Genesis 13:5-145And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6And 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. 7And 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. 8And 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. 9Is 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. 10And 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. 11Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. 14And 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: (Genesis 13:5‑14)
When Abram and Lot came back from Egypt, they were both very rich, for they had silver and gold and cattle in abundance. There wasn’t room in the land for them to dwell together. As a result the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot got to fighting each other.
So Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between thee and me.... for we be brethren.” He suggested to Lot that he should separate, and though he was the older of the two, he let his nephew have the first choice of the land. If Lot went one way, he would go the other.
Abram’s spirit here is very lovely to see. He had been low down before the Lord after his failure in Egypt, and now he would not stand up for his rights, even though God had called him and had promised him the land.
When Lot saw the well-watered plains of Jordan, he chose to dwell there; it seemed they reminded him of Egypt. Alas, he pitched his tent toward Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked bore the Lord.
But Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan. If he had lost anything in letting Lot have the first choice, it was only Sodom and Gomorrah, those wicked cities of the plain which God was soon to destroy.
As it was, Abram had the Lord, and after he had separated from Lot, God told him He would give all the land to him and to his children forever. They would be as the dust of the earth for multitude. After that Abram went to Hebron and built another altar where he worshiped the Lord.
Poor Lot had made a bad choice, for in a war between the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and the kings from the East, Lot was carried away captive. When Abram heard the news, he immediately armed his servants, and going out by night, he pursued after the enemies. He smote them and rescued Lot and all his people.
The king of Sodom then went out to meet Abram returning from the battle. However, before he got there, Melchizedek, that wonderful person who was both king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, had already met Abram and blessed him. Melchizedek, type of the Lord Jesus Christ, brought forth bread and wine-the bread to stay and the wine to cheer. And Abram paid him tithes.
Melchizedek disappears from the scene, but after that wonderful interview Abram was so refreshed and lifted up, that when the king of Sodom came and offered him the spoils of victory, he would not take from him a thread even to a shoe latchet.
What a happy thing it is for a Christian to be so in the Lord’s company that when the world comes with its tempting offers, he refuses. Abraham is called “the friend of God.” If we separate ourselves unto the Lord, we will enjoy His company, and He will give us blessings far above and beyond anything this world has to offer.
ML-08/07/1977