Genesis
Lesson 18Genesis 13:1-18
We continue our study of the call of Abram. We ended our last lesson with Abram, Sarai, and Lot leaving Egypt, having prospered there during the famine in the land of Canaan. (This happened in spite of Abram asking Sarai to lie and claim to be his sister, rather than tell Pharaoh that she was Abram’s wife. We know this for sure, since at the beginning of this lesson’s study text in Genesis 13:2, we are told that when he left Egypt, "Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold."
Let’s read Genesis Chapter 13, and consider the following questions:
- Who does it say left Egypt with Abram? (see Genesis 13:1)
- During Abram’s trip back to the Negev, at what city did Abram first call on the name of the Lord? What does this imply is happening between Abram and the Lord? (see Genesis 13:3-4)
- During the time that Abram and Sarai were in Egypt, who else prospered greatly there? (see Genesis 13:5-6)
- A quarrel develops between the Lot’s shepherds and Abram’s shepherds. Instead of asserting his authority and dictating unity for the good of all, what does Abram propose to Lot? How would this approach apply to life within the Church today? (see Genesis 13:7-8)
- Abram even allowed Lot to pick the direction that he wanted to go in, and then Abram would go in the opposite one. How ironic it is that this decision also initiated the different directions that each of these men’s lives took from that point on. Abram was already trusting God. What does Hebrews 11:9-10 tell us guided Abram’s choice for a home during his entire life? How does his approach differ from Lot’s?
- Lot visualized two things as determinants in choosing which direction he wanted to go in. What were they? (Genesis 13:10)
- Once Lot chose the plain of the Jordan, the text tells us that he "set out for the east", and that the "two men parted company"; with Abram living in the land of Canaan. Where did Lot ultimately decide to pitch his tent in all the plain of Jordan? (see Genesis 13:11-13, Genesis 14:12, and Genesis 19:1)
- When did God reaffirm his covenant with Abram? (Genesis 13:14-18)
- Abram settles in the plain of Mamre near Hebron, and God promises him that his seed will be as numerous as the "dust of the earth" if it could be numbered. Who specifically does the Bible indicate is "Abraham’s seed"? (see Genesis 17:5, Galatians 3:16, Galatians 3:29, Romans 4:11, and 1 Peter 2:9)
We can take great joy in our hope in Christ, as we see God’s promise to Abram confirmed once again. We also see Lot’s life beginning to head in the wrong direction, as he relies on his own ability, and chooses to conform to the physical world around him rather than God. One bad choice will lead to another and yet another, and eventually these decisions will destroy all that he has, including his family. At times, our choices may seem tough and almost impossible to make; however, we will never go wrong if we trust in God and follow the path that He leads us on.
Thanks for being faithful in studying with us each week.
In Christ,
Wes
[2010]