Bible Study – Family (2) – Abraham and Lot – Genesis 13:5-11, 14-18 – October 20, 2024

Bible Study – Family (2) – Abraham and Lot – Genesis 13:5-11, 14-18 – October 20, 2024

Trust GOD when challenged over your rights and possessions.

This is a major topic in today’s society, and it was a major topic in early Biblical times.

Today, when a person dies without will, it can trigger a multitude of issues such as what to do with the deceased’s assets. Often, disputes are caused by greed and jealousy over who gets what.

Our study focuses on the distribution of land between Abram and his nephew, Lot because both had animals that needed to graze and them staying together presented a grazing problem. Simply the land could not support both because their herds had grown so large.

Let’s explore!

Genesis 13:1-18:

Abram and Lot Separate

(Lot is Abraham’s nephew.)

13 Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him. ² Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. ³ He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been, ⁴ to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of the Lord there.

⁵ Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. ⁶ But the land was unable to support them as long as they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they could not stay together, ⁷ and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. (At that time, the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.)

[The seven nations are all descendants of Canaan, son of Ham and grandson of Noah, from whom they derive their collective name Canaanites. When enumerated separately, one of the seven nations is called Canaanites, while the others are called the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Jebusites and the Perizzites]

⁸ So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives. ⁹ Isn’t the whole land before you? Separate from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

You may recall in last week’s study regarding Cain and Abel.

GOD told Cain, “Do what is right.” Cain was furious over the fact that Able’s sacrifice was accepted by GOD and his was not.

In Genesis 4: ³ In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. ⁴ And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, ⁵ but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? ⁷ If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Doing the right thing is the key. That takes courage and trust in GOD that HE will take care of you and your family. Abram trusted GOD and did what was right.

¹⁰ Lot looked out and saw that the entire plain^[a] of the Jordan as far as Zoar was well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden and the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ¹¹ So Lot chose the entire plain of the Jordan for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other. ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities on the plain and set up his tent near Sodom. ¹³ (Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning immensely^[b] against the Lord.)

¹⁴ After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west, ¹⁵ for I will give you and your offspring^[c] forever all the land that you see. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. ¹⁷ Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you.”

¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.

Unity of family is vital as we journey through life. The old saying is “blood is thicker than water” is true when families do the right thing.

Doing the “right thing” takes courage and trust in GOD that GOD will honor and support your decision. Our part is to seek and ask GOD to reveal to us HIS leadership and guidance in matters of the family. Do what is right. Step one is to ask yourself are you in right relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS? If not, then ask JESUS to come into your heart and forgive you for your sins.

Wisdom comes from GOD through faith in JESUS. When a person has been redeemed from sin, he/she has the Holy Spirit within to lead and guide that person.

Satan is still in the world and he is still the enemy of all people and especially those who have been redeemed from the consequence of sin through faith in JESUS. In John 4, we read that greater is HE, JESUS, WHO is in us, the redeemed, is greater than he (Satan) that is in the world.

Just know that all families become a target of Satan and especially the families of those who have been redeemed. Therefore, be prepared that he attacks whenever it does the most damage.

In our study, we see that Abram took the initiative to bring up a potential serious issue that needed to be resolved before it erupted into an even larger issue.

Satan loves conflict because it often destroys relationships.

Humans can make a mountain out of a mole hill when they let issues fester.

It takes courage to sit down and discuss issues before they become even larger issues. Pray and seek GOD’S help and will as we decide to approach an issue and seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to guide the process. Remaining calm is vital, listening and staying focused on the issue(s).

GOD’S Word gives us examples for reconciliation. The main concern is have we been reconciled with GOD through faith in JESUS?

Abram was a man of faith in GOD and he trusted GOD. Was he perfect? No! Abram trusted GOD such that he was willing to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering with the faith that GOD would raise Isaac back to life from the ashes. GOD intervened and provided a substitute sacrifice. That is why JESUS came to earth to be our perfect acceptable sacrifice to GOD for our sins. However, we must accept JESUS as our Savior.

JESUS told Nicodemus in John 3:1 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,^[a] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

⁴ “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. ⁸ The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

⁹ “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

¹⁰ “Are you a teacher^[b] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹ “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven —the Son of Man.^[c]

¹⁴ “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him may^[d] have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God loved the world in this way:^[e] He gave^[f] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. ¹⁹ This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it,^[g] so that his deeds may not be exposed. ²¹ But anyone who lives by^[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

In 1 John 1:9 ⁵ This is the message we have heard from him (JESUS) and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. ⁶ If we say, “We have fellowship with him (GOD),” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. ⁷ If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Romans 3: ²² The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ^[p] to all who believe, since there is no distinction. ²³ For all have sinned and fall short of the^[q] glory of God; ²⁴ they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented him as the mercy seat^[r] by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. ²⁶ God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

The shed blood of JESUS paid, in full, for sin when a person places his/her faith in JESUS.

Hebrews 9:  ²² According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Salvation is not saying the right words. Salvation is about the very core of a person’s being. Some people have said “LORD, I give up. I want to be YOUR Son or Daughter.” Salvation is GOD’S gift to all through the birth, sinless life, death, resurrection, and ascension of JESUS. Salvation is about your heart toward GOD and JESUS.

When you ask JESUS to forgive you for your sins and for JESUS to come into your heart, HE does. All who place their faith in JESUS receive the Holy Spirit, WHO confirms that they have been “born-again.”

As a newborn Christin, you must have nourishment. Read, and study GOD’S Word, the Bible and pray (talk to GOD) and ask HIM to teach you as you study. Apply what you learn as GOD, through the Holy Spirit, gives you opportunity. Keep in mind, you are the enemy of Satan and he will do all he can to discourage you but stay the course, learn, study, and apply.

Blessings!!!