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Studies in Genesis, Abram and Lot Separate, Lesson XXXI, Genesis 13:5-18
In our study today we find Abram at the place of the altar, between Bethel and Hai, returning to call on the name of the Lord.
He is in the place where he is supposed to be, and that is, in God’s will.
So we look to Genesis 13:5-18 as we learn where that will, will lead Abram.
This passage is prefaced with Abram calling on the name of the Lord, and as we read our scripture says:
Genesis 13:5-18, And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. 14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
So we will speak today of a man named Lot, a man whom the Apostle Peter in II Peter 2:7 calls Just Lot, a man vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked, the wicked who filled the streets and houses of a city called Sodom.
Lot was the son of Haran, a brother of Abram who died in Ur so Lot was the nephew of Abram a nephew whom he took to himself as a son.
In our passage in chapter 13 God gives us a parting of ways of Abram and Lot and in that parting we find a contrast between two saints of God in their motives and actions.
God shows us this contrast to teach us the consequences to those who look out for themselves at the expense of others, a very popular idea today indeed!
Lot would easily fit into our “Looking Out For Number One” culture that we live in today.
There is even a song celebrating this idea entitled LOOKING OUT FOR NUMBER ONE which reads in part:
Every day is an
endless train
And you'll find out
every trick in the book
This of course is the hymn of the world, the chant of the god of the world and is antithetical to God’s directive to Love Your Neighbor.
Now this song never came from Lot’s mouth but from scripture we know it was voiced in his heart.
For those who believe this lie pay attention to their heart instead of the word of God for the natural heart from a baby’s first cry is bent in looking out for number one.
So in our passage we are given to see a relationship between Abram and Lot strained to the point where separation is demanded.
This relationship should not have even existed for Lot was not to have been with Abram if Abram had obeyed God fully to leave Ur and to leave relatives.
Both Abram and Lot had flocks and herds and keepers of those animals, and the land to which God called Abram could not sustain both possessions.
God had prospered both men as keepers of flocks but both shared the same land and strife came between their respective herdmen.
And in addition to this crowded condition the Canaanite and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
Trying to dwell together while moving great flocks and herds to new pasture land just became intolerable so separation became a must rather than to let conflict grow greater and in this conclusion Abram was wise.
Both Abram and Lot had the same needs, the need for water and pasture, and competition between the herdmen of both for these resources brought division between Abram and Lot.
This is brought out in verse 8 of our passage
8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
There is nothing new under the sun for when there is contention between underlings, be they employees, relatives or children there is also, be sure to know, strife, or there will be between those who lead those who are in conflict.
When your children fuss with the neighbor’s children be careful or else you will be fussing with your neighbor also.
This was the situation Abram found himself in with his nephew Lot.
And not only were these factors in the mix, remember that the land on which their animals grazed and fed was not their land.
For God inserts this truth telling us it was a land occupied by Canaanites and Perrizites, people who were born to the land, people who had prior claim to the land, and simply looked upon Abram and Lot as interlopers and sojourners.
Abram knew God had given him the land but that truth was to come about centuries later and is still in our time in contention until Jesus comes and settles the matter for all time.
It is an interesting aside to see here, God again having his way for Abram left not Lot in Ur of the Chaldees as God commanded but took him with to Haran and Canaan but now God brings into Abram’s life a practical reason for separation from Lot.
God’s will, will be done for He will indeed bring it about.
As I said before God’s plans are not dependent upon his children even if His children do things which are totally opposed to his will, for one way or another God’s purposes will come to pass.
We may reason ourselves to disobey God’s word because of our circumstances.
Abram perhaps saw Lot as his son, not only his nephew and emotion drove him to disobedience and therefore separation from Lot did not take place.
But God providentially brought strife between Abram and Lot’s herdmen which forced this separation to occur.
So God teaches us here if we do not see the need for obedience God will create one, on this you can be sure.
Obey right away for this will be the easiest but if you wait until God creates pressure for you to obey it will be much more difficult for you.
So because of disobedience at first and the resulting strife between Abram and Lot Abram steps up with a solution and says in verse 9 bringing in that word, awful in many minds, “separate”:
9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
So here we are given to read Abram’s heart and in this reading we are given a view of a gracious and godly man.
Abram does not sing the song of Looking Out For Number One but sings the song of Love Your Neighbor and therefore gives to Lot an opportunity to choose.
Abram wanted to maintain peace and cease the discord among brethren.
It is interesting that his solution is not the joining together but the separating from.
The world is in the uniting business but God is in the separating business.
Remember the board way and the narrow way!
So to maintain peace and to cease discord Abram unselfishly gave Lot the opportunity to also be gracious and unselfish and to recognize Abram’s standing in the family and therefore to return the first choice to Abram.
For what Lot selected would determine what was left for Abram.
But Lot did not choose on the basis of right and wrong or principle or Abram’s standing but chose on the basis of free enterprise, free enterprise for profit making.
Is not the whole land before you indicates both men were on a high place looking out at the horizon and the land before them.
Both men were able to look at the pros and cons but Abram decided on a higher plane than what was before him and had a heart toward Lot’s best interest so we see that both men had such a heart.
A heart showing what was best for Lot for Lot looked upon the land with the eye of an appraiser weighing the advantages and disadvantages of all the options.
Think of what takes place at your table if you have several children who eye the dishful of chocolate chip cookies and appraise each one to see how many chips and how big the cookie is and you will also get a picture of Lot as he lifted up his eyes.
For all the valley of the plain of Jordan was before him, well-watered everywhere even as the garden of the Lord like the land of Egypt as thou comest unto Zoar.
So Lot chose the beautiful Jordan valley with its striking verdant green brought about by irrigation from the Jordan River.
Moses pictures this place as a paradise like the land of Egypt, that land of the world rather than the Promised Land, a land in which dependency upon God’s provision of rain is constant.
Lot chose the world, Abram by his gracious gift of choice was left to depend upon God as it was meant for a man of faith to do for the just shall live by faith.
Beware of a life of ease for God does not intend this for the faithful.
So Lot chose what could have been a life of ease but God planned otherwise.
It was clearly a shrewd decision, a decision totally decided without any consideration of Abram, therefore a selfish decision, one giving him the best and leaving Abram with all that seemed worthless in comparison.
Lot operated by the principle that if you don’t look out for yourself no one else will.
Again, this is against God and all that God stands for as we remember our Lord giving his blood for nothing in return.
Every promise of God proclaims Lot’s mind to be totally twisted and distorted for in everything God cares and provides.
Lot thought of himself, he thought of his wife and children, and overall he considered all the economic factors of his decision, but he totally neglected anything spiritual disregarding any direction from God.
God had promised to bless all those who would bless Abram.
Lot did anything but bless Abram instead trying to get all and any advantage over his uncle and therefore God’s curse was to be upon him.
Remember God also said that any who curse Abram would also be cursed.
This story of the curse will follow as we see what Lot’s decision brings him.
Perhaps it was unintended consequences for at first Lot did not intend to live in the cities of the valley for the men of those cities were wicked.
But Lot in choosing the well-watered plain drew near their general direction, and the allure of the city, the restaurants, the markets, the places of entertainment, the money to be made soon caused Lot to trade his tents for a house in the doomed city of Sodom.
For decisions made apart from God will always bring one closer to the enemies of God and the dark places they choose to live.
Lot lifted up his eyes, not to God, not to God’s word and examined the beautiful sight, the well-watered places everywhere but Moses inserts this phrase in verse 10, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah
Many here in this class have their lives before them with many years ahead if the Lord allows and many decisions are to be made, and many of those decisions, unless guided by God’s word will be made as Lot made his decision, by lifting up the eyes to the well-watered plains.
Decisions set a particular course for our lives.
Seemingly insignificant decisions may bring outcomes hard to bear.
Deciding using the world’s analytical methods apart from seeking God’s mind so many times lead to the well-watered plains, looking so good at the beginning but in the end may bring disturbing and tragic results.
The principle here is that material prosperity should never be sought at the cost of spiritual trouble.
For God gives us eyes to see the end of that which the world counts valuable for all that the eye can see will be burned up.
Sodom and Gomorrah were but a foretaste of what is to come to those who choose the world as their paradise.
Lot looked at the beautiful Eden of the Jordan and made a great and far reaching decision resulting in a wife who became a pillar of salt and two daughters who bore his children, fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites tribes who became a constant thorn in the life of Israel.
We are to seek God’s mind as we come to the point of decision.
Jeremiah 29:13, And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Proverbs 2:6, For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. |