I'm just looking forward to someday doing that. 302 00:14:13,570 --> 00:14:15,390 Either now or in the millennium, but someday 303 00:14:15,390 --> 00:14:16,590 I'm going to ride the rapids. 304 00:14:21,260 --> 00:14:22,960 But there are rapids that I have no 305 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:24,160 desire to ride. 306 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:27,140 And those are the rapids above Niagara Falls. 307 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:30,720 Now, I don't doubt, but what they're just 308 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:35,000 as exciting as the Grand Canyon or any 309 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:36,720 other rapids that you might ride. 310 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:39,540 But I don't like where it ends. 311 00:14:43,190 --> 00:14:46,590 So you go down, wee, fun, exciting, thrill, 312 00:14:46,710 --> 00:14:47,070 thrill. 313 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:51,700 Man, the roar of the falls is getting 314 00:14:51,700 --> 00:14:52,020 louder. 315 00:14:52,180 --> 00:14:53,480 You know, you're heading for destruction. 316 00:14:55,220 --> 00:14:56,860 And so the person in the path of 317 00:14:56,860 --> 00:14:57,280 sin. 318 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:04,410 Excitement, thrilling, but you're heading towards destruction. 319 00:15:05,790 --> 00:15:08,990 The end thereof are the ways of death. 320 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:13,520 Lot was attracted. 321 00:15:13,780 --> 00:15:17,180 He pitched his tent towards Sodom, this exceedingly 322 00:15:17,180 --> 00:15:19,700 wicked and sinful city. 323 00:15:20,260 --> 00:15:22,080 Even before Lot ever got there. 324 00:15:25,140 --> 00:15:27,200 And Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan. 325 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:29,640 Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, 326 00:15:29,860 --> 00:15:30,440 pitched his tent. 327 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,240 And then the Lord sent unto Abram after 328 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,120 that Lot was separated from him. 329 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,400 It was probably a difficult experience. 330 00:15:39,580 --> 00:15:41,340 Lot had become like a son to Abram. 331 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:42,120 He was close. 332 00:15:42,260 --> 00:15:42,960 Abram loved him. 333 00:15:44,420 --> 00:15:46,820 And parting is never an easy experience. 334 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,860 You see Lot taking off and it's always 335 00:15:50,860 --> 00:15:53,140 harder to be the one that's left. 336 00:15:53,140 --> 00:15:55,100 It's always easier, I think, to go than 337 00:15:55,100 --> 00:15:56,660 to be the one that's left behind. 338 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:00,360 And to see them going, it always gives 339 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,700 you sort of an empty, sinking feeling. 340 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,740 As they sort of disappear over the hill, 341 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:06,200 you know. 342 00:16:06,980 --> 00:16:09,060 And I can imagine for Abram, it was 343 00:16:09,060 --> 00:16:09,700 a... 344 00:16:09,700 --> 00:16:12,600 Here he'd been traveling for years together now. 345 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,480 For probably something like 50 years they'd been 346 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:18,940 together, close. 347 00:16:18,940 --> 00:16:21,600 And now he sees Lot taking off. 348 00:16:21,660 --> 00:16:23,720 And there has to be an ache in 349 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:25,280 the heart, a lump in the throat. 350 00:16:28,140 --> 00:16:30,600 And so the Lord comes to comfort Abram. 351 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:33,640 And the Lord said unto Abram after that 352 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:37,000 Lot was departed from him, Lift up now 353 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:41,840 thine eyes and look from the place where 354 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:42,340 thou art. 355 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:47,000 Northward, southward, eastward, westward. 356 00:16:47,860 --> 00:16:52,140 For all the land which you see, to 357 00:16:52,140 --> 00:16:55,040 thee will I give it and to thy 358 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:57,000 seed forever. 359 00:16:58,340 --> 00:16:59,940 God's promise to Abraham. 360 00:17:01,300 --> 00:17:06,500 From the area there at, between Bethel and 361 00:17:06,500 --> 00:17:07,940 Ai, this mountain peak. 362 00:17:09,380 --> 00:17:11,920 Looking towards the north, you see the area 363 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:12,720 of Samaria. 364 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:15,619 You can look clear on up and see 365 00:17:15,619 --> 00:17:17,300 Mount Hermon on a clear day. 366 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:20,700 And he wasn't bothered with smog in those 367 00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:20,980 days. 368 00:17:22,380 --> 00:17:25,660 Looking towards the east, you see the mountains 369 00:17:25,660 --> 00:17:28,340 of Moab. 370 00:17:30,930 --> 00:17:33,510 Looking towards the south, you see the area 371 00:17:33,510 --> 00:17:34,250 of Jerusalem. 372 00:17:35,210 --> 00:17:37,590 The southern range of the Jerusalem mountains. 373 00:17:39,030 --> 00:17:43,450 Clear on down to the area of Beersheba. 374 00:17:45,030 --> 00:17:48,230 Looking towards the west, you see the Sharon 375 00:17:48,230 --> 00:17:51,730 Plains and the Mediterranean. 376 00:17:53,650 --> 00:17:55,830 And so God said just look to the 377 00:17:55,830 --> 00:17:58,190 north, the south, the east, the west. 378 00:17:58,390 --> 00:18:00,610 Just as far as you can see Abram, 379 00:18:01,390 --> 00:18:04,690 I'm going to give you this land to 380 00:18:04,690 --> 00:18:06,450 you and to your seed. 381 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:12,320 And God was going to give it to 382 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:13,840 him forever. 383 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:18,380 But Jimmy Carter's going to take away part 384 00:18:18,380 --> 00:18:19,000 of it from him. 385 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:28,180 What's that make him? 386 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:36,380 I get in trouble, I get a dozen 387 00:18:36,380 --> 00:18:37,080 letters tomorrow. 388 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:43,460 But they just come out, I have to 389 00:18:43,460 --> 00:18:44,840 apologize to the people. 390 00:18:51,690 --> 00:18:53,410 I guess I'm too open, I just say 391 00:18:53,410 --> 00:18:54,210 what's in my mind. 392 00:18:57,710 --> 00:18:58,510 But anyhow. 393 00:18:58,510 --> 00:19:04,620 And I will make thy seed as the 394 00:19:04,620 --> 00:19:05,780 dust of the earth. 395 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:08,540 So that if a man can number the 396 00:19:08,540 --> 00:19:11,480 dust of the earth, then shall thy seed 397 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:12,400 also be numbered. 398 00:19:13,340 --> 00:19:15,280 Now God promised, hey I'm going to multiply 399 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:16,880 your seed like the dust of the earth. 400 00:19:18,580 --> 00:19:23,280 Now later on, we'll get to it this 401 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:24,240 evening, a little later on. 402 00:19:25,740 --> 00:19:27,920 God said to Abram in chapter 15, look 403 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:28,760 up into the heavens. 404 00:19:33,500 --> 00:19:36,360 And I am going to make your seed 405 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:39,140 like the stars of the sky, innumerable. 406 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:42,960 Hey, that's an interesting, interesting thing. 407 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,660 Because modern science in that day thought that 408 00:19:47,660 --> 00:19:49,880 there were 6126 stars. 409 00:19:52,190 --> 00:19:53,770 They didn't think they were innumerable. 410 00:19:54,510 --> 00:19:57,330 Many of the ancient people had counted the 411 00:19:57,330 --> 00:19:57,870 stars. 412 00:19:59,900 --> 00:20:05,810 And up until the time of Galileo, we 413 00:20:05,810 --> 00:20:09,410 didn't realize that there were so many stars 414 00:20:09,410 --> 00:20:10,270 out there in the universe. 415 00:20:10,370 --> 00:20:18,530 But now, they estimate the number of stars 416 00:20:18,530 --> 00:20:22,090 to be just so vast, that you really 417 00:20:22,090 --> 00:20:23,070 can't count them all. 418 00:20:23,370 --> 00:20:25,990 There are billions of galaxies, like our Milky 419 00:20:25,990 --> 00:20:28,170 Way galaxy, and there are billions of stars 420 00:20:28,170 --> 00:20:29,610 in our Milky Way galaxy. 421 00:20:33,610 --> 00:20:35,850 Someone has estimated that there might be as 422 00:20:35,850 --> 00:20:38,290 many as 10 to the 25th power stars. 423 00:20:41,630 --> 00:20:43,930 But it's also interesting, they've estimated that if 424 00:20:43,930 --> 00:20:46,630 you would take the amount of sand in 425 00:20:46,630 --> 00:20:49,250 a cubic inch, and take the volume of 426 00:20:49,250 --> 00:20:51,850 the earth, there's probably 10 to the 25th 427 00:20:51,850 --> 00:20:54,270 power grains of sand that make up the 428 00:20:54,270 --> 00:20:54,530 earth. 429 00:20:56,150 --> 00:20:57,810 So in God's saying, I'm going to make 430 00:20:57,810 --> 00:21:01,430 your seed as the sands of the sea, 431 00:21:01,550 --> 00:21:03,470 or as the dust of the earth, and 432 00:21:03,470 --> 00:21:05,750 then as the stars of heaven, they're probably 433 00:21:05,750 --> 00:21:07,710 sort of an equal number here. 434 00:21:08,890 --> 00:21:11,190 But the interesting thing is God said, the 435 00:21:11,190 --> 00:21:13,970 whole idea is that they'll be innumerable, you 436 00:21:13,970 --> 00:21:15,510 won't be able to count them. 437 00:21:16,110 --> 00:21:18,990 Now, God's promise was that you can't count 438 00:21:18,990 --> 00:21:21,670 them, and David's sin was what? 439 00:21:22,710 --> 00:21:23,870 He tried to count them. 440 00:21:24,650 --> 00:21:25,610 He took a census. 441 00:21:26,650 --> 00:21:29,290 God didn't want a census taken of his 442 00:21:29,290 --> 00:21:32,430 people, because God's promise is they're going to 443 00:21:32,430 --> 00:21:34,190 be innumerable as the sands of the sea. 444 00:21:34,190 --> 00:21:35,130 You're not going to be able to count 445 00:21:35,130 --> 00:21:35,290 them. 446 00:21:35,730 --> 00:21:38,090 David's sin was in taking a census and 447 00:21:38,090 --> 00:21:40,750 counting the people, and it brought God's judgment 448 00:21:40,750 --> 00:21:45,630 against Israel, because of David's sin in counting 449 00:21:45,630 --> 00:21:46,070 the people. 450 00:21:46,170 --> 00:21:49,270 So since then, they didn't take census in 451 00:21:49,270 --> 00:21:49,770 Israel. 452 00:21:51,130 --> 00:21:54,190 But everyone had to put a shekel into 453 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:57,620 the temple treasury, and then they'd count the 454 00:21:57,620 --> 00:21:58,260 shekels. 455 00:22:01,230 --> 00:22:03,910 But the Orthodox Jew to the present day 456 00:22:03,910 --> 00:22:05,590 will not count off in a group. 457 00:22:05,590 --> 00:22:09,050 If you're in a group and you're playing 458 00:22:09,050 --> 00:22:10,750 party games, and you've got a number in 459 00:22:10,750 --> 00:22:13,790 the group, an Orthodox Jew will not be 460 00:22:13,790 --> 00:22:14,090 numbered. 461 00:22:15,250 --> 00:22:17,410 And so they'll say, you're not one, not 462 00:22:17,410 --> 00:22:19,510 two, not three, not four, not five. 463 00:22:21,230 --> 00:22:22,770 You can always figure out ways to get 464 00:22:22,770 --> 00:22:23,930 around things, you know. 465 00:22:25,090 --> 00:22:27,490 So we're really not numbering, because you're not 466 00:22:27,490 --> 00:22:29,350 one, and you're not two. 467 00:22:33,710 --> 00:22:36,050 But the promise of God is the dust 468 00:22:36,050 --> 00:22:38,110 of the earth cannot be counted or numbered, 469 00:22:38,110 --> 00:22:40,910 so the descendants said, I am going to 470 00:22:40,910 --> 00:22:41,810 give unto thee. 471 00:22:45,230 --> 00:22:47,210 Now the Lord said, Arise and walk through 472 00:22:47,210 --> 00:22:49,870 the land, through the length and the breadth 473 00:22:49,870 --> 00:22:53,150 of it, for I will give it unto 474 00:22:53,150 --> 00:22:53,570 thee. 475 00:22:54,310 --> 00:22:56,630 Then Abram removed his tent and came and 476 00:22:56,630 --> 00:22:59,210 dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is 477 00:22:59,210 --> 00:23:01,730 in Hebron, and built there an altar unto 478 00:23:01,730 --> 00:23:02,030 the Lord. 479 00:23:02,110 --> 00:23:04,410 So Abram moved from the place about twenty 480 00:23:04,410 --> 00:23:07,690 miles north of Jerusalem, or twelve, fifteen miles 481 00:23:07,690 --> 00:23:10,750 north of Jerusalem actually, to a place approximately 482 00:23:10,750 --> 00:23:14,950 twenty-two miles south of Jerusalem, still on 483 00:23:14,950 --> 00:23:21,510 the Jerusalem hills, or the mountains of Jerusalem 484 00:23:21,510 --> 00:23:25,350 they call them, down now south of the 485 00:23:25,350 --> 00:23:27,150 valley of Eshkol. 486 00:23:27,730 --> 00:23:30,510 Now Eshkol was a place with a beautiful 487 00:23:30,510 --> 00:23:33,530 stream and well watered, and the grapes in 488 00:23:33,530 --> 00:23:36,310 the area of Eshkol were just phenomenal. 489 00:23:36,310 --> 00:23:38,570 They still are today, some of the most 490 00:23:38,570 --> 00:23:41,070 delicious grapes we've ever had in our life 491 00:23:41,070 --> 00:23:42,410 came from the valley of Eshkol. 492 00:23:43,770 --> 00:23:47,510 And right, of course, is adjacent to the 493 00:23:47,510 --> 00:23:48,810 area of Hebron. 494 00:23:49,370 --> 00:23:52,550 When Joshua and Caleb came spying out the 495 00:23:52,550 --> 00:23:57,070 land some four hundred years later, in order 496 00:23:57,070 --> 00:23:59,350 to prove to the people that the land 497 00:23:59,350 --> 00:24:02,530 was a very fertile land, they picked a 498 00:24:02,530 --> 00:24:05,190 cluster of grapes that was so big that 499 00:24:05,190 --> 00:24:06,950 they had to carry it in a staff 500 00:24:06,950 --> 00:24:07,830 between them. 501 00:24:10,030 --> 00:24:13,230 And they took back this huge cluster of 502 00:24:13,230 --> 00:24:16,610 grapes to show the people, hey, this land 503 00:24:16,610 --> 00:24:18,550 is really fertile, this is great. 504 00:24:19,050 --> 00:24:23,270 So Abram moved south, plains of Mamre, which 505 00:24:23,270 --> 00:24:26,050 are near Hebron, some twenty miles or so 506 00:24:26,050 --> 00:24:28,150 south from Jerusalem. 507 00:24:29,650 --> 00:24:31,450 This is the end of side one. 508 00:24:31,970 --> 00:24:33,890 For side two of this message, please turn 509 00:24:33,890 --> 00:24:35,470 the cassette over at this point. 510 00:24:40,210 --> 00:24:42,110 And it came to pass in the days 511 00:24:42,110 --> 00:24:44,370 of Amraphel, the king of Shinar. 512 00:24:44,530 --> 00:24:45,850 Now, Shinar is Babylon. 513 00:24:47,130 --> 00:24:49,530 And Ariok, the king of Eleazar, which is 514 00:24:49,530 --> 00:24:50,190 Babylonia. 515 00:24:51,750 --> 00:24:55,150 And Kedolamer, the king of Elam, which is 516 00:24:55,150 --> 00:24:58,510 Persia, and titled the king of Goyim, or 517 00:24:58,510 --> 00:24:58,930 nations. 518 00:24:59,110 --> 00:25:00,890 So we don't know exactly what nations that 519 00:25:00,890 --> 00:25:01,390 comprise. 520 00:25:01,510 --> 00:25:02,150 Four kings. 521 00:25:03,490 --> 00:25:05,590 They made war with Berah, the king of 522 00:25:05,590 --> 00:25:07,870 Solomon, and with Birshah, the king of Gomorrah. 523 00:25:08,470 --> 00:25:10,890 And Sheneb, the king of Adma. 524 00:25:11,590 --> 00:25:13,990 And these kings really, and there's no sense 525 00:25:13,990 --> 00:25:15,510 of reading their names off because we're not 526 00:25:15,510 --> 00:25:16,410 going to remember them anyhow. 527 00:25:16,910 --> 00:25:19,330 But they are the kings of the plain, 528 00:25:19,730 --> 00:25:23,090 the area where there were five cities in 529 00:25:23,090 --> 00:25:26,870 this lush area of the Jordan Valley there 530 00:25:28,710 --> 00:25:33,090 that comprised the cities around Sidon. 531 00:25:33,730 --> 00:25:36,590 Now, these were joined together in a confederacy 532 00:25:36,590 --> 00:25:38,410 in the valley of Sidon, which is the 533 00:25:38,410 --> 00:25:39,210 Salt Sea. 534 00:25:40,550 --> 00:25:44,190 And 12 years, they served Kedolamer. 535 00:25:44,490 --> 00:25:50,170 So, Kedolamer, the king of Persia, had conquered 536 00:25:50,170 --> 00:25:53,050 the area and had put them under tribute. 537 00:25:53,230 --> 00:25:55,330 And they had been under tribute for 12 538 00:25:55,330 --> 00:25:55,750 years. 539 00:25:56,030 --> 00:25:59,710 In the 13th year, they rebelled against the 540 00:25:59,710 --> 00:26:00,010 tribute. 541 00:26:01,610 --> 00:26:04,290 13 is a very interesting number, the number 542 00:26:04,290 --> 00:26:05,490 of rebellion. 543 00:26:06,150 --> 00:26:08,390 And so, it is significant that it was 544 00:26:08,390 --> 00:26:12,030 in the 13th year that they rebelled. 545 00:26:13,270 --> 00:26:16,070 The number 13 is a number that does 546 00:26:16,070 --> 00:26:17,570 appear in other places. 547 00:26:17,750 --> 00:26:19,870 It's always a number of rebellion. 548 00:26:20,590 --> 00:26:23,350 It happens to be the number of Satan. 549 00:26:24,670 --> 00:26:27,750 Every name for Satan in the Greek, when 550 00:26:27,750 --> 00:26:31,210 you take the gametria, the numeric value of 551 00:26:31,210 --> 00:26:34,330 those names, and total it up, it's always 552 00:26:34,330 --> 00:26:36,090 divisible by 13. 553 00:26:37,310 --> 00:26:39,290 Very interesting thing, I don't know what it 554 00:26:39,290 --> 00:26:41,470 means, but it is just the number of 555 00:26:41,470 --> 00:26:45,390 rebellion and has been scripturally the number of 556 00:26:45,390 --> 00:26:48,130 Satan, the number 13. 557 00:26:48,270 --> 00:26:52,430 And that is why 13 has become considered 558 00:26:52,430 --> 00:26:54,790 as an unlucky number. 559 00:26:55,010 --> 00:26:57,170 And that is why whenever you get into 560 00:26:57,170 --> 00:27:02,270 spiritism, spiritual seances and so forth, and you 561 00:27:02,270 --> 00:27:05,330 begin to dabble in those realms of spiritism, 562 00:27:05,710 --> 00:27:08,870 the number 13 becomes a very significant number. 563 00:27:08,970 --> 00:27:10,310 I don't know if you've ever been through 564 00:27:10,310 --> 00:27:12,530 the Winchester Rifle House. 565 00:27:12,710 --> 00:27:17,230 The woman supposedly was being directed by the 566 00:27:17,230 --> 00:27:20,550 spirits in the building of that house, and 567 00:27:20,550 --> 00:27:23,130 she had men working there continually. 568 00:27:24,290 --> 00:27:26,130 But as you go through the house, you'll 569 00:27:26,130 --> 00:27:28,870 find 13 windows in a room, or you'll 570 00:27:28,870 --> 00:27:31,950 find 6 steps down, 7 steps up, and 571 00:27:31,950 --> 00:27:34,990 the number 13 is woven through the house 572 00:27:34,990 --> 00:27:36,650 all the way in the dimensions of the 573 00:27:36,650 --> 00:27:38,710 rooms, in the number of windows, in the 574 00:27:38,710 --> 00:27:39,730 steps, and so forth. 575 00:27:40,110 --> 00:27:43,150 And she used that number through the whole 576 00:27:43,150 --> 00:27:43,530 house. 577 00:27:43,650 --> 00:27:46,210 It is a number that anyone who dabbles 578 00:27:46,210 --> 00:27:49,810 into spiritism is familiar with because so many 579 00:27:49,810 --> 00:27:52,870 of the seances and so forth are, the 580 00:27:52,870 --> 00:27:56,110 number 13 is an important number to them. 581 00:27:56,350 --> 00:27:58,250 And interestingly enough, it is a number of, 582 00:27:58,750 --> 00:28:00,950 scripturally, a number of Satan, a number of 583 00:28:00,950 --> 00:28:01,570 rebellion. 584 00:28:01,790 --> 00:28:04,190 So, 12 years they served the king, in 585 00:28:04,190 --> 00:28:05,870 the 13th year they rebelled. 586 00:28:06,510 --> 00:28:08,730 Now in the 14th year, he got together 587 00:28:08,730 --> 00:28:12,370 with these kings of Babylon, Babylonia, and they 588 00:28:12,370 --> 00:28:16,690 made an invasion in the area that is 589 00:28:16,690 --> 00:28:22,710 today Jordan, but in history was Moab, and 590 00:28:22,710 --> 00:28:25,850 they invaded across the high country, clear on 591 00:28:25,850 --> 00:28:31,350 down to the area of Edom. 592 00:28:32,630 --> 00:28:41,750 Coming down to the, it gives you the 593 00:28:41,750 --> 00:28:43,670 city, all of the cities that they conquered 594 00:28:43,670 --> 00:28:44,070 here. 595 00:28:44,750 --> 00:28:47,770 And they came on, finally, across to Kadish. 596 00:28:47,770 --> 00:28:53,110 They came south, and then began to move 597 00:28:53,110 --> 00:28:56,410 west, as they came to the area of 598 00:28:56,410 --> 00:28:59,390 Edom, and Mount Seir is where it was, 599 00:28:59,670 --> 00:29:01,770 and then across to Kadish. 600 00:29:02,750 --> 00:29:09,320 Having conquered all of these cities, and archaeology 601 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:14,540 has certainly confirmed this particular part of history 602 00:29:14,540 --> 00:29:17,620 here in the Bible, as they have uncovered 603 00:29:17,620 --> 00:29:21,780 vast cities that were never rebuilt. 604 00:29:22,100 --> 00:29:24,640 They just totally wiped out the cities and 605 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,860 all, took the spoils, and the cities were 606 00:29:27,860 --> 00:29:28,780 never rebuilt. 607 00:29:29,460 --> 00:29:32,100 They updated the ruins and so forth to 608 00:29:32,100 --> 00:29:36,440 about the 17th century BC, to the 19th 609 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:39,120 century BC, so that it puts it about 610 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:41,840 the time of this invasion, and they've actually 611 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,300 discovered many of these cities that are named 612 00:29:44,300 --> 00:29:48,620 here, and the ruins of these cities, as 613 00:29:48,620 --> 00:29:51,280 they have put their spade to the tells, 614 00:29:51,700 --> 00:29:55,380 and have uncovered really a vast civilization that 615 00:29:55,380 --> 00:29:57,660 once existed there, but they were wiped out 616 00:29:57,660 --> 00:30:01,760 by this invasion of the Babylonian confederacy with 617 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:03,780 the Persian confederacy of kings. 618 00:30:05,380 --> 00:30:08,020 Now the whole purpose of the invasion was 619 00:30:08,020 --> 00:30:10,720 ultimately to get at Sodom, these five cities 620 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,700 of the plain, that had rebelled against the 621 00:30:13,700 --> 00:30:20,300 tribute that they were paying to Kedolomer, the 622 00:30:20,300 --> 00:30:23,320 king of Elam, and so they came, in 623 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:25,600 verse 10, to the valley of Sodom, which 624 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:27,040 was full of slime pits. 625 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:28,980 Now the word slime pits is actually the 626 00:30:28,980 --> 00:30:30,240 asphalt pits. 627 00:30:30,780 --> 00:30:33,720 This was an area of a lot of 628 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:39,780 tar asphalt pits down there in the valley, 629 00:30:39,780 --> 00:30:44,040 which, when God sent fire from heaven to 630 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:47,780 consume Sodom, probably set these things on fire, 631 00:30:47,860 --> 00:30:50,060 and they probably burned for months. 632 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:52,660 Once you get that hot enough to where 633 00:30:52,660 --> 00:30:56,380 it's ignited and burning, it probably went on 634 00:30:56,380 --> 00:30:57,180 and on and on. 635 00:30:57,340 --> 00:30:59,240 So, it was an area that was full 636 00:30:59,240 --> 00:30:59,700 of slime pits. 637 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:04,990 Actually, it's an interesting thing that in the 638 00:31:04,990 --> 00:31:08,130 Tower of Babel, they used pitch for mortar. 639 00:31:08,290 --> 00:31:10,930 The word pitch there again is a word 640 00:31:10,930 --> 00:31:12,250 that signifies tar. 641 00:31:13,690 --> 00:31:16,210 Rockefeller, when he read the Bible, saw that 642 00:31:16,210 --> 00:31:17,930 and figured, hey, if it's tar, there must 643 00:31:17,930 --> 00:31:20,310 be oil, and that's why he began to 644 00:31:20,310 --> 00:31:23,090 explore for oil over in that area of 645 00:31:23,090 --> 00:31:25,250 Saudi Arabia and Iran and so forth, and 646 00:31:25,250 --> 00:31:27,530 that's why he became such an extremely wealthy 647 00:31:27,530 --> 00:31:27,870 man. 648 00:31:28,130 --> 00:31:29,790 He read his Bible and used his hand. 649 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:44,200 And so the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah 650 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:49,630 fled and fell there, and they that remained 651 00:31:49,630 --> 00:31:50,950 fled into the mountains. 652 00:31:51,190 --> 00:31:52,850 Now, of course, if you're down there, man, 653 00:31:52,970 --> 00:31:56,870 you know that there's all kinds of steep 654 00:31:56,870 --> 00:32:00,730 cliffs and caves and hiding places in Masada, 655 00:32:01,130 --> 00:32:03,830 one of the mountains down there that would 656 00:32:03,830 --> 00:32:06,470 overlook the area that was once Tyre and 657 00:32:06,470 --> 00:32:06,830 Sidon. 658 00:32:08,530 --> 00:32:10,510 And so these kings took all of the 659 00:32:10,510 --> 00:32:12,910 goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all of 660 00:32:12,910 --> 00:32:16,870 their vitual supplies, and they went their way, 661 00:32:17,050 --> 00:32:21,490 and they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who 662 00:32:21,490 --> 00:32:25,110 dwelt in Sodom and his goods and departed. 663 00:32:25,890 --> 00:32:29,410 And there came one that had escaped, probably 664 00:32:29,410 --> 00:32:30,630 one of Lot's servants. 665 00:32:31,350 --> 00:32:34,990 And he told Abram in the Hebrew, and 666 00:32:34,990 --> 00:32:36,790 of course, this is the first time the 667 00:32:36,790 --> 00:32:38,090 word Hebrew is used. 668 00:32:38,510 --> 00:32:40,430 It probably comes from the name of his 669 00:32:40,430 --> 00:32:42,210 great-great-great-grandfather Eber. 670 00:32:42,850 --> 00:32:45,970 And so he was called the Hebrew here. 671 00:32:46,090 --> 00:32:49,390 It's a name that was adopted later, but 672 00:32:49,390 --> 00:32:51,930 Israel was the name that really is adopted 673 00:32:51,930 --> 00:32:53,570 for the people because of Jacob. 674 00:32:54,470 --> 00:32:57,470 And Israel defines more the nation that God 675 00:32:57,470 --> 00:32:57,890 had blessed. 676 00:32:58,010 --> 00:33:01,150 The Hebrews would include actually the Arabs in 677 00:33:01,150 --> 00:33:05,030 a technical sense because they are the descendants 678 00:33:05,030 --> 00:33:05,730 of Ishmael. 679 00:33:06,830 --> 00:33:08,790 For he dwelt in the plain of Mamre, 680 00:33:09,110 --> 00:33:11,510 the Amorite brother of Eshcol and brother of 681 00:33:11,510 --> 00:33:11,810 Aner. 682 00:33:12,190 --> 00:33:14,210 And they were confederate with Abram. 683 00:33:14,290 --> 00:33:16,230 So Abram had these others that he was 684 00:33:16,230 --> 00:33:19,210 dwelling in this area of Mamre with Eshcol, 685 00:33:19,370 --> 00:33:21,890 from whom the valley of Eshcol became named 686 00:33:21,890 --> 00:33:23,050 later on. 687 00:33:23,570 --> 00:33:30,330 And his two brothers, Mamre and Aner. 688 00:33:31,190 --> 00:33:33,430 And when Abram heard that his brother, that 689 00:33:33,430 --> 00:33:36,790 his Lot was taken captive, he armed his 690 00:33:36,790 --> 00:33:38,890 trained servants that were born in his own 691 00:33:38,890 --> 00:33:43,030 house, 318, and he pursued them unto Dan. 692 00:33:43,030 --> 00:33:45,890 So it gives you the size of Abram's 693 00:33:45,890 --> 00:33:51,110 wealth and all that he had 318 men 694 00:33:51,110 --> 00:33:53,590 who were his own servants that he could 695 00:33:53,590 --> 00:33:54,330 arm for battle. 696 00:33:55,150 --> 00:33:58,050 Now you can imagine, you know, if you 697 00:33:58,050 --> 00:33:59,450 had that many servants, you'd have a real 698 00:33:59,450 --> 00:34:01,690 food supply problem. 699 00:34:01,850 --> 00:34:03,970 You know, feeding everybody because you're responsible to 700 00:34:03,970 --> 00:34:04,750 take care of them all. 701 00:34:05,390 --> 00:34:09,070 So Abram was a man of very vast 702 00:34:09,070 --> 00:34:13,750 means, very vast wealth that he could support 703 00:34:13,750 --> 00:34:16,389 and keep that many servants. 704 00:34:18,250 --> 00:34:20,389 They pursued them as far as Dan. 705 00:34:20,530 --> 00:34:23,070 Now Dan is in the uppermost part of 706 00:34:23,070 --> 00:34:23,770 Galilee. 707 00:34:23,989 --> 00:34:26,330 It's just before you get to the base 708 00:34:29,050 --> 00:34:33,469 of Mount Hermon. 709 00:34:35,670 --> 00:34:41,030 It's probably five miles from Banias where the 710 00:34:41,030 --> 00:34:43,030 Jordan River comes right out of the base 711 00:34:43,030 --> 00:34:43,989 of Mount Hermon. 712 00:34:43,989 --> 00:34:46,510 And so you're clear on up at the 713 00:34:46,510 --> 00:34:48,989 northern end of the Upper Galilee which means 714 00:34:48,989 --> 00:34:53,350 from the area of Hebron, he pursued them 715 00:34:53,350 --> 00:35:01,990 about 125 miles which without armored weapons, carriers 716 00:35:01,990 --> 00:35:03,750 and so forth, that was a pretty long 717 00:35:03,750 --> 00:35:05,610 jaunt for these guys to go. 718 00:35:07,530 --> 00:35:10,710 Figuring that on sort of a forced march 719 00:35:10,710 --> 00:35:14,270 you can get 25 miles a day you 720 00:35:14,270 --> 00:35:17,870 get an idea of how far they pursued 721 00:35:17,870 --> 00:35:19,850 these armies. 722 00:35:20,050 --> 00:35:22,190 On up to the area of Dan where 723 00:35:22,190 --> 00:35:25,670 they caught up with them in the area 724 00:35:25,670 --> 00:35:27,030 of Dan. 725 00:35:28,130 --> 00:35:30,210 And he divided himself against them. 726 00:35:31,630 --> 00:35:34,990 And he and his servants by night he 727 00:35:34,990 --> 00:35:38,530 smote them and pursued them to Hobah which 728 00:35:38,530 --> 00:35:40,810 is on the left hand of Damascus. 729 00:35:40,810 --> 00:35:44,990 Now Damascus is some 45 miles beyond. 730 00:35:45,690 --> 00:35:48,830 So he came upon them at night, took 731 00:35:48,830 --> 00:35:51,710 them by surprise which was probably the wisest 732 00:35:51,710 --> 00:35:52,550 thing he could do. 733 00:35:52,990 --> 00:35:56,490 Because the armies that he was facing were 734 00:35:56,490 --> 00:36:00,310 numbering anywhere from 50 to 100,000 men. 735 00:36:01,650 --> 00:36:03,830 And here he comes up with his 318 736 00:36:03,830 --> 00:36:08,150 servants plus those of the three brothers that 737 00:36:08,150 --> 00:36:09,990 went with him, confederate with him. 738 00:36:10,930 --> 00:36:13,170 And so probably at most an army of 739 00:36:13,170 --> 00:36:16,270 500 or so coming against several thousand who 740 00:36:16,270 --> 00:36:19,370 had just wiped out almost a whole civilization. 741 00:36:20,130 --> 00:36:22,270 Wiped out five kings of the plain. 742 00:36:23,850 --> 00:36:24,970 Tough guys. 743 00:36:25,890 --> 00:36:27,870 And Abram came on them at night. 744 00:36:27,990 --> 00:36:31,050 Now they probably number one figured no one 745 00:36:31,050 --> 00:36:32,790 would dare attack us unless they had a 746 00:36:32,790 --> 00:36:33,710 huge force. 747 00:36:34,070 --> 00:36:36,070 At night they couldn't see how many Abram 748 00:36:36,070 --> 00:36:36,370 had. 749 00:36:37,830 --> 00:36:41,030 And they were taken by surprise. 750 00:36:41,290 --> 00:36:42,030 They were confused. 751 00:36:42,570 --> 00:36:43,710 They began to flee. 752 00:36:44,450 --> 00:36:46,450 But from that point it was hard to 753 00:36:46,450 --> 00:36:48,290 flee because you've got to go right on 754 00:36:48,290 --> 00:36:49,510 up the Golan Heights. 755 00:36:49,930 --> 00:36:51,470 You're in a box canyon. 756 00:36:52,310 --> 00:36:54,550 And so whenever you flee the direction you 757 00:36:54,550 --> 00:36:56,790 always try to flee at least is home. 758 00:36:57,490 --> 00:37:00,570 And so they started heading home up Mount 759 00:37:00,570 --> 00:37:02,910 Hermon really because they came to the left 760 00:37:02,910 --> 00:37:05,170 side of Damascus which means that they went 761 00:37:05,170 --> 00:37:06,990 on up Mount Hermon and as they were 762 00:37:06,990 --> 00:37:08,970 fleeing gave Abram and his men a chance 763 00:37:08,970 --> 00:37:12,230 to really wipe at their flanks and to 764 00:37:12,230 --> 00:37:14,270 come up and to destroy them as they 765 00:37:14,270 --> 00:37:15,390 were coming up on them. 766 00:37:15,810 --> 00:37:17,470 Pursued them all the way to Hobah which 767 00:37:17,470 --> 00:37:20,230 is to the left of Damascus that would 768 00:37:20,230 --> 00:37:21,270 be going north. 769 00:37:22,130 --> 00:37:29,900 And so Abram destroyed actually these armies that 770 00:37:29,900 --> 00:37:30,420 had come. 771 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:34,720 And he brought back all of the goods. 772 00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:38,040 And he also brought again his brother or 773 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:42,280 literally his nephew Lot and his goods and 774 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:44,940 the women also and the people. 775 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:48,620 So these kings had taken a lot of 776 00:37:48,620 --> 00:37:52,020 captives that they would have made slaves. 777 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:56,740 Abram rescued them all and was bringing them 778 00:37:56,740 --> 00:37:57,120 back. 779 00:37:57,820 --> 00:37:59,720 And as he was returning the king of 780 00:37:59,720 --> 00:38:01,800 Sodom went out to meet him after his 781 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:04,640 return from the slaughter of Kedol-Omar. 782 00:38:05,260 --> 00:38:08,340 And the kings that were with him at 783 00:38:08,340 --> 00:38:11,260 the valley of Sheba which is in the 784 00:38:11,260 --> 00:38:12,520 king's dell. 785 00:38:15,130 --> 00:38:19,170 And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought forth 786 00:38:19,170 --> 00:38:22,370 bread and wine and he was the priest 787 00:38:22,370 --> 00:38:28,650 of El-Yom or the God the Most 788 00:38:28,650 --> 00:38:29,130 High. 789 00:38:29,910 --> 00:38:31,630 The Most High God. 790 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:37,920 And he blessed him and said, Blessed be 791 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:40,560 Abram of the Most High God possessor of 792 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,100 the heaven and earth and blessed be the 793 00:38:43,100 --> 00:38:45,140 Most High God which hath delivered thine enemies 794 00:38:45,140 --> 00:38:46,020 into thy hand. 795 00:38:46,980 --> 00:38:50,260 And Abram gave him tithes of all. 796 00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:55,180 So briefly we are introduced to this interesting 797 00:38:55,180 --> 00:39:01,170 mystical person Melchizedek of whom the scripture speaks 798 00:39:01,170 --> 00:39:01,690 very little. 799 00:39:01,790 --> 00:39:04,790 It tells us nothing of Melchizedek's parentage. 800 00:39:05,230 --> 00:39:06,710 Nothing of his mother and father. 801 00:39:07,290 --> 00:39:09,670 Tells us nothing of his genealogy. 802 00:39:10,590 --> 00:39:12,410 All that it tells us is that he 803 00:39:12,410 --> 00:39:15,970 was a servant or a priest actually of 804 00:39:15,970 --> 00:39:17,830 the Most High God. 805 00:39:19,010 --> 00:39:21,130 He came out to Abram with what? 806 00:39:21,290 --> 00:39:25,230 Bread and wine which are the symbols of 807 00:39:25,230 --> 00:39:25,910 communion. 808 00:39:27,490 --> 00:39:30,810 And he gave these unto Abram and then 809 00:39:30,810 --> 00:39:32,610 he blessed Abram. 810 00:39:33,850 --> 00:39:36,570 Now the lesser is always blessed by the 811 00:39:36,570 --> 00:39:36,890 greater. 812 00:39:39,510 --> 00:39:42,910 Therefore in blessing Abram it puts him a 813 00:39:42,910 --> 00:39:44,790 level above Abram. 814 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:51,100 In Abram giving tithes of all that he 815 00:39:51,100 --> 00:39:52,140 had to him. 816 00:39:53,460 --> 00:39:56,620 Again it was a signifying of the lesser 817 00:39:57,220 --> 00:39:59,420 paying the tithes to the greater. 818 00:39:59,700 --> 00:40:01,960 To the servant or the priest of the 819 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:02,620 Most High God. 820 00:40:02,620 --> 00:40:06,680 So Abram received the blessing recognized the man 821 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:07,980 as a priest of the Most High God 822 00:40:07,980 --> 00:40:10,320 gave tithes of all of the spoils that 823 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:12,240 he had taken unto him. 824 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:20,660 Nothing more is said of Melchizedek until we 825 00:40:20,660 --> 00:40:23,540 get to the 110th Psalm. 826 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:30,210 And suddenly out of nothing that seems to 827 00:40:30,210 --> 00:40:32,990 relate to the rest of the 110th Psalm 828 00:40:35,540 --> 00:40:38,620 we read the words, I have sworn and 829 00:40:38,620 --> 00:40:41,380 will not repent I have made thee a 830 00:40:41,380 --> 00:40:45,600 priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. 831 00:40:47,590 --> 00:40:53,870 Now Abraham's son Isaac had a son Jacob 832 00:40:53,870 --> 00:40:55,390 who had 12 sons. 833 00:40:55,530 --> 00:40:57,810 One of Jacob's sons was Levi. 834 00:40:58,570 --> 00:41:01,810 And when the law was established Levi was 835 00:41:01,810 --> 00:41:04,170 the tribe that was to become the priestly 836 00:41:04,170 --> 00:41:04,670 tribe. 837 00:41:05,050 --> 00:41:07,330 And so they were called the order of 838 00:41:07,330 --> 00:41:07,790 Levi. 839 00:41:07,790 --> 00:41:12,050 Or the Levitical order of priesthood. 840 00:41:12,490 --> 00:41:14,950 Order referring to the family. 841 00:41:16,330 --> 00:41:19,570 Now here is an order of priesthood that 842 00:41:19,570 --> 00:41:22,430 precedes the Levitical order. 843 00:41:23,510 --> 00:41:28,450 And is superior to the Levitical order in 844 00:41:28,450 --> 00:41:33,010 that Levi in essence when Abram paid tithes, 845 00:41:35,180 --> 00:41:37,800 the great great grandfather of Levi, Levi in 846 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:40,820 essence was paying tithes unto Melchizedek. 847 00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:44,800 So it puts the order of priesthood of 848 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:47,740 Melchizedek in a superior order to the Levitical 849 00:41:47,740 --> 00:41:48,220 order. 850 00:41:50,740 --> 00:41:53,340 And God has sworn and will not repent. 851 00:41:53,620 --> 00:41:57,120 I have made thee a priest forever after 852 00:41:57,120 --> 00:41:59,080 the order of Melchizedek. 853 00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:03,200 That Psalm had to remain a mystery as 854 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:06,400 did Melchizedek himself until we come to the 855 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:09,220 book of Hebrews when the mystery begins to 856 00:42:09,220 --> 00:42:09,860 unravel. 857 00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:13,680 For the author of the book of Hebrews 858 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:15,840 when he begins to point out the fact 859 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:19,000 that Jesus though he is from the tribe 860 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,780 of Judah of which the scriptures have nothing 861 00:42:21,780 --> 00:42:25,760 to say concerning the priesthood, but even though 862 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:28,160 he is of the tribe of Judah, he 863 00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:31,840 is of the order of priesthood of Melchizedek, 864 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:33,840 the superior order of priesthood. 865 00:42:34,860 --> 00:42:38,900 Thus he can be the great high priest 866 00:42:38,900 --> 00:42:43,220 of those who will come unto God through 867 00:42:43,220 --> 00:42:43,580 him. 868 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:47,420 Now Melchizedek was called the king of righteousness 869 00:42:47,420 --> 00:42:48,900 as well as the king of peace. 870 00:42:49,020 --> 00:42:51,180 King of peace is Salem which is the 871 00:42:51,180 --> 00:42:53,360 early name for Jerusalem. 872 00:42:53,740 --> 00:42:54,900 So he was one of the first kings 873 00:42:54,900 --> 00:42:55,480 of Jerusalem. 874 00:42:56,740 --> 00:42:59,120 But he was also called the king of 875 00:42:59,120 --> 00:42:59,900 righteousness. 876 00:43:00,260 --> 00:43:01,960 Now it is interesting when he refers to 877 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:06,860 Christ who is of the order of Melchizedek 878 00:43:10,410 --> 00:43:16,110 and he talks about Christ making intercession for 879 00:43:16,110 --> 00:43:17,690 us as our great high priest. 880 00:43:17,830 --> 00:43:19,390 Therefore we have a great high priest even 881 00:43:19,390 --> 00:43:21,150 Jesus Christ the righteous. 882 00:43:21,910 --> 00:43:24,370 Again the repetition of that word the righteous. 883 00:43:24,590 --> 00:43:25,250 King of righteousness. 884 00:43:25,810 --> 00:43:27,590 We have a great high priest Jesus Christ 885 00:43:27,590 --> 00:43:30,610 the righteous one literally who has entered into 886 00:43:30,610 --> 00:43:31,990 heaven for us. 887 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:35,440 Now you see how the word of God 888 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:36,680 is so beautifully tied together. 889 00:43:36,860 --> 00:43:38,580 Here is just a little snatch in Genesis. 890 00:43:38,580 --> 00:43:41,080 By itself we don't understand it very much. 891 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:43,060 If that was all that was said Melchizedek 892 00:43:43,060 --> 00:43:45,060 would be just lost in history as a 893 00:43:45,060 --> 00:43:46,960 mystical character we know very little about him. 894 00:43:48,220 --> 00:43:50,880 And then when David comes along in Psalm 895 00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:52,460 110 and said I have sworn and will 896 00:43:52,460 --> 00:43:54,080 not repent I have made thee a priest 897 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:55,680 forever after the order of Melchizedek. 898 00:43:55,760 --> 00:43:57,500 What in the world is David talking about? 899 00:43:57,980 --> 00:43:59,260 Psalm doesn't make sense. 900 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:02,480 It doesn't make sense until it's all put 901 00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:04,820 together in Hebrews and we realize that Jesus 902 00:44:04,820 --> 00:44:06,400 is our great high priest. 903 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:08,820 He's not of the tribe of Levi true 904 00:44:08,820 --> 00:44:10,280 for he had to be the lion of 905 00:44:10,280 --> 00:44:11,980 the tribe of Judah to fulfill the prophecy 906 00:44:11,980 --> 00:44:12,580 of the Messiah. 907 00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:14,680 But he is also the priest but not 908 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:17,000 after the Levitical order after the order of 909 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:22,340 Melchizedek who has neither mother nor father or 910 00:44:22,340 --> 00:44:22,900 genealogy. 911 00:44:25,310 --> 00:44:28,490 Now there are many Bible scholars who believe 912 00:44:28,490 --> 00:44:31,890 that Melchizedek was none other than Jesus Christ 913 00:44:31,890 --> 00:44:32,970 himself. 914 00:44:34,250 --> 00:44:35,370 Very possible. 915 00:44:37,980 --> 00:44:43,400 Jesus said to the Pharisees Abraham rejoiced to 916 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:44,720 see my day and saw it. 917 00:44:45,620 --> 00:44:47,220 They said what do you mean Abraham saw 918 00:44:47,220 --> 00:44:47,540 you? 919 00:44:48,100 --> 00:44:49,560 You're not 50 years old. 920 00:44:49,900 --> 00:44:52,360 So Jesus could have been referring to this 921 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:53,340 particular incident. 922 00:44:57,200 --> 00:45:03,100 Now after Abram received the elements of communion 923 00:45:03,100 --> 00:45:06,420 the bread and wine received the blessing then 924 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:13,860 the king of Sodom verse 21 said unto 925 00:45:13,860 --> 00:45:19,300 Abram give me the persons and take the 926 00:45:19,300 --> 00:45:20,500 goods to thyself. 927 00:45:21,540 --> 00:45:23,620 You know just give me the hostages that 928 00:45:23,620 --> 00:45:27,200 you've recaptured and you keep all of the 929 00:45:27,200 --> 00:45:30,260 loot and Abram said to the king of 930 00:45:30,260 --> 00:45:34,800 Sodom I have lifted up my hand unto 931 00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:38,660 the Lord the most high God El Elyon. 932 00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:44,420 He uses the same term now that Melchizedek 933 00:45:44,420 --> 00:45:45,380 could use concerning God. 934 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:47,160 El Elyon the most high God. 935 00:45:49,770 --> 00:45:52,410 I've lifted up mine hand unto the Jehovah 936 00:45:52,410 --> 00:45:54,370 the most high God the possessor of heaven 937 00:45:54,370 --> 00:45:57,110 and earth that I will not take from 938 00:45:57,110 --> 00:45:59,830 a thread to a shoelace. 939 00:46:00,510 --> 00:46:04,290 I'll not take anything that is yours lest 940 00:46:04,290 --> 00:46:07,230 you would say I made Abram rich. 941 00:46:07,610 --> 00:46:10,250 Abram had acknowledged that the blessings and the 942 00:46:10,250 --> 00:46:11,670 riches that he had had come to him 943 00:46:11,670 --> 00:46:12,210 from God. 944 00:46:12,570 --> 00:46:14,370 He was not about ready to let any 945 00:46:14,370 --> 00:46:16,790 man take credit for making him wealthy. 946 00:46:17,510 --> 00:46:20,150 He didn't want anyone boasting saying well I 947 00:46:20,150 --> 00:46:21,270 made Abram rich. 948 00:46:21,630 --> 00:46:24,490 God had blessed Abram had prospered him and 949 00:46:24,490 --> 00:46:28,090 Abram wanted only God to get the glory. 950 00:46:28,810 --> 00:46:32,230 So he refused to take any not even 951 00:46:32,230 --> 00:46:33,630 a thread or a shoelace. 952 00:46:33,690 --> 00:46:36,070 He said except just the food that these 953 00:46:36,070 --> 00:46:37,510 young men who went to battle with me 954 00:46:37,510 --> 00:46:39,610 have eaten and so forth and these others 955 00:46:39,610 --> 00:46:41,390 let them have their share but I'm not 956 00:46:41,390 --> 00:46:43,170 going to take anything because I don't want 957 00:46:43,170 --> 00:46:45,510 you saying I made Abram rich. 958 00:46:45,570 --> 00:46:47,770 It's an important lesson for us to learn 959 00:46:47,770 --> 00:46:51,270 and that is never take the bows for 960 00:46:51,270 --> 00:46:55,610 the work of God or never let man 961 00:46:55,610 --> 00:46:57,910 take the credit for the work of God. 962 00:47:00,780 --> 00:47:03,500 Man seems to always like to take credit 963 00:47:03,500 --> 00:47:04,660 for what God has done. 964 00:47:09,120 --> 00:47:11,880 Well I fasted for many weeks and I 965 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:13,580 did this and I did that and I 966 00:47:13,580 --> 00:47:16,060 made this commitment and I made this sacrifice 967 00:47:16,060 --> 00:47:20,100 and I you know and because I am 968 00:47:20,100 --> 00:47:22,060 so wonderful God has done all of this. 969 00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:30,830 Oh how horrible when man seeks to take 970 00:47:30,830 --> 00:47:33,130 credit for what God has done. 971 00:47:36,040 --> 00:47:38,040 The Bible says that no flesh should glory 972 00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:42,040 in his sight and so Abram was very 973 00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:46,420 wise in this recognizing that the hand of 974 00:47:46,420 --> 00:47:48,220 God's blessing had been upon his life and 975 00:47:48,220 --> 00:47:50,140 would continue upon his life because God had 976 00:47:50,140 --> 00:47:50,820 promised it. 977 00:47:51,260 --> 00:47:53,360 He said hey man I won't even take 978 00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:54,700 a shoelace from you. 979 00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:57,060 As in time to come I don't want 980 00:47:57,060 --> 00:48:00,840 you saying hey I made Abram rich recognizing 981 00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:02,720 that God was the one who had blessed 982 00:48:02,720 --> 00:48:04,320 him with these riches.