Father Abraham

A Sermon Series

“Abram and Lot Go Their Separate Ways”

Genesis 13:1-18

 Introduction

Former president Ronald Reagan once had an aunt who took him to a cobbler for a pair of new shoes. The cobbler asked young Reagan, “Do you want square toes or round toes?” Unable to decide, Reagan didn’t answer, so the cobbler gave him a few days. Several days later the cobbler saw Reagan on the street and asked him again what kind of toes he wanted on his shoes. Reagan still couldn’t decide, so the shoemaker replied, “Well, come by in a couple of days. Your shoes will be ready.” When the future president did so, he found one square-toed and one round-toed shoe! “This will teach you to never let people make decisions for you,” the cobbler said to his indecisive customer. “I learned right then and there,”

Reagan said later, “if you don’t make your own decisions, someone else will.”[1]

Prayer

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.

At this point in Abram’s story, he has been called to go, but he (along with his entire family settled) in Haran. Then being called again (a second time) be follows in faith to go to the land of Canaan. He is promised by God that his name would be great, he would be blessed, he would bless those who bless him, and that eventually his offspring would possess the land where he was living. A famine came and having doubted God went to Egypt, lied to the Pharaoh and ended up being thrown out humiliated and embarrassed. Now we see a humbled and trusting man – he is growing in his faith of God.

When the account picks back up we are made aware that Abram is very wealthy, and the famine that originally drove him to Egypt seems to no longer be an issue. This is the first time wealth is mentioned in the Bible.

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.

Abram has come to realize that he had sinned against God by escaping to Egypt (trusting it for help and strength instead of God), having jeopardized the safety of his wife, asking her to lie, and being a poor example of a man called of God. We see Abram turn from (repent) all of that and return to God. For Abram “the only way to get back into the will of God is to go back to the very cause of the departure, confess it, forsake it, and return to the place of fellowship.”[2] “to the place where he had made an altar at the first.”

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.” Abram has confessed his sins before the Lord, and returned to a place where he can worship God (in spirit and in truth). God is merciful and allows us to return to Him,[3] and in his grace He restores (the prodigal son sits down to a feast, the leper of Luke 5:13 goes to the temple, Peter having denied Jesus three times is told “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.”) Matt. 16:18.

All of this was lived out before Lot. He observed Abram leaving to go to Egypt, and he observed him coming back in humiliation and embarrassment. Because he was of Abram’s household his possessions and wealth increased greatly.

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.

By the time Abram leaves Egypt and returns to where his journey with God started, the blessing of God upon his household was so significant that the land itself could not support that many animals. Quarrels began to happen over watering holes, and pasturing their animals. There were also animals of the Canaanites and Perizzites competing for resources.

Jesus tells the parable in 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]

Remember the point of God blessing Abram (and his household, i.e. Lot) was so that they could be a blessing to others. Genesis 12:2 “I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Was Lot rich toward God? In the over-abundance of his possessions, how was he being a blessing to others?

 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.”

 As the elder and leader of the family Abram had the first right to tell Lot what to do, and where to go – but he understands that no matter where he goes, God is going to take care of him, and to watch over him, so he gives the first choice to Lot.

 After Jesus’ baptism, he was led into the wilderness to be tempted for forty days (Matthew 4:1-17). Satan came to him three times, “turns stones into bread,” “cast yourself from a high place so that angels will catch you,” and “bow the knee before Satan and he would give him all the peoples of the earth,” – Each has to do with his calling, trust in his own ability to complete the mission, make your own name great instead of trusting God to do it, and take the shortcut that takes you away from the cross. Each is a crossroad where a decision has to be made.

 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

So now Lot “lifts his eyes” and he scans the horizon and saw the Jordan Valley, and it was “like the garden of the Lord (the Garden of Eden), like the land of Egypt,(where Abram had just come from in disgrace)” – There is a calling upon his and his family’s life, but there is no consideration of that in this decision.

Even when this family eventually became the nation of Israel there was never the idea to part ways. While they griped and complained about not having enough water, even then, they did not splinter into different groups. For Lot to separate from Abram was to leave that calling that was upon their family. Lot moves out of the promised land, out of where they were called to go. They could have reduced the number of animals to a number that the land could support and stay together.

Abram’s test was a famine – the fear was that God would not provide, so Abram had to leave his calling in Canaan. With Lot it was being blessed so much that the land could not support the number of animals – the test was to allow material possessions to pull him away from their calling. He was led by his eyes and the calling upon his life.

When Paul was imprisoned for the preaching of the gospel, he said, 2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” He was once a respected colleague, mentioned positively in other letters like Philemon and Colossians, but his love for worldly comfort over Christ’s calling led him to desert Paul when he needed support most, heading to Thessalonica.

 Willing To Settle With Wickedness

“Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom,” – Sodom represented to Lot the resources of the world, but he thought he could get close to the world, yet not be affected by it. “They had developed a culture that was fundamentally contrary to the ways of justice.”[5] Why pitch your tent close to it and not move into and live there? Because Lot knew, “the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.” So in his mind, “I will live close to them so that I (and my family) are not influenced by them.

In Genesis 14:12 Lot is kidnapped, but he was not out on the plains in his tent, he had moved into the city, “They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.” 2 Peter 2:7-8 tells us that Sodom and their wickedness bothered him, but his desire to have what they offered was not enough for him to leave the city, “. . . 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);. . .”

Lot’s daughters married the men of Sodom, his wife was so broken on having to leave that she looked about and turned to a pillar of salt. Ultimately Lot’s decision to move his tent away from his family’s calling, pitching his tent close to Sodom, then moving into the city,[6] it would eventually take everything he held dear and he would escape only by angels dragging him away.

 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.

 “like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar.” These are three cities that become famous for escaping or having to leave; Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden, God’s people would be enslaved and eventually escape from Egypt, and Zoar would be the city that Lot escaped to after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.[7] All deal with escaping; starting well but ending badly.

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.

Abram has experienced mounting loss, 1) his wife was barren, he had no one to pass the promised blessing of God on to, 2) He didn’t know where he was going, so he was always on the move; Hebrews 11:8 in talking about Abram, “And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” He lost his original homeland and people, 3) He has left all that he knows, the people there were strangers to him – it was just his immediate family. 4) at some point in this journey his brother and father have passed away, and he leaves his other brother behind, 5) there was a famine, 6) now Lot is leaving.[8] While his possessions are great, there are few relationships in his life.

So now God comes to Abram and he once again tells him I want you to walk through the land and see it. God says, “All that you see and everywhere you place your foot, I will give it to your offspring.” There are two different ways to look; In v. 10, 1) “Lot lifted up his eyes” and he ended up in Sodom. You can set your eyes on this world and what is has to offer, or 2) God tells Abram to “Lift up your eyes,” and to focus on what God wants you to see; but what is it that God wants Abram to see?

It was the lifting his eyes and focusing on the promise of God, walking across the land that his offspring would one day own (yet he personally never would) and “Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, . . .” Lot lifted his eyes and put his tent next to Sodom. Abram lifted his eyes, and places his tent where God would one day keep his promises to Abram.

God gives Abram even more “I will” promises, “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 . . for I will give it to you . . . God responds to Abram’s loss with promises of how these felt losses will be replaced with what God gives.

The apostle Paul urges believers “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” (Ephesians 4:1). That worthy walk includes what we lift our eyes to see and where we pitch our tent. For Abram, God wants him to focus on the future generations of offspring (those who live by faith in Christ). For Christians, God wants us to focus on how we can bless others, there is no greater blessing than the sharing of the gospel.

“and there he built an altar to the Lord.” Wherever Abram pitched his tent, he built an alter and worshipped the Lord. Trusting in a promise of what was to come, he lived out his days in the land of promise (one day this land would belong to those who live by faith), and until that day arrived he would worship God.

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).