This  lesson concerns the first written account of war in NOT JUST the Bible, but in all ancient literature!  Interestingly, this first recorded war in history involved an attack on five kings of the Dead Sea area of ancient Canaan (Israel) by a coalition of four kings from territories that, to this day, remain hostile to Israel!  The invading kings were led by a man from Elam (part of modern-day Iraq).  He was called the "Ravager of the West".  85-year old Abraham was the hero of this story!  (This war prophetically pictures mankind's last war called "The Battle of Armeggedon," which will be an all-out attack to annihilate Israel by another "Ravager" (the Antichrist). 

In Genesis 14, a tenth, very mysterious king suddenly appeared on the scene!  His name, Melchizedek means "King of Righteousness".  He was a Priest of the Most High God, and King of Salem or "King of Peace"!!  He is definitely a prophetic type of the Lord Jesus (and some even think he was the preincarnate Christ - an interesting debate discussed in this lesson).  Our Great High Priest Christ, Who is also the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace, will likewise appear out of seemingly no where at His Second Coming to save Abraham's descendants (through Isaac) from extinction!  There is SO MUCH TYPOLOGY in this lesson!