Sermons citing Genesis 12:11–14:24

^12:13 Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”

^12:14 So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

^12:15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.

^12:16 He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

^12:17 The LORD, however, afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.

^12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?

^12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”

^12:20 Then Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram, and they sent him away with his wife and all his possessions.

^13:1 So Abram went up out of Egypt into the Negev—he and his wife and all his possessions—and Lot was with him.

^13:2 And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold.

^13:3 From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been pitched,

^13:4 to the site where he had built the altar. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

^13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.

^13:6 But the land was unable to support both of them while they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they were unable to coexist.

^13:7 And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.

^13:8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are kinsmen.

^13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

^13:10 And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

^13:11 So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And Abram and Lot parted company.

^13:12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

^13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.

^13:14 After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west,

^13:15 for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.

^13:16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.

^13:17 Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.”

^13:18 So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the Oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.

^14:1 In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim

^14:2 went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).

^14:3 The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

^14:4 For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

^14:5 In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

^14:6 and the Horites in the area of Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is near the desert.

^14:7 Then they turned back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.

^14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and arrayed themselves for battle in the Valley of Siddim

^14:9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.

^14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some men fell into the pits, but the survivors fled to the hill country.

^14:11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they went on their way.

^14:12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since Lot was living in Sodom.

^14:13 Then an escapee came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the Oaks of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were bound by treaty to Abram.

^14:14 And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan.

^14:15 During the night, Abram divided his forces and routed Chedorlaomer’s army, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.

^14:16 He retrieved all the goods, as well as his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the rest of the people.

^14:17 After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

^14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High—

^14:19 and he blessed Abram and said: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,

^14:20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

^14:21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the goods for yourself.”

^14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,

^14:23 that I will not accept even a thread, or a strap of a sandal, or anything that belongs to you, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

^14:24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share for the men who went with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. They may take their portion.”