Genesis Chapter 13
As we turn this morning to study the 13the Chapter of Genesis, I want us to look at it in four parts. Although our pew bibles divide it into only two there is a more natural division that will allows us to look at verses 1-4, 5-9, 10-13 and lastly verses 14-18. You will recall I hope that Abraham is on his way out of Egypt. It was there that his faith had been tested and he had failed miserably having put his trust in his own wisdom rather than God's. And as we pick up the story again in Chapter 13 we find him on the move heading north out of Egypt and moving back towards Bethel where he had built an altar.
The GNB simply says at verse 2: Abraham was a very rich man this however hides the much deeper meaning that is contained in the Hebrew. Literally in Hebrew it says He was very heavy - his riches are a burden. And so they are as every commentator from Henry to Calvin is quick to point out. Riches are a burden in this life. They are a real spiritual danger. Let me quote from Mark 10: "Jesus looked round at his disciples and said to them, "How hard it will be for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God. The disciples were shocked at these words, but Jesus went on to say, "My children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is much harder for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle." Nevertheless although they may have been a burden and a distraction to Abraham we see that in reaching Bethel he worshipped the Lord.
As we move into verses 5-9 we see that it is there very riches that bring about a quarrel between Abraham and Lot. Commentators such as Calvin in looking at this incident see quite clearly the gracious hand of God. They see this as a reminder from God to Abraham about the perils associated with wealth. It reminds me of something a Free Church missionary once said to me. We had been sharing a particular pastoral problem and were talking about a well to do and very beautiful and elegant woman. She had or so it appeared everything from looks to money - and although a good Christian woman she had a long hard struggle with pride. There was a thorn in this otherwise perfect situation - she had a difficult marriage and impossible in-laws. It was his opinion that God used this situation to keep her pride in check and to keep her aware of her need himself. I have to confess I hadn't quite thought of it that way but the more I did the more I came to agree with him. And I have seen this pattern repeated in many lives and indeed perhaps the classic example is Paul with his lifelong problem - it seems obvious to us as it was to Paul that God used this to his great advantage and it kept Paul dependent upon God in all things.
And so we may see it here in he quarrel that arises due to the wealth of Abraham and Lot. And as we have been discovering, in all these things God is shaping and moulding and leading Abraham. And that's the way he deals with us in our lives and often as one commentator put it, Calvin again I think, his actions are often preventative. For he can see where we are headed and often in his Fatherly goodness acts to prevent us falling from grace, even before we were aware of the danger.
Do you see to the gracious and gentle way Abraham deals with what was a potentially very difficult situation. He doesn't assert his rights. He doesn't become angry. He doesn't stand on ceremony. Rather in a gracious and gentle way he suggest to Lot that there should be no need to quarrel and that Lot should choose any part of the land he wants - and if Lot goes one way he will go the other. Nevertheless there is sadness here in the parting of the two families. They are weakened by this separation and placed in real danger from the other less peaceful inhabitants of the land. They are weakened to because as we see in moving on to 10, Lot's greed is highlighted. So while Abraham exhibits gently and godly traits, Lot shows the perils of wealth, for in choosing the whole Jordan valley, he chooses the best. His thoughts are for himself and his wealth and not for Abraham and his family.
And so they stand as it were at a crossroads and looked at through worldly eyes it seems that Lot gets the best deal. He gets to choose first. He picks the best land the best valley and a place with plenty of water. It seems that he is the winner and Abraham is the loser. And yet Abraham has behaved in a most gentle and godlike way in dealing with this dangerous situation. We are often faced with these kind of choices in our lives. And don't we often think that way of the Christ is the way of loss. Don't we often feel that we have been taken advantage of, or put down or cheated in some way? But the truth of the matter is that it only looks that way! The way of Christ is always the way to win real joy, real comfort and real riches. Lot if you like chose to follow the bright lights and the easy money and the easy virtue and no doubt he had a good time as well. But as we will discover and as we already know Lot chose the wrong way. And ahead lay death, destruction - Lot most definitely chose the wrong way.
No sooner had Lot gone on his way than the Lord speaks again to Abraham and it is worth reading again the great promise to Abraham as we find it from verse 14 onwards: "From where you are, look carefully in all directions. I am going to give you and your descendants all the land that you see and it will be yours for ever. I am going to give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all; it would be as easy to count all the specks of dust on earth." Now that's a promise and Abraham is reaffirmed in his place in the plan of salvation and his first response to this renewed promise is to move to Hebron and to build an altar to the Lord. His way has been vindicated and will continue to be vindicated in all that will unfold.
Now if we were to distil the message of this passage and its relevance to us today we would see that it is about choices. In a nutshell it is a choice about going the way of God or going that broad way that seems to offer success but in truth ends in disaster. And that is a message that is always relevant to us and especially relevant to those who in few minutes will seeking admission to full membership of the church. They have reached a crossroads in their life. Shortly they will make a public profession of their faith,as we will. They will pledge their whole lives to the Lord and for them it is time of new beginnings in their Christian pilgrimage. For us it is a chance to renew our own vows. To reflect however briefly on our own journey with God. And a chance for us all to ask that question that must always be to the forefront of our minds - Am I still walking in the way of God?