Out of Egypt
Gen 13:1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
Gen 13:2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
Gen 13:3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
Gen 13:4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
Abram returned to where he was before going into Egypt. Abram's unbelief had taken him from his place of worship; it led him into sin, and caused him to lead others into sin. It made him more confident in his ability to lie than in the protecting power of God. It even broke apart his family for a while. Finally, even an ungodly king was rightly rebuking him.
He had material gain to show for the time in Egypt, but nothing but barrenness and weakness spiritually. Have you discovered how true this is? When you forsake the pathway of faith, when you refuse to walk in fellowship with God, when you depend upon the resources of the world to satisfy the empty hunger of the heart, these are wasted years!
Characteristics of the Life of Faith
1. Abraham's faith began when God chose him
2. God kept him even when he failed
3. The walk of faith is continual, until we are with him
4. Faith is based on the Word of God
5. The Christian walks in the revealed will of God
6. We grow in grace, Jesus is our model
7. Faith is rewarded when we are with Jesus
Lot Chooses
Gen 13:5 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
Not much is said about Abram's nephew, Lot. He just tagged along with Lot and apparently was blessed with abundance with Abram when he came out of Egypt. Abram was called, sometimes we do not want to do what we are called to do alone. So we allow someone else to come and problems arise. Moses had Aaron, who made the golden calf. Paul had Mark who was too inexperienced and he gave up for a time Abram had Lot to tag along, with second-hand faith.
Gen 13:6 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.
Gen 13:7 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.
There was strife between the herdmen, in the presence of the Canaanites and Perizittes. When good people fight, when Christians fight and squabble before the world, it destroys the testimony and brings the name of the Lord to be blasphemed. They represented God's chosen, as we do. The devil tempts the lusts of the flesh and the pride, he manipulates and lies. Our battle is of the mind and our words; truth or lies, goodness or evil.
Gen 13:8 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.
Abram sought the way of peace. Brothers are to dwell together in peace.
Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Gen 13:9 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.
Abram gave Lot the first choice. Abram humbled himself and gave favor to Lot.
Phil 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Phil 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Phil 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Gen 13:10 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.
Lot had been tempted in Egypt, now he sees a similar land and desires the worldly things.
Gen 13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
Lot never built an altar, never sought God for himself, but given a choice of the world's best things, he chose the world best looking land. He did not consider the moral and spiritual consequences of his choice.
Preachers preach worldly prosperity to worldly people, but God has better. The true riches come by seeking him and by trusting in him. By faith, not by sight.
2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2 Tim 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Luke 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Luke 16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Isa 55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Jesus speaking to the Church:
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Gen 13:12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
Gen 13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Do we pitch our tent towards Sodom? and expect the blessings of the LORD? When I was younger I was looking to buy a house. I had found one that I thought was a good one. My parents came to see it, they said, no, the surroundings are not good, it is a bad neighborhood. I did not purchase that house. We do not pitch our tents in bad places, unless the LORD leads us to do so. We are to be led by the Lord, not our own eyes.
Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Jer 17:8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Jer 17:11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.
Gen 13:14 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:
Gen 13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
The promise was given to Abram, not to Lot. We are to be separated unto God to receive his promises. The promises of God are for those separated unto him.
Abram was promised all the land of Canaan for himself and his seed. This promise would be repeated through his son, Isaac and his grandson Jacob. These promises belonged to Israel, not to those who lived in Palestine. Palestine has no right to the land promised to Abraham and his seed through Jacob. Jacob's name was changed to Israel. Spiritual Israel will receive the land.
Gen 13:16 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.
The promise continues to childless Abram and Sarah; a great number of seed, as he dust of the earth, natural seed from Abram. Seed from Ishmeal and from Isaac. Later the Lord would refer to the spiritual seed of Abram.
Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore;
Stars are the spiritual seed, sand is the natural seed.
Gen 13:17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Gen 13:18 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.
Mamre, means "vision", and Hebron means "communion", Abram is again in communion with God and receiving His vision for the future. We do not get vision by being as Lot, a second hand relationship, through someone else. We must build an altar and seek God ourselves, to hear from God.
Prov 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Genesis 14
Genesis 1
Eaglewings Ministries
Eaglewings Journal