Abram and Lot

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Introduction

Last week we were introduced to Abram, or Abraham as we more often refer to him. Abram was called by God to leave his homeland and go to a place he didn’t even know. He left Ur with his father, wife, and nephew and arrived in Canaan many years later after his father had died.

• • Write on the board, “What distinguished Lot’s desires from Abram’s desires?”
  What did we learn about Abram’s inheritance? He was looking to gain a reward that was not earthly. He never inherited a land, but his descendants would, and he never saw the promises made to him fulfilled in their earthly sense. He was looking for an inheritance that was ultimately heavenly—a city made by God (Hebrews 11:8–16).
  • Don’t forget! Review the Optional Supplements and determine where you can use them.
  We see Abram as an example of a man who put his faith in God, even when he didn’t see the promises fulfilled in an immediate sense. As we consider Abram’s faith, we can see how the promises given to him were fulfilled over the centuries after his death. This can be a great encouragement for us as we consider the promises of God. God is faithful to bring to pass all that he has promised. That is just as true in our lives as it was in Abram’s. Because God’s character does not change, we can trust him just as Abram did.

  Today, we are going to look at an event that happened after Abram had been in Canaan for some time. There had been a famine in Canaan, so Abram took his family to Egypt. While there, he convinced Sarai to lie about being his wife. As a result, God cursed Pharaoh’s household, which created tension between Abram and Pharaoh. You can read about that in the second half of Genesis 12.

Abram and Lot Separate

It is during the return from Egypt that we will pick up the reading today. We are going to look at the passage where Lot and Abram part company and try to determine who got the better land.

Let’s read Genesis 13:1–18 together. Divide the passage for class members to read aloud (possibly divide at 13:10). As you work through the lesson, refer to the places on the Abram and Lot Map.

• Where did they first go after leaving Egypt? The ESV refers to the Negeb (Negev) to refer to the location, which is the wilderness, south of the Dead Sea. The NKJV says the South, referring to the southern region of Canaan.
• What forms of wealth did Abram have? Silver, gold, and livestock—he was very rich.
• Where did they go next? They moved toward Bethel. This was further to the north.
• What is significant about Bethel? The Lord had appeared to Abram there when he first arrived in Canaan, and Abram had built an altar there (12:7).
• What did Abram do at Bethel? He called upon the name of the Lord (v. 4).
• How should we understand this phrase? Abram was worshipping God at the altar he had made. We see the same in 12:8 and many other places, including Psalm 116:17 where it is connected with thanksgiving.
• How did Lot’s wealth compare to Abram’s? He had flocks and herds and tents, but it does not seem he was as wealthy as Abram, based on this description.
• What was the source of conflict in the passage? The land was not able to support all of the flocks—there was not enough vegetation and possibly water to sustain all of them.
• What conflict arose out of these circumstances? The herdsman of Lot and Abram were fighting over the limited resources.
• How did Abram respond to this conflict? He sought to resolve it by offering Lot a proposal.
• What offer did Abram make to Lot? He offered him his choice of any part of the whole land, agreeing to go the opposite way of Lot’s choice.
• Did Abram limit Lot to going to the left or to the right? Is this phrase meant to be understood literally? Rather than being strictly literal, this is an idiom that means if you go one way, I will go the other.
• What did Lot notice about the land in the plain of the Jordan? He saw that it was well watered, a lush environment for feeding his flocks.
• What is the plain of the Jordan compared to? It is compared to the garden of the Lord (Eden) and like the area of Zoar at the south end of the Dead Sea—a lush area at the time.
• What does verse 11 reveal about Lot’s motivation? He chose what would benefit himself.
• Where did Abram settle after they split company? In the land of Canaan west of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. Verse 18 places his final home near Hebron.
• Where did Lot’s area extend to? As far south as Sodom, but on the east side of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.
• What do we learn about Sodom in verse 13? The men of Sodom were wicked and great sinners against the Lord.
• What type of literary device is used in referring to the men of Sodom? This is “foreshadowing” what we will read about in chapter 19, the topic of the next lesson.
• After they parted, what experience did Abram have? God reassured Abram of the promise to give him and his descendants the land of Canaan.
• How did God describe the size of the land promised? God told Abram to look as for as he could in every direction, promising that land to him.
• How long would the land be given to his descendants? Forever.
• What did God remind Abram of regarding his descendants? God would give him descendants in number as the dust of the earth.
• Is this meant to be a literal description of the number? No, this is a figure of speech to acknowledge a large number, as is made clear by the last phrase in verse 16.

Discover the Truth

As we consider the actions of Abram and Lot, it is pretty clear that Lot was interested in promoting his own well-being while Abram was looking out for the best interest of all involved. Lot chose the best for himself. Abram gave up his right of first choice as the elder (Lot’s uncle), and allowed Lot first choice. Abram was very aware of the conflict and didn’t want it to cause any division or strife in his family. So he offered Lot the choice of the land.

As the foreshadowing in verse 13 indicates, Lot is going to run into trouble. But we will get to that in a minute and more in the next lesson.

Abram demonstrated trust in God’s plan by remaining in Canaan to establish his household there. He was still a wanderer, but he was living in the land God had promised to give him.

• What attribute of God is on display as God reassured Abram in verses 14–17? He was showing his faithfulness, reassuring Abram that he would keep his promise to give him the land.

  Despite the time that has passed, God still intends to give Abram the land that he promised and many descendants. As it stands, Abram still has no children, and he is likely wondering what is taking God so long. But it seems Abram continues to trust God, even as things are challenging and the future is unclear.

Abram’s Example Activity

Have the students work in groups to complete the activity.

You are going to take a few minutes to compare the actions of Lot and Abram to the example of Jesus. In your Student Guide you will find the Abram’s Example activity. Look at the cross-references there, and we will discuss what you find in a little while. Have the students work in groups for an appropriate amount of time. They will consider how Abram was acting like Christ by offering Lot the choice of what he wanted, taking what was left over. Just as Christ was willing to serve, Abram was willing to serve.

Connect to the Truth

As you read through Mark 10:41–45 and Luke 22:24–30, I trust you found some parallels in the way the people were acting.

• Slide #14
  Slide #15
  Slide #16
  Slide #17
  How do these passages relate to Abram’s interaction with Lot regarding the conflict that arose between their herdsmen? Just as Abram was willing to give up his privilege in order to defuse the conflict with Lot, Jesus came to earth and gave up his heavenly privilege to serve others. In this sense, Abram’s selflessness foreshadows Jesus’ giving himself for his enemies.
• If we aligned these scenes, who would represent Lot in the New Testament passages? Lot was seeking his own personal gain just as the disciples were seeking to have a high standing in Christ’s kingdom.
• Can you think of an example in your life where there was a conflict over property or time or resources of some sort? How did you respond to the conflict? How might your response be different in the future in light of these passages? Discuss various answers, encouraging repentance and the seeking of forgiveness where possible.

  We have in Abram and in Jesus an example of laying aside our own personal gain to serve others. Our tendency is to seek our own benefit at the expense of others, but that is not demonstrating the mind of Christ. Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:3–4 to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

  As we seek to follow Christ and consider the example of Abram, we must ask God to help us set aside our own advantages and pursue the welfare of others. This is part of denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following in our Savior’s footsteps (Luke 9:23).

Rescuing Lot

After the two parted company, Lot wound up near Sodom and Abram near Hebron, basically across the Dead Sea from Sodom. During this time, there was an alliance of kings from the Mesopotamian region led by Chedorlaomer (14:1). They subjugated the kings of the city-states near the Dead Sea (14:2–4), but those kings rebelled after 13 years. As war came to the Valley of Siddim, Lot was caught up in the conflict.

Let’s pick up the events in Genesis 14:12–24. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• How is Lot described in verse 12? He is Abram’s brother’s son, or his nephew.
• How is Abram described in verse 13? He is called a Hebrew. This is the first use of this term in Scripture and identifies Abram in the line of Eber as we saw in Genesis 11. This term will be commonly used as we move through the rest of the Bible.
• What happened to Lot? He was taken captive by the northern kings.
• Was Lot the only one taken captive? While verse 12 makes no mention of others, it must have been his household that was taken captive since someone escaped and knew where to find Abram to tell him of the news. Verse 16 also talks of bringing back “the women and the people” along with Lot and his goods.
• How did Abram respond to the news? Abram gathered his servants, armed them, and pursued the raiders.
• What do we learn about the men he took with him? There were 318 of them, they were trained, and they were part of his household.
• Where did the pursuit take Abram and his men? They went north toward Dan (v. 14). They eventually continued farther north to Hobah, north of Damascus (v. 15). Point these areas out on the map. In a straight line, it is over 150 miles from Hebron to Damascus, so this was a major undertaking. As an interesting note, Dan was not called that at the time of Abram, but was later named Dan for the tribe of Dan who moved to the northern region of the Promised Land.
• What was Abram’s strategy for attacking the raiders? He divided his forces and attacked by night.
• What was the outcome of the battle(s)? They were victorious and brought back Lot, his goods, and the other women and people.

  Abram was successful in rescuing Lot and the goods the raiders had taken. Now the text turns to what happened as the group returned.

• Who met Abram as he first returned? The king of Sodom.
• Where did this meeting take place? The Valley of Shaveh.
• What is added to the identification of the location? A parenthetical statement identifies this as the King’s Valley.

• Slide #23
  So, why is this parenthetical remark here? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 18:18 to see if we can understand? This passage uses the same name for a valley near Jerusalem. It is generally identified as the Kidron Valley. Since Moses is the author of Genesis, and he is writing to an audience that is removed from these events by almost 500 years, he gives both names—King’s Valley and Absalom’s Monument. Over that time, these names have changed. He provides the new name alongside the old name for the benefit of his readers. If you look back to verses 2, 3, 7, and 8 of Genesis 14, you will notice the same thing there. We have modern examples of this with the city of Mumbai formerly known as Bombay and Istanbul formerly known as Constantinople. Even the names of countries change, so when we talk about Myanmar, we often add “formerly known as Burma” to help our audience understand.
• Who else came to meet Abram? Melchizedek.
• What do we learn about Melchizedek? He was the king of Salem and a priest of God. Salem is an older name of Jerusalem, which doesn’t appear in the Bible until Joshua 10:1 during the conquest of the Promised Land.
• What does that name Melchizedek mean? How can we find that meaning? Some students may have study Bibles with the notes explaining the meaning of the name. Others will likely have a cross-reference in their Bibles to Hebrews 7.

Let’s look at Hebrews 7:1–4. Assign a reader. If time allows, you may want to read up through verse 10 or even all of chapter 7.

• How does Hebrews 7:1–4 describe Melchizedek? His name means “king of righteousness,” and since he is king of Salem, he is “king of peace.” It also describes him as a priest and as having no known genealogy. The passage goes on to identify Melchizedek as a type of Christ and refers to Jesus as the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek rather than Levi’s line. Hebrews 7:17 contains a quote from Psalm 110:4 to demonstrate the eternal priesthood of Jesus.
• Now back to Genesis 14. What two things did Melchizedek do for Abram? He brought bread and wine to feed him, and he offered a blessing to him.
• What do we learn about God in this blessing? God is the Most High God, he owns the earth, and he delivered Abram’s enemies into his hands. Here we learn the name El Elyon (God Most High).
• What did Abram do in response to the blessing? He gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
• What do we call it when a person gives a tenth of their money or income? A tithe.

  This is the first mention in the Bible of giving a tithe to a priest.

• What did this tithe signify about the relationship between Abram and Melchizedek? Abram acknowledged the priestly role and the true blessing from Melchizedek.
• How did Abram respond to the king of Sodom’s offer to take the spoils of war as his own? He refused to take anything for himself, but let his men and the others who helped (his three allies in verse 24) take their portion of the recovered goods as payment for their work and for risking their lives.
• What does the phrase “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High” mean? This is an acknowledgment of loyalty to God. While it is not perfectly clear, this is likely an idiom for what we would call a salute or tribute. Abram was pledging his loyalty to God, not the king.
• What did this signify about the relationship between Abram and the king of Sodom? Abram didn’t want to be under any obligation to the king of Sodom, so he refused the gifts.
• Why might Abram have rejected this king’s offer? Abram knew Sodom as a city of wickedness, so any allegiance to the king could have undermined his duty to God or could have brought reproach on God in the future.

Discover the Truth

As we saw Abram in his dealings with Lot, again we see him act in a way that was looking out for the benefit of others rather than his own benefit. Not only that, but he acknowledged God’s role in his victory by offering a tithe to God’s priest. At the same time, he rejected a blessing (in a physical sense) from the king of the wicked city of Sodom. He acknowledged that God’s blessings made him rich while denying any credit to this wicked king.

• How do we see the consequences of Lot’s choice to live in the fertile land? While it may not be directly related, living in the fertile area, and specifically near Sodom, led to his captivity.
• How do we see God’s providence in this passage? Specifically, in the blessing of Abram, God’s deliverance in the battle was acknowledged. Secondarily, Abram acknowledged God’s providence by honoring Melchizedek as God’s priest rather than honoring the king of a wicked city.
• Which attributes of God are data-highlighted in this passage? God is shown to be sovereign over the battle. He is acknowledged as independent since he is the Possessor of heaven and earth—he needs nothing since he owns it all. He is merciful in providing relief to Lot from his captivity. He is holy and worthy of blessing and honor. Refer to the Attributes of God poster.

  And in the midst of this account, we see a foreshadowing of Jesus in Melchizedek. We aren’t going to go into too much detail about this point, but this would be a great idea for you to study further in your own personal devotions. Just as Melchizedek serves as a priest outside of the line of Levi, so does Jesus. The writer of Hebrews draws this out in Hebrews 7, offering us an amazing picture of a perfect High Priest who has offered a perfect sacrifice for sinners. As Abram was blessed through Melchizedek, we have an infinitely greater blessing through Jesus, our High Priest, and a perfectly righteous King to rule over us.

Application

As we think about what we have read about Abram, we can’t help but see him as a faithful example of a servant of God. He shows us the character of Jesus, even though he had his human failings. He sought the welfare of others and trusted in God rather than man.

On the other hand, Lot gives us a negative example in these cases. He sought his own benefit, which brought him into the middle of a conflict. And it led to even more trouble. But that is our topic for next week. Lot’s choices brought others into harm’s way, requiring a rescue by Abram and his allies.

But in the midst of the difficulties—the conflict between the herdsmen and the rescue of the hostages—we are given a glimpse of Melchizedek as a priest and king of God. Here we see the scarlet thread woven throughout the Bible, pointing us to Jesus as our perfectly righteous King and our blameless High Priest. Rather than a priest to whom we must give tithes and who performs repeated rituals on our behalf, Jesus has completed the roles of Melchizedek and is our High Priest forever. His sacrifice was perfect and complete, so there is no need for continued ritual sacrifice.

We can rest in the perfect work of Jesus and look to Abram as an example for our living a life that is pleasing to Christ.

Let us make sure that we think of how we can apply these ideas as we leave and go out into the world we live in. We want to make sure that we are not merely hearing the Word, but seeking to be doers of what we read in it.

• What interesting historical or geographical nugget did you learn today as we considered this text? Discuss various answers.
• Why is it so hard for us to count others as more significant than ourselves, as Abram did for Lot, especially in the midst of a conflict? Without a new heart, our nature is sinful, and we desire our own benefit. Even after our conversion, we still must fight the lust of our flesh and seek to live a life worthy of Christ’s calling on our lives. We, too, often seek comfort over holiness. Here, Abram can be an example for us, encouraging us to ultimately look to Jesus as our perfect example.
• Why is it important for us to know how to use cross-references and other features of our Bibles as we seek to fully understand God’s Word? We must recognize what a privileged position we have of living in a period where we have God’s completed revelation. As we seek to interpret Scripture with Scripture, we also have the benefit of study tools in our Bibles to point us to parallel passages. As we studied this passage, these tools gave us the benefit of understanding how Melchizedek prefigures Jesus, as described in Hebrews 7.
• What did you learn about Jesus from this Old Testament text? Discuss various ideas, especially connected to Hebrews 7 and his role as perfect King and High Priest forever. Also, remind the students that the attributes of God that were discussed are the attributes of Jesus, since he is God.
• Have you ever faced a choice like Lot’s choice of where to settle? How did you make that decision? Discuss various answers, encouraging repentance for past sinful decisions and acknowledging God’s grace when right choices were made.
• What choices are you facing in your life right now that you need counsel or prayer for? Discuss various answers, offering prayer for wisdom.

Group Prayer

Be sure to pray with your class and take requests if time allows.

• Praise God for his revelation to us in all of Scripture.
• Ask God for courage, by his Spirit, to live a life which is pleasing to him and which counts others more significant than ourselves.
• Thank Jesus for being our perfect King and High Priest.