Genesis 13

Updated
2001-05-26; 14:31:24utc

These verses show us how Abraham had to trace his way back to the point where he had last built an altar and called upon the name of the LORD. In his book My Utmost for His Highest Oswald Chambers points out how God always leads us back to the point where we left Him. The time spent outside fellowship with God is lost time. Abraham had made no progress. As a matter of fact he had regressed. In material respect he had made considerable gains, but those gains turn out to be more of a hindrance in his life than a help.

Moses paints the picture in full color. We see Abraham leave Egypt and go back to where he came from. We see Sarah join him again. Did they have a happy reunion? We see him being slowed down with his wealth. Rich people do not travel light and fast. And we hear again of Lot. Most likely Lot had witnessed everything and had accompanied them to Egypt although this is not mentioned. We get the impression that progress was slow. Vs.3 and 4 tell us "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." It sounds like a healing process and that is probably what it was. Abraham had injured himself quite badly and he needed time to recover.

We see Abraham retracing his steps both emotionally and spiritually. The mention of the names of places is full of memories. Moses jumps ahead in time by using the name Bethel. It was not until Jacob spent his first night away from home and had his dream that the name Luz was changed into Bethel, house of God. (See Gen. 28:17-29 - "He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.") It seems as if Moses wants to comment on Abraham's experience by the mention of this name. As if he wants to say that Abraham is going back to the "house of the LORD." There must have been for Abraham the association from the place with the experience with the Lord when he built his first altar there, because he comes again to the point where he calls upon the name of the LORD. This, it seems, he had not done during the time he was away in Egypt.

God can keep us from stumbling, but we have to want to be kept. The only guarantee we have is when we walk in fellowship with Him. Jude's promise is clear in Jude vs.24 - "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy..." When we do stumble, it is not because wanted us to, or because He did not keep us. We only stumble when we are too far away from Him to hear His soft voice.

Lot's move is the basis for Abraham's intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah, and if it hadn't been for Lot's being taken into captivity, Abraham would never have chased the troops of the kings who invaded Canaan. There seem to be two reasons for Abraham's proposal to split up. The first is a practical one: There are too many animals between the two families in relation to the grazing grounds. The second one is spiritual: The shepherds of the two men fight and the surrounding tribes, the Canaanites and Perizzites, probably had a good time laughing at them. Abraham is concerned about his testimony. And rightly so.

So Abraham brings up the subject to Lot and suggests the separation. Abraham seems to be the gentleman in this matter. He offers Lot the first choice. We do not read that Lot presses Abraham to choose first, although as the elder of the two that would seem the polite thing to do. Lot seems to be too pre-occupied with his own interest to even consider that possibility. From the context we get the impression that Abraham has taken the position that if God has promised to give this land to his offspring, he does not have to concern himself with what part Lot will choose.

Vs.10 gives some interesting insight in the mentality of the two men. Abraham sees the Jordan valley with the plains of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as Lot does. The comparison with 'the garden of the LORD,' that is Paradise, is probably the thought that came into Abraham's head. But Lot compares it to Egypt. So he has been in Egypt and he had been impressed by what he saw. He makes no connection though between the beauty that is before him and Paradise. His mind is more on this world. "Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)"

Lot must have known the reputation of the people in Sodom and Gomorrah, but this did not deter him from choosing that part of the country. We still do not know if Lot had a family at this point. We do not read about his wife and daughters until chapter 19. We shall see that Lot was slowly drawn into Sodom. He started out by pitching his tents near Sodom and ended up by living in the city. If he did have a family, he certainly did not give any thought to their spiritual well being. Lot choice left him a bankrupt man at the end, living in a cave.

Lot is called 'righteous' by Peter. (II Pet.2: 7 "And if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men." We'll get back to Lot later.

Abraham had left the choice with Lot, which meant that he let God decide where he was going to live. If I understand the context correctly, Abraham was at Bethel when the separation took place. At this point God appears anew to him. This is the third time. First, he hears the voice of the LORD at Ur, before he leaves his country. Second, the LORD appears to him at Sechem, when he arrives in Canaan. Now again, God assures him that the land he sees will belong to his offspring. After the first call Terah had slowed Abraham down. It wasn't until his father died that Abraham arrived at the place where God wanted him to be. The separation between Lot and Abraham was a kind of a death also. "Partir, c'est mourir un peu." After Lot's departure God invites Abraham to survey his inheritance.

In vs.14 we read: - "The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west." And vs.17 goes on by saying: - " Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."

It seems that Psalm 37 is written for this occasion. The psalm is built around the theme "dwell in the land" and "inherit the land." God says specifically to Abraham "I am giving it to you." Yet he never owed anything 'de facto,' except for the cave he bought to bury Sarah. He possessed by faith.

Some quotation from Psalm 37 will put the issue of Abraham's inheritance in the right perspective. The Psalm speaks about more than the possession of real estate. "Dwell in the land" and "inherit the land" are images of a spiritual reality.

Vs.3 "Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Vs.9 "For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land."

Vs.11 "But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace."

Vs.18 "The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever."

Vs.22 "Those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off."

Vs.27 "Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever."

Vs.29 "The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever."

Vs.34 "Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it."

The writer to the Hebrews sums it all up in Heb.11; 9,10 where he says: "By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." And he goes on to say in vs.13-16 "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." These verses show us the real significance of what God said to Abraham.

The second part of the promise deals with Abraham's offspring. God promised Abraham that He will make his offspring 'like the dust of the earth,' which God alone can count. Hearing this, Abraham starts moving around till he arrives at Hebron, where the third altar in the country is built. We get the impression that Abraham spent a considerable period of time at Hebron. It is not until chapter 20 that we read about his moving away from there. So actually when God invites Abraham to move around in the land, he settles down at one place and does not move. The restlessness of the early year disappears and makes place for the certainty that what God promised will come to pass. The altar at Hebron becomes a place of rest.