15 Jan. Genesis 13:1-18

15 Jan. Abram and Lot go their separate ways

"Abram, his wife and Lot left Egypt, taking everything they owned, and travelled to southern Canaan. Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold."

"He left southern Canaan and went back to Bethel where he had camped before, between Bethel and Ai, and where he had built an altar. So he worshipped the LORD there."

"During this time Lot was travelling with Abram, and Lot also had flocks, herds and tents. Abram and Lot had so many animals that the land could not support both of them together, so Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen began to argue..."

"Abram said to Lot, 'There should be no argument between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, because we are brothers. We should separate. The whole land is there in front of you. If you go to the left, I will go to the right. If you go to the right, I will go to the left.'"

"Lot looked all around and saw the whole Jordan Valley and that there was much water there. It was like the LORD's garden [of Eden], like the [Nile Valley in the] land of Egypt in the direction of Zoar…"

"So Lot chose to move east and live in the Jordan Valley... Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived among the cities of the Jordan Valley, very near to Sodom..."

"After Lot left, the LORD said to Abram, 'Look all around you - to the north and south and east and west. All this land that you see I will give you and your descendants for ever... Get up! Walk through all this land because I am now giving it to you.'"

"So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at the city of Hebron. There he built an altar to the LORD."

(Genesis 13:1-18)

After their deceitful and immoral behaviour, which made them rich at the expense of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Abram and Sarai escaped from Egypt and returned to Canaan. Both Abram and Lot had become rich men by dishonest means, and their herdsmen began to quarrel because of the insufficient pasture available in the semi-arid land of southern Canaan.

So Abram and Lot decided to separate. Given first choice of grazing land by his uncle, Lot chose the fertile, well-watered Jordan Valley and pitched his tents near the city of Sodom. Lot's choice was based on practical considerations – the grazing was better in the lush pastures of the Jordan Valley. But the rich cities of the plain were in moral decadence, and living in the valley meant living amongst those "who were always sinning against the LORD" (Genesis 13:13).

Abram, on the other hand, stayed in the land of Canaan and settled in the Judaean hill country near Bethel. The grazing here was poorer, but Abram stayed within the land where God's blessing had been promised (see Genesis 12:1-3).

As Abram had remained faithful to God's call, God renewed his covenant promise to Abram: “All this land that you see I will give to you and your descendants for ever” (Genesis 13:15). So Abram moved his tents to the great oaks of Mamre near Hebron and built an altar there.

The photo shows the Judaean hill country near Bethel.