The Separation of Abram and Lot
Ver. 1 — 4-. We have heard nothing of Lot, till now, since he left Haran; but he appears to have been one of Abram’s family, and to have gone with him whithersoever he went. Here Ave find him returning with him from Egypt, first to the south of Canaan, and afterwards to Bfethel, the place of his second residence, where he had before built an altar. The manner in which “the place of the altar” is mentioned, seems to intimate that he chose to go thither, in preference to another place, on this account. It is very natural that he should do so; for the places where we have called upon the name of the Lord, and enjoyed communion with him, are, by association, endeared to us above all others. There Abram again called on the name of the Lord; and the present exercises of grace, we may suppose, vrere aided by the
remembiance of the past. It is an important rule in choosing our habitations, to have an eye to the place of the altar. If Lot had acted upon this principle, he would not have done as is here related of him.
Ver. 5, 6. We find by the second verse, that Abram was very rich; and here we see that Lot also had ‘’flocks, and herds, and tents;” so that “the land was not able to bear them, that they should dwell together.” It is pleasing to see how the blessing of the Lord attends these two sojourners: but it is painful to find that prosperity vshould become the occasion of their separation. It is pity that those whom grace unites, and who are fellow-heirs of eternal life, should be parted by the lumber of this world. Yet so it is. A clash of worldly interests has often separated chief friends, and been the occasion of a much greater loss than the greatest earthly fulness has been able to compensate. It is not thus with the riches of o-race, or of o’lorv: the more we have of them, the closer it unites us.
f’er. 7. The first inconvenience which arose from the wealth of these two good men, appeared in strifes between their herdmen. It was better to be so, than if the masters had fallen out; but even this is far from pleasant. Those of
Gen. 13.] abram and loI*. 6
each would tell their tale to their masters, and try to persuade them that the others had used them ill; and the best of men, having such tales frequently repeated”, would begin to suspect that all was not fair. What can be done? “The Canaanite and the Pcrizzite also dwelt. in the land.” Now Abram and Lot, having never joined in the idolatries and other wickednesses of the country, must needs have been marked as a singular kind of men, and passed as worshippers of the invisible God. If therefore they fall out about worldly matters, what will be thought and said of their religion? ‘See how these religious people love one another!’
Ver. 8, 9. Abram’s conduct in this unpleasant business was greatly to his honour. To form a just judgment of any character, we must follow him through a number of different situations, and circumstances, and observe how he acts in times of trial. We have seen Abram in his first conversion from idolatry; we have noticed the strength of his faith, and the promptness of his obedience to the heavenly call; we have admired his godly and consistent conduct in every place where he has sojourned, one instance only excepted: but we have not yet seen how he would act in a case of approaching dify ference lrith a friend, a brother. Here then we have it.) — Observe,
1. He foresees tJic danger there is of a falling out betivecn hiimelf and Lot. It is likely he perceived his countenance was not towards him as heretofore, and that he discovered an uneasiness of mind. This would excite a becoming apprehension, lest that which begun with the servants should end with the masters, and be productive of great evil to them both.
2. He deprecates it in the franltesty most pact-Jie, and most affectionate manner. “Let there be
no strife Ijetwcen me and thee, and between mj herdmcn and thy herdmen, for we are brethren” — yes, brethren not only in the flesh, but in the Lord.
3. He makes a most wise and generous proposal. ‘’The whole land is before us: separate thysclfj I pray thee, from me. If thou wilt go to the left hand, I will go to the right; or if thou wilt go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” As the elder man, Abram might have insisted upon the right of choosing his part of the country fust, especially as he was the principal, and Lot only accompanied him: he mio’ht have told him that if he was not con-Gen. 13.] ABRAM AND LOT. l53
tented to live with him, lie might go whither he would: hut thus did not Ahram. No, he would rather fore2:o his civil ris-hts than invade religious peace. What a number of bitter animosities in families, in churches, and I may say, in nations, might be prevented, if the parties could be brought to act towards one another in this open, pacific, disinterested and generous manner. There are cases in which it becomes necessary for very worthy and dear friends to separate: it M’cre better to part, than live together at variance. Many may be good neighbours who could not live happy in the same family. Abram and Lot could love and pray for one another when there was nothing to ruffle their feeiings: and Saul and Barnabas could both serve the cause of Christ, though unhappily, through a third person, they cannot act in close concert. In all such cases, if there be only an upright, pacific, and disinterested disposition, things will be so adjusted as to do no material injury to the cause of Christ. In many instances it may ‘serve to promote it. In a world where there is plenty of room to serve the Lord, and plenty of work to be done, if those who cannot continue together be disposed to improve their advantages, the issue may be such as shall cause the parties to unite in a song o
praise.
Y 2
164- ABRAM A?«rD LOT. [Dls. 20.
Ve? 10, ]]. But how does young Lot conduct himself on this occasion? He did not, nor could he object to the pacific and generous proposal that was made to him; nor did he choose Abram’s situation, which though lovely in the one to offer, would have been very unlovely in the other to have accepted; and I hope, though nothing is said of his making any reply, it was not from a spirit of sullen reserve. But in the choice he made, he appears to have regarded temporal advantages only, and entirely to have overlooked the danger of his situation with regard to religion. “He lifted up his eyes, and beheld a well- watered plain;” and on this he fixed his choice, though it led him to take up his abode in Sodom. He viewed it, as we should say, merely with a grazier’s eye. He had better have been in a wilderness than there. Yet many professors of religion, in choosing situations for themselves, and for their children, continue to follow his example. We shall perceive in the sequel: of the story, what kind of a harvest his well-watered plain produced him!
Ver. 12, 13. It is possible, after all, that his principal fault lay in pitching his tent in the place he did. If he could have lived on the plain, and preserved a suliicient distance from |:hat infamous place, there might have been no-Gen. 13.] abram and lot. 15,5
thing the matter: but perhaps he did not like to live alone, and therefore “dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent tozcard Sodom.’’^ The love of society, like all other natural principles, may prove a blessing or a curse: and vvc may see by this example, the danger of leaving religious connexions; for as man feels it not good to be alone, if he forego these, he will be in a manner impelled by his inclinations to take up with others of a contrary description. It is an awful character which is here given of Lot’s new neighbours. All men are sinners; but they were “wicked, and sinners before the Lord, exceedingly.” When Abram went to a new place, it was usual for him to rear an altar to the Lord: but there is no mention of any thing like this, when Lot settled in or near to Sodom. But to return to Abram — r
Ver. 14 — 17- From the call of this great man to the command to offer up his son, a period of about fifty years, he was often tried, and the promise was often renewed. It Mas the will of God that he should live by faith. Its being renewed at this time, seems to have been on occasion of Lot’s departure from hiu), and the disinterested spirit which he had manifested on that occasion. Lot had *’ lifted up his eyes, and beheld the plain of Jordan; “and being gone to take possession of it, God saith to Abram, “Lift up now thhie eyes, and look northward, and southward, and. eastward, and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.” Thus he who sought this world, lost it; and he who was willing to give up any thing for the honour of God and religion, found it.
Ver. 18. After this, Abram removed to “the plain of Mamre, which is Hebron,”- where he continued many years. It was here, a long time after, that Sarai died.*. It lay about two-and-twenty miles south of Jerusalem. This removal might possibly arise from a regard to Lot, that he might be nearer to him than he would have been at’ Bethel, though not so near as to interfere with his temporal concerns. Of this we are certain, he was able from a place whereabouts he lived, to descry the plains of Sodom; and when the city was destroyed, saw the smoke ascend like that of a furnace, f Here, as usual, Abram built an altar unto Jehovah.
* Gen. xxiii. ?. f Chan, xix. 28.