Genesis 13:1-18 Fork In The Road
Abram is back in Canaan. The famine had ended and Pharaoh has said “GO!” He and Lot do so and with MANY possessions.
In spite of Abram’s deceit in Egypt he comes out richer than he went in. Pharaoh didn’t take all he had given Abram back once he figured out the truth. He told him to leave though and told his men to leave Abram alone. He probably didn’t want to anger God any more. He had enough with the affliction he had already suffered.
Abram and Lot came out of Egypt wealthy men. Abram took their band of sojourners back to the last place he had built an altar to the Lord; between Bethel and Ai. Here “Abram called upon the name of the Lord” (verse 4b). I’m wondering if he repented of his behavior in Egypt at this time. Maybe he rededicated himself to following God’s will. Is it possible that he talked to God about the separation he was going to discuss with Lot? It wouldn’t surprise me if he did.
Abram and Lot had so many sheep and servants that the land couldn’t support them all. There was also fighting between the herdsmen of the two groups. I would assume one of the disputing points was over resources. Abram did NOT like this fighting and he decided to put a stop to it by alleviating the problem. He was going to put some distance between the two groups.
He was the patriarch of this whole group. He could have ordered Lot to do what he wanted. He could have chosen for Lot where he would go and Lot would have had no say in it. But he didn’t. Instead he gave Lot the choice. Abram was willing to live with whatever choice Lot made; no questions asked and no hard feelings. I believe he did this out of faith. Not faith in Lot making the right choice but faith in God that HE would direct Lot’s choice and that whatever God had for Abram, He would be able to work it all out no matter what. I wonder why he didn’t have that much faith in Egypt. Maybe his time at the altar had something to do with it.
Lot was more than happy to make the choice. He didn’t say, “No uncle. You are the leader. You choose for me.” Instead, he looked around and saw what would benefit him most. He chose the rich fertile fields. He wanted the area that looked just like what he had left; Egypt.
Abram was more than willing to respect Lot’s choice. He happily stayed where he was; until the Lord spoke to him again. “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever” (verses 14b-15). Being that Lot could see his destination from where Abram now stood, Abram could see the land Lot was dwelling in too. This land too would belong to Abram’s descendants. Abram hadn’t lost out on anything by letting Lot have his choice. It was time now to go and explore what God had given him.
Father God, thank You that You allow me to come to You and renew the promises that I have made to You. You never fail to meet me there and often You remind me of Your promises at that time too. I love how You got more specific with Abram when he came back to Your altar. He had wandered away from Your direction but You never forgot Your promise to him.
Thank You that Abram’s children weren’t only physical but spiritual too. Your promise to him was that ALL nations would be blessed through him. I’m one of his “faith children.” Thank You for that inheritance.
