Introduction
‘So, Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.’ Genesis 13:1-4
ABRAM AND LOT SEPARATE
Here we find Abram is right back to where he started, Genesis 12:9, back in Genesis 12, he thought he would go on his own accord, Genesis 12:10, and because he went, it forced him to lie, Genesis 1:11-13. He had a lack of faith in God and so because of the famine he went to where the food was instead of trusting God to supply his needs, Genesis 12:10.
As always with sin, there is a price to pay, his sin led others to sin and so Abram placed himself into a place of temptation where it led to even an ungodly king rebuking him, Genesis 12:18. God could have looked after Abram during the time of the famine, but he had to learn the hard way, I guess that real faith takes time to build.
Abram, Saria, and Lot are now in the Negev in the south, Genesis 13:1, which was Edomite country. Abram has become very wealthy, with livestock, silver and gold, Genesis 13:2 / Genesis 12:17 / Genesis 17:12-13 / Genesis 17:23.
Kline, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Though not mentioned in Genesis 12:10-20, Lot had been in Egypt, benefiting from Abram’s favored status, Genesis 13:5, and acquiring a taste for luxuriant valleys, Genesis 13:10, like the land of Egypt.’
He eventually makes it back to his camping area, which was between Bethel and Hai, Genesis 13:3. This is where he first built an altar, and called upon the name of the LORD, Genesis 13:4 / Genesis 12:8. Having put his sin behind him, he’s back to where God wants him to be. Although the text doesn’t tell us, I believe we can safely assume that the famine is now over, and he is his livestock can now settle in the Canaan.
‘Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. And quarrelling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. So, Abram said to Lot, ‘Let’s not have any quarrelling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.’ Genesis 13:5-9
It’s obvious that the land wasn’t fully recovered from the drought, Genesis 12:10, because it wasn’t able to support both Abram and Lot, Genesis 13:5-6. It’s clear Abram is doing God’s will because trouble is now brewing between the herdsmen, Genesis 13:7, but it must be noted there was no trouble between Abram and his nephew Lot. Notice the Canaanites and Perizzites were living in the land, Genesis 13:7, which possibly suggests that they saw them arguing, which isn’t a good example of God’s people.
This is the first real mention of wealth in the Bible, but the difference was Lot’s wealth possessed him, he chose wealth, but Abram didn’t let his possession possess him. This is seen in Abram allowing Lot to choose, Genesis 13:8, and so, he yielded to Lot out of love, his rights didn’t obsess him, Philippians 2:4. Abram trusted God and graciously gave Lot the choice because he knew that God would look after him, Genesis 13:9.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Here Abram’s action is truly in character, quite unlike the shameful episode in the previous chapter. As the leader of the expedition into the land of Canaan, as the patriarch and senior kinsman of Lot, Abram had every right to demand his own choice of direction, but he magnanimously and graciously yielded the choice of pasturage to his nephew.’
‘Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So, Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.’ Genesis 13:10-13
Lot makes his choice and picks the whole plain of Jordan, Genesis 13:10-11. He obviously chose by sight and not by faith as Abram did, 2 Corinthians 5:7 / Jeremiah 17:9.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Lot decided to move east into the Jordan Valley, Genesis 13:11. Earlier we read that Adam, Eve, and Cain travelled east after they sinned, Genesis 3:24 / Genesis 4:16, and that the people of Babel went east and rebelled against God, Genesis 11:2. Thus Lot’s move east makes us a bit uneasy, Genesis 12:3.’
Notice that Lot pitched his tents near Sodom, Genesis 13:12, this is later going to prove to be a bad mistake for him and his family. Those who lived in Sodom were wicked and totally lived in a way opposite to what God requires of people, Genesis 13:13.
Maybe Lot thought he would be fine if he just lived on the outskirts of Sodom but as we shall see later, he eventually moved into the city, surrounded himself with sin and would need rescuing, Genesis 14:1-16.
Willis, in his commentary, says the following.
1. He looked upon the attraction of the fertile pasture lands toward Sodom.
2. He chose it as his home, Genesis 13:11, and moved his home into the close vicinity of it, Genesis 13:13.
3. He ‘dwelt in Sodom’, Genesis 14:12.
4. He acknowledged the men of Sodom as his ‘brothers’, Genesis 19:7, and offered them his daughters to be used sexually as they wished.
5. He ‘sat in the gate of Sodom’, Genesis 19:1, indicating his acceptance of a post of responsibility there.
6. ‘Finally, he ‘lingered,’ even after the mercy of God had offered an opportunity to escape.’
‘The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.’ So, Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the LORD.’ Genesis 13:14-18
Notice after Lot left, God tells Abram to look around the land and get a feel for it, Genesis 13:14. I can imagine Abram thinking to himself, but all this land can’t be his because Lot has now possessed some of it, and so, the Lord once again renewed His promise to Abram to give him the land of Canaan, Genesis 13:15 / Genesis 12:1-3 / Genesis 17:1-8.
He also renewed His promise that his descendants would be as the dust of the earth, Genesis 13:16 / Genesis 15:5. Remember the Messiah would eventually come through his lineage, Genesis 3:15.
Keil, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This applied not to the lineal posterity of Abram, to his seed according to the flesh, but to the true spiritual seed, which embraced the promise in faith, and held it in a pure and believing heart. The promise, therefore, neither precluded the expulsion of the unbelieving seed from the land of promise, nor guarantees to existing Jews a return to earthly Palestine after their conversion to Christ.’
God encourages Abram to explore the land to get a feel for the size of it, Genesis 13:17. It was at this time that Abram moved to the area of Hebron, Genesis 13:18, which means communion, at the time it was known as Mamre which means vision. Abraham possessed his land by faith. Once again Abram builds an altar to the LORD, Genesis 13:18.