Who was cherdorlaomer in the Bible, and what role did he play in Jesus’ life?

Who was cherdorlaomer in the Bible: You might think you know everything about Abraham. But do you know the story of his encounter with the ruthless king cherdorlaomer? Maybe you think you know all about Lot, Abraham’s nephew (the one from the story of Sodom and Gomorrah). But I bet you don’t remember that Lot was kidnapped by a ruthless king named cherdorlaomer… and how Abraham went to rescue him.

Today, we will delve into the character of cherdorlaomer, the fearsome king, and how Abraham defeated him after all the powerful rulers of the time couldn’t stand against him. Of course, we will also explore what life lessons we can learn from him. Let’s get started.

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Where can we find cherdorlaomer in the Bible?

cherdorlaomer, also sometimes spelled Kedorlaomer, appears in Genesis chapter 14. There, he is mentioned as the king of Elam at that time. We know that the territory of Elam is in present-day Iran. We often associate Elam with very close relations with Mesopotamia. Ur eventually ruled over the people of Elam for a time.

Interestingly, it appears that the line of succession was passed down through women. Nevertheless, the Bible shows that the kings were still powerful enough to cause significant harm. They caused so much harm that they became a player on the global stage until the Babylonians came in and obliterated any effort they made.

Unfortunately, we don’t know much else about him. Since this kingdom is so ancient, there aren’t many archaeological findings. We know from the actions in the Bible that he probably wasn’t a very good person; we know that many of the kingdoms during this time were eye-for-an-eye. This is part of why God separated Abraham and the Israelites. He wanted a nation that was not structured like the others, not built on much bloodshed and conquest.

Regarding what Elam and cherdorlaomer did in Genesis 14… well… he threatened many nations. He went against the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Bela. You might recognize two of these names. Sodom and Gomorrah don’t last much longer after this story. The people had fallen into sins so grievous that God wiped them from the face of the earth.

As has happened in the history of many vassal kingdoms, the smaller kingdoms eventually rose up against the oppression of Elam. As a result, the king decided to besiege the cities and take some of the inhabitants captive. This brings another important figure into the scene.

What did cherdorlaomer do to Lot?

You might be familiar with Lot. As mentioned earlier, he is Abraham’s (then Abram’s) nephew. And he often made selfish decisions. Significantly, he decided to choose the rich land for his descendants (leaving the less ideal land for Abraham), which led him to Sodom and Gomorrah. Later, he loses his wife in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. But before that, he gets caught in the crossfire of cherdorlaomer’s invasions.

This means he got kidnapped. Why Lot? We have to look at the Babylonian captivity for clues in this matter. When kings invaded, they tended to take the best and most beautiful men (i.e., the best war spoils). So, we know Lot had a lot of wealth. The Bible mentions that the king took his possessions too.

Someone escapes and informs Abraham (then Abram) that his nephew has been kidnapped. Abraham won’t stand for this and decides he has to act. He faces the king that all other rulers feared.

How did Abraham defeat cherdorlaomer?

Abraham gathered 318 men to pursue the king’s army. Apparently, this was terrifying enough for them to flee. Abraham pursued them north of Damascus. Either the men got too exhausted or decided that Lot wasn’t worth it, so they allowed Abraham to recover Lot and his possessions. This worked in Abraham’s favor. The kings of the land respected him and allied with him. However, two of these kingdoms get destroyed a few chapters later, so we know that some of these alliances will not last.

Later in the story, we meet a mysterious character named Melchizedek. He brings bread and wine, and Abraham gives him 10% of all his possessions as a tithe. We know Melchizedek from the name of his city, Salem, and also that Jesus Christ’s lineage is traced back to the priests of Melchizedek. Melchizedek is a puzzling figure because some believe he might be a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, meaning Jesus appearing in the Old Testament before his incarnation in the New Testament.

We also learn the concept of “tithe” from Abraham giving 10% of his belongings to Melchizedek. Although other parts of the Bible mention tithing, the conventional basis for 10% originates from this specific verse. In all, Abraham standing up to cherdorlaomer set many important events in motion. This wouldn’t have happened if the king hadn’t become selfish with his need to subjugate some kingdoms. If Abraham hadn’t rescued Lot, he wouldn’t have met Melchizedek, and we would have missed an important part of the lineage of Christ.

What can we learn from cherdorlaomer in the Bible?

Obviously, cherdorlaomer is not a character we want to emulate. Although he may have had a powerful kingdom under his command, it ultimately fell. Not to mention that one man (and his 318-strong army) was able to confront him when other kings couldn’t.

Here are a few things we can learn from the story of cherdorlaomer:

1. God wanted His people to be distinct

   When we look at the kingdoms of the Old Testament, we see a lot of bloodshed, conquest, and mistreatment of captives. God intended to set Israel apart for this reason. We saw what sin did to nations with the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah. Thus, God called Abraham to something beyond his wildest imagination.

2. God is stronger than all kingdoms

   Elam probably thought it was at the top of its game until Babylon entered the scene. The same happened to Babylon when the Persians conquered it. The Greeks decimated Persia… and the list goes on. We often look at powerful kingdoms and feel fear. But God is stronger than all of them and will outlast all of them. We just have to trust in Him during this time. Nothing done in darkness will remain hidden from the light. Ultimately, sins will catch up with wicked nations.

3. God uses terrifying events to create significant outcomes

   If Abraham hadn’t mustered up his courage and pursued the intimidating king, he never would have met the king of peace and forged powerful alliances with the kings. God often uses our most terrifying moments to create beautiful outcomes. Like Abraham, we have to trust Him and His timing.

Perhaps today you find yourself facing a cherdorlaomer. Maybe all the other “kingdoms” are afraid of it. Maybe it’s a potential job loss. Maybe it’s sharing your faith with a family member. We all face our “giants” in one way or another. The beauty is, we don’t have to face them alone. God is with us, just as He was with Abraham.