Genesis 13
So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring[a] forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.
Footnotes
- Genesis 13:15 Or seed; also in verse 16
Genesis: 13:6
But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.
In this chapter, we see that Abram and Lot had too much cattle to stay together in one area. There wasn’t enough pastureland for both men’s flocks. They were too rich, in the terms of the wealth of those days, and had to separate.
But their riches were not the problem. God had blessed them with their possessions, so having large flocks and herds wasn’t a bad thing.
Nor was Abram or Lot the problem.
The problem was a lack of resources. “The land could not support them.”
So, what is the lesson for those of us who are not nomadic cattle ranchers?
Let’s put it in terms of business or ministry. If God blesses you, and your business grows, your current location might not be able to sustain your growth, especially if you’re in an area with another large competitor. There simply might not be enough people with enough money for you and your competitors to share. There aren’t enough resources to support you.
Or if you have two or more burgeoning ministries in one church or one town, there might not be enough financial or volunteer resources to support you and keep your work growing. It’s no one’s fault, and God’s not punishing you or limiting you. You’ve simply maxed out your capacity in that area and need to move on or somehow separate your efforts.
Ask the Lord for wisdom on when it’s time to stay, and when it’s time to move to more fertile ground.
Genesis 13:9, 14-15
“If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “…All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.”
Abram is the patriarch of his family. He's the guy in charge. Yet when a problem arises, he is the one to offer Lot – his nephew, his junior – first choice of the land. And when he does humble himself and offer such generosity to Lot, God rewards Abram with more land and descendants than Abram ever thought possible.
Do you have such a humble and generous attitude? Who can you be humbler and more generous toward? To whom can you show preference, even though you may be above them in some way?
If you are humble and generous toward others in your daily life, God will be generous toward you in some truly amazing, God-sized ways, just as He was to Abram.
Genesis 13:10-11
Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east.
Abram gave Lot his choice, even though Lot was the younger of the two men. And what did Lot do? Did he return Abram’s generosity and deliberately choose the lesser of the two options? Did he give deference to his elder and agree to Abram’s plan but insist that Abram choose first? No, he took the best parcel of land for himself.
Of course, he did so not knowing what would happen to that area very soon afterward. He ended up fleeing for his life, and that without all of his cattle and possessions. His selfish choice ended up costing him everything, even his wife.
We never know what’s ultimately going to happen when we make our choices, but God does, and He never rewards selfishness. Even if God had not destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it is still Abram that He deeds the land of Canaan to, not Lot.
How can you show deference to others in your choices? Put others first, and watch how God puts you first.
Genesis 13:12-13
Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
We saw earlier that Lot had his choice of where to move. He didn’t need to settle closer to the sinful Sodomites. He deliberately chose to. And it’s not like he wouldn’t have known the reputation the place had. Word of such a city would have spread far and wide. So, why did he move there?
I can think of two possibilities. One, maybe he thought he was righteous enough and strong enough to avoid the temptations the city offered.
Two, maybe he didn’t want to avoid the temptations. Maybe he was allured by them.
What is your reaction to known areas of temptation – that bar, that hangout, that internet site? How do you react to alluring people – your old friend who isn’t a Christian, a new acquaintance who seems like a lot of fun, that guy or girl who takes an interest in you but doesn’t have the same morals? Do you trust yourself to stay strong in the midst of such opposing forces? Do you play dangerous and get as close as you can without crossing the line?
There’s only one choice that’s sure to keep us clean, and that’s to avoid those people and places that we feel tempted by. Stay away. Your purity, your innocence, your relationship with the Lord isn’t worth taking the risk.
If you’re trying to reach people in those places, stand back and wait for a safer time to approach them. The Lord will give you the opportunities you need without putting you in danger of sin.
Genesis 13:17
“Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
Earlier in this chapter, we read that the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. The sinful people of Sodom of Gomorrah were living it up enjoying their hedonistic pleasures. Lot had taken the best part of the countryside for himself.
But none of that mattered. God told Abram to walk around like he owned the place. The land was as good as his because God was giving it to him.
What has God given you? How has he blessed you? Are you walking tall in the confidence that He will do for you what He’s promised?
There’s no reason for us to cower in front of our enemies or hide away from the world when we know what God has done and will do for us. We are children of the King, inheritors of the earth. By God’s own Word, we own the place. Pick your head up and look around.
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