“So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people” (vs16)
We help our brothers, even as the Lord Jesus helps us, delivering us from slavery and captivity to sin. Paul said, ““O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom 7:24-25) Therefore, we do the same to others. We don't say, “It is his own fault” and leave him there. We don't say, “It is more trouble than it is worth”, but we PURSUE our fallen brethren, like Abram, even unto Dan and “as far as Hobah”, even unto where they are. It is written, “Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus” (vs14-15). We do whatever we can to save them, recover them, and deliver them.
First, the Son of God did and does this for you. You were enslaved to sin, the devil's whore, and He came to you, casting out Satan and delivering you from slavery, “For Jesus said to him, Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” (Mark 5:8). You didn't, “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps”, for you had no straps, no boots, and no love for God. You may have fled from one form of sin to another, but you never sought God. “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God” (Rom 3:10-11). He came to you freely in electing love.
Secondly, He delivers you now. You are not a person above sin in your own strength. You conquer by the Spirit. Paul says, “you who are spiritual restore such a one [a brother overtaken in a fault] in a spirit of meekness”, so that the Spirit makes us able to help (Gal 5:22; Gal 6:1). He fixes us, so that rather than us being the fallen saint, I'm able to help him.
Our present condition is not by might, but we have learned the KEY to obedience is helplessness, need, and ultimately FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ, that what He has died to give, He will give, and what He gives is better and mightier than sin, so that we don't serve its evil snares.
Yes, as believers, we are taken captive. We are not perfect, and we keep conscience of our own failures in dealing with others. We would not TRUST Christ, if we weren't desperately needy because of sin.
Thirdly, there is a reward to the righteous. Not only does Abram get the joy of saving Lot, but he also gets a reward from God as Melchizedek the priest comes to him. Genesis 14 continues, “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hands” (vs18-20). As we love the brethren, recovering and helping them, teaching them by example and counsel, by rebuke and instruction, the Lord God unfolds His glory to us.
He comes both freely, without us obeying, and He comes faithfully in response to obedience, the obedience He has caused.
Finally, live to save others. Live that saints and sinners know God. Live to be the kind of person that can correct another, help another, and loves people, pursuing after them. Paul writes, “in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you” (Titus 2:7-8).
Trust the Almighty for strength to help your brother, even as you believe Him for strength to help you.
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