Genesis 13 - Lot Chooses

October 30, 2023

1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;

Unto the place of the altar, which he had make there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Events:

1. Abram’s family returns to Canaan from the land of Egypt.

2. The families of Abram and Lot are forced to separate, and Lot takes the land in the valley, which is populated by the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

3. God again promises to give Abram many children and grandchildren, as well as the land of Canaan.

4. Abram is called to the plains of Mamre and builds another altar there.

What does this passage teach us? 

Verses 1–4. Abram returned to Canaan with substantial wealth. God had blessed his family greatly while they sojourned in the land of Egypt. For many folks, wealth provides a major distraction and deterrent from faithful service to God (1 Tim. 6:9, 17–18; Jam. 5:1–5). This was not the case for Abram. He was constant in his faith and continued to worship and serve Yahweh in the land of Canaan. After returning from Egypt, he worshiped at the same altar in Bethel that he built years earlier. From the Genesis record, we learn that this was a regular occurrence in Abram’s life. In fact, no less than twelve times in the biblical record do we find Abram worshiping God and communicating to Him by way of sacrifice. In this way, Abram sets the example for every godly patriarch who has ever lived. God’s men are characterized by one main thing: they worship Yahweh, the true and living God, with their families.

Verses 5–13. By this time, the families of Lot and Abram had gained considerable wealth, and this resulted in conflict between the two households over the grazing land. Again, Abram demonstrated his faith in God and his considerable generosity by giving Lot first dibs in the choice of land. Lot took the land that appeared most fertile down in the Jordan valley, which also happened to be in the vicinity of Sodom and Gomorrah. How often do people place economic well-being above the spiritual well-being of their families! When moving into an area to take advantage of a lucrative job offer, many Christians fail to consider whether the spiritual climate, the quality of churches, or the moral environment of the neighborhood will contribute positively to the health of their families. Then, after living in a spiritual wasteland for twenty years, these men watch their families deteriorate spiritually, while they prosper materially. This is the sad story of Lot and his family, and it has been repeated in the lives of millions of families to this day.

Verses 14–18. In these final verses, Yahweh reminded Abram of the initial covenant promise revealed before he moved his family to Canaan. Abram would be the father of a great number of children, greater than the number of dust particles on the earth. This extraordinary promise must have been quite a challenge of faith, especially for an old man who did not have a single child!

In a very real sense, Abram was alone on the earth. He lived far away from his extended family, and he had no church or fellow believers with whom to worship. Here was one solitary man on the earth walking in relationship with the living God, the Creator of heaven and earth. One day, Abram’s family would cover the earth and inherit a land as far as eye can see—a land without boundaries in the earth. This great promise is finally realized in the present age, where millions, if not billions, of people have inherited Abram’s faith and are counted as his seed.

How does this passage teach us to walk with God in faith and obedience?

1. Riches can be a major trap for those who are tempted to rely on their wealth rather than trusting in the living God. This is especially true of the average American today. Contemporary men and women see little need to bring God sacrifices of praise and tithes on the first day of the week, because they have little need for God. They have wealth far beyond what it takes to survive. If at any point we begin to put our material comfort and our wealth ahead of worshiping God, then we must repent of it.

2. This passage provides a basis for the institution of private property ownership. In general, families should not share property. God calls each man and his family to take dominion of some area of this earth, whether for the purpose of farming, commercial business or ministry. If God expects each of us to own our own land, buildings, and tools, then it stands to reason that stealing or the forced redistribution of that property is sinful.

3. Abram provided a great example of selflessness and generosity. Truly, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and nobody ever achieved happiness by living a life of self-centered greed. How often do children and adults alike seek their own comfort first before seeing to the needs of others? Whenever dessert is served, it may be tempting to grab the first piece of cake or the biggest slice of pie. But don’t give in to that temptation. Hold back, and see what God will do for you when you serve others first. Greed betrays selfishness in the heart, but it also demonstrates a lack of faith in God to provide what is best. Seek the good of others first, and trust that God will supply your needs. When greed dominates a family, the results are often tragic—as in the case of Lot, who would eventually lose everything in the destruction of Sodom.

4. It is not always easy to believe God’s promises. Sometimes we look at the challenging circumstances that test us, and we cannot see how God will turn these things to our good as He promised in Romans 8:28. Again, Abram serves as an example for us, as he trusted God for decades. Let us not give up on God. He will test our faith and our ability to wait on Him over the years. These are always faith-growing experiences. Although it may not appear that God will or can intervene, we must believe that God will be true to His Word, and He is powerful and wise enough to keep every one of His promises.

Questions:

1. What are the themes of Chapters 1 through 13?

2. How many times did Abram call on the name of Yahweh, as recorded in the book of Genesis?

3. How did Abram show himself to be generous with his nephew Lot?

4. What was the geographical location of the good land that Lot chose for himself? How did this choice work out for Lot later on?

5. What might have made it difficult for Abram to believe God when God told him he would have many children and grandchildren?

Family Discussion Questions:

1. Does our family prioritize the spiritual condition of our home over our economic condition (something that Lot failed to do)? What are the important things to consider before moving into a new area?

2. What are the sorts of things that are testing the faith of our family right now? What challenges to our faith have we encountered in past years?

3. When cake is served for dessert, do you ever reach for the biggest and best piece? If so, why is it so difficult to deny yourself and serve others first?