Walking by Faith
Genesis 13:5-18
In our verse-by-verse study of Genesis we are currently following the faith life of Abraham (or Abram). Remember the journey that Abram has traveled as come to Genesis 13. The Lord’s call to Abram came as a command to “Get out” of his country (Ur of the Chaldeans) and from his father’s household (which he left in Haran) to a land God would show him—the land of Canaan (Gen 12:1, 5). The Lord’s call to Abram included great promises from God: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great” (Gen. 12:2). These blessings came with an obligation: “And you shall be a blessing.” Abram was to be a channel of God’s blessing to others. The Lord then gives three more promises along with this obligation: “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God called and blessed Abram for the purpose of blessing all the families of the earth. That is God’s plan for the whole world.
Abram displayed exemplary obedience and made some remarkable sacrifices in obeying God’s call. By faith Abram heard God’s word; by faith he acted on God’s command; by faith he lived as a pilgrim in the land of promise; and by faith he worshiped the Lord God in the midst of a hostile pagan world.
Then his faith was tested by the hardship of famine. Instead of seeking counsel from God, he fled to Egypt where his decisions of expediency and his half-truths exposed himself and his wife Sarai to great peril. However, God was faithful and graciously rescued Sarai and Abram. Abram returned to the land of Canaan, back to the altar where he called on the name of the Lord. The Lord restored Abram to fellowship and worship. Genesis 13 begins and ends with worship. It opens with Abram returning to the altar at Bethel; it closes with Abram building an altar at Hebron. In this chapter, “Abram’s knee remained bent to God” (R. Kent Hughes, Genesis, 198).
Now Abram’s faith is going to be tested again. But this time the test comes from prosperity, not scarcity. Abram’s great wealth will bring conflict between him and his nephew Lot. How will Abram and Lot respond? Will they walk by sight or will they walk by faith? Decisions have consequences. Abram and Lot make different decisions that will set the course for their future walk with God.
Listen to our text, Genesis 13:
1 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. 6 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. 7 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. 8 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. 9 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.”
10 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. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 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. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.
14 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; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 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. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” 18 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.
The question that our text brings today is: Are you going to live your life walking by faith in the promises of God or walking by sight?
In our text today, the time for Lot and Abram to separate had come. In their parting we find a contrast between these two men in their motives and actions. One walks by faith, the other by sight. The story begins with…
1. Conflict between Abram and Lot (Gen 13:5-7)
We read in Genesis 13:2 that “Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.” Remember that when Abram was in Egypt, Pharoah had treated him well for Sarai’s sake and “He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels” (Gen. 12:16). Now we learn that “Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents” (Gen. 13:5).
Lot had been traveling with Abram since they left Ur many years before. Now their companionship is about to be tested. “Lot had piggy-backed on Abram’s wealth so that both men were rich” (Hughes, 199). Great wealth can often be a source of great contention in families. Here we see both Abram and lot blessed by the Lord with an abundance of possessions, but far from solving all of their problems, it led to strife in their relationship.
Where did we ever get the idea that wealth will solve our problems? The truth is that “wealth does not always solve problems; sometimes it causes them.” (Parunak). We need to pay serious attention to the biblical warnings about wealth. As Jesus watched the rich young ruler walk away, he said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:24). Paul writes to Timothy, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Tim. 6:9-10). Lot will illustrate that principle as we follow his story in the coming chapters.
There is a clear progression in this story. First, both Lot and Abram have increased wealth (Gen. 13:2, 5-6). Their increased wealth lead to increased strife because there simply wasn’t enough land for each of them, “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” (Gen. 13:6-7).
Each man’s herdsmen sought water and the best pasture for the animals of their master. This competition inevitably led to conflict between the herdsmen of Lot and Abram. Like a range war in the old Western movies – who is going to have the rights to the precious and scarce pasture land and water?
This problem is further complicated because as Moses reminds us, “The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land” (Gen. 13:7). Remember that none of the land of Canaan as yet belonged to either Abram or Lot. When Abram and Lot separate in this chapter, they part paths; they do not divide real estate. They are both living in a land which is occupied by the Canaanites and Perrizites. Abram and Lot not only had to share pasture between themselves, but they were at the mercy of those who had prior claim to the land.
The increased strife led to increased responsibility for choices. Lot wasn’t just deciding for himself. His family and many servants and their families would be affected by his decision. The increased responsibility for choices led to either increased wickedness (in Lot’s case, choosing Sodom) or increased blessing (in Abram’s case, choosing Canaan).
2. The choices of Abram and Lot
A. Abram chose generosity – Walking by Faith (Gen. 13:8-9)
“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. 9 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.’”
Abram took the initiative in resolving the conflict. Abram had a right to choose whatever land he wanted and let Lot take the leftovers. He was the older, the chief of the clan. God had promised the land to Abram, not to Lot. But Abram graciously yielded his rights and trusted God to give him his portion. What mattered to Abram was, “We are brethren.” He valued his relationship with Lot over his right to choose the best land.
So much strife could be avoided in the family and in the church if we would put a premium on our relationships, set aside our rights, and let the Lord take care of us. The next time you are about to quarrel with someone (and quarrelling is a choice we make!), stop and think about whether the quarrel is rooted in godly principle or in selfishness. Paul instructed the Romans, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another” (Rom. 14:19). Abram acted as a peace maker.
But this is a unity that can only be maintained by separation – interesting
This Abram is very different from the Abram who, when going down to Egypt, acted according to human cunning as he attempted to manipulate and control the situation by his own strength. Here Abram is found walking by faith. He knows the promises of God. He is not afraid, therefore, to humbly and self sacrificially give Lot first pick of the land. He simply trusted that LORD would keep His promises. The land would belong to his descendants. How this would come about, he did not know. Here he is found walking by faith and not by sight.
Abram is exhibiting godly qualities that will be like his ultimate seed and heir, the Lord Jesus Christ, who did nothing out of selfish ambition, but esteemed others before Himself; who did not look out only for His own interests, but also for the interests of others; who did not grasp for what was rightfully His, but humbled Himself in obedience to His Father (Philippians 2:3-8).
Walking by faith, Abram chose generosity. Contrast that with …
B. Lot chose selfishness – Walking by Sight (Gen. 13:10-13)
“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. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.”
What value system did Lot use to make his life-changing decision? Lot, instead of walking by faith in the promises of God, seems to have been driven by a lust for prosperity. When Abram gave Lot the first pick of the land we are told that “Lot lifted his eyes and saw”. Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with looking with your eyes. But the whole narrative suggests that Lot made his choice, not in light of the promises of God, and not out of concern to remain closely allied with Abram, the man blessed by the Lord, but based upon worldly appearances.
The images Moses uses to describe Lot’s choice sound an ominous note. “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.” It looked like the garden of the Lord, that is, the garden of Eden. Although that garden was perfect and bountiful, it was there that Eve lifted her eyes and saw that the forbidden tree was pleasing to the eye. The Jordan valley looked good, but it was filled with dangerous temptation.
Lot also saw that the plain of Jordan was “like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.” It reminded Lot of Egypt where they had just traveled to escape the famine in Canaan. But again, Egypt had not only been a prosperous place, it had also been a dangerous place.
Note Genesis 13:11, “Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.” East again sounds ominous. It reminds us of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the garden, of Cain’s moving eastward to Nod from the presence of the Lord, and of men moving east to the plain of Shinar where they built the tower of Babel. Moses stresses the danger of Lot’s choice by reminding us that the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because, “… the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD” (Gen. 13:13). Lot had considered very carefully the economic factors of his decision, but he totally neglected the spiritual dimensions.
Again, there was nothing particularly evil about Lot moving away from Abram for the sake of their livestock and for the sake of their peace. But the story about Lot is concerning. It gives the impression that Lot was walking, not by faith, but by sight — that he was being driven by his lust for worldly things, not by faithfulness to God.
So their two different choices led to two different destinations. “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” (Gen. 13:12).
Bob Deffinbaugh comments,
“The decisions reached by Abram and Lot are the same as those which confront every Christian. We must decide whether to trust in the sovereignty of God or in our own schemes and devices. We must determine whether to trust in the ‘uncertainty of riches’ or in the God Who ‘richly supplies us’ (I Timothy 6:17). We must decide whether to invest in the ‘passing pleasures of sin’ or the future ‘reward’ which is promised by God (Hebrews 11:25-26).”
By faith, Abram had already renounced everything visible and opted for the unseen promises of God. So he had no need, as Lot did, to choose by sight. There is a deliberate contrast between verses 10 and 14. In verse 10, Lot lifted up his eyes and chose the land which looked the best to him. He took off for the good life and left Abram literally in the dust, in dusty Canaan, where there had just been a severe famine. But there, the Lord speaks to Abram again.
3. The promise of faith and the response of worship (Gen. 13:14-18).
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; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 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. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”
The Lord reminded Abram of His promises and expanded on them. He tells him to lift up his eyes and look in every direction. All the land he can see will be his. Both men lifted up their eyes to look, but Lot looked with natural eyes only. Abram, by the grace of God, looked with eyes of faith.
This is now the second time that the promises originally made to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3 have been repeated. The promise is still the same, but here the Lord is more specific. He tells Abram that all this land he sees will be his and his descendants’ “forever.” Abram had already been told that he would become a great nation, but here the LORD said, “I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth.” This was quite a promise for the Lord to make to an old man with no children married to a wife who was barren. But Abram lived by faith in the promises of God. He lived by the word of God.
“Lot chose by sight and ended up spiritually and financially bankrupt. He escaped Sodom with the clothes on his back and fades out living in a cave. The things he saw and got didn’t bring him the lasting happiness he expected. Abram chose by faith, not by sight, and ended up spiritually and financially blessed, seeing and possessing by faith the whole land of Canaan, although he died owning only a burial plot. Lot lived for greed and came up empty. Abram lived for God and came up full.” (Cole).
The Lord Jesus taught us not to seek after the things of this world. He said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). Paul wrote,
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Col. 3:1-4)
After getting assurance of God’s promises from the Lord, Genesis 13:18 says, “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.” We see again the two things that marked Abram’s life of obedient faith, the tent and the altar: Abram the pilgrim, just passing through; and, Abram the worshiper, bearing witness to a pagan world.
We tend to think about salvation as a one-time faith decision to forsake sin and follow Christ. There is a sense in which that is true. We must repent of our sin and believe on the crucified and resurrected Lord Jesus Christ to save us. Faith recognizes our sinfulness and trusts in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary for eternal security.
But hadn’t Lot done that? Hadn’t he left his family and friends in Ur to go with Abram to the promised land? In the New Testament Peter writes that Lot was righteous. He was justified by faith. Lot’s problem, like many Christians today, was in following through, walking step by step in dependence upon the Lord, saying no to the things of this world based on faith in the promises of God. Steven Cole writes,
Someone has said that we tend to think of commitment to Christ like laying a $1,000 bill on the table: “Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.” But the reality is that God sends most of us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there, in small deeds of faithfulness and obedience. But it’s right there, in those little 25 cent choices, that our lives take their direction.
This is walking by faith. It is not just a once-upon-a-time faith, it is an every-day-living faith. It is a faith that: seeks the kingdom of God over the temporary kingdoms of man; priorities relationships over rights; desires godliness over greed; values fellowship with God over friendship with the world; and, lives by faith in God’s promises over the immediate pleasure of compromise. Because if you have God and His promises, you have everything. So seek Him first, and everything else is yours.
Are you walking in faith?
