Genesis 13 – January 30

There are multiple ways that the Bible teaches us how to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Sometimes we are instructed through commands that are given by God or through the prophets or apostles. These commands are direct instructions regarding our conduct. The Bible also teaches us how to live by both positive and negative examples. The book of Genesis is a narrative history book that results in the majority of the practical lessons about our conduct being taught through the lives of men and women of the past.

You and I make hundreds of tiny, seemingly insignificant decisions every day. Underlying every one of those decisions is a heart that is either seeking to honor the Lord or seeking to serve ourselves in some way. In Genesis 13, we see the hearts of two men being displayed through the way they responded to a problem. Abram and Lot both owned substantial flocks and herds, which resulted in there not being enough food and water to sustain them all. Abram and Lot’s herdsmen began quarreling. Something had to be done.

Although Abram was the elder statesman, he humbly offered Lot the option to choose the land in which he would settle. By every right of the tradition of that time period, Abram could have claimed whatever land he desired and forced Lot out to search for his own place to raise his herds. Instead, Abram deferred to Lot, allowing him to make the decision. Lot choose the land that was already lush and fertile. Abram was left with land that, at the time, was relatively desolate. This decision became one of the most significant events in the life of Lot.

The land that Lot moved his herds into was a vast region similar to what we would now see in a 100,000-acre ranch in Montana. But, there is a key phrase that is provided for us that reveals the foolishness of Lot. “…Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.“ (vs. 12-13) It does not take much time to discern whether the people of a particular place are “great sinners.” As we will see in a couple of days, the entire population of Sodom was unrestrained in its perversity.

Lot was aware of their debauchery and yet, he chose to pitch his tent right next door. Instead of creating intentional distance from sin and sinful behavior, he began to slide in their direction. The next time we see Lot, he will no longer be living in a tent outside of Sodom. We will find him sitting at the city gates, functioning as one of the elders of the city. He has moved into the city and was living in a house. He married his daughters off to the wicked inhabitants of the city. He allowed his wife to become enthralled with the people and culture of that city. When we reach chapter 19 we will see the incredible devastation and sorrow that comes from these decisions.

Lot chose the good land out of selfishness. He then compromised his standards and moved his tent right up against some of the most wicked people in the history of the world. I am certain that at the time he was able to justify these decisions in his mind. He probably thought about the financial and social advantages of living near Sodom. More relationships meant more trade partners. It meant more convenient shopping. He compromised and became more and more comfortable with sin. The decisions that we see Lot making in this chapter may seem small, but they are the root of all of the worst things that would ever happen in his life. 

Abram, on the other hand, pitched his tent in Canaan. And as soon as he did so, he built an altar to the Lord. You see that his heart was not selfish for gain, nor was he interested in the ungodly pagan cultures around him. He committed his heart to worship. Unlike Lot who would eventually lose all of the land he chose, God promised Abram that all of that land he chose would be given to him and to his descendants.