The Test of Prosperity
Notes
Transcript
Handout
1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. 2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Hai; 4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. 5 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. 14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
Introduction: When we think about spiritual tests, we often think about hardship.
We think about:
sickness
loss
disappointment
persecution
And certainly God tests His people through those seasons. But some of the greatest tests in life come through blessing. Success can test a person. Opportunity can test a person. Prosperity can test a person.
It has been said that adversity reveals character, but prosperity reveals priorities.
The record of Abram’s fiasco in Egypt is the story of a man of faith. His scandalous attempt to represent Sarai as his sister was not the act of a man devoid of real faith, but of a man who had succumbed to doubt, whose trust had devolved to distrust.
Despite the fact that he had descended to such self-serving deception, Abram was yet a man of faith. Abram’s faith was not window dressing or a rabbit’s foot or fire insurance. It was the real thing, but in temporary retreat.
On the momentous day when he left Ur, he had rested everything on the bare word of God. He obeyed and went out, though he had no idea where he was going. He believed God’s promise that great blessing would come both upon him and through him. Then, in Canaan, he believed God when God said, “Unto your seed will I give this land” (Genesis 12:7). But in Egypt he exhibited a distrust that was not consonant with the faith in his heart of hearts.
Abram was like us, a paradoxical mixture of self-centered reliance and trust in God. And the author Moses makes no attempt to gloss over Abram’s failures. In fact, the stories, first of Abram’s failure in Egypt with Pharaoh and then his success in Canaan with Lot, explore the contradictions within this man of faith. By this studied contrast Moses will help us explore our own hearts.
Back to Bethel. Abram left Egypt chastened and silent. His journey from Egypt to the Negev to Bethel was apparently a conscious pilgrimage through which he desired to recapture his previous walk with God, because he ultimately returned to the altar where he first called on the name of the Lord.
As Genesis 13 unfolds, we can trace four major movements that reveal how faith responds when prosperity becomes a test.
I. ABRAM RETURNS TO THE ALTAR (vv. 1–4)
I. ABRAM RETURNS TO THE ALTAR (vv. 1–4)
(Vs. 2) The text states Abram was "very rich," but the Hebrew word used is כָּבֵד (kaved), which literally means "heavy" or "weighty." This choice of word is profound. While Abram's wealth is a clear sign of God's blessing and providential care, even in the wake of his failure in Egypt, its "heaviness" hints at the burden it will become.
(Vs. 3-4)
Genesis 12 ended on a disappointing note.
Abram went to Egypt because of famine.
Fear drove him there. Fear led him to deception. Fear damaged his testimony.
But Genesis 13 begins with restoration.
Notice where Abram goes.
Not first to his possessions. Not first to his servants. Not first to his future plans.
Ultimately, Abram’s pilgrimage culminated at Bethel, “The site he loved so dearly because on it stood the altar, the second monument … to the symbolic conquest of the land and its consecration to YHWH, his God” - Umberto Cassuto
And there in Bethel Abram renewed his spiritual connection with God and the land. Again “Abram called upon the name of the LORD.” He renewed his lapsed obedience.
The first thing Abram does is return to worship.
The altar represented:
fellowship
dependence
sacrifice
communion with God
Abram understood something every believer must learn:
When we fail, the answer is not running farther from God. The answer is returning to God.
David understood this when he prayed:
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit.
Likewise, Jesus told the church at Ephesus:
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Abram's restoration began where fellowship was renewed.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
The road back always begins at the altar.
"The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One." - A.W. Tozer
Abram's greatest possession was never his livestock.
His greatest treasure was God's presence.
Every believer needs Bethel moments.
Moments when we stop running.
Moments when we stop hiding.
Moments when we return to worship.
The altar reminds us that failure does not have to be final.
As Abram returns to fellowship with God, another challenge emerges.
Not from famine.
Not from enemies.
But from blessing.
II. ABRAM CHOOSES PEACE OVER POSITION (vv. 5–9)
II. ABRAM CHOOSES PEACE OVER POSITION (vv. 5–9)
Abram’s nephew Lot had played no significant role in Egypt and so received no mention. He now appears because of his role in the following episode. The tag voiced in verse 1, “and Lot with him,” hints at estrangement. So here we read…
(Vs. 5-7)
Lot had piggy-backed on Abram’s wealth so that both men were rich. No doubt Abram’s possessions were far more substantial, and thus Lot’s considerable flocks, plus Abram’s, plus the fact that the local Canaanites and Perizzites already had their own pasturage made the situation tense.
The result was a range war—the kind of western-movie scenario with which we’re so familiar. The only thing missing here is Gene Autry’s background music — “Oh, give me a home where my shepherds can roam.”
The irony (and it is an irony of human existence) is that the material blessing of God upon Abram and Lot fueled the problem. The New Testament, through the Apostle Peter, tells us that Lot was a “righteous” man (2 Peter 2:7); otherwise we would not have guessed it. Lot had not learned at all from Abram’s debacle in Egypt.
He remained a greedy, scheming man. And Lot and his herdsmen (who took their cues from him) behaved poorly. Thus Abram’s and Lot’s prosperity, rather than pulling them together, divided them.
What a test this conflict must have been for Abram’s recharged faith. Initially, the first time in Bethel when he had called on the name of the Lord, he was tested by famine. Here when he again called on the Lord’s name, he was tested by another trial. But now Abram was up to the test.
(Vs. 8)
Abram, not Lot, took the initiative. He nipped potential catastrophe in the bud. Perhaps Solomon had Abram’s example in mind when he penned the proverb, (Proverbs 17:14
14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: Therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.
Abram’s words were explicitly tender. Twice he says in the Hebrew, “I pray you” (please). He appealed to their kinship. The sense is, “men should not quarrel, let alone brothers.”5 Unlike Cain, Abram saw himself as his brother’s keeper (cf. 4:9).
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Abram embodies that principle. Abram foreshadowed the very spirit of Christ, who did not look out for his own interests but the interest of others—who did not grasp what was his but gave himself
“When we truly believe the promises that are ours in Christ, when we truly understand and believe that we are seated right now in him in the heavenly places, when we understand that all things are ours in Christ, we will cease our grasping.” - Kent Hughes
As Alexander Maclaren put it:
The less of our energies are consumed in asserting ourselves, and scrambling for our rights, and cutting in before other people, so as to get the best places for ourselves, the more we shall have to spare for better things; and the more we live in the future, and leave God to order our ways, the more shall our souls be wrapped in perfect peace.
(Vs. 9)
Here Abram does something extraordinary…
He gives Lot first choice.
Why?
Because faith does not have to grasp. Faith trusts.
Abram knew that God's promises were bigger than any piece of land.
Matthew Henry wrote:
"The people of God should always be more willing to yield their rights than to disturb their peace." - Matthew Hennry
"A man can afford to be generous when he knows God is his provider." - D.L. Moody
Since Abram was the eldest, and God gave all the land to Abram (not to Lot), it was pure generosity on Abram’s part that caused him to make this offer to Lot.
Abram understood that if God had promised the land, then God could provide regardless of what Lot chose.
People who trust God's provision do not have to manipulate circumstances.
They do not have to win every argument.
They do not have to claim every advantage.
Faith frees us to choose peace because we know God is still in control.
Abram gives Lot a choice.
Now Lot stands at a crossroads.
And the decision he makes reveals the difference between sight and faith.
III. LOT CHOOSES BY SIGHT (vv. 10–13)
III. LOT CHOOSES BY SIGHT (vv. 10–13)
Whereas Abram was living by faith, Lot was living by sight, much as Abram had lived in Egypt.
Lot’s choice. Bethel is situated on a hill almost three thousand feet high. And less than one mile to the southeast is the famous prominence of Burj-Beitin, which affords a magnificent view of the Jordan Valley. From this vantage point,
(Vs. 10-12)
The language makes it clear that Lot intensely surveyed the Jordan Valley
Everything appears ideal. To Lot, it looks like success.
But Moses immediately inserts a warning.
(Vs. 13)
Lot sees prosperity.
God sees danger.
Lot evaluates life based upon appearance.
He never asks:
"What honors God?"
"What advances God's purpose?"
"What protects my family spiritually?"
Instead, he chooses based upon what looks best.
This should remind us of Eve.
She saw.
She desired.
She took.
Lot repeats the same pattern.
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Lot walks by sight.
12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.
Notice the progression.
Verse 11:
"Lot chose."
Verse 12:
"Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain."
Then:
"pitched his tent toward Sodom."
He is not living in Sodom yet.
But he is facing Sodom.
The direction of his life has changed.
"Lot walked by sight and failed miserably; Abraham walked by faith and became the friend of God." - Warren Wiersbe
"Many a man has looked himself into destruction." - Charles Spurgeon
Application
Application
Many life-altering mistakes begin here.
Not with open rebellion.
But with decisions based solely on appearance.
The biggest job.
The most money.
The best opportunity.
The easiest path.
Without ever asking:
"What does God desire?"
The most dangerous decisions are often not those that look bad. They are the ones that look good apart from God's will.
“In the end, he who sought this world lost it, and he who was willing to give up anything for the honour of God found it.” - Alexander Maclaren
Transition
As Lot moves toward Sodom, Abram remains where God placed him.
And when Lot leaves, God speaks.
IV. GOD REAFFIRMS THE PROMISE (vv. 14–18)
IV. GOD REAFFIRMS THE PROMISE (vv. 14–18)
God wanted to talk to Abram alone after Lot left. This was a promise made to Abram, not to Abram’s nephew.
The contrast is beautiful.
Lot lifted up his eyes.
Now God tells Abram:
(Vs. 14)
Lot looked by sight. Abram looks by faith. God renews His promise.
(Vs. 15)
This promise of the land had been made to Abram when he lived in Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 12:1-3, Acts 7:2-4). God now repeated the promise.Then God expands the promise.
(Vs. 16)
God also wanted to remind Abram that even though Abram had been generous enough to grant some of the land to his nephew Lot, God still said the land belonged to Abram.
Abram had just surrendered first choice.
Yet he loses nothing.
Why?
Because God's promises are never threatened by another person's decisions.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Abram's confidence was not in circumstances.
His confidence was in God's character.
"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply." - Hudson Taylor
Abram understood that.
(Vs. 17-18)
The chapter begins at an altar.
The chapter ends at an altar.
Because faith ultimately leads to worship.
"The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith; and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety." - George Meuller
Abram trusted God enough to leave the outcome in God's hands.
Application
Application
You never lose by trusting God.
You never sacrifice something for God that He cannot replace with something better.
Faith may require waiting.
But God's promises are always worth the wait.
CONCLUSION
Genesis 13 places two men side by side.
Both blessed.
Both prosperous.
Both given opportunity.
Yet they choose very different paths.
"Lot chose the land that looked best. Abram chose the God who knew best. And in the end, faith always sees farther than sight."
GOSPEL CONNECTION
The Christian life still presents the same choice.
Will we trust appearances?
Or will we trust God's promises?
Paul reminds us:
"For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Faith believes that God's promises are better than anything the world can offer.
FINAL CHALLENGE
Every believer eventually faces the test of prosperity.
The question is not whether God will bless us.
The question is:
Will those blessings draw us closer to God, or gradually turn our tents toward Sodom?
Adrian Rogers said:
"Faith is not believing in spite of evidence. Faith is obeying in spite of consequence and trusting in spite of circumstance."
