February 15, 2009

• Genesis 13 Abraham, Hebrews 11 by Pastor Don

  Wow, has it been some time since I’ve updated, I think I needed a bit of a Xanga break.  I have been doing some fun studies in the Word and God has helped me to understand a tough passage of scripture for me.  I am continuing Pastor Don’s Friday Bible study notes, see previous posts part 1 here and part 2 here.

  Genesis 13:1 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South.

  Up from Egypt to the south.  The drought was on and off, but Abraham is now going back to where God sent Him in the first place.  We need to return to where God wants us to be if we have strayed off course.

  Genesis 13:2-4 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,  to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

  If you lose where you should be, go back to where you were before you lost it.  Some leave and never turn back to Him.  Go back to the point where God corrected you.  We need to humble ourselves and go back to that point of correction.  God cannot advance you until you fix what God wants us to do.  It takes us awhile to get to the truth of this, so that we can see the fruit. As we stay with this spiritual fight, and as we face these truths we can more easily work through the bad stuff.

  Genesis 13:5-8 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.  And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.  So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.

  No strife between Lot and Abraham, but there would not have been strife if Abraham had totally obeyed God, for Lot would not have come with Abraham and his family.  The enemy loves to make strife in the camp.  What is the solution.

  Genesis 13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”

  Abraham let Lot pick the first of the land, and Abraham trusted that God would take care of Abraham and His family.  Lot picked by sight, Abraham by faith.

  Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.

  Don’t forget that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because while it was outwardly beautiful and pleasant, there was sin in that area.

  Genesis 13:11-12  Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.

  Abraham learned His lesson, don’t go where God did not send you.  Lot was younger and less experienced, and he did not know that bad company (Sodom & Gomorrah) corrupts good morals.

  Genesis 13:13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.

  Don’t make the mistake Lot made.  So often young people leave the church thinking that they can handle bad company, and thinking that they won’t be caught by the wiles of the World.  You have to be careful of your company.  You need to pick more people of better character than yourself, so that you model yourself after them.

  Genesis 13:14-15 And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants^Godfather56