Written by: Sister Winsome

Genesis 13 v 8-11
Abram said to Lot, “There should be no arguing between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, because we are brothers. We should separate. The whole land is there in front of you. If you go to the left, I will go to the right. If you go to the right, I will go to the left.”
Lot looked all around and saw the whole Jordan Valley and that there was much water there. It was like the LORD’s garden, like the land of Egypt in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose to move east and live in the Jordan Valley. In this way Abram and Lot separated.

Notes
The land could not support the great number of cattle which Abram and Lot had between them. This led to arguments between their herdsmen. So Abram suggests they separate.

Sometimes, separation is our only way of avoiding further difficulties but it doesn’t actually resolve the “real” issues. They remain. The answer lies in reconciliation; finding an acceptable way to bridge the gap between the differing points of view. But how? Jesus provides our example.

Jesus’ life’s work was to reconcile us to God, since we were separated from God by sin. He resolved the “real” issue of our separation, caused by our sin, by dying on the cross and accepting the consequences of sin in our place.

But sometimes, we cannot resolve the issue. Abram accepted the reality – that the land was not physically able to support both his and Lot’s herds. Abram wants to avoid further arguments and to reconcile both his and Lot’s needs. The way Abram achieves this provides a great example for us.

Abram puts Lot’s interests first, unselfishly offering Lot first choice of where to live. The way of self-sacrifice, of generous love, the way of Jesus on the cross. 

Abram knowing that A Broken Relationship Accelerates Misunderstandings instead demonstrated: A Beautiful Response And Motivation (what do the first letters spell?)

Are you prepared generously to put the other person’s interests first?
To follow Abram’s example which is the way of Jesus?

What will be your response and motivation to challenges today?

Genesis 13 v 12-18
Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived among the cities in the Jordan Valley, very near to Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were very evil and were always sinning against the LORD.
After Lot left, the LORD said to Abram, “Look all around you—to the north and south and east and west. All this land that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. I will make your descendants as many as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust on the earth, he could count your people. Get up! Walk through all this land because I am now giving it to you.”
So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at the city of Hebron. There he built an altar to the LORD.

Notes
Today, we see the consequences of choices.

Lot chose where to live. He chose the Jordan Valley, tempted by the fertile appearance of the land, representing material prosperity; the riches of this world.

At first sight, Lot appears to have made a very good choice, since it was the better-looking land. But outward appearances can be very deceptive! Lot’s choice turns out to be not so good after all since his neighbours in Sodom were “very evil and were always sinning against the LORD.” How do you feel that you would be affected by living amongst such people?

As we discover, there were dangerous repercussions for Lot since the men of Sodom personally threaten him (see Genesis 19:9).

Abram’s position is very different. Abram had unselfishly chosen to give Lot first choice of where to live. He had not been tempted by the possibility of immediate prosperity; instead he was motivated by generosity towards Lot.

But God is also generous. “All this land that you see I will give you and your descendants forever.” God’s gift isn’t limited to land. God promises to bless Abram so that he will have countless descendants.

Lot chose the better-looking land demonstrating his desire for immediate material wealth. Abram chose by his generosity of spirit to trust in a faithful God, demonstrating his spiritual wisdom. Neither anticipated the result. For Lot it was life amongst “very evil” people and subsequent personal danger. For Abram it was material and spiritual blessing forever. Who made the better choice?

How do you choose? By outward appearances, lured by ‘worldly’ values like Lot? Or are you prepared to trust in a faithful God, taking account of your neighbours, choosing in accordance with God’s wisdom and eternal values? 

What will be the consequences of choices you make today?

Genesis 14 v 8-11
At that time the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela went out to fight in the Valley of Siddim. (Bela is called Zoar.) They fought against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Babylonia, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings fighting against five. There were many tar pits in the Valley of Siddim. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and their armies ran away, some of the soldiers fell into the tar pits, but the others ran away to the mountains.
Now Kedorlaomer and his armies took everything the people of Sodom and Gomorrah owned, including their food. 

Notes
The five kings go out to fight in the Valley of Siddim; presumably choosing the place of battle because they knew it contained many tar pits. They must surely have viewed the tar pits as a “trap” for their enemies. They must have believed that with their greater familiarity with the location and their greater number (five kings against four) that the scales of victory were weighed in their favour.

But they are wrong. The invading armies decisively beat them taking all their possessions, even their food.

What struck me most was that when the armies ran away “some of the soldiers fell into the tar pits.” They fell into their own traps, the traps they had meant for others.

How often do we “lay traps” for others? By our own acts – setting up situations for others to fall into? Maybe our traps are more subtle. We say or do things in particular ways, omitting facts, glossing over others, putting the “best interpretation” on them so that others accept our particular point of view. Isn’t that laying a trap?

Perhaps we think we don’t “lay” them, we just take advantage of a situation. But the defeated armies didn’t create the tar pits either, they were a natural advantage too! The end result for them was defeat and humiliation. “Running away” which could not, even with the best interpretation be believed to be “strategic withdrawal”!

What “traps” is God asking you to dismantle today? If you don’t, how long will it be before you fall into them?

Genesis 14 v 12-13
They took Lot, Abram’s nephew who was living in Sodom, and everything he owned. Then they left. One of the men who was not captured went to Abram, the Hebrew, and told him what had happened. At that time Abram was camped near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite. Mamre was a brother of Eshcol and Aner, and they had all made an agreement to help Abram.

Notes
Poor Lot! Although an innocent bystander, he is taken captive as a “prisoner of war”. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But was his predicament just a pure accident of time and place? Let us examine the facts.

The background is that Lot, when given first choice where to live, lured by appearances, chose the better-looking land in the Jordan valley. He apparently took no account of its location –near Sodom. 

We now find Lot actually living in Sodom, amongst the people of Sodom who are described as “very evil” (see Genesis 13: 13). Living amongst such people made Lot vulnerable. Very evil people are not likely to live in peace and security, as these are not the by-products of evil. As we discover, the people of Sodom are at war and their enemies did not distinguish between the people of Sodom and the resident alien. The innocent and guilty were all lumped together in the attacking armies’ view.

Lot lived amongst “very evil” people. Ever heard the saying, “you’re known by the company you keep?” Lot kept bad company. This made him susceptible to danger on many counts but not least from attack from his ‘company’s’ enemies. 

Lot’s predicament far from being an unfortunate accident can now be seen to be a foreseeable consequence of his choice to live amongst such people!

In our own life, what sort of company are we keeping? What “accident” is just waiting to happen to us? Are we expecting God to protect us or come to our rescue if we get into difficulty as a result of our lifestyle choices? 

What steps do you think He is asking you to take today?

Genesis 14 v 14-16
When Abram learned that Lot had been captured, he called out his 318 trained men who had been born in his camp. He led the men and chased the enemy all the way to the town of Dan. That night he divided his men into groups, and they made a surprise attack against the enemy. They chased them all the way to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then Abram brought back everything the enemy had stolen, the women and the other people, and Lot, and everything Lot owned.

Notes
“Great news. I’m offering you a free first class ticket to fly to New York tomorrow, to take part in the New York marathon in two days time”.

I couldn’t accept (much as I’d love the trip to New York!). Why? I couldn’t achieve, from scratch, the level of fitness I would need to run a marathon, in just two days. I should have started preparing a long time ago; a healthy balanced diet, practice runs and other strategies to boost my fitness, endurance and stamina. In short, I would need to be trained.

That was the significant fact about Abram’s men. They were “trained”. They may have been fewer in number than their opponents but their prior training was such that they were ready at a moment’s notice, to engage the enemy.

There’s no question which was the better opponent since Abram’s trained men completely defeated the other side enabling him to restore all that the enemy had taken, and rescue Lot.

Are you spiritually fit for battle? Are you trained and ready to defend yourself when (note not if!) the enemy attacks you? 
Do you have a healthy diet – Lots of fruit (of the Spirit) in your life? (see Galatians 5: 22-23) Have you trained for endurance, so that when hard times come and it feels as if life is an uphill struggle, you have the spiritual resources to keep you well fuelled, such as knowing and relying on God’s Divine nature and His ‘promises’ towards you? 

We need to be trained but we also need to maintain our level of training. Abram’s men were continually trained and ready to spring into action at his word. Are you trained and maintaining your training similarly?

If God calls on you today, are you ready?

Genesis 14 v 17-20
After defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, Abram went home. As he was returning, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (now called King’s Valley).
Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest for God Most High and blessed Abram, saying,
“Abram, may you be blessed by God Most High, the God who made heaven and earth.
And we praise God Most High, who has helped you to defeat your enemies.”
Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had brought back from the battle.

Notes
Which of us does not like to receive blessings? It’s a welcome experience isn’t it? To receive and enjoy the benefit of all the things that God wants for us. God’s protection, power, kindness, goodness…the list is endless. God wants to bless us. He wants His Holy Spirit released into our lives to impart power, to equip us for His work with an abundance of good things. So how do we receive His blessing?

In the Old Testament priests were responsible for blessing people. Melchizedek is both king and priest and he blesses Abram. Firstly, he brings out bread and wine. In the New Testament, bread and wine pointing to the crucified and risen Christ, become channels for God’s blessing (see Corinthians 10:16) to those who receive them through personal faith and obedience. But to receive, the channel must be open.

Is your channel open? Do you have personal faith in Jesus Christ, believing in Him as your Saviour ? Are you living in obedience to His call as Lord of your life? 

Melchizedek demonstrates how we can give blessing by our words. He speaks words of blessing to Abram. Blessing was so important to Jesus that He even commanded us to bless those who curse us (see Luke 6: 27-28). What sort of words come most easily to you? Words of bitterness, complaint, and condemnation? 

By our words we can bless God, other people and even situations. Why not use words of blessing today? Words that make others glad, which ask for God’s favour on another, which wish a person or situation well?

Will others be blessed by the fragrance of Jesus left behind from the words you use today? 

Genesis 14 v 21-24
The king of Sodom said to Abram, “You may keep all these things for yourself. Just give me my people who were captured.”
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I make a promise to the LORD, the God Most High, who made heaven and earth. I promise that I will not keep anything that is yours. I will not keep even a thread or a sandal strap so that you cannot say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will keep nothing but the food my young men have eaten. But give Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre their share of what we won, because they went with me into battle.”

Notes
The king of Sodom offers Abram the chance to keep all the spoils of war (except understandably, the king’s own captured people). But Abram does not accept the offer. He engaged in battle to rescue Lot. He did not go to war to gain riches.

Further, Abram does not want to give the king the chance to say that he made Abram rich. So he refuses the offer. Abram will accept only the food that his men have already eaten, although he is concerned for justice’s sake, to ensure that his allies in battle should receive their fair share of what was won.

Abram’s behaviour has a lot to teach us about his faith. Abram’s prosperity has been received as a free gift of God. Abram rejects anything that might appear that a source other than God had been responsible. He wants all credit to go to God alone.

Who or what is the source of your well-being? Who or what receives credit in your life?

We learn elsewhere that the people of Sodom were “very evil” (see Genesis 13: 13) and Abram is not prepared to accept things from such a source. Abram doesn’t want even to give his word direct to the king, so instead of making his promise to him, Abram promises God that he will not keep anything. Abram cuts all ties with the man of evil and makes his promise direct to the God of goodness.

What ties do you have that are not of God? Do they need to be severed?

Abram’s faith is clearly centred in God. His life is open to scrutiny. He is not prepared for even the appearance of any connection with an evil source. Is the same true of you today?


word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes