Today’s Sermon Notes: 1-25-2025
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Father Abraham
A Sermon Series
“Abram and Lot Go Their Separate Ways”
Genesis 13:1-18
Introduction
The Picture of the Penitent Man (v. 1)
So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. 2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
Humble and Worshipful (vv. 3-4)
3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.
1 John 1:8-9 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Blessed By God (vv. 5-7)
5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
Luke 12:15 “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
How do we become rich toward God?[4]
Trusting God’s Provision (vv. 8-9)
8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”
The Picture of An Impenitent Man (vv. 10-13)
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.
Led By His Eyes
2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.”
Willing To Settle With Wickedness
2 Peter 2:7-8 , “. . . if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);. . .”
What drove Lot to Sodom was the city’s promise for more possessions,
but in the end it took all he had and he leaves with no possessions.
God Reminds the Penitent Man of His Promise (vv. 14-18)
14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.
“to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” (Ephesians 4:1).
Conclusion
Gandalf: I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.
Bilbo: I should think so—in these parts! We are plain, quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them. . . .
Gandalf: You’ll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back.
Bilbo: Can you promise that I will come back?
Gandalf: No. And if you do, you will not be the same.[9]
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[1] Today in the Word, MBI, August, 1991, 16.
[2] James Montgomery Boice, An Expositional Commentary, Genesis, Volume 2, A New Beginning Chapters 12-36 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Books, 2002) 480.
[3] See also Luke 15:17-24.
[4] Matthew 6:19-21
[5] John E. Hartley, New International Biblical Commentary, Genesis (Peabody, Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishing, 2003) 144.
[6] By Genesis 19 he is sitting at the city gate indicating he held some leadership position. It marks his movement and deepening relationship with the city and its’ people.
[7]John H. Sailhamer, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1990) 118.
[8] James Montgomery Boice, An Expositional Commentary, Genesis 12-36 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Books, 1998) 472.
[9] J. R. R. Tolkein, From the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012).
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“The Fallen Hero and the Promise Protected” Genesis 12:10-20
