choosing a direction
which way are you going?
Pitched his tent
Life presents us with choices, including which direction to take. Not just north/south or east/west, but toward God or away from Him.
The lesses uses verses 11-13, but we need a little more context for what I feel led to discuss. Let’s go back to verse 5.
Genesis 13:5-13 NKJV - Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.
Remember a previous lesson about East being away from God? Lot went East.
The King James puts it like this - 2 - Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
Where have you pitched your tent? Let’s discuss that a little more…
Peacemaker
Abram, following God's lead, allowed Lot to choose which land to take, demonstrating his role as a peacemaker. Abram wanted them to be a family, so they needed a little more room, but he didn’t want to boss Lot around.
So Lot looked and saw the Jordan valley and how well watered it was. Since it’s mentioned it was similar to the Garden of Eden, it was lush with vegetation and a perfect place to raise livestock.
Note that the ‘cities of the plain’ were there too: Sodom and Gomorrah. The Bible clearly states that Lot pitched his tent there and dwelled in the cities. He had all this lush land and what God provides, but moved into a city where men were wicked and sinful.
Do we do that same? And I’m not talking about living in a city instead of the country. Where I live, the ‘country’ is mostly farmland. Our society is such that you can’t get very far from a Dollar General store, so unless you go up into the hills or become and Amish Mennonite, you’re not going to be able to live off the land.
So not speaking of ‘cities,’ but of society in general. When we have a chance to go one of two directions, are we drawn to the wicked and sinful? Do we even make excuses about it? Do we say things like, “well I’m only human!” Yes we are, but we are also made in the image of God! We bear His image and we were created for so much more!
Promised Land
This term has grown to me so much more to me lately! Promised land or Holy Land - God Himself chooses it for His people.
Genesis 13:14-18 NKJV - And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.
I want to point out a couple of specific things here. First, God is the One and Only Sovereign Creator. He has the power and the right to do what He wants. If God wants to give this land to Abram and his dependents, He has that authority! Remember what I said yesterday? That God created literally EVERYTHING in the universe?
Love your enemies
Remember that Jesus said to love your enemies? Do you think He really meant that?
Matthew 5:43-44 NKJV - “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
I had a conversation recently where the person said Israel was being an aggressor. I couldn't deny that at all! Being defensive against attacks from Hamas is fine, and I believe they have a moral obligation to protect their innocent citizens, just as we do. I don’t pretend to know the details of what they are doing in the ‘attacks’ that they are carrying out, so I had no ground to deny that this person had a point.
Now to be clear, this person does NOT believe that Jesus was who He said He was. He actually made a comment (I’m paraphrasing, because it contained adult language) that if he can’t get into Heaven without bowing down to Jesus then he didn’t want in. Note the fact that he is making a conscious choice NOT to follow Jesus. Not everyone you speak to will be that up front and honest about it, but the attitude is there.
All that being said, God - the One and Only God of the universe - gave this land to them. It is their land. They are not occupying Palestinian territory - they are where God told Abram that his dependents would be. Why don’t they occupy all of it? And why were they not even in the area for so many years? Because they turned their backs on Jesus, and thus the Father. Just like my friend, they made a conscious decision to NOT follow Jesus.
So the bottom line? It’s the Promised Land - it’s Holy Land - but it belongs to God to do what He will. Right now the Hebrews are not living in the entire area, but one day they will!
First things first
Abram did what God said. He got up, packed his things, and left. Now God is telling him that everywhere he sees will be his land - his and his descendants. What was the first thing Abram did? Yep - built an altar!
What is the first thing that we do when God leads us somewhere or gives us a blessing? Do we build an altar? Not in the Old Testament sense, but do we come before Him humbly? Do we thank Him? Do we ask what comes next?
Or do we just go “whew - God delivers again!” and go back to our lives? Do we have reverence for what has just occurred? That the Creator has blessed us with something!
A challenge
I challenge you to look around you at the blessings you have been given. Thank God for them! Has He led you in a particular direction or to a particular place in your life? Did you thank Him for this before continuing? Did you ask for direction once you were there?
When you ask for something and He blesses you with it, thank Him! Don’t dismiss it and go to the next thing on your list, recognize that He has shown favor to you and express that thanks! It will cause you to be humble and ready to accept the calling that He has prepared for you!
Grace…
Very well said!