Lot’s Choice

Genesis 13 (NASB95)

1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him.

2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold.

3 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,

4 to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

5 Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.

6 And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together.

7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.

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.

9 “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.”

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.

11 So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.

12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.

13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord.

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;

15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.

16 “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.

17 “Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”

18 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.

The Importance of a Choice

Lessons:

Not to leave the land of promise, even IF there’s a famine & the harvest looks plentiful down there in Egypt (We must have faith & trust in God)

But another lesson is taught:

Abram had to start all over again!

He went back “to the place he was in the beginning!… to the place of the altar!”

That is the ONLY place for a man who has faltered and gone aside from being obedient to Christ!

He must start again.

The back-sliding Christian must find Himself AGAIN at the feet of that perfect sacrifice.. upon the altar where the Lamb of God was slain! And plead for his mercy!

I know of many who like Abraham, deserted the path of obedience to follow what seemed right to them…

But its an amazing thought, that no matter how far off someone might have wondered… we can always return to the place, where we were at the beginning.

Abraham finds himself exactly there, the place where he called upon God.

A Lesson In Wealth

Abraham was granted with all these wonderful riches… yet the text never said he coveted them.

Man may seek to gain all the treasures & pleasures of the earth, but he shall die in due time just as we

Scripture says to seek ye first the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness…

Its only in Christ that man has, all He’ll ever need

Let’s take a look at… Abram, the man of faith… Lot, the man of his senses

Abram, the man of faith

Why should Abram be quarreling when he’s been promised everything in the land?

He shouldn’t! And he doesn’t!

What’s an acre or 2 of grass for the man who’s sights are set on that glorious city in heaven??

And what’s a small detail of non-importance between Us and our brethren?

Abram and Lot would’ve QUARRALED over the land if Abram wasn’t a man of faith in God!

Romans 14:19 “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”

Lot, the man of his senses

Standing at Bethel

Greedy eyes he sees the lush Jordan Valley

Possibly Jericho and the palm trees they are known for

Yet…

Up to the west were but rocks and hills.

But Lot allowed his senses to rule. He knew the people in Sodom!

Genesis 13:13 “Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord.”

Grass for his sheep and fruit for his belly was MORE important than his relationship with God! And more than just him, but all his family and servants! Would they not be influenced by the idolator? Absolutely!

He did the OPPOSITE of Phil 2.

Philippians 2:3–4 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Could he have gone to evangelize these people? Sure! But was that his intention? And did he do it?

Of course the text will come to tell us that he didn’t.

If our religion doesn’t make us put the world beneath our feet, and count all things but loss that we might win Christ… we better ask ourselves whether our religion is any better than Lot’s

Lesson of Choice

When we choose the world over the Christ, when we choose Sodom over the promise of God… we will become like Lot… who we find out gets intermingled with the Sodomites and would have to be saved from it.

We may take one step towards sin and think it’s harmless… but that one step leads to 2… and can lead to destruction

You can gain the world… but you shall lose your soul

1 John 2:17 “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

If we have Christ, we have it all!