Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen people. As for Lot, he wanted
Speaker 1: to believe and could believe in a god who could
Speaker 1: make him so rich. But they seem to have come
Speaker 1: up against an obstacle here. He just hoped Abram would
Speaker 1: be in the right frame of mind to help him
Speaker 1: solve it.
Speaker 2: But what are we supposed to do?
Speaker 3: Our men are at each other's throats, Abram, and we
Speaker 3: can't agree on anything. It's like a bad fever dream.
Speaker 2: We must separate. What do you think? The whole land
Speaker 2: is before us? But I will let you decide which
Speaker 2: way will you go?
Speaker 4: You honor me.
Speaker 3: By allowing me to take the land of my choosing uncle,
Speaker 3: Really you do, since.
Speaker 4: You've offered it to me. I'll take the Jordan.
Speaker 2: Place for my family and herds. That's the direction. Will
Speaker 2: go so close to Sodom, Are you sure? I think?
Speaker 3: I think the proximity of the city would prove useful
Speaker 3: to me.
Speaker 2: Yeah, useful. Be careful near those cities. I fear the
Speaker 2: influence of their culture is more dangerous than their spears.
Speaker 1: Lote waved his hand casually with a dismissive tongue. He
Speaker 1: shouted back to his uncle.
Speaker 3: My mind is a locked vault of integrity, Ingram, you
Speaker 3: know this. I love you, Abram, and I always will.
Speaker 3: You've always been a bit of a brother to me,
Speaker 3: and you're everything an older brother should be. Your sense
Speaker 3: of duty and loyalty are unmatched.
Speaker 5: Farewell, in the valley where kings clashed and nations trembled,
Speaker 5: there was one man who rose not.
Speaker 6: For glory but for love. Sello, my friends, from here
Speaker 6: in the Holy Land of Israel. I'mya l Extein with
Speaker 6: International Fellowship of Christian and Jews, and welcome to the
Speaker 6: Chosen People. Each day we'll hear a dramatic story inspired
Speaker 6: by the Bible, stories filled with timeless lessons of faith, love,
Speaker 6: and the meaning of life. Through Israel's story, we'll find
Speaker 6: this truth that we are all chosen for something great.
Speaker 6: If you've been enjoying this podcast so far, we would
Speaker 6: love it if you shared it with a friend. Let's
Speaker 6: be gift givers, offering hope and encouragement to everyone around us.
Speaker 6: And if you're interested in what we do here at
Speaker 6: the Fellowship, you can visit our website at www dot
Speaker 6: IFCJ dot org. Now let's begin today's stories, one of warfare, rescue,
Speaker 6: and divine intervention. The first part of Genesis fourteen brings
Speaker 6: us onto a battlefield, four kings against five. Blood and
Speaker 6: dust swirl. The crash of swords and spears echo through
Speaker 6: the valley. In the middle of this chaos, Lot, the
Speaker 6: nephew of Abram, is swept away. As it turns out,
Speaker 6: Lout's plan to settle in the lushland of the Jordan
Speaker 6: wasn't such a great plan after all. Abram, a man
Speaker 6: of faith, enters this narrative not as a warrior by nature,
Speaker 6: but as a rescuer by choice. What compels a man
Speaker 6: to risk everything for the sake of another? Is it duty, love?
Speaker 6: Or perhaps the call of God. Abram is not a warrior,
Speaker 6: and he's not a young man. But love compels Abram
Speaker 6: to take up the sword. How will our patriarch fair
Speaker 6: against the kings and warriors?
Speaker 2: What is it?
Speaker 7: Lot? Sh quiet? Father? You're scaring me, bless?
Speaker 3: Did I sayd shut up?
Speaker 1: Lot's arm was frozen where he had thrust it in
Speaker 1: front of his wife and daughters. His body taught he
Speaker 1: was perfectly still. Ear perked up to the sounds of
Speaker 1: the night. He had been alerted to their presence by chance.
Speaker 1: The night was unnaturally still animals ceased their nighttime songs,
Speaker 1: the muffled chatter from the perimeter tents had similarly disappeared,
Speaker 1: and the snapping of a twig too close for comfort
Speaker 1: all pointed to a large force moving through camp in
Speaker 1: stealth under cover of darkness. Lot's heart pounded so ferociously
Speaker 1: that he feared it might be audible to his terrified
Speaker 1: family beside him. Then piercing through the silence, a scream,
Speaker 1: as if that initial cry was some secret signal, A
Speaker 1: twisted chorus of tortured screams broke out into the night
Speaker 1: throughout their camp and in the distance from the city beyond.
Speaker 1: It was followed by tormented sobbing and the unmistakable sounds
Speaker 1: of slaughter. As if inspired by a supernatural premonition. Fueled
Speaker 1: by adrenaline, Lot silently gestured for his family to follow
Speaker 1: him through the back entrance the tent. The end of
Speaker 1: his younger daughter Milker's dress, had barely cleared the opening.
Speaker 1: As a fist tore back the opening of their tent,
Speaker 1: flanked by an already bloodied blade, Lot could hear the
Speaker 1: audible sound of disappointment as the intruder beheld there now
Speaker 1: empty dwelling, unaware that his prey huddled in the cramp
Speaker 1: walkway behind the tent. Again, led by a desperate, primal
Speaker 1: urge to escape, he dragged his wife and daughters through
Speaker 1: their camp, keeping them out of sight. The horrors they
Speaker 1: saw would haunt his dreams for years to come. Unspeakable
Speaker 1: things were being done to the women of his camp,
Speaker 1: and countless numbers of his men lay dead, dismembered, or
Speaker 1: bleeding out on death's door. One such man noticed their
Speaker 1: quiet escape in the direction of Sodom. He was writhing
Speaker 1: on the ground, hand to his abdomen, struggling to keep
Speaker 1: his entrails inside his body, gasping for air as he
Speaker 1: poured the air in Lot's direction. Lot crept forward and
Speaker 1: knelt beside the dying man to listen to what he
Speaker 1: was trying to say.
Speaker 8: Say, don't go to the city. Don't gold to Sodom.
Speaker 8: What they set the city as well?
Speaker 2: There everywhere.
Speaker 1: As the man choked out his last words, shouts from
Speaker 1: mere yards away forced him back to the shadows of
Speaker 1: the walkway between tents, where his family was hidden. As
Speaker 1: he drew back, he noticed the man's dagger lying in
Speaker 1: the damp dirt beside him. Lot grasped it and choked
Speaker 1: back his disgust at the slick gore, clinging to the weapon.
Speaker 1: At least he had some sort of defense to protect
Speaker 1: his family. Mercifully, he didn't need to use it, as
Speaker 1: they went unnoticed through the camp turned killing field. They
Speaker 1: crouched in the darkness just outside of what was their
Speaker 1: caravan and took stock of what was before them. The
Speaker 1: intruders had torched a few of the tents on the
Speaker 1: far edge, and the flames now steadily consumed everything in
Speaker 1: their path. Thick smoke choked the air, and in the distance,
Speaker 1: twin flames were springing up, climbing the taller structures of sodom.
Speaker 1: Men hauled looted trunks of silver, gold, and anything else
Speaker 1: they deemed of value through Lot's burning camp, callously stepping
Speaker 1: over the corpses of his fallen men. The abused women
Speaker 1: were being corralled into a line as well, surely to
Speaker 1: be taken wherever Lots riches were headed. Next, Lot, what
Speaker 1: do we do?
Speaker 7: Where do we go? Where are they taking them?
Speaker 9: Oh?
Speaker 6: Are we going to die?
Speaker 2: I don't know, I don't know. We can't go into
Speaker 2: the city.
Speaker 3: Then where will we gone? Where is it safe?
Speaker 7: It's all gone, They're all dead.
Speaker 3: Laugh quiet, you're whimpering, and focus. We need to get
Speaker 3: as far away as we can.
Speaker 2: We can't be discovered where we go. Where we go
Speaker 2: the mountains, the mountains. Are the mountains safe? The mountain safe.
Speaker 7: You saw the Ashpholt pits when we first came here.
Speaker 7: It will be perilous across them in the dark.
Speaker 2: You have to take that chance. We need cover. They'll
Speaker 2: find us out here on the plains.
Speaker 7: When the sun rises.
Speaker 1: Decided, Lot turned to lead his family through the Sidham
Speaker 1: Valley toward the mountains, when the grinning warrior waiting in
Speaker 1: the dark stepped in front of them, blocking their path.
Speaker 1: Looking all the way out, Lot's wife and daughters screamed.
Speaker 1: As he turned to look behind him, he saw five
Speaker 1: more warriors spring forward and grab them. He whirled back
Speaker 1: to confront his would be attacker, palming his bloody dagger,
Speaker 1: and the world suddenly went black. About forty miles away,
Speaker 1: in a wealthy district of the city of Hebron, Abram
Speaker 1: reclined as a guest in the home of his new
Speaker 1: friend and ally, the clan leader Mamory, and his two
Speaker 1: brothers Anna and Eshkol. Abram did not expect to find
Speaker 1: friends amongst the emirates. All the other Canaanites he met
Speaker 1: during his journey had been indifferent or downright hostile. But
Speaker 1: he was surprised that he found favor with Memory almost immediately,
Speaker 1: and they formed an unlikely alliance.
Speaker 4: Mam Rey, brother, tell me, how goes our business?
Speaker 10: Never better? I tell you something. I've started to believe
Speaker 10: that our friend Abram here, Abram the Hebrew, must have
Speaker 10: blown into our town on the winds of prosperity. I
Speaker 10: can't explain it, but ever since he came here and
Speaker 10: we all began working together, I've never seen such a yield.
Speaker 2: The flocks are multiplying.
Speaker 10: Faster than I've ever seen, the crops are springing back
Speaker 10: to life, and production everywhere has increased tenfold.
Speaker 2: Here here, let's drink to our new friend, Abram, Abram
Speaker 2: the Hebrew. Ha you honor me, but surely the gain
Speaker 2: beneficial for us all. I couldn't have asked for better friends.
Speaker 2: And the kindness you've shown me and my people since
Speaker 2: we came here will not be forgotten.
Speaker 10: No, it will not.
Speaker 2: They say.
Speaker 4: The whole city is prospering it's as if the famine
Speaker 4: never happened. The land is finally healing.
Speaker 1: Suddenly, commotion from the receiving hall of the dwelling echoed
Speaker 1: off the stone walls of the interior. The three men
Speaker 1: halted their conversation to listen to the disturbance in the
Speaker 1: other room. Abram's chief servant, Elieza, burst in not a
Speaker 1: moment later, attempting to slow a somewhat unkempt travel worn
Speaker 1: man from entering the room before him.
Speaker 10: Master, pardon the intrusion, but this man insists on speaking
Speaker 10: with you.
Speaker 2: I told him you were not at home. Men, I
Speaker 2: couldn't reason with him to wait for you to return.
Speaker 2: I must speak with Master Abram.
Speaker 10: What is the meaning of this?
Speaker 2: It's all right, Mamray you there. What are you called, Gira? Master?
Speaker 2: If it pleases yeah, What have you come to say, Gira?
Speaker 2: I've traveled far to bring you this news. I fear
Speaker 2: they may be hunting me. Yet it's your nephew Lot.
Speaker 2: They've taken him taken who's taken him? I don't know
Speaker 2: for certain which king has him, but King kro Laomer
Speaker 2: led the attack. I was able to learn that later
Speaker 2: they sacked the cities and destroyed the armies out on
Speaker 2: the plane. I was in lot caravan outside the city,
Speaker 2: though we didn't think they would come for us too.
Speaker 2: I didn't see any survivors from the campus I escaped.
Speaker 2: I don't think anyone was left alive. You're sure they
Speaker 2: took Lot of the prisoner. Are you sure he isn't dead? Yes,
Speaker 2: my lord, I saw them take Lot and the girls.
Speaker 2: The other women from the camp were carted off with
Speaker 2: their livestock and riches. As for his men, Will, I'm
Speaker 2: not sure any were spared. They were marching them north.
Speaker 2: No one thought four kings could defeat the five. No one.
Speaker 2: They traveled the King's highways on the heels of their
Speaker 2: victories from the.
Speaker 10: West, which cities were defeated, all of them.
Speaker 2: The alliance of the cities of the Plain are no more.
Speaker 1: A heaviness settled over the three men, receiving the terrible news.
Speaker 1: The cities of the Plain long held the valley's southern
Speaker 1: part of the Salt Sea. They were Sodom where Lot
Speaker 1: and his family had gone gomorrah admach Zeboem and Bella,
Speaker 1: but they were also slaves to King Caedalaoma Or had
Speaker 1: been after twelve long years, they rebelled against his tyranny,
Speaker 1: and the rebellion had gone unchecked as King Cadalaoma invaded
Speaker 1: and conquered the lands to the west, until now so.
Speaker 10: King Keralaomer at last came to crush the rebellion and
Speaker 10: take back what was.
Speaker 2: His beating the western nations. Our distant Amork cousins included
Speaker 2: into submission was not enough.
Speaker 10: It would seem it was not. This is grave news.
Speaker 4: Indeed, Abram, forgive me for asking this, But why take
Speaker 4: Lot and his family prisoner? Jerolema is not known as
Speaker 4: a merciful man.
Speaker 2: Perhaps they recognized that they were not Canonites and not
Speaker 2: to hold them to exploit a foreign government. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 2: If they are alive, then I must find them and
Speaker 2: take them back.
Speaker 10: Abram. When you entered my house and we forged our alliance,
Speaker 10: I swore to you then that my house would defend
Speaker 10: your honor and fight in your battles in this time
Speaker 10: of prosperity and peace, and never imagined we would be
Speaker 10: called to arms quite like this. But you have the
Speaker 10: strength of my house to aid you in this fight.
Speaker 2: We will be with you, Abram, our shields and spears
Speaker 2: are yours memory? You honor me, Thank you Escall, thank
Speaker 2: you Anair. You are good men, true friends.
Speaker 10: We are with you, Abram, to whatever end.
Speaker 1: Abram could hear his friend's resolute words repeating over and
Speaker 1: over in his mind as he hurried across hebron to
Speaker 1: his caravan of tents. Abram always suspected he knew the
Speaker 1: real reason he had found favor in this city and
Speaker 1: with these powerful men, But now knowing perhaps the greater
Speaker 1: purpose behind it, left Abram in awe. His God had
Speaker 1: once again provided a way to rescue his family. This time,
Speaker 1: Abram was determined to answer the corps. Though the decision
Speaker 1: was already made, he knew what he had to do,
Speaker 1: for he was still repairing what he had lost with
Speaker 1: his wife. Abram's heart pounded with a mix of fear
Speaker 1: and determination as he hurried to his tent to tell
Speaker 1: Sarah what had transpired. He recounted every detail to her,
Speaker 1: watching her face turn pale at the news.
Speaker 7: Oh, those poor people, no survivors, and Lot and his
Speaker 7: family were taken. Yes, and so you must go and
Speaker 7: find him and bring him back.
Speaker 2: Yes, Sir, I I will try. I must leave it
Speaker 2: once so we don't lose the trail. I came here
Speaker 2: directly to tell you. But now I must make preparations
Speaker 2: to leave. I will raise my trained men and we
Speaker 2: will begin the pursuit. We'll be a company of three
Speaker 2: hundred and eighteen, so we'll be able to cover ground
Speaker 2: quickly and deftly.
Speaker 7: Three hundred and eighteen against a whole eastern army led
Speaker 7: by a king who has conquered many nations.
Speaker 2: The Amorites have agreed to join us as well. We
Speaker 2: won't be alone, and you know that my God will
Speaker 2: be with me.
Speaker 7: Even though the numbers are not in your favor, even
Speaker 7: though time is not on your side, even though your
Speaker 7: well passed fighting age, Lot could be hundreds of miles
Speaker 7: away in any direction. Lot chose to settle close to
Speaker 7: the city that was his folly. You would still be
Speaker 7: loyal to him despite all of that.
Speaker 2: I would.
Speaker 7: So you'll fight for him. Then you'll be courageous for him.
Speaker 2: Yes, I don't want to fail them. I I know
Speaker 2: I've been a coward before.
Speaker 1: This is my chance to Abram turned his face away
Speaker 1: from SARAHI. He feared what would happen if he continued.
Speaker 1: Abram couldn't bring himself to fully admit what had happened
Speaker 1: in Egypt, certainly not to Sarahi, perhaps someday, but the
Speaker 1: failure still haunted him. Deeply, Feeling self conscious about what
Speaker 1: he had started to confess aloud, Abram shuddered and trailed
Speaker 1: off into silence, unable to meet her gaze. Fighting back
Speaker 1: the emotions welling up inside of him, he pushed down
Speaker 1: his guilt toward his wife and turned to his feelings
Speaker 1: for Lot. He couldn't lose Lot. He refused to consider
Speaker 1: the possibility and bit back the fears that had been
Speaker 1: creeping into his mind since the messenger burst into Memory's hall.
Speaker 1: Sarahi tentatively approached him and gently placed her hand on
Speaker 1: his shoulder. She tilted her head to meet his gaze,
Speaker 1: but he refused. Her voice was soft behind it was
Speaker 1: a well of unrequited love.
Speaker 7: Go and save them, don't fail, and come back home
Speaker 7: to me.
Speaker 1: Abram, his three hundred and eighteen men, and the combined
Speaker 1: forces of the Amirates set out and quickly found the
Speaker 1: trail of King Cadelaeoma and his four king alliance. They
Speaker 1: had left a wake of destruction in their posts, looting
Speaker 1: and pillaging as they went north, following the Euphrates River,
Speaker 1: Abram's tracking party, made up of his trained men, made
Speaker 1: remarkable speed. As Abram had become familiar with the hill
Speaker 1: country on the western side of the valley, Abram's god
Speaker 1: had shown him all of it in his years of
Speaker 1: wandering before and after Egypt. They easily navigated the landscape
Speaker 1: and used it to their advantage in avoiding the detection
Speaker 1: of their enemy's scouts. When the larger Amrid's force finally
Speaker 1: caught up to them and made camp with them less
Speaker 1: than half a day's march from the Four Kings alliance, Abram,
Speaker 1: emerging as the unlikely military strategist among them, laid out
Speaker 1: their plan.
Speaker 2: Just before dusk tomorrow. Your larger forces will allow yourselves
Speaker 2: to be seen in the foothills. We're far enough away
Speaker 2: that they cannot guess our true numbers. You will draw
Speaker 2: the rise here to the west, and in all likelihood
Speaker 2: it will be late enough in the day for them
Speaker 2: not to be able to mount an attack until dawn.
Speaker 2: They will spin the night preparing and be distracted as
Speaker 2: I take my men to the east under darkness. There
Speaker 2: we will slip between their camp and the river, will
Speaker 2: spring an attack and disorient them. Though our force is small,
Speaker 2: it will feel like another great army has stormed into
Speaker 2: their midst. They will not flee west. They'll fear that
Speaker 2: they will lack the advantage of the high ground, and
Speaker 2: so they will flee either north or south, and we
Speaker 2: will pursue them.
Speaker 10: Hear, hear, and we will crush them whichever direction they choose.
Speaker 1: The fainting light of dusk intermixed with the dark clouds
Speaker 1: on the horizon, painting the landscape the color of rotted wine.
Speaker 1: Mamori's army positioned themselves on the foothills. Each man carried
Speaker 1: two torches, making their army seem twice the size. The
Speaker 1: Four King Alliance immediately began prepare for an attack. Abram
Speaker 1: and his men lingered in the shadows near the enemy camp.
Speaker 1: Abram grinned to himself as he and his men skirted
Speaker 1: the perimeter, hearing the commander's bark orders with terse frayed tempers.
Speaker 1: They were likely used to have been the hunter, never
Speaker 1: the prey, and the reversal of rolls had them on edge.
Speaker 1: Abram turned to Eliezer and smirked, you'd.
Speaker 2: Ever expect us to be here with you, my lord?
Speaker 2: I've come to expect the unexpected. That's the spirit. First
Speaker 2: company attack.
Speaker 1: The first cluster of men charged out of the woods
Speaker 1: into the enemy camp. None of them grew up as warriors,
Speaker 1: but they were fiercely loyal to Abram. Their war cries
Speaker 1: were deep and triumphant. They burst through the camp, slashing
Speaker 1: away at unprepared Sodomite soldiers.
Speaker 3: Second Company hard Abram stationed clusters of his men at
Speaker 3: regular intervals along their eastern flank.
Speaker 1: Making three hundred men feel like three hundred thousand. In
Speaker 1: the dark, more men burst through the tree with fresh legs,
Speaker 1: passing the men who had paused for combat. The sound
Speaker 1: of clanging steel and torn flesh filled the camp. Abram
Speaker 1: tightened his belt and drew his blade. He was no
Speaker 1: longer a young man. The white in his beard and
Speaker 1: creases in his eyes contrasted sharply with the tight muscles
Speaker 1: in his arm. Holding up a sword. Fueled by passion,
Speaker 1: he bellowed.
Speaker 2: And how many follow me?
Speaker 1: The last of Abram's men paced behind him and around him.
Speaker 1: He ran with the vigor of a man half his age.
Speaker 1: The first man he saw as a foot soldier poised
Speaker 1: with a spear. Abram swiped his sword across his body
Speaker 1: from left to right, splitting the shaft of the spear
Speaker 1: in half. He implanted his feet and swung back to
Speaker 1: the left across his body, slashing the man's neck. Blood
Speaker 1: sprayed out on Abram's face. Each phase of the camp
Speaker 1: brought a new challenger. Abram was no warrior, but a
Speaker 1: force more powerful than him fueled him. Elieza was beside him,
Speaker 1: protecting his blind side. All the men pressed forward, slowly,
Speaker 1: diminishing their forces as Abram predicted. They panicked at the
Speaker 1: surprise attack from the opposite direction and fled north. Abram,
Speaker 1: his men and the Amirates pursued them as far as Leish,
Speaker 1: picking off any squadrons who fell behind or broke ranks
Speaker 1: from the larger mass. When they reached the northern city
Speaker 1: of Leich, beyond the mouth of the Euphrates River, they
Speaker 1: launched another attack. This time Abram charged with more than
Speaker 1: a thousand men by his side. His God promised him
Speaker 1: that he would make him great. Since leaving the comforts
Speaker 1: of Awe, Abram had sat in the palace of Pharaoh,
Speaker 1: dined with warlords, and led an army into battle. As
Speaker 1: Abram rushed the enemy. He couldn't help but wonder what
Speaker 1: other things this God had in store for him. The
Speaker 1: second attack was more successful than the last. Abram held
Speaker 1: a staff in one hand and a sword in another,
Speaker 1: parrying with the staff before attacking of the blade. He
Speaker 1: was no master in warfare, but it didn't seem to matter.
Speaker 1: The collective forces of Abram again pursued the last of
Speaker 1: the Great Army to Hobbar, north of Damascus. They had
Speaker 1: traveled hundreds of miles from where they started, Abram's God
Speaker 1: sustaining them and granting them victory after victory, and it
Speaker 1: was there that Abram and his men made their last stand.
Speaker 1: With face caked in blood and sand, Abram screamed with
Speaker 1: passion di seeing the enemy one by one. Each was
Speaker 1: a barrier to his nephew. What had started as chaffed
Speaker 1: irritated skin had turned raw inflamed on Lot's wrists and ankles.
Speaker 1: He knew somewhere in the back of his muddled mind
Speaker 1: that the overwhelming fatigue that gnawdered him day and night
Speaker 1: was probably an infection. The wounds from his bonds had
Speaker 1: never been adequately tended to His wife and daughters were
Speaker 1: the same. He tried not to think about tomorrow, the
Speaker 1: next day, or even the next hour, and what horrors
Speaker 1: they were sure to hold. They sat in the dark
Speaker 1: prisoner's tent, trying to remain optimistic amid tragedy and suffering.
Speaker 1: Lot could tell that his captors were anxious. The pace
Speaker 1: they had adopted was grueling, and they were clearly frustrated.
Speaker 1: He had the feeling that they were being pursued. Their
Speaker 1: captors often took their frustrations out on Lot. Despite this,
Speaker 1: he feared that if these pursuers were to overtake them,
Speaker 1: they could be trading one evil for a more terrifying one.
Speaker 1: To strike fear in the hearts of King Cadelaoma was
Speaker 1: no small feet. It was just before dawn and the
Speaker 1: sun was only starting to warm. At the tail end
Speaker 1: of the night when the shouting and fighting began. Whoever
Speaker 1: had been pursuing them finally caught up to their caravan.
Speaker 1: Lot and his family couldn't see any of it. All
Speaker 1: they could hear was the sound of clanging metal, battle
Speaker 1: cries and tearing flesh.
Speaker 7: What will happen to us? Will they take the camp?
Speaker 7: We should never have left a run? Horry, poor Methel
Speaker 7: or are I oh anywhere, Keep quiet, listen.
Speaker 1: Sure enough, the sounds of battle started to change. The
Speaker 1: rhythm of blows and suffering began to slow. Someone was winning,
Speaker 1: and from the inside of the prisoner's tent, it was
Speaker 1: impossible to tell who it was. Lot and his family
Speaker 1: exchanged leary glances with the other captives. An armored hand
Speaker 1: and forearm threw back the sheepskin hide their tents opening.
Speaker 1: The warrior silently made a terse assessment of the space
Speaker 1: and called for aid. Lot's fever laden head spun as
Speaker 1: his thoughts raced. The armor was not that of their captors.
Speaker 1: This warrior was one of their pursuers. More soldiers poured
Speaker 1: into the tent, taking in the prisoners, All bound and
Speaker 1: roped together, They drew daggers as one, a diligent and
Speaker 1: practiced force. Lot braced himself for the worst and squeezed
Speaker 1: his eyes shut, But then came the sound of rope
Speaker 1: being frayed. Lot's eyes snapped open. They were being released.
Speaker 1: Moments later, the prisoners were being helped to their feet
Speaker 1: and their wounds assessed and tended to. One particularly brusque
Speaker 1: soldier hauled Lot to his feet and shouted something to
Speaker 1: the men outside ahead of him in a language Lot
Speaker 1: did not know. He pulled Lot outside the tent. Lot
Speaker 1: found himself squinting into the bright morning sun. One last
Speaker 1: warrior was locked in battle with the general of King
Speaker 1: Cadalauma's army. He seemed to be the last man standing.
Speaker 1: The warrior was sure footed and moved deftly, despite being
Speaker 1: smaller and much older. He had a confident gravitas to him.
Speaker 1: This man could be a king. Abram could barely keep
Speaker 1: his legs up. Every breath was heavy, strained, and painful,
Speaker 1: but he couldn't show weakness, not yet. He and King
Speaker 1: Cadalaama's general circled each other, waiting for the other to
Speaker 1: make another move. The others had surrounded them with holding
Speaker 1: their aid. They knew this was a battle of honor.
Speaker 1: The general made another move, gliding his feet through the
Speaker 1: dirt to jab at Abram's ribs. Abram stepped to the side,
Speaker 1: but the blade grazed him. Abram winced, but quickly parried
Speaker 1: with a downward chop of his sword. The general blocked
Speaker 1: it with a thick leather armor on his arm. Abram
Speaker 1: heard the sound of cracking bone. This was his chance.
Speaker 1: Abram turned his hips back and cocked his arm. He
Speaker 1: swung his star at the general's head. The whack made
Speaker 1: everyone watch him gasp. Then, before the general could gather himself,
Speaker 1: Abram thrust the tip of his sword into the general's throat.
Speaker 1: The general fell, the crowd cheered, and the euphoria of
Speaker 1: victory rushed through him. The exhaustion of the supernatural feet
Speaker 1: finally washed over him. Abram stumbled to his knees. It
Speaker 1: wasn't over yet. He had to see if Lot was alive.
Speaker 1: He limped over to the prisoner's tent. Several of his
Speaker 1: men were helping the prisoners out of their bonds and
Speaker 1: to their feet. Knees buckling, he collapsed before a familiar
Speaker 1: face he knew almost as well as his own. The
Speaker 1: two wept at the sight of each other. Still shaking
Speaker 1: with weariness and raw emotion, he pulled Lot and his
Speaker 1: family into an embrace. All alive, all safe. Abram hadn't
Speaker 1: failed them.
Speaker 2: Abram, you came. You came for us, of course I did.
Speaker 3: I hadn't even let myself hope that you would, or
Speaker 3: that anyone would.
Speaker 2: You are my family, Lot, I will always fight for
Speaker 2: you and come to your rescue and through the faithfulness
Speaker 2: of my God, I hear you made it, you saved us. Oh,
Speaker 2: thank you, Abram.
Speaker 6: Ah.
Speaker 3: Perhaps I should thank your God as well for saving
Speaker 3: me and my family.
Speaker 2: Eh.
Speaker 1: Together Abram and Lot set about aiding the captured women
Speaker 1: and other prisoners. They also discovered that the gold and
Speaker 1: silver Lot lost in the abduction was still there, along
Speaker 1: with riches from other cas kingdom's The Four king Alliance
Speaker 1: had plundered before they broke camp to begin the long
Speaker 1: trek southward, and after they had recovered, they freed the
Speaker 1: other prisoners of war and sent them home to their
Speaker 1: countries in peace. Once everything was settled, Abram's men, the emirates, Lot,
Speaker 1: his wife and daughters, and the women and men who
Speaker 1: had been captured along with Lot's family started their long
Speaker 1: trek home together.
Speaker 6: What an incredible story, the tension, the stakes, the raw motion.
Speaker 6: Four kings on one side, five on the other, an
Speaker 6: epic clash that felt like the world was about to end.
Speaker 6: And there in the middle of it all was Abram.
Speaker 6: When Abram heard his nephew Loot was taken captive, something
Speaker 6: fierce lid up inside of him. He didn't hesitate, Rather,
Speaker 6: he gathered his men, three hundred and eighteen of them,
Speaker 6: and set out on a mission that seemed impossible, even suicidal.
Speaker 6: Each step of the journey was fraught with danger. Abram
Speaker 6: was outnumbered, but he pressed on against all odds. Abram
Speaker 6: split his forces and attacked at night, and his men rescued,
Speaker 6: loot and returned all the stolen possessions and captives. The
Speaker 6: relief was palpable. Victory which had seemed impossible, had actually
Speaker 6: been won. But you see, it wasn't just about the
Speaker 6: physical battle. No, it was about faith. It was about
Speaker 6: trust in God and the willingness to risk everything in
Speaker 6: order to save the life of another. In this story,
Speaker 6: inspired by just sixteen verses in Genesis, we get a
Speaker 6: glimpse into the heart of Abram, a man chosen by
Speaker 6: God in imperfect man. Abram was man capable of cowardice.
Speaker 6: We saw that in our last episode he had fear
Speaker 6: in his heart. But Abram was also driven maybe you
Speaker 6: can say even more so, his strongest conviction by love, faith,
Speaker 6: and his sense of justice. This is what true courage
Speaker 6: looks like, what it means to stand up for those
Speaker 6: who you love, and what it means to trust in God.
Speaker 6: Even in the face of insurmountable odds. First, let's take
Speaker 6: a look at the relationship between Abram and his nephew Loot,
Speaker 6: as Abram's story was about to begin a couple of
Speaker 6: chapters ago. Genesis eleven gives us the genealogy of Abraham's family,
Speaker 6: and it only tells us that Abram has two brothers,
Speaker 6: Nahor and Harun. But here in Genesis fourteen, after we've
Speaker 6: already read that Lout is Abram's nephew in the original Hebrew,
Speaker 6: and verse fourteen tells us that Abram heard that his
Speaker 6: brother had been taken captive. Now we've already seen that
Speaker 6: Abram's world and Lut's world were very different spiritually and otherwise.
Speaker 6: But in Judaism, there's no greater or more valuable act
Speaker 6: than saving a life.
Speaker 7: So when Hebrew.
Speaker 6: Calls Lot, Abraham's brother, is telling us that no matter
Speaker 6: Loots faith, no matter his location, no matter his actual
Speaker 6: relationship to Abraham, the rescue of this hostage, the saving
Speaker 6: of this life, was all important.
Speaker 7: You see.
Speaker 6: Jewish tradition teaches that when Abram heard of Lout's predicament,
Speaker 6: it took him no more than a second to put
Speaker 6: aside his differences with lout his brother and to rush
Speaker 6: and save him. He suddenly transformed from someone he had
Speaker 6: issues with to feeling like a brother that he had
Speaker 6: to save. And his Jewish tradition tells us whoever saves
Speaker 6: one life saves an entire world. This supreme value of
Speaker 6: saving and preserving life is still paramount to for God's people,
Speaker 6: especially here in Israel, where we face threats on all sides,
Speaker 6: and most recently we've seen in the wake of the
Speaker 6: terror attacks on the Holy Land and the war with
Speaker 6: Ramas that we have to be together. And this value
Speaker 6: of saving lives is something that the Fellowship works to
Speaker 6: fulfill around the clock. We do it every day, every second.
Speaker 6: We provide life saving care for those in need among
Speaker 6: God's people here in the Holy Land and all around
Speaker 6: the world. We feed the hungry, we clothe the naked.
Speaker 6: We save lives those who are similar to us and
Speaker 6: those who are different, but we feel like they're brother. Now,
Speaker 6: let's explore the story's greater implications for the ongoing story
Speaker 6: of God's Chosen People. Abram's rescue mission wasn't just an
Speaker 6: isolated event. It's deeply connected to God's covenant with Abram,
Speaker 6: and this also reflection of God's unwavering commitment to all
Speaker 6: of his chosen people. Remember, in Genesis twelve, God made
Speaker 6: a promise to Abram. I will make you into a
Speaker 6: great nation, and I will bless you. I will make
Speaker 6: your name great, and you will be a blessing. I
Speaker 6: will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you,
Speaker 6: I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be
Speaker 6: blessed through you. Let me explain this. It wasn't a
Speaker 6: one time deal. This was a covenant, a binding agreement
Speaker 6: that set the stage for everything that followed. And Abram's
Speaker 6: rescue of Lot is a microcosm of both of these
Speaker 6: larger covenants. God's promise to Abram extended protection and blessing,
Speaker 6: not just to Abram himself, but to his family as well.
Speaker 6: This divine protection is evident in Abram's unexpected victory over
Speaker 6: the Kings. Wasn't victorious simply because of his strategic prowess
Speaker 6: or his men's bravery. No, No, Abram won because God
Speaker 6: fulfilled his promise. Just as Abram intervened to save Lout,
Speaker 6: God promises to intervene to save his people, and throughout
Speaker 6: his history today, and I believe in the days to come,
Speaker 6: we see that promise of God to intervene to save
Speaker 6: his people. Because God's covenant isn't static. It's not just
Speaker 6: something from ancient times. No, God's Covenant is dynamic. It's alive,
Speaker 6: it's unfolding through real events and real people. It is
Speaker 6: God's stepping into our reality, into our lives, into our struggles,
Speaker 6: and offering us salvation. So when we look at abram
Speaker 6: rescue mission, we see a reflection of God's greater plan,
Speaker 6: a plan of protection, blessing and salvation, a plan rooted
Speaker 6: in his covenant. This story reminds us that God's promises
Speaker 6: are sure, his protection is real, and his commitment to
Speaker 6: saving is unwavering. And it's a testament to God's ability
Speaker 6: to deliver his people from even the most daunting adversaries.
Speaker 6: Here's Bishop Pollinier, our dear friend, who is going to
Speaker 6: explain a little bit more from the Christian perspective on
Speaker 6: Abraham and God's promise of deliverance.
Speaker 9: Thank you so much. I l I know we're pressing
Speaker 9: into chapter fourteen of Genesis, but I got to tell
Speaker 9: you there's something about chapter thirteen that just won't let
Speaker 9: me go. Can I take just a moment here.
Speaker 11: I'm so moved by the profound faith of Abraham in God.
Speaker 11: Abraham has been so blessed, so blessed, and the anointing
Speaker 11: of God is so profoundly upon his life that it's
Speaker 11: on his nephew's life as well. And the blessing is
Speaker 11: so great, and the land is so small, there's not
Speaker 11: enough room for both of them.
Speaker 9: And Abraham's realizing something, and so he says to his nephew,
Speaker 9: and I want you to take a good look here.
Speaker 9: That I like that phrase. It's going to come back
Speaker 9: to us in a moment. I want you to take
Speaker 9: a good look around us. I want you to find
Speaker 9: the land the region where you want to live, and
Speaker 9: you carry your herds and your flocks and your wealth
Speaker 9: and prosperity to that place, and I'll just take whatever's left.
Speaker 10: Hear me.
Speaker 9: Abraham's earning a powerful lesson, isn't he. I don't really
Speaker 9: enter a blessed place, whether it's here or there. Way,
Speaker 9: I carry the word of blessing with me wherever I go. Oh,
Speaker 9: that's a word for you right now. And the Bible
Speaker 9: says that Lot did, and he looked around and he
Speaker 9: saw Sodom, and he said to himself.
Speaker 2: Oh, it's so lushian and beautiful.
Speaker 11: And fragrant, and the colors and the textures and the
Speaker 11: aroma and all of it.
Speaker 10: I want that space.
Speaker 9: And obviously the spirit of honor is not at work
Speaker 9: in Lot's wife. He should have said, Abraham, you've been
Speaker 9: so good to me, sir, and whatever you choose, I'll
Speaker 9: take what's left.
Speaker 10: Listen to me.
Speaker 9: God will never honor a dishonoring person or people. And
Speaker 9: once Lot was gone, the Bible says God took Abraham
Speaker 9: outside and it's his turn this time. God says to Abraham,
Speaker 9: now I want you to look. I want you to
Speaker 9: look north, south, east, and west, but not just what
Speaker 9: you can immediate and at least see, because I need
Speaker 9: you to understand something, Abraham. My blessing on your life
Speaker 9: isn't determined by your vision but mine. I want you
Speaker 9: to look as far north as you can, but it's
Speaker 9: beyond those mountains. Now, I want you to look as
Speaker 9: far as you can south, but it's deeper than the
Speaker 9: give go ahead, look as far east as you can,
Speaker 9: but it's farther than Eden. Yeah, at west is something
Speaker 9: isn't it. But it's it far extends the waters of
Speaker 9: the sea. Well, I feel like I'm talking to somebody
Speaker 9: right now, and maybe you've felt betrayed, lied to, or
Speaker 9: lied on. Somebody stole something from you, belonged to you,
Speaker 9: They tried to undermine you. They've absolutely no sense of
Speaker 9: honor in their relationship to you. God's assigned me in
Speaker 9: your life right now to tell you that he knows
Speaker 9: exactly where you are. He knows what happened and the
Speaker 9: words of accusation and the minimizing of your blessing. He's
Speaker 9: fully aware of every bit of it. But don't you
Speaker 9: give up on the promises of God. Don't you allow
Speaker 9: the enemy to cause you to feel abandoned by Heaven.
Speaker 2: You surely are not well.
Speaker 9: I can't wait to get back now and to really
Speaker 9: get into chapter fourteen.
Speaker 6: You might be facing a difficult situation right now, something
Speaker 6: that feels overwhelming or impossible. But remember God's promises are true.
Speaker 6: His protection is steadfast. He sees you, he loves you,
Speaker 6: and he is with you. It's something that I remind
Speaker 6: myself living every day here under threat in the Holy Land,
Speaker 6: that just as Abram stepped up with courage and faith
Speaker 6: during Load's time of need, We too can be a
Speaker 6: vessel of God's deliverance and hope to others. God can
Speaker 6: use us every single day, through our actions, through our words,
Speaker 6: through our presence, to bring His light into the lives
Speaker 6: of others. Think about the people around you, your family,
Speaker 6: your friends, your community. Who needs a touch of God's
Speaker 6: hope today. God can use you to provide that hope,
Speaker 6: to be that light in the darkness, to change a life,
Speaker 6: and to even save a life. To be reminded of
Speaker 6: that covenant, Abraham's story reminds us that no situation is
Speaker 6: beyond God's reach. His promises to Abram were not just
Speaker 6: for Bible times. They are for every time. They are
Speaker 6: as relevant today as they were then. So as you
Speaker 6: go through your day, be open to know how God
Speaker 6: might use you. Be ready to step into situations with faith,
Speaker 6: knowing that God is at work. God's promise of hope
Speaker 6: and rescue is indeed for each one of us, and
Speaker 6: each of us plays a critical role in spreading that
Speaker 6: hope and love to others. May the Lord bless and
Speaker 6: keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon
Speaker 6: you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn
Speaker 6: his face towards you and give you peace. Shallow, my friends.
Speaker 6: From here in the Holy Land.
Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with You isl
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Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is
Speaker 1: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
Speaker 1: Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are
Speaker 1: the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein,
Speaker 1: edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are
Speaker 1: voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan,
Speaker 1: Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced
Speaker 1: by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by
Speaker 1: Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier,
Speaker 1: Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team
Speaker 1: at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear
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