Summary

3. Summary 9 – Covenant of the Rainbow; the sin of Noah & Canaan 10 – The Table of Nations; the 3 sons of Noah 11 – The Tower of Babel, and the division of the earth 12 – The Call of Abraham; his faith, and unfaithfulness 13 – The Separation of Abram and Lot 14 – The War of the Kings of the Plain; Lot’s capture 15 – Abram/Sarai promised a son 16 – Abram/Sarai/Hagar give birth to a son, Ishmael

4. Genesis 13:8-9

5. Genesis 13:8-9 8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left.” 

6. Genesis 13:10-13 10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the [f]valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. 11 So Lot chose for himself all the [g]valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram [h]settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot [i]settled in the cities of the[j]valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.  • Genesis 13:10 Lit circle • Genesis 13:11 Lit circle • Genesis 13:12 Lit dwelt • Genesis 13:12 Lit dwelt

7. Genesis 13:10-13 Abram having offered Lot the choice, he at once accepted it. Passion and selfishness make men rude. Lot looked to the goodness of the land; therefore he doubted not that in such a fruitful soil he should certainly thrive. But what came of it? Those who, in choosing relations, callings, dwellings, or settlements, are guided and governed by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride of life, cannot expect God's presence or blessing. They are commonly disappointed even in that which they principally aim at. In all our choices this principle should rule,

8. Genesis 13:10-13 “That is best for us, which is best for our souls.” Lot little considered the badness of the inhabitants [of the fruitful plains]. The men of Sodom were impudent, daring sinners. This was the iniquity of Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness, Ezekiel 16:49. God often gives great plenty to great sinners. It has often been the vexatious lot of good men to live among wicked neighbors; and it must be the more grievous, if, as Lot here, they have brought it upon themselves by a wrong choice. (Matthew Henry Commentary)

9. Genesis 13:10-13 Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. • Pride • Fullness of bread (abundance, physical needs met) • Abundance of idleness (schole’ – leisure at school) • No concern for the poor and needy

10. Genesis 13:10-13 Abram is learning that God could be trusted to care for his needs, no matter where he is. He offers Lot the choice of where they will each move to. Instead of deferring to Abram, as he should have done, Lot seizes upon the opportunity to his own advantage (or so he thought). Perhaps he had been infected with the luxury and excitement of Egypt, and was no longer content to be a ‘stranger and pilgrim in the land” (Heb. 11:13).

11. Genesis 13:10-13 Genesis 13:10 says that the Jordanian plain was ‘as the garden of the LORD” like the land of Egypt & the Nile • Lot has seen the beauty of Mesopotamia (Babylon) • He has seen the beauty of Haran (Lebanon) • He has been to Egypt and seen the beauty of the Nile Perhaps he rationalized as many believers today do, thinking that he could be a ‘witness’ for the Lord there, while enjoying the creature comforts the community offered; theatre, parties, social life galore

12. Genesis 13:10-13 Hebrews 11:9-10 “By faith [Abraham] lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” Lot headed east, down toward the Jordan River plain Abram headed west, back up into the hill country of Canaan, near Hebron---where he could view the plains below, as well as the inland sea, we now call the Dead Sea

13. Genesis 13:10-13 “Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom” Lot didn’t move quickly into Sodom He lived in his tent, but within easy traveling distance He was near enough to enjoy the advantages of the city life, but not yet actually a part of their immoral lives

14. Genesis 13:10-13 “Christians today often follow the same path, hoping to have both the spiritual blessings of a separated walk with God and the carnal advantages of fellowship with the world. Sooner or later, however, one has to decide which it will be. He cannot have it both ways. Neither God nor the world will allow it. Lot first ‘pitched his tent toward Sodom,’ but soon he ‘dwelt in Sodom’ (Gen. 14:12), and finally ‘sat in the gate of Sodom’ (Gen. 19:1) as one of its business leaders. Thus began the tragedy which would ultimately destroy him and his family” (Morris, p. 304)

15. Genesis 13:10-13 Those are best prepared for the visits of Divine grace, whose spirits are calm, and not ruffled with passion. God will abundantly make up in spiritual peace, what we lose for preserving neighborly peace. When our family is separated from us, yet God is not. Observe also the promises with which God now comforted and enriched Abram. Of two things he assures him; a good land, and a numerous descendants to enjoy it. The prospects seen by faith are more rich and beautiful than those we see around us.

16. Genesis 13:10-13 God bade him walk through the land, not to think of fitting in it, but expect to be always unsettled, and walking through it to a better Canaan. He built an altar, in token of his thankfulness to God. When God meets us with gracious promises, he expects that we should attend him with humble praises. In outward difficulties, it is very profitable for the true believer to mediate on the glorious inheritance which the Lord has for him at the last. (Matthew Henry Commentary)

17. Genesis 13:10-13 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked[k]exceedingly and sinners against the Lord. • [k] -  Lit wicked and sinners exceedingly

19. Genesis 13:1-13 Q: Where are these cities of the plain? Sodom: (from root word ‘to scorch’ or ‘burn’ B-D-B) Gomorrah: “submersion” Admah: “red earth” Zeboim: “hyena” Bela: (also called “Zoar”, meaning ‘little’)

20. Genesis 13:1-13 • Some believe that "the Plain" is the shallow southern end of the Dead Sea, and that the waters cover the remains. Underwater archaeology may or may not confirm this assertion. • An area around the northern end of the Dead Sea was later favored, mainly on the grounds that only this region is fully within the range of vision from Bethel, from which vantage point Lot made his fatal choice (Gen. 13:10-12). • Abraham’s field of view from a point east of Hebron, from which he looked in the morning toward Sodom and Gomorrah (19:28), may lead to the same conclusion. • But what the patriarch later saw was the column of smoke from some form of disaster---not the river or plain, or city

21. Genesis 13:1-13 • In the book "Ancient Secrets of the Bible” (Charles E. Sellier and Brian Russell page 37-39, and 91-92) report that the Ebla tablets were unearthed in northern Syria in 1976. They numbered about twenty thousand clay tablets from the city of Ebla at the height of power in 2,300 B.C., with a population of 260,000 people before it’s destruction around 2,250 B.C.

22. Genesis 13:1-13 • They are known today as the Eblaite Geographic Atlas containing a list of 290 place names from the travels of a merchant before 2,300 B.C. One of the names in the list refers to the name ‘Sadam’ or the biblical Sodom presumed to be below the Dead Sea. The tables suggest that the ruins of Bab edh-Dhra as Sodom but it did not state that the ruins of Numeriawere Gomorrah (which was a short lived city anyway).

23. Genesis 13:1-13 The five cities of the plain (‘the circle’) of Jordan, were populated around 2065 B.C. at which point they were abandoned, as archaeology confirms. They were in the Vale of Siddim (Gen. 14:3) possibly the southern end of the Dead Sea, now covered by water. The site of Bab ed-Dra’ (Babedh-Dhra) on the Dead Sea belongs to the age of Sodom and Gomorrah as its remains date from about the last third of the third millennium, when occupation here came to an abrupt end.

24. Genesis 13:1-13

25. Genesis 13:1-13

26. Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

27. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. • 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

28. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;  32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

29. Genesis 13:14-18 14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. 16 I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.” 18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

30. Genesis 13:14-18 The separation of Lot from Abram was in accordance to the will and purpose of God Lot will not share in the the promise of God, even though afterwards, Lot is spared and saved twice by Abram---for Abram’s sake What was a bad move for Lot was a good move for Abram. He could now devote his full attention to serving God, and walking in His will It has been several years since God spoke to Abram, and he had some tough lessons to learn, but he did learn them

31. Genesis 13:14-18 God graciously confirms His covenant with Abram This included all the land that he could see in every direction; he is probably on top of lofty Mt. Hebron God told him to walk through the land, through the length and breadth---as a conqueror claiming his territory, as in faith, taking possession of it.