Genesis 13 - The separation between Abraham and Lot: a matter of faith

7/25/2019 Genesis 13 - The separation between Abraham and Lot: a matter of faith

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Genesis 13:1-18Friction between Abram and Lot

For those of us who have walked with the Lord for a number of years, we know the reality of a relationship withGod

-

Everything isnt always rosy

- There are obstacles along our way

In each of our lives, these obstacles may look a little different- God obviously has specific qualities that He is working on in your life that may differ from the issues in

my life

But the same overarching principle is at work in all of our lives as believers

- That principle is Gods commitment to make us more like Himself-

We call this progressive sanctification the ongoing process whereby we become more and more

obedient to Christ

Sometimes God uses trials to bring us closer to Him

-

Trials tear our white-knuckled fists from this world and its attractions

-

Trials make us look to God who alone can bring lasting satisfaction and joy

Other times, God uses suffering to bring us nearer to Him

- When our hearts are heavy and looking for comfort, we should be drawn to God through His Word

- The Psalms are a wonderful source of comfort and reality as we see how others handled the variousproblems of living in a fallen world

Of course, God is always using His Word to conform us-

When Christ prayed in John 17, this is what He had in mind when He prayed, Sanctify them in the

truth; Your Word is truth (17:17)

- In the Word of God we find the greatest means of sanctification His own Word that convicts us and

shows us our shortcomings

One last item that I will mention is the subject of disobedience

- As we all know, we are not perfect in our obedience to God and to His Word-

We fall short and fail to reach His righteous standard

God will use those times to strengthen us-

He will use those times of sinful choices to teach us the consequences of going astray

- If we take the time to seek the Lord, we can learn from our mistakes

We find ourselves in the book of Genesis, chapter 13

-

We have been studying the life of Abram

Abram is written of as an excellent example of faithfulness throughout the Scriptures

-

But we know that he was not always faithful and obedient

Abram had a real relationship with God-

He knew that he fell short

- He realized that his only way of pleasing God was to place faith in Him and His Word


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This morning, we continue looking atAbrams journey of faith and will learn three invaluable principlesabout how we, too, can follow God, even after times of disobedience

- Abram revisited his place of remembrance (13:1-4)- Abram relinquished his prerogative of rights (13:5-13)

- Abram received his promise of reward (13:14-18)

Lets read Genesis 13:1-18

Last week, we noted that God promised Abram great blessings (12:1-3)-

I will make you a great nation

- And I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing

- And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. and in you all thefamilies of the earth shall be blessed

In essence, Abram was promised three specific items-

A land

-

A seed (descendants)

-

A blessing

Abram immediately left his homeland and traveled toward the land of Canaan

- He actually made it to the Land of Promise (12:5)

When he arrived at the area near Shechem, the LORDappeared to Abram and told him, To your descendants I

will give this land (12:7)

- Abram knewthat he was in the land of promise-

Abram now knew that his descendants would inherit this land

To celebrate Gods goodness and faithfulness, Abram constructed an altar (12:7b)

-

This was to offer a sacrifice to the LORDfor what He had promised-

It was a sign of Abrams gratitude and thanksgiving

Abram proceeded from the northern area of Shechem down toward the area near Bethel and Ai-

It was here that he built a second altar

- It was also here that Abram called upon the name of the LORD (12:8b)

With singular focus and worship, Abram declared his loyalty to the LORD

- No longer would he worship other gods

- His heart was solely focused on Yahweh

Abram continued journeying toward the southern area called the Negev (12:9)- It was here that Abram learned that a severe famine had struck the land of Canaan

The Promised Land was very dependent upon annual rainfall for its food

- Without proper rain, the crops would not produce

Egypt was an area that was near Canaan

- Unlike the Promised Land, Egypt wasnt dependent upon annual rainfall

- Egypt had the Nile River which supplied ample amounts of water for the area-

For this reason, Egypt was very fertile


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- We refer to Egypt as Fertile Crescent

It was here that Abram journeyed in a time of famine

- During his time in Egypt, however, Abram encountered a situation that he had no prepared for

He knew that the Egyptians would kill him if he told the truth about his wife, Sarai

- So he hatched a plan of deceit that told only a half-truth-

He told Sarai to tell the Egyptians that she was his brother (12:13)

Things went fine until Pharaohs officials noticed her beauty and recommended her as a wife for Pharaoh

- Abram had not planned on this

God intervened and put an end to this situation

- Pharaoh rebuked Abram for his lying, deceit, and lack of integrity-

He banished Abram and Sarai from the land of Egypt

That is where we left off last week-

What would Abram do now?

-

Where would he go?

I. Abram revisited his place of remembrance (13:1-4)

1So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him; and Lot with him.

We read in chapter 13 that Abram retraces his steps from chapter 12

- We know that he went from Shechem to Bethel to the Negev to Egypt (cf. Gen 12)-

In chapter 13 we read that Abram went from Egypt to the Negev to Bethel

We will learn more about why he was doing this in a few verses

The Text accounts for the entourage that accompanied Abram

- Abram

- His wife Sarai-

all that belonged to him a reference to all that Abram possessed at this time servants; animals;

precious metals

- Lot

We havent heard much about Lot since chapter 12

- He was omitted because he was not the primary focus-

In chapter 12, the main focus was on Abrams journey to Egypt

-

That chapter in Abrams life centered about Sarai, Pharaoh, and Abram

Lot was certainly there with Abram in Egypt

-

However, he was not the focus so he was omitted

But he is now brought back into focus since the passage will highlight tension and friction that exists betweenAbram and Lot


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2Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold.

Moses brings out the fact that Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold

- You might say that he was loaded

God had promised to bless Abram

- In the language of that day, to be blessed was to have material blessings

Unlike today, Abrams wealth was not measured simply in dollars and cents- Oftentimes, ones wealth was measured in terms of livestock

If you look back at Genesis 12:16, you will notice that Pharaoh treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him

sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels.

- In exchange for his sister, Pharaoh gave Abram livestock

When Abram was ousted from Egypt, Pharaoh didnt ask for the livestock

- Abram kept them- God was blessing Abram, despite a very fatal flaw in his faith

As Abram journeys northward, this reference to Abrams wealth will help us to understand the problem thatsoon arises

3And he went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the

beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the place of the altar, which he had made there formerly;

As I said, Abram is retracing his steps that he had made previously-

Before, he traveled from north to south

-

Now, he is traveling from south to north

Where was Abram heading?-

The Word of God doesnt mention any Divine direction

- But it seems as if Abram knows where he wants to go

Abram was heading back to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the

place of the altar, which he had made there formerly (13:3b-4a)

- This was the second stop in the land of Canaan in chapter 12-

It was the second place where Abram had built an altar

Notice that the altar was still standing-

The Canaanites (12:6; 13:7) who were living in this land had not destroyed the altar to Yahweh

Perhaps the fact that this altar was still standing symbolized the fact that Gods promises were still true-

You see, I believe that Abram realized his folly1

-

He realized that he almost blew it

- But God had been very gracious

- Abram had learned his lesson

1Leon J. Wood,A Shorter Commentary on Genesis,65.


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Abram wanted to revisit his place of remembrance2

-

He wanted to go back to where he last heard the Word of God

- He wanted to go back to where God had personally appeared to him

and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

It was here at the area around Bethel and Ai that Abram called on the name of the LORD

-

Perhaps this was a time of confession and repentance over sinful, foolish choices- Perhaps this was a time of expressing his gratitude to the LORDfor His kindness

- This same phrase Abram called on the name of the LORD was used back in 12:8 of Abrams first visitto this area

Nowhere in Egypt do we read of Abram building an altar-

Nowhere in Egypt do we read of Abram worshipping God through sacrifice

- Nowhere in Egypt do we read of Abram calling upon the name of the LORD

Is it any wonder that Abram makes a bee-line back to his place of remembrance?

-

It was in the land of Canaan that God had promised, To your descendants I will give this land (12:7,

italics mine)

God had not promised the land of Egypt to Abram

- The Text never mentions God speaking to Abram in Egypt

Hence the reason that Abram returned to the last place of Gods speaking

- Abrams heart was ready for worship

- He had learned his mistake

There are times in our own lives when we venture out on our own

- We think we know what is best

-

In the words of Proverbs 3, welean on our own understanding instead of trusting God with all ourheart (3:5)

Like Abram, we make a decision that seems best-

Instead of seeking the face of God, we rely on common sense

- We look for direction in circumstances instead of Gods spoken Word

We have all been there, right?

- We all know the sting of discouragement after realizing that we made a mistake

Oftentimes, our attitude after such a time tells a lot about our character

-

Do we sit around, complain, and whine?- Or do we seek the face of God, repent of our sin, and determine to follow the Lord?

Lets be like Abram

- If you are here and realize that your decisions have taken you to places that you know you should not

have traveled, repent!-

Seek Gods face

- Go back in your mind to your place of remembrance

2Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record,301.


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When was the last time that you knew God was leading you?-

Unlike Abram, we have the complete Word of God

- Seek God in prayer and in the Word

In the word of Jeremiah, And you will seek Me and findMe, when you search for Me with all your heart

(29:13)

Abram revisited his place of remembrance

-

But he also

II. Abram relinquished his prerogative of rights (13:5-13)

5Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.

6And the land could not sustain them

while dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together.

Back in verse 2 we read that Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold-

Here in verse 5 we read that Lot also had flocks and herds and tents

You had two people with lots of livestock living in the same geographical area-

For those of you who know about livestock and farming, you know that the flocks and herds need

adequate grass in order to survive

The problem that immediately emerges is that the possessions of Abram and Lot are so great that they canteven remain together

7And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock.

There is immediately strife between Lots herdsmen and Abrams herdsmen

-

Those servants who are looking after the livestock of these two men begin to complain

Each man wants adequate grass and water for his flocks

- But with such a small amount of land area, this is becoming more and more of an issue

Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.

Right in the middle of a section dealing with a problem between Abrams and Lots herdsmen, the author

inserts a phrase that seems out of place, Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land-

Why did Moses insert this phrase at this point in the story?

We know from Genesis 12:6 that the Canaanite were already living in this land-

Now we learn that the Perizzite was also in the area

We begin to understand whythe herdsmen were having problems with finding resources for their livestock

- They were living in an area that was already possessed by others!-

They were not alone and were having to compete for land


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8Then Abram said to Lot, Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and

your herdsmen, for we are brothers.

Not content to allow this strife to continue, Abram takes the initiative3

-

Even though the problem was between the herdsmen of Lot and the herdsmen of Abram, he speaks

directly to Lot

Abram lets Lot know that this strife should not continue between them or between their herdsmen

-

The reason that Abram gives is because we are brothers

The older and wiser Abram says, in essence, We are family and we shouldnt be arguing like this!-

We know from the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 that all of the families of the Earth are related by

blood

- They are the common stock of Noahs three sons after the Flood

Family relationships can oftentimes become intense and heated

- But Abram realizes this and seeks to put the issue to rest

9

Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me: if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to theright, then I will go to the left.

Abrams solution is rather generous, to say the least

- As the older man with the most possessions, Abram should have had first dibs at what land he wanted-

Lot, as the younger man and with the lesser amount of possessions, should have settled for the second

choice

But Abram relinquishes his rights in giving first choice to Lot

-

This shows the heart and character of Abram, doesnt it?

Abram tells Lot, in essence, You make the choice. If you want to go to the left, then I will go right. But if youwant to go to the right, then I will go to the left.

- In other words, Lot could take anyportion of land that he wanted

- Abram would be willing to separate, taking a less-than-desire portion of land

10And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere this was

before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you

go to Zoar.

You can just picture Lot, cant you?

-

He scans the entire countryside as far as he can see, trying to figure out where the best parcel of land is- Lets be honest, if you were in this situation, you would have done the same thing!

Lot notices that the valley of the Jordan is well watered everywhere (13:10)

- Lot had just traveled to Egypt with Abram

- The circumstances that prompted Abram to go to Egypt was a severe famine

3W.H. Griffith-Thomas, Genesis: A Devotional Commentary,123.


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Lot is reasoning, If I can find a place that is fertile, I wont have to journey to Egypt. My flocks and herds willbe well taken care of.

This area of the Jordan valley is compared to two other places-

the garden of the LORD

-

the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar

Lot compares the Jordan valley to the Garden of Eden!

-

Surely he had heard about this Garden as the stories were passed down from Adam to his sons, throughNoah, etc.

- Lot sees this land as being a paradise!

Lot also compares the Jordan valley to the land of Egypt

- Remember, Lot has just returned from Egypt and recognized very quickly the fertile conditions of thatarea

We have another editorial note in verse 10-

This time, Moses gives some additional commentary and background on the Jordan valley, this wasbefore the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah

We know that the Jordan valley had five major cities

-

Sodom was the predominant and prominent city

- Gomorrah was also well-known

The children of Israel would read this and understand that Lot chose the area near Sodom and Gomorrah before

the LORDdestroyed it

- This gives us a hint of coming events in chapter 19

I also find it interesting that the author uses picturesque words to describe Lots actions, he lifted up his eyes

and saw all the valley of the Jordan

-

He was drawn to this area by physical and visual enticement4

Where else have we encountered this same problem?

- Eve sawthat the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes (3:6, emphasis mine)-

The sons of God sawthat the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves

(6:2, emphasis mine)

- Ham sawthe nakedness of his father (9:22, emphasis mine)-

Here we have Lot who sawall the valley of the Jordan (13:10)

Lot was not seeking the Lord for direction-

He was relying on his own understanding

-

He was relying on what seemed best to him

We make these same choices, dont we?

-

The apostle John wrote in his first epistle, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of

the eyesand the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world (2:16)

How many times have we been led away because of the lust of the eyes?

- Many more times than we can to acknowledge

4Wood, 65.


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11So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from

each other.

Lot chose the valley of the Jordan-

The Text tells us that he journeyed eastward

Throughout Genesis, traveling to the east is a sign of distance from Gods blessing-

Adam and Eve were banished east of the Garden of Eden (3:24)

-

Cain left and traveled east from the presence of the LORD(4:16)- The inhabitants of Babel traveled east and settled in the land of Shinar where they attempted to

construct a tower (11:2)-

Here we find that Lot journeyed eastward toward Sodom

It is interesting that Lot chose the Jordan Valley-

From other sections of the Bible, we realize that Sodom was either on the edge of Canaan or was outside

the land of Canaan

Lot was, in essence, choosingto live outside the land of Promise

-

This highlights the folly of his choice

Lot could have had the best

-

But he settled for what was most convenient

Lot also made a very selfish decision5

-

He wasnt thinking about Abram who had taken care of him on the journeys

- He simply wanted to get the best land and get away from Abram

12Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as

Sodom.13

Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.

With Lot traveling eastward toward Sodom, Abram settles in the land of Canaan

- Abram is no longer pitching his tent

- He is settled

This was the Land that God had told him would belong to his descendants

- He had learned his lesson by going to Egypt-

He wasnt about to leave the Promised Land again

Another editorial note is given-

This time, Moses helps us to notice the character of the men in Sodom, Now the men of Sodom were

wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD (13:13)

Lot was so infatuated with the physical beauty of the Jordan valley that he failed to account for the spiritual

condition of the people who inhabited the area

- Moses describes the men of Sodom by two phrases

o They were wicked exceedingly

o They were also sinners against the LORD

5Allen P. Ross, Creation & Blessing, 286.


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The Sodomites were not just wicked-

They were wicked exceedingly

Sodom has become almost a proverb or byword for severe wickedness6

-

It would be similar to calling a woman, Jezebel

-

You would be saying that her character is not something worthy of imitation

Sodoms sins have made a lasting impact on humanity

-

To this day, even if you ask an unbeliever, they will most likely know what you are implying by the useof Sodom

Moses writes that they were sinners against the LORD

- They were rebels against Yahweh

Interesting that the Sodomites were not living in the land of promise

- Yet, they were still accountable to Yahweh

- Gods jurisdiction and sovereignty are not confined to his land7

God has already judged an Egyptian Pharaoh for his sins

-

And He would soon judge Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins

Isnt it ironic that Lot thought that this new land would be heaven on Earth

- John Calvin writes, Lot, when he fancied that he was dwelling in paradise, was nearly plunged into the

depths of hell8

Notice that Lot moved his tents as far as Sodom (13:12)

- In 14:12, we will see that he was living in Sodom-

In 19:1, we will see that Lot was sitting in the gate as a leader in the city9

Lot was being careless, thinking that he could tiptoe around temptation without consequences for his actions

-

But he was wrong

The word here for wicked is the Hebrew word for evil

- We are brought back to the Garden of Eden, arent we, where God warned Adam and Eve, From anytree of the garden you may eat freely; 17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall

not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die (2:16b-17)

Adam and Eve failed to heed that Divine warning

- In doing so, they reaped the consequences of their actions

- Their choice set the wheels of physical death into motion-

Their choice also caused there to be spiritual death separation from the LORD

The reality of spiritual death would be passed on to every child of Adam-

Every person born from the seed of Adam would be infected with and affected by this curse

6Kenneth A. Mathews,NAC, Genesis 11:27-50:26,137.

7Victor P. Hamilton,NICOT, Genesis 1-17,394.

8Quoted in Ross, 287.

9Morris, 304.


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This is what Genesis is all about-

The tracing of One who can deliver sinful mankind from this curse

- The tracing of One who alone could redeem sinners from spiritual death

Lets not simply read Genesis as a story or novel

-

This is our heritage

- This is why we sin-

This is a reflection of the human heart

Jesus Christ is the Deliverer

- He is the Redeemer-

He is the Savior

Unless you place faith and trust in Him for redemption, you will die in your sins as a result of the curse-

Your only hope is to believe that Christs death on the cross was sufficient for you

- That He died a substitutionary death, dying as a righteous man for the unrighteous

Abram and Lot had a disagreement

-

The wise Abram gave up his prerogative to the younger Lot

Lot squandered his opportunity and chose a city that was inhabited by wicked sinners

Abram displayed a gracious heart in thinking of others instead of himself

- This is a godly virtue that should be cultivated in each of our lives

You see, Abram didnt need to be selfish about the Land10

- Up to this point, the Land wasnt even his-

It was for his descendants

Abram trusted that the LORDwould work out everything in His timing

-

God had taken care of Abram wherever He went11

So far we have seen Abram-

Revisit his place of remembrance (13:1-4)

- Relinquish his prerogative of rights (13:5-13)

Lastly, we see how

III. Abram received his promise of reward (13:14-18)

14

And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, Now lift up your eyes and look from theplace where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

15for all the land which you see, I

will give it to you and to your descendants forever.

Lot has moved eastward toward Sodom

- And the Lord speaks to Abram again

10Ross, 281.

11Morris, 303.


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This was the missing link in Egypt!-

God had not spoken to him

But now that he was back in the land of promise, God was reassuring him that His promises were still true-

God speaks to Abram, restating the promises that were given back in chapter 12

After Abram told Lot to select an area to live, Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan(13:10)

-

Notice the similar language that is used by the LORDtoward Abram, Now lift upyoureyes and lookfrom the place where you are (italics mine)

What an amazing display of Gods grace and power

- Abram let Lot choice first

- The LORDtells Abram that all the land was his, northward and southward and eastward and westward-

What a blessing this must have been for Abram

Then the LORDadds this remark, for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendantsforever

-

Previously, the land was only for Abrams descendants (12:7)

-

Now, Abram himself is included

What a reassurance this must have been for Abram

- He had failed miserably in Egypt

- But Gods promises were not contingent upon Abrams obedience

God was showing Abram just how strong He was

- God was showing Abram just how faithful He was

16And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth,

then your descendants can also be numbered.

Yahweh continues to speak of Abrams future descendants, I will make your descendants as the dust of the

earth-

I am sure that Abram was a little confused by this statement

Abram was in his late 70s-

He had no children

- His wife, Sarai, was barren

Yet God is herepromisingthat Abrams descendants would be like the dust of the earth

-

Uncountable!- Unnumerable!

17Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.

18Then Abram moved his

tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.

Yahweh exhorts Abram to claim the land as his own, Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth

for I will give it to you-

Remember, Abram had settled in the land


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- He wasnt about to leave unless God was directing him

But the reality is that God wasleading him

- So Abram obeyed without hesitation

So Abram moved to the area of Hebron

- This is about 20 miles south of Jerusalem12

For the third time, Abram builds an altar to the LORD- One in Shechem

- One in Bethel-

Now one in Hebron

This area would be central to the history of Abram-

It would be here that he purchases a parcel of land on which he buries his wife, Sarai

Two words really summarize the life of Abram at this point-

tents and altars

Abram was willing to follow the LORD-

He wasnt tied to one place so much that he was unwilling to move

-

His tent pegs were always ready to be pulled up and relocated

Abram was also ready to worship the LORDwherever he was-

Wherever God lead him, he was ready to express his gratitude, appreciation, and commitment

Yes, the Abram in the land of Canaan is a different man from the one in Egypt-

His focus is singular on the LORD

-

He displays quick obedience

Could the same be said of us?

Abram could pray with a clear conscience

- Lord, I am willing to follow You wherever You lead me. Through Your Word, guide me and direct mysteps. Grant me an obedient heart to follow quickly and willingly. May my tent pegs always be ready to

be relocated to the place where You have for me to be

- Lord, You know my heart is one of worship. You are worthy of all praise, glory, and honor. In everysituation and for every situation, I give You praise. May there be an altar in my life at all times so that

You can receive the praise that You deserve.

Are you at that point this morning?

-

Could you pray that to the Lord, sincerely and honestly?

If not, why not?

-

What sin is more important than obedience to the LORD?

- What person is more important than worship of the LORD?

- What else is more important than following the LORD?

12John J. Davis, Paradise to Prison,179.


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What a challenge the LORDhas brought to us this morning-

Abram has learned his lesson

- He is ready to follow the LORD

- He is ready to worship Him

Perhaps you are here and dont know the LORD-

If you are here apart from a relationship with Him, I would urge you to cry out in your heart to the

LORD- Confess your sins to Him

- Trust in the work of Christ on the cross for you-

Ask Him for forgiveness

- Repent of yours sins, trusting God to make you different

Genesis 13 - The separation between Abraham and Lot: a matter of faith

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