Genesis 13

This is the first account of a trilogy of Abram/Lot stories.

In 13:2-18 Abram gives Lot the good land

In 14:1-24 Abram delivers Lot from captivity

In 18:16-19 Abram delivers Lot from destruction

 

Lot’s character is passive and shallow.  He makes bad decisions that become worse.  This is because Lot:

  • Has lack of vision of the big picture, or the God’s goal for his life.  Lot can’t see the forest because he is starring at the trees.
  • Is distracted by the glitter and glamour of the temporal world.  Lot does not realize that everything that glitters is not gold.
  • Does not have the foresight to see disaster or judgment coming.  Lot keeps jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

 

Abram has all of these:

  • A vision for his future
  • Priorities that guide him past the temporal glories
  • The ability to avert disasters before they over take him

 

Lot is an example of a politician.  A politician makes policy based on popularity and what’s best for the moment right now.

Abram is an example of a statesman.  A statesman bases their decisions on a vision of the future and policies are based in foresight of future advantages.

 

Lot is important to Abram because Lot is the heir of Terah’s lineage. 

Terah had three sons:

  • Abram who is childless
  • Nahor who stayed in Chaldea
  • Haran who had the only grandson – Lot

 

Before Abram and Lot separated Lot was Abram’s heir. 

After Lot Abram’s heir will be Eliezer of Damascus.

When Abram has his son Ishmael then Ishmael becomes Abram’s heir.

But, God’s plan is for Abram to have the promised son through Sarah, Isaac.

 

Lot disqualifies himself from the promised land just like Ishmael and Esau will

Lot will choose to go east like Adam and Eve, Cain, and the people who settled Babel.

 

Both Lot and Abram will lift up their eyes to see.

Lot will look up to see with human view point and take the best land now.

Abram will look up to see with divine view point and trust God’s promises

 

13:2-5

Abram retraces his steps to get back in fellowship with God after his errors during the famine.

Abram desires to recover with God.

Abram returns to the place of worship between Bethel and Ai.

Abram’s altar is still there which signifies the permanence of God’s promises

Abram’s renewed faith is demonstrated or seen in these:

  • Retraced steps to get back to where he last heard from God
  • Renewed the altar to restore fellowship with God
  • Abram then sends Lot away
  • Abram is generous to Lot and gives him the first choice.
  • Abram can accept second best because with God’s blessing it will become the best
  • Abram has faith in God’s provision (Gn.14:22)
  • Lot “quarrels”; Abram “resolves”
  • Abram calls them “brothers” and offers a peaceful solution when he could have had a war

 Abram returns from Egypt

13:6-7

“rib” is Hebrew for “quarreling”.  It eventually refers to a legal conflict in the Hebrew language.  Here it indicates the ingratitude of Lot.  Lot is blessed by being with Abram.  But Lot will lose his possessions, his good land is destroyed and he will end up in a cave.

 

13:10-11

Similar words in these verses as the words of chapter 3 (Eve and tree) and chapter 6 (sons of God and daughters of men): saw, watered, garden, destroyed, chose, whole/all, east.

 

Lot will lose:

  1. the well watered land which is consumed with fire.
  2. the herdsmen who quarreled will soon be unemployed and then destroyed
  3. the wealth he had while with Abram

 

13:11

Lot lived among the cities.  Abram lived in the land.

Sodom and Gomorrah were part of the Pentapolis, or the five cities of the plain:  Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, Zoar (Gn. 14:2)

Abram and Lot Part