In the pleasant valley of Mesopotamia there lived a good man, whom the
people loved, and who was called Abram.
Now, the people of this valley were idolaters, and though Abram often
pleaded with them to return to the faith in one God, they would not
listen to him. "Go thou your way, and we will go ours," they would say.
But God would not permit it to be that Abram's life should be spent upon
a people who cared not for the good spirit that Abram shed everywhere
about him. So He called to him and said, "Leave this valley. Go thou
with thy people to the land of Canaan. There a son shall be born to
you, and your descendants shall govern the land of Canaan."
Abram, simple hearted and trustful like Noah, gathered his possessions
together, and with his wife, Sarah, and his nephew, Lot, set forth
across the country towards the land of Canaan.
Now, Abram was a man of great wealth. He had silver and gold, and
camels, and sheep and cattle, and armies of servants.
Lot too had great wealth; and when the two families came into Canaan,
Lot declared there was not land enough for them all. So Lot went on
towards Jordan, where there were fertile valleys and broad rivers.
"Here," said Lot, "shall I find pasturage for my flocks and food for my
servants."
"But God bade us dwell here," said Abram; and he was grieved that so
great greed should have fallen upon Lot.
Lot went to live in the city of Sodom, a city so wicked that God finally
visited it with fire and destroyed it.
Lot was not happy in Sodom. The people were idolaters, and laughed
bitterly at Lot for his religion. For, though Lot had disobeyed God, he
still kept the worship of Abram.
By and by a great king besieged the city of Sodom, and stole away its
riches. Lot himself was made prisoner, and his wealth was divided among
the soldiers of the conquering king.
Abram, living happily in the land of Canaan, heard of the downfall of
Sodom, and of Lot's imprisonment. So he gathered together his own great
army and marched against the king. He recaptured the wealth of Sodom,
returning it to its rightful owners, and freed all the people from
prison.
"Wilt thou come now to dwell in Canaan?" Abram asked of Lot. But Lot was
stubborn and would not.
Then Melchizedek, the ruler of Salem, came out to meet Abram, bringing
bread and wine. For Melchizedek was a priest as well as a ruler; and, as
he poured the wine, he said, "Blessed be Abram of the most high God,
possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed be the most high God, who
hath delivered thine enemies into thy hands."
Then Abram gave to Melchizedek one tenth of all his wealth, in token of
his love for him; and after that he rode back into his own Land of
Canaan.
[Illustration: ABRAHAM AND THE THREE ANGELS.]