January 18, 2019
Love You, Man, But It's Time to Part Ways
Genesis 13
Carol Bate
Central Truth
Be amazed but not surprised when God keeps His promises.
Key Verse | Genesis 13:14-15
The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “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.”
Genesis 13
Abram and Lot Separate
1 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.
2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 1 13:8 Hebrew we are men, brothers 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.
14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks 2 13:18 Or terebinths of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.
Dive Deeper | Genesis 13
In the previous chapter, the Lord spoke to Abram and made him a promise. He also told him what to do: "Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.'” (Genesis 12:1, emphasis added) Yet, Abram's nephew Lot was still with him. Hmmm.
Abram didn't do exactly what the Lord instructed and at times had been dishonorable. Not good!
But Abram still worshipped God and was in the process of going back to a place between Bethel and Ai where he had first built an altar. He called on the name of the Lord there. Nice!
Lot’s and Abram’s workers were quarreling as they and others were trying to access the limited resources of the land. Not good!
God used the strife to convince Abram (who had been spending time with the Lord) that it was time to separate. Finally!
Magnanimously, Abram offered Lot his pick of the land. Nice!
Lot chose the lush land with the wicked people. Did he think he could change them? Was he just too swayed by the riches? It doesn't say.
It was not until after Lot left that the Lord reminded Abram all that He had promised him. Sweet!
There have been times in my life when I have gotten to the point where I finally let go of the anger, frustration, sadness, relationships, control, etc. It is at those points that God has revealed something precious and important to me. In those moments, I was ready to hear what God had been waiting to tell me.
His timing is always amazing to me, but I should not be surprised because I can look back at His faithfulness to me, to His people, and, in this case, to Abram.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you have something or someone you have been holding onto, but you know you should let go and separate?
2. When was the last time you truly worshiped the Lord out of a grateful heart?
3. Do you take the time to write down or share when God has shown you something? Take time today to share because someone else may need to hear it.