Last Sunday we began our look at the patriarch
Abraham. Abraham
- who is one of the most significant people in
history - certainly in the Bible. Judaism
- Islam - Christianity - all trace themselves back
to Abraham.
Abraham’s a man that God used in incredible
ways. God
spoke with Abraham.
Ate with him. Blessed him. God
holds Abraham up as an example to us of a man who
lived rightly before God. An
example to us of a man who lived by faith. An
example for us to follow.
But, the reason we’re looking at
Abraham is not because he’s some super spiritual -
Bible superhero - type guy. We’re
looking at Abraham because there a
parts of Abraham’s life that we can relate to on
the level of where we live our lives. Abraham
struggled with faith just like we struggle in our
faith. His
faith wavered.
He messed up. He had lessons to learn.
And through all that - perhaps the greatest
example and encouragement we can get by looking at
Abraham’s life is that - through everything
Abraham went through - God stayed with him - and
through all those struggles Abraham grew in his
relationship - his faith in God.
Genesis 13:1 - So, Abram went up from
Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that
belonged to him, and Lot with him.
Pause there - and let’s be reminded of what the
word “so” - here in verse 1 - what the word “so”
refers back to.
Last Sunday - we saw that God
made an incredible offer to Abraham - a promise of
what God would do in and through Abraham. An
offer that included land - descendants -
incredible blessing - and that God was going to
use Abraham and his descendants to be a blessing
to all the nations of the world.
What God asked Abraham to do - to
receive what God was promising - was to leave the
country he was living in - leave his relatives -
leave his father’s family - leave behind his old
life and head out to the land that God was going
to show Abraham.
Spiritually speaking that’s what
God asks of us.
God offers us forgiveness and life - a
relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ. God
tells us - to receive what He offers us we need to
leave our old lives behind. By
faith trust Him.
Move forward into the life God offers us in
Jesus Christ.
Which Abraham did. Left
like God asked him to. Traveled from Haran all the
way down to Shechem and Bethel and Ai. Pitched
his tent. Built
altars. Worshiped
God.
But then Abraham messed up. There
was a famine in the land. Abraham
- rather than trusting God - Abraham trusted his
own wisdom.
Took matters into his own hands. Headed
south to Egypt.
Told Pharaoh that his wife was his sister -
bent the truth.
Got her in trouble. Got
everyone in trouble. Including Pharaoh and the
Egyptians who God struck with plagues.
So, Pharaoh kicked Abraham and
Sarai and the whole clan out of Egypt. Escorts
them to border and drops them off there with all
their luggage.
Do you remember this from last Sunday?
Point being - In the face of
God’s offer of incredible blessing. Abe
royally messes up by not trusting God.
That’s all part of the word “so”
here in verse 1.
“So - after God’s offer and
Abram failed at trusting God - Abram went up from Egypt…”
Verse 2: Now Abram was very rich in livestock,
in silver and gold.
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.
Which was the land God had
promised him in the first place.
This place.
Which is where he was before he headed
south to Egypt.
Verse 4 - to the place of the altar
which he had made there formerly; and there Abram
called on the name of the Lord.
Verses 1 to 4 are a reminder of Abram’s
failure and God’s graciousness. Say that with me, “Abram’s
failure and God’s graciousness.”
There’s a huge difference between
playing golf and wandering around a grassy area
chasing a small white ball with a club. How
many of you have played golf? Even
mini-golf? Or,
at least made the attempt?
Golf can be frustrating. Yes? But,
one of the great things about golf is that every
hole is a new opportunity. We get
to start over again. It doesn’t matter how many
balls the windmill ate. Standing at the tee we’re a
new man ready to take on the volcano.
Which is like our relationship
with God. Isn’t
it? The
only difference is that God doesn’t keep
cumulative scores.
Abram royally messes up by not
trusting God - everyone gets messed up. And
yet, here he is again - back at Bethel and Ai - in
God’s promised land - starting over. In
verse 4 - he goes back to where he’d built the
altar - where he was before he messed up - back to
the first place to do what he should have done in
the first place.
Abram calls on the name of the Lord.
God’s name represents all that
God is. His
character. His
reputation.
His resources - all that God possess to
meet our deepest needs despite the famines -
despite the worst circumstances of our lives. All of
which God desires to bless us with - to pour out
into our lives.
What Abram does is an example for
us of what we need to do when we mess up by not
trusting God.
Humble ourselves before God and call on the
name of the Lord.
Come back to God. Cry out to Him. Count
on Him - with His resources and wisdom. Trust
Him. Believe
Him. Put
our lives in His hands.
That’s the point where the new hole begins - where
by God’s grace we get to T-off again.
Look how Abram arrives at Bethel
and Ai. Verse
1 - he arrives with his wife - nephew Lot - and
all that belonged to him - all his livestock and
possessions.
When Abram was in Egypt Pharaoh had given
him even more livestock and servants. All
that - it seems - Abram was able to bring with him
out of Egypt.
Verse 2 - he’s not just rich. But,
he’s very rich.
The prophet Jeremiah writes -
Lamentations 3:22 - “The Lord’s
lovingkindnesses indeed never cease. For His
compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great
is Your - what? Great is Your
faithfulness.”
(Lamentations 3:22,23)
God is gracious - compassionate -
the God of the second chance. He’s
faithful even when we are faithless. God is
so gracious to Abram that nothing gets left in
Egypt.
Paul writes - in Philippians 4:19
- that when we learn to trust God - to call out to
God - to put our lives in His hands - Paul writes
that “My God will
supply all your needs - not a few - not some -
but - My God will supply all your
needs according to His riches in glory in Christ
Jesus.”
Grab on to that. Any
time - day or night - any place - in whatever
circumstances - in whatever situation of failure -
regardless of our past failures - big failures or
small failures - we can begin again with God. And He
- God - in Jesus will supply to us all that we
need to go forward with Him. Isn’t
that a great encouragement?
Verses 1 to 4 are a reminder of
Abraham’s failure and God’s graciousness.
Whatever the issue.
Go to God.
Even when we mess up. Go to
God. Try
that with me, “Go to God.”
Verses 5 to 7 focus on the
test. Say
that with me, “The test.”
What we’re coming to here -
starting in verse 5 - is the next test of Abram’s
faith. How
well did he learn the lesson of chapter 12.
Verse 5: Now Lot, who went with
Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents - oh my. And the land
could not sustain them while dwelling together,
for their possessions were so great that they were
not able to remain together. And
there was strife -
conflict - between the herdsman of
Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s
livestock. Now
the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then
in the land.
(cartoon) You may have seen this
before. You’ll
probably see it again. I like what this says
about our hearts.
James writes - James 4:1: What is the source of
quarrels and conflicts among you?
Isn’t that a great question? Everyone
one of us experiences this. Quarrels
and conflicts touches every human relationship -
from nations down to communities - our neighbors -
to relationships at work or school or in the
church - to families and marriages - parents and
kids. Volumes
have been written about how to resolve quarrels
and conflicts.
Because we all struggle with this.
James goes for the bottom line -
going on in James 4:1: What is the source of quarrels and
conflicts among you? Is not the source your
pleasures that wage war in your members?
The word here for “pleasure” is
“hedoneh” - which is where we get the word? “hedonism”
from. The
idea that our own pleasure or happiness is the
highest good.
James’ answer: The
source is within us. “We’ve met the enemy and he
is - who? Us.” The source is self. Try
that with me, “The source is self.” Our own self-serving
attitudes and desires.
Reading on down through chapter 4
- James describes what this self-serving -
self-trust looks like. James writes that in our
desire to please our selves we end up endlessly
pursuing things that never satisfy. We see
what other people have and we want it. When we
pray - our prayers are focused on what we want and
not what God wants.
Then we get all frustrated because God
doesn’t give us what we ask for. Ultimately
we get trapped by the world - caught up in living
and thinking and doing things that are
self-destructive and carry us farther away from
God.
Life is all about me. You
only go around once in life. Grab
what you can for as long as you can while you claw
and scratch your way towards the top of the heap. Mortgage
the kids future with credit card debt - fudge on
our stewardship.
Who cares what our self-gratification is
costing others.
As long as I get what I want.
Notice that verse 7 tells us that the Canaanite
and the Perizzite were dwelling in the land. That
telling isn’t by accident.
The Canaanites and Perizzites
were pagans.
People that God loves who needed to know
about God’s love.
People that God’s people should have been a
channel of God’s blessing to. But
here, the Canaanites and the Perizites had a front
row seat as God’s people self-destructed because
God’s people were focused on trusting themselves
and not trusting God.
How many people have you run
across who want nothing to do with God because
God’s people have treated God’s people in an
ungodly way?
Would you agree with this? Having
stuff is not necessarily wrong or bad. Stuff
is not bad.
But when we focus on having stuff - serving
ourselves - so that we're pursuing legitimate
needs by illegitimate means we're in serious
trouble.
Put another way:
We have a choice - at the core of who we
are - where we make our decisions - we have a
choice as to where we go to have our needs met -
self or God.
When we’re trusting ourselves we’re not
trusting God to meet our legitimate needs.
Point being: The conflict between the
herdsmen of Abram and the herdsman of Lot
ultimately is a test of trust. The
choice between trusting God to meet the legitimate
need of adequate grazing land or trusting
themselves to grab whatever grazing land is
available - even at the expense of their own
family and the testimony of God’s love.
God’s people are tested. According
to their ability there are insufficient resources. Who
will they trust?
Verse 8 - verses 8 to 13
are Abram’s solution. Say that with me, “Abram’s
solution.” Abram’s answer to the test.
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.
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.”
With apologies to Sister Sledge. We are
family. We’re
brothers. We’ve
got the same God.
There shouldn’t be any conflict between us. Especially
not in front of the pagans.
“Lot, there’s all kinds of land
here that God’s given us. Choose
whatever you want.
Whatever you choose. I’ll
take what’s left.”
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.
Notice two things:
First: “Lot lifted up his eyes.”
Lot was with Abram on the journey
from Ur to Haran - from Haran to Shechem - to
Bethel and Ai.
He probably heard from Abram about God’s
offer and promise.
The answer to the question, “Uncle Abe, why are we heading to
Canaan?” “It’s
a God thing.”
Lot was with Abram when Abram
pitched his tent in Bethel and Ai the first time. Was
there when Abram built his altars and worshiped
God.
Lot had a front row seat when
Abram stumbled in trusting God. When
they headed down to Egypt. Saw
Auntie Sarai taken into Pharaoh’s home. Witnessed
God strike the Egyptians with plagues. Got
herded out of Egypt with the rest of the family.
Returned with Abram to Bethel and
Ai. Worshipped
with Abram as Abram humbled himself before God. Saw
God’s reward of Abram’s faith.
And yet - Lot - like so many
people who are touched by God’s grace - Lot
struggles to respond to God’s grace by trusting
God.
Lot lifts up his eyes. Looks
down the hill into the Jordan Valley. What he
sees is green - lush - grazing land.
Compared to the dry arid land around it - that
valley is paradise.
Lot makes his choice - trusting his eyes -
not God. Choosing
what looks good to him. The source of quarrels is
what? Us
- pursuing what looks good to us - without
trusting God.
Second - notice God’s description of the land Lot
chooses.
The grass always looks greener on
the other side of the fence. But it
still has to be what? Mowed.
Lot looks down into the Jordan
River Valley.
In Scripture the name Jordan is often used
to symbolize death.
For example, when God’s people come out of
bondage in Egypt - wander for 40 years in the
wilderness because of sin - not trusting God -
they cross the Jordan River to enter the Promised
Land.
Symbolically - crossing the river
means dying to what lies behind - sin and bondage
- and passing through death into life - God’s
Promised Land - their future dwelling with God.
Remember the Gaither song? “And then one day I’ll
cross the river, I’ll fight life’s final war with
pain; and then as death gives way to victory, I’ll
see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives.” (1)
For us Christians the whole idea
of “crossing the Jordan” is based on that Old
Testament image - passing through death into life
eternal with God.
The Jordan is death.
The valley is lush - until God
wipes out Sodom and Gomorrah - because of their
sin against God.
The valley looks like the garden
of the Lord.
Think “The Garden of Eden.” But, we
got kicked out of the Garden because of sin.
Verse 10 says its like the land of Egypt as you go
to Zoar. Maybe
Lot is thinking about the prosperity and wealth
and power that he saw when he was in Egypt. But
Zoar is the city Lot had to flee to when God
destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Point being that Lot chooses what
looks good to him.
But, what he’s really choosing is a place
of sin and death.
Verse 11: So Lot chose for himself
all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed
eastward. Thus
they separated from each other. Abram
settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled
in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents
as far as Sodom.
Now then men of Sodom were wicked
exceedingly and sinners against the Lord. More
foreshadowing - Lot entering the valley of the
shadow of death.
All the land - the land of Canaan
- the highlands towards the Mediterranean coast -
even the land that Lot chooses - all the land that
Abram is offering Lot - all of that is what God
has ultimately promised to Abram.
There’s even more here. At this
point in the account - Lot is Abram’s closest
relative - at this point his potential heir. Potentially
Abram is offering Lot the very promise that God
offered to Abram.
That’s huge.
Wouldn't we understand if Abram held back
just a tad.
When Abram was confronted with a
famine - test #1 - Abram took matters into his own
hands. Rather
than trusting in God to provide he chose to head
south to Egypt.
Here he faces the test of conflict over
perceived insufficient resources - a conflict
driven by people trusting in themselves rather
than God.
Abram’s solution to test #2 is to
leave things in God’s hands - to trust God. “Lot - choose
whatever you want.
God’s given us all this land. God
will take care of us.”
Verses 14 to 18 are God’s
promise. Say
that with me, “God’s promise.”
What God promises Abram because
Abram has chosen to trust God. God’s
renewing of his promise made to Abram back in
Haran - back in Genesis 12.
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;
for all the land which you see, I will give it to
you and to your descendants forever; 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. Arise,
walk about the land through its length and
breadth; for I will give it to you.” 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.
Look at verse 14 - who tells
Abram to lift up his eyes? God. What a
contrast. Lot
lifting up his own eyes verses Abram waiting until
God said, “Lift up your
eyes.” God
showing Abram what Abram needed to see.
Walk with me through what God
shows Abram.
First - in verse 14 - the promise
of land.
God tells Abram to look in every
direction - north - south - east - west. Even in
the direction of land that Lot had grabbed for
himself. All
that land - as far as the eye can see. And
looking from the highlands of Canaan - where
Abram’s standing - a person can look pretty far. If
that’s not enough - God tells Abram to go on a
journey - walk as far as you want in any direction
and that land is yours. I’m giving it to you and
your descendants forever.
In Scripture land is consistently symbolic of
dwelling with God - the fullness of life that
comes when we dwell with God. God’s
presence and power in our lives. Real
joy in life.
Knowing God’s love and graciousness and
mercy. What
really satisfies our hearts.
Paul prays for those who’ve trusted in Jesus as
the Savior - Ephesians 3:17 - Paul prays “that Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith; and that you, being
rooted and grounded in love, may be able to
comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth
and length and height and depth, and to know the
love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you
may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians
3:17-19)
All that fullness is ours if
we’re willing to trust God to make our choices for
us.
Second - verse 16 - the promise
of descendants.
Any one ever dust your house? Dust is
endless. The
Hebrew word here for dust is “afar” - which can
also mean dirt.
We can estimate the weight. Talk
about volume.
But, ultimately how many particles of dust
and dirt are there on the earth? Countless. A huge
number.
“Abram - I’m going to make you
fruitful beyond anything you can imagine. While
you’re living you’re going to see some of it. But,
after you’re dead and buried - down through the
ages of history - people are going to rise up and
say, ‘I was blessed
because of that man. God did
something in my life because of Abram.’”
And isn’t that true today? Here we
are almost 4,000 years later studying the life of
this man - who in many ways is our spiritual
father - and we’re being blessed by God. Talk
about a legacy - having your life count for
something.
Verse 18 tells us that - after
God had shown him all these things - reassured him
of His promises - Abram came down and pitched his
tent by the oaks of Mamre - which are in Hebron.
A place that looks like this today.
The word “mamre” means “fatness”
or “strength.”
“Hebron” is a word that means “association”
or “fellowship.”
Its descriptive of a place where a person’s
soul is made fat - strengthened - supplied with
all that’s needed.
A place of spiritual supply and fellowship
with God that Abram pitches his tent and builds an
altar - worships God - dwells with God -
experiences the strength and supply of God in his
life.
All of which is a description of
what happens to us when we trust God - even in the
midst of conflict - to set ourselves aside - and
wait upon God to move us forward.
Any of you ever watch The
Price Is Right?
The game is played how? People
are given their one moment on the stage of life -
shown fabulous prizes - the treasures of the
world. They’re
supposed to decide how much each prize is worth -
to evaluate the worth - the value of the prize. The
people who win are the one’s who know how valuable
each prize is.
Lot made an evaluation. For Lot
the price was wrong. He placed the greater value
on the wrong prize.
Abram waited on God to show him what really
was valuable.
To have God lift up his eyes. To gain
insight from God’s perspective. What
God gave Abram was immeasurably more valuable than
what Lot chose for himself.
Every day each one of
us faces that choice. Two directions in life. Two
outcomes. Self
and the world.
Or God.
_______________
1. William and Gloria Gaither, “Because
He Lives”
