And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 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; Unto the place of the altar, which he had make there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
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: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 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. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 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.
Genesis 13
The reality of Abraham’s restoration to the path of faith was speedily put to the test. Circumstances arose that manifested he was once again living in the light of the heavenly country, and could therefore afford to refuse the well-watered plain chosen by his worldly-minded nephew.
Recovery From Failure
Abraham had been dismissed from Egypt. Where he went was a matter of indifference to the world. Abraham, however, was a true man of faith, though like ourselves he at times broke down in the path of faith. Having tasted the blessedness of the outside place, nothing would satisfy his soul but getting back into the place of blessing from which his feet had strayed. So we read, “Abram went up out of Egypt...into the south... and he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been...unto the place of the altar” (Gen. 13:1-41And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. 2And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3And 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; 4Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. (Genesis 13:1‑4)).
As with every truly restored soul, he retraced his path step by step until, once again, he was found in his stranger and pilgrim character with his tent, as a worshipper with his altar, and as a dependent man calling on the Name of the Lord.
The Result of Failure
Abraham’s restoration was complete; but the result of Abraham’s failure is seen in others. A saint never fails without affecting others for evil, though he himself may be restored. The effect of his failure on Lot at once comes to light. In Terah we have seen the man of nature who can make a fair profession, but cannot take the path of faith that leads outside the world. In Abraham, we have seen the man of faith who, acting according to the word of the Lord, takes the outside place, though at times he may fail in this path. In Lot we see a true believer who takes the outside place, not in faith in God but under the influence of man. Already we have read that when Abraham departed from Haran, “Lot went with him” (12:4). Again, when Abraham went up out of Egypt, we read, “Lot with him” (13:1). Now, for the third time Lot is described as the man “which went with Abram.”
Lot represents a large class who take up a right position outside the world, but do so under the influence of a friend or relative rather than from personal exercise and faith in God. From the beginning of his path, Lot was characterized by walking in the light of another. Alas, in different ways and measures, how often we may, like Lot, act with those who have faith without having it ourselves, only to find that we shall not stand when tried by temptation.
When the test comes, believers who walk in the light of another will break down and give up a path which has no attraction for the flesh, about which they never had any exercise, and for which they have no personal faith.
The Snare of Riches
How often, too, the test today takes the form that it did in the story of Abraham and Lot. As we read, “there was a strife.” We learn further that the immediate cause of the strife was their possessions. We do well to notice the twice-repeated statement that they were not able to dwell together, and the deeply significant cause of the division, “for their substance was great.” How often since then believers have been divided by jealousy of one another’s spiritual gifts or temporal riches. The abuse of spiritual gifts was a source of division in the assembly at Corinth. The apostle writes to this assembly, “In everything ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance and in all knowledge.” But these very riches became a cause of strife and division, for, says the apostle, “There is among you envying, and strife, and divisions”; and he adds that they were “puffed up for one against another” (l Cor. 1:5; 3:3; 4:6). Poverty might have led them to cling to one another; their riches became a cause of division.
In the case of Abraham and Lot their temporal riches became the occasion of division. We may well ask, “Where were these temporal riches acquired?” When first Abraham entered on the path of faith, and Lot went with him, they took “all their substance.” But it was no cause of strife (12:5). In Egypt, however, Abraham acquired great wealth so that after his restoration we read, He “was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold” (13:2).
The wealth that he acquired through turning aside from the path of faith became a cause of strife and division between brethren. Striving together, these brothers ceased to be a witness to God before the Canaanites and the Perizzites that dwelled in the land.
The Position of Faith
Nevertheless, Abraham was a restored man in a true position with a right motive. Lot, though in a right position, was only a follower of others. Therefore, while strife became the sad occasion of revealing the worldly-mindedness of Lot, it also brought to light the heavenly-mindedness of Abraham, who was able to renounce things seen. Abraham says, “Let there be no strife thee, I pray thee, between me and thee...for we be brethren.” The man who has no faith for the position where he finds himself will in the end become a source of strife among brethren. He had better separate from the man whose faith he cannot follow.
Abraham, with the heavenly country before him, could afford to renounce the present world with its prospect of ease and plenty. Lot could choose; and if he took the best according to nature and sight, Abraham would be content to take the path that God chose for him, be it rough or smooth, knowing that it would end in the land of promise with all its blessedness.
The Choice of the Flesh
Under the influence of others, Lot had accepted the outside path: left to his own choice he showed that the world was in his heart (vv. 10-13). Without seeking direction from God, he chose his path according to sight. “Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan.” It was an alluring sight and had promise of present ease and plenty. Everywhere there was water for his flocks, without the labor of digging wells. So fruitful was the plain that it was “even as the garden of the Lord.” Most significant of all, it was “like the land of Egypt.” Alas! Lot having followed Abraham into Egypt had acquired a taste for Egypt’s pleasures and thus had strengthened the desire for worldly ease and plenty.
So Lot chose all the plain of Jordan, gave up the separate path for which he never had personal faith, and forever left the land of Canaan. There was nothing gross or wrong in choosing a well-watered plain; but it proved that the heart was not set on the unseen land of God’s promise. Moreover, the real danger of the well-watered plains was that Satan had reared Sodom in their midst.
Abraham remained in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain. Having left the path of faith and chosen the path of sight and worldly ease, his way was always downward, for we next read that he “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” Of this city we are told, “The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” We shall yet learn that for Lot there was no recovery. Lower and lower he sank, until at last he passed from the scene under a cloud of shame and dishonor.
The Confession of Faith
Abraham, freed from the encumbrance of his worldly-minded nephew, received fresh communications from the Lord. Lot had allowed himself to be guided by the sight of his eyes apart from the direction of the Lord. The result was that the sight of his eyes stirred the lust of his heart, and his feet followed the choice of his heart.
Now Abraham used his eyes, but at the direction of the Lord, for, when Lot was separated from him, the Lord said, “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art.” He was to look in every direction at the land which the Lord had given him. And so it will be for us. When freed from the weight of those who have no faith for the outside path, if we too set our minds on things above and “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen” (2 Cor. 4:1818While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)), we will enjoy every part of the revelation that God has given to us of the world to come, the heavenly country with its city which has foundations.
In this sense, we can still answer to the Lord’s direction to Abraham when He said, “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee.” Set free from mere followers, rising above all petty strife and allowing the Lord to choose his path, Abraham enjoyed a rich unfolding of the world to come for which in patience he waited. In the meantime he moved through the land with his tent and his altar.
This world is a wilderness wide,
I have nothing to seek or to choose;
I’ve no thought in the waste to abide;
I have naught to regret nor to lose.
The Lord is Himself gone before;
He has marked out the path that I tread:
It’s as sure as the love I adore;
I have nothing to fear nor to dread.
‘Tis the treasure I’ve found in His love
That has made me a pilgrim below;
And ‘tis there, when I reach Him above,
As I’m known, all His fullness I’ll know.
Till then, ‘tis the path Thou hast trod,
My delight and my comfort shall be:
I’m content with Thy staff and Thy rod,
‘Till with Thee all Thy glory I see.
—J. N. D.