Verse 1. “So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he
and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him.”
When you think about the situation that Abram and Sarai, his wife, had
experienced in Egypt, it’s a miracle that they now were freely able to go “up from Egypt to the
Negev” wilderness. Not only did they leave, but nobody from Pharaoh's
army shot arrows at them, harmed them, or
in any way prevented their departure. The nation Egypt of that time was considered
strong and impregnable by
the peoples who lived nearby. Sarai had been placed in Pharaoh’s harem, Abram
had lied to Pharaoh and been caught, great trouble had come to Egypt as a
result, and Pharaoh was angry; yet they both left safely and all they had went
with them. It was God who ensured their safe departure, just as He can
ensure your departure from seemingly impossible circumstances.
“And Lot (went) with him.” This is the first mention of Abram’s nephew, Lot,
since Genesis 12:4, where we see similar words to this verse – “Lot went with
him.” Notice the implied separation between the life situations of Lot and the
circumstances of Abram. We will see in this chapter that Lot had livestock and
followers of his own and the holdings of the two men were not to ever be one, because God had a separate
destiny in store for each of them.
Verse 2. “Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in
silver and in gold.”
The Hebrew phrase translated here as “very rich” was literally “weighty,”
used in the sense of abundance. In particular, the man had “livestock… silver
and... gold.” When it said in Genesis 12:16 that “he had…
sheep, oxen, male
donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys and camels,” it is
interesting that much of what he possessed had recently been GIVEN to Abram by the Pharaoh of Egypt.
God not only protected Abram; he enriched him as well.
The reason for the gifts was that they had been a dowry given to Abram in
exchange for Abram giving his wife to Pharaoh. The goods and servants were
dishonestly received by Abram, but Pharaoh did not ask for them back – he just
wanted to get RID of the man. And note that Abram already had many possessions
before, at the time the group had left the place called Haran, as reflected in
Genesis 12:5. Another interesting factor in these verses were the “male and
female servants” given to Abram, as seen in Genesis 12:16. One of them would
have been the “Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar,” first named in
Genesis 16:1. Hagar’s son was to be Ishmael, the rival half-brother of Abram’s
son, Isaac.
Verse 3. “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,”
Have you done this? Have you ever traveled far in life, only to end up where
you started? And often we will find ourselves where God wanted us in the first
place, but we have been on unnecessary journeys before we finally arrive into
the situations where we are supposed to be. Abram was now back in the land of Canaan, the place
specifically given to his descendents. His grandson, Jacob, would be renamed
“Israel" by Almighty God and the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and his grandson,
Jacob, are now in that land once more. Just as Abram journeyed far from the
“Promised Land,” so would the people who descended from him.
Abram and all his followers and possessions were now back precisely at the
spot of land they had occupied in Genesis 12:8. He seems to have left because of
a “famine” (Genesis 12:10), but interestingly, it
can be seen that he was already traveling south toward Egypt in Genesis 12:9. How many times have we all subtly or overtly
left the will of God simply out of curiosity, perhaps coupled with a whim of the
moment? Abram should have prayed before he went, and so should we.
Verse 4. “to the place of the altar which he had made
there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.”
“The altar which he had made…
formerly” was seen in Genesis 12:8. At that
time, just like the present moment of this verse, Abram “called on the name of
the Lord.” Almighty God obviously is everywhere. He does not merely live in
buildings and He is not limited to contacting us at some place like this
“altar.” Yet WE are limited and are often unable to “hear” God because of our
rushed and frantic circumstances in life.
It is you and I who need these special, quiet places where we can speak to
the Lord and “hear” Him better. God knows this and allows for our humanity in
His dealings with people. You can see this in the life of Jesus, who had been
previously “in the form of God,” but came “in the likeness of men” (Philippians
2:6-7). He often stepped aside from the pressures of the people in this world
and fervently prayed to His Father in a quiet place. This can be seen in many
places, such as Luke 11:1.
Verse 5. “Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks
and herds and tents.”
If you associate with people who are blessed by God, some of those blessings
are likely to overflow into your life as well. These will not only be material
blessings, such as the “flocks and herds and tents” of this verse, but even
better, spiritual blessings will be yours also. In describing the “gospel” (good
news) of our Lord Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Peter the
Apostle said, “the promise is (not only)
to you, but also to your children…”
(Acts 2:39). There is great benefit in your life if you associate with godly,
faithful people who trust in the Lord.
And as stated, note that the greatest blessings in your life are not material
at all. Jesus said, “Blessed are you poor" (Luke 6:20), as though wealth can
actually be an inhibitor in finding God. For some it certainly is. Jesus
continued in that verse about the poor – “for yours is the kingdom of God.”
Jesus also said, “the poor (are)
with you always" (Matthew 26:11), much like
Moses said in Deuteronomy 15:11. God’s purpose in allowing poverty is so that
others will “remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10), becoming people who
are willing to share with
those in need.
Father, help us to remember to pray before we act and
trust in Your Word, even when "famines" come to our lives
that distract and frighten us. We give our hearts and
lives to You and trust in You now. Thank You for Your
love. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Genesis 13:6-10
Verse 6. “And the land could not sustain them while
dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able
to remain together.”
A key need for generals and kings has historically been to become adept at
caring for the need of their followers. Feeding and clothing them is an ongoing
preoccupation. Pertaining to the workers and animals possessed by Abram and Lot, there was only so much
grass and water available. As it says in this verse, “the land could (no longer)
sustain them.” God had said to Abram at least once, as reflected in Genesis
12:1, “Get out of your country (and)
from your kindred.” Abram did in fact get
part of the Lord’s will right – he first left his country in Ur of the Chaldees
and then left Haran; but he also took his nephew, Lot, with him, a man who
definitely was his
“kindred.”
God did not condemn Abram for his lapse in taking Lot with him, but
instead, the Lord gently brought this moment upon them, when the two would be
forced to part.
Abram had done something commendable in that he was watching out for his dead
brother’s son (Genesis 11:27-28), but now the younger man was to be on his own.
It is important for us all to look with interest at the circumstances of our lives
in relation to the Word of God. Seemingly “random” events may well be the hand
of God in bringing about His will for your life.
Verse 7. “And there was strife between the herdsmen of
Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock Now the Canaanite and the
Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.”
Abram and Lot may have missed the point in the on-going event seen in
Verse 6, in which “the land could (no longer)
sustain them while (they were)
dwelling together.” God was using outward circumstances to send the two men into
different directions. The Lord’s specific call, His promise, was to Abram and to him alone.
Yes God loved Lot, but the focus here in these chapters of human history was to
be on Abram, for the people in all generations are to view the life and heart of
this man who truly “BELIEVED in the Lord” (Genesis 15:6). We are to learn about
FAITH in the Lord in the life of Abram, who was soon to be called by the name, “Abraham.”
And so, as God directed, the reasons WHY these men were to separate began to
increase. The land was even less able to sustain them now than before, and in
addition, the “herdsmen” of both Abram and Lot began to fight with each other.
Abram would soon understand what was going on as we will see in the next verse.
Obviously the man Abram was as human as the rest of us, but he had an extra
“ingredient” – he had faith in the Lord, in God's character, that the Lord has GOOD
intentions in relation to every “negative” event that is allowed in our lives.
And note in this verse that among the pressures of that moment, other herdsmen
were involved, such as the "Canaanite(s) and the perizzite(s) (who) were
dwelling then in the land."
Verse 8. “So 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.”
Jesus would later say, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called
the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Abram could see what was happening, but his
nephew, Lot, did not. The “strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and
the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock” (Verse 7) was about to spread to these two men.
You can see it in Abram’s words to the younger man – “Please let there be no
strife between you and me… for we are (like) brothers.” Lot’s emotions were
beginning to run hot and it was time to calm him down.
What is YOUR response to an angry person who looks into your face and yells
at you in anger? Do you tend to yell back and insist on your rights, no matter
what? Note carefully the response of the man, Abram. He loved his nephew more
than he loved being right. The dispute would end, for Abram was indeed the
“peacemaker” in this situation. There is so much “strife” in the world and it’s
time for us to stop adding to it, whenever possible giving peaceful responses to those who have been placed into our lives.
Verse 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 the
right, then I will go to the left.”
Notice the difference in focus of these two men, Abram and Lot. The younger
man, Lot, was being caught up in the anger of his herdsmen (Verses 7-8). Abram
was the older of the two, in a time when the younger generally deferred to
someone who was senior in age, but Lot was in no mood to be deferential. Abram knew there are times to stand up for what
is right, and he would fight when the occasion demanded it, but this was a key moment to show love
to his nephew, Lot,
and do it in action.
Abram saw it was necessary for the two to “separate.” The land simply could
no longer “sustain them while dwelling together” (Verse 6). As the elder of the
two, Abram had every right in the world of that time to be the one who would get first
choice. There was indeed a streak of fear in Abram, seen in Scripture in places like the time
when he was afraid of Pharaoh (Genesis 12:12-13 & context). But this was not
such a time. Abram loved his nephew and would give up his rights to the best
portion of the land; not out of fear, but out of love.
Verse 10. “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.”
At the moment of this verse, Abram’s nephew, Lot, had no thought about what
would be best for his Uncle Abram. This was his opportunity to get an
inheritance and he “lifted up
his eyes” for it seemed like his dreams were coming true – he “could have it
all!” When life seems to open up for you like it did for Lot, it’s time for you
to pray, but there is no evidence that Lot did pray. He merely saw the green
“valley of the Jordan” and he WANTED it!
Outwardly, Lot made a great choice. If you’ve ever seen the Jordan river from
a nearby elevation, it’s obvious that there was plenty of water for these men’s
needs, no matter how many animals and people were involved. And today, the area
of the Dead Sea is very barren, but to an observer of that time, it was “like the garden
of the Lord.” This “Zoar,” by the way, is probably under the bay at the
southeast part of the Dead Sea. Then it was a place of beauty – now it is
drowned under the poisonous waters of the sea. Today's attractive choices
can become like a poison that ruins our lives.
Father, help us to become men and women of peace, in the power and love of
God. Help us to defer to each other, trusting that Your promise in our
lives will be done, even if we must give up something we think we need. We
confess our sins, our lapses of the past and place our trust in You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Verse 11. “So Lot chose for himself all the valley of
the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.”
"They" in this verse refers to Abram, later known as
Abraham, and to his nephew, Lot. Abram’s act in allowing the younger
man to make the ultimate choice as to what parts of
the land they would each occupy, reflected more than just concern for Lot. It also
demonstrated his faith in the Lord. He knew that whatever choice Lot made, God
would work it out for the good in each of their lives. Abram trusted in the
character of the Lord
and he knew that God would
provide for both of them.
And by the way, Lot seemed to be, and may well have been at that moment, a
comparatively grasping, ungodly young man, but God was not finished with him.
Before his life was over, he would become “righteous Lot, who was oppressed by
the filthy conduct of the wicked, for that righteous man dwelling among them
(was) tormented (in) his soul… by seeing their lawless deeds.” He learned that
“the Lord knows how to deliver the godly…” (2 Peter 2:7-9). Lot’s choice
to settle in the area of Sodom and Gomorrah did
in fact lead to the ruin of his outward life, but it also brought him to TRUST in
the living God like never before.
Verse 12. “Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while
Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.”
The results of all these events and God’s methods used to bring them about
should be interesting to us all. The good Lord, in His wisdom, had intended that Lot and Abram
would go their separate ways. They obviously weren’t going to separate themselves, so
the first step was interestingly to allow them to have prosperity to a point where “the land could not
sustain (both of) them” (Verse 6). The second step was the resulting “strife”
between Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen (Verse 7), and finally, the problems, the "strife" spread to
the two men themselves (Verse 8).
The outcome of all of it is found within this verse: Abram was now “settled in the
land of Canaan,” where God intended him to be. Lot now became separated from
his uncle Abram,
which had been God’s original plan, seen in his earlier command to Abram, “Get
out of your country, from your kindred…” (Genesis 12:1). Abram had left for
Canaan as he was
told to, but as to the part of the command relating to "kindred" (family), he took Lot with him. And now,
for the moment, Abram was in God’s will, and Lot was, for a little while, elated
at the way things had turned out.
Verse 13. “Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly
and sinners against the Lord.”
Continuing the commentary from the preceding verse, Lot now had a
problem. As it is true for so many, he got what he wanted, but what he got was not
what he thought it would be. As we read in this verse, “the
men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord.” Lot
the man was to become “righteous Lot,” a man who
had faith in the Lord, but the change in him was to happen because of many years
in which he was sickened by the “filthy conduct” of
the “wicked” in that place (2 Peter 2:7-9). “Dwelling among them tormented his righteous soul from day to day
by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds.” But that section of 2 Peter
also reveals that “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly
out of temptation…” Lot’s life would first be ruined and then restored by
the decision to choose Sodom as the place he would spend many years.
Sodom’s sin seems obvious to modern people, but was it really? Here’s what
the prophet Ezekiel had to say: “Look, this was the
iniquity of your sister Sodom; she and her daughters had pride, fullness of
food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor
and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore
I took them away as I saw fit” (Ezekiel 16:49-50). They had been given
much, but they gave nothing. The Sodomites were selfish and arrogant. They were
helped by the Lord, but they did not reach out and help others. On top of it
all, they cheapened themselves and others by their sinful behavior. Do you see
such people in our “modern” world? Distance yourself from such conduct, repent,
and pray. Your country, your leaders, this world; we all NEED your fervent
prayer.
Verse 14. “The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had
separated from him, ‘Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you
are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;’”
Abram had done a kind act in bringing Lot with him, as he left first Ur, and
then Haran. Lot was the son of Abram’s brother, who, like the city, had the
name, Haran. Lot’s father died (Genesis 11:27-28), and Abram took Lot with him,
even though God had said to leave “your kindred” (Genesis 12:1). God patiently
allowed the relationship to continue for many years, but now it would be over.
For Lot’s part, he would get his way and go to Sodom, a place where he would be
“oppressed with the filthy conduct of the wicked,”
until, as we saw in the preceding verse, he would trust in the Lord and become “righteous Lot” (2 Peter 2:7), as God intended him to be.
As for Abram, now that Lot and his herdsmen were gone, the Lord clearly and
audibly spoke to him, reaching out to him in the midst of the man’s sorrow and
regrets at the loss of Lot. Abram must have stayed on that hilltop where he and
his nephew had argued, watching Lot and his herds and herdsmen slowly disappear
into the distance. When they were finally gone from his sight, God spoke to
Abram and began to reinforce His promise that the land around the man was God’s
gift to him. Has it ever seemed strange to you that all the land was given to
Abraham and yet he was only able to occupy a little bit of it? Abraham is not
gone; he has merely left this earth for awhile. Some of God’s promises are for
here and now, but the best for all of us is yet to come. The promise still
stands and it always will.
Verse 15. “for all the land which you see, I will give
it to you and to your descendants forever.”
This verse needs to be prayerfully read and absorbed until it finally sinks
deeply into our understanding. If you feel that God has given you a promise and
it seems to not be realized in your life, remember Abraham. God openly and
honestly gave the man everything he could see in every direction. The man was on
a hilltop and he could see for a long way in every direction. God told him,
“it’s yours – all of it!” And yet he would personally remain a nomad in that place for the rest
of his life.
Also please note that the promise is also to his descendents, the nation
Israel, who, after a gap of 2000 years, now once again tenaciously, but also
with God's gift of strength, cling to that land once more. Like Abraham, we might not see the
fullness of the promises in our lifetimes, but God’s Word is good – He will
bring it to pass. “And if you are Christ’s, then you are
Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).
Father, we cling to You, to Your promises and to Your
love. Forgive us our sins and heal us from all unrighteousness. We
believe, we trust in You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Genesis 13:16-18
Verse 16. “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.”
Most have walked on the earth, but how many of us
have bent down and tried to count the particles of "dust" that we walk on?
We don't do it because we can't - there are far too many to count! We can also see the promise
given in this verse in Genesis 28:14, where the promise
to Abram is
extended to his grandson, Jacob “… your descendants shall be as the
dust of the earth…” Jacob was not born at the time of this verse, but in his childhood he was
undoubtedly told about the incredible, exciting promise first given to his grandfather,
Abram. At this time in Genesis 13, Abram was depressed because of the loss of Lot, his
nephew. Jacob’s later experience with this promise was at a time when he was running
for his life from his brother, Esau, who was white-hot with anger and likely
would have killed Jacob, if he knew where his younger twin sibling was.
The promises, the reassurance of God often come when we
have reached the end of our own resources. God reaches into our fear, depression, loss and sorrow, bringing
words of comfort at just the right time. Abram listened, heard and believed.
Jacob was in a fitful dream at the moment of Genesis 28:14, but he heard and
believed also. Now is the time to trust in the Lord, for when we do, we become
sensitized through His Holy Spirit, who renders us able to receive the comfort that
only God can give. Place your faith in Him and He will bring blessings
and reassurance to your
life, just as He did with Abram and his grandson, Jacob.
Verse 17. “Arise, walk about the land through its
length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”
God was, at the moment of this verse, giving Abram a dream bigger
than anything the man could imagine. And note that Abram did not respond by
becoming proud of his accomplishments and think he was somehow superior to
others as so many do. He merely received and
believed, which is what is meant for your life and mine. Don’t count the cost; instead
count on the Lord. He will bring it to pass. Don’t fear the future, for it is
God who will protect you and bless your life.
I know that, in my case, it was in the year 1953 that the Lord called me to
ministry. That was all I knew. It was not until the year 1999 that I was
ordained and actually entered the ministry. That’s forty-six years; many of
which were spent in intense waiting. God will do
what we cannot and we don’t need to be some kind of super-spiritual people,
either. It’s GOD who gives us dreams and it’s God who makes them become reality.
Today is the day for you and I to receive and believe. Then we are to confidently “Arise, walk about the land… (and He)
will give it to you.”
Verse 18. “Then 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.
God had invited Abram to go on an extensive, leisurely walk through what was later to
have many names, but the key designation would be “Israel,”
the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s promise. You can see God’s words in the
preceding verse, in which the Lord told him, “Arise, walk about
the land through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.” It’s
interesting that, 4000 or so years later, the ownership of that land, humanly
speaking, is still somewhat in dispute. But its ownership is not in any way disputed in the mind of God.
When God said, “I will give it to you” (Verse
17), He did. We look with the eyes of mere human beings and we often don’t
understand the promises of God. But instead of regarding merely the circumstances, we
need to look at the power and love of God in His Word, KNOWING that He will
bring it to pass. That’s what Abram did. Then we must look at our own lives,
first acknowledging our weakness and then seeing the utter POWER and love of God. For
Abraham and for you and me, outcomes in life often seem to be in doubt. But
that's not the way it is
for God. As stated, HE will bring it to pass.
Father, we often have been afraid, regretting the past and wondering what
will come next. And so we give our hearts and lives to You,
recognizing that You know everything about the future, You love us, and You will
bring us through. We trust in You now and we love You. Thank You for
Your promise, which is even to me. In Jesus Name. Amen.
