ABRAHAM SEPARATES FROM LOT

In chapter 13 we see the return of Abram from the land of Egypt. Abram and Lot leave Egypt and return to the Land of Promise. Lot separates from Abram and goes to Sodom, and then God appears to Abram for the third time.

As long as Abram is in the land of Egypt and as long as he is still holding on to Lot, God does not appear to him. The minute that he comes back to the land and there is the separation from Lot, God appears to him.

Genesis 13:1-9 KJV

[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.

Genesis 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

• If Abraham went “down” into Egypt in 12:10, Grace brings him “up” out of Egypt, as recorded in this Verse; they left the south to go north, back to Canaan.

Genesis 13:2

And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold

• These were the Blessings of God, but it did not make up for his lapse of Faith.
• Abram was the John D. Rockefeller of that day. He was a very wealthy man at this time.

Genesis 13:3

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;

• Abram went far north of Jerusalem. He had come to the south, around Hebron, and now he goes north of Jerusalem to Bethel.

Genesis 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.

• He went back to the mountaintop where his tent had been at the beginning, and there, doubtless with tears and shame, he called by Sacrifice on the Name of the Lord. His backslidings were forgiven, his soul was restored, and he resumes his true life as a pilgrim and a worshipper with his tent and his Altar, neither of which he had in Egypt.
• Until the Believer comes back to the Cross, of which the Altar is a Type, true Restoration cannot be found.

Genesis 13:5

And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents

• Lot didn’t seem to realize that his blessings were strictly because of Abraham.

Genesis 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.

• Worldly substance generally causes problems, even as it did here. There was strife in the Church. In fact, the “Church” of that day consisted of the families of Abraham and Lot, at least as far as we know.

Genesis 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.

• The strife no more produced the worldliness in Lot than it produced the faith in Abraham; it only manifested, in the case of each, what was really there.
• The Canaanite and the Perizzite observed this “strife,” as they always observe such.
• What did they see?

Genesis 13:8

And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray you, between me and you, and between my herdmen and your herdmen; for we be Brethren.

• The bent toward Sodom is now beginning to exert itself in the heart of Lot. This “bent” demands its “rights,” which demands to be able to choose for itself, which, at the same time, means that it does not trust God to make the choice.

Genesis 13:9

Is not the whole land before you? separate yourself, I pray you, from me: if you will take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

• This was a test for both Abraham and Lot.

I hope that you have really enjoyed this post,