Genesis 13

Lot's Choice

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Genesis 13:12.

In any map of the world Great Britain seems very small, doesn't it? But we say to ourselves, “That is one of the most wonderful countries in the whole world.” A variety of things help to make it so. You know some of them. You hear about them at school. Well, Palestine is smaller; it is a mere strip. But if you look in your atlas you will see that it lies in a corner where Europe, Asia, and Africa all but touch each other. In olden times it formed a sort of highway between the powerful states on the north, and those whose center lay along the Nile. It has been called a bridge, on the east of which was a great sea of sand, and on the west a great sea of water. But, for its own inhabitants, Palestine could be a very isolated or lonely place. They might, if they chose, dwell entirely apart. There were no harbors on the west. On the north there were great mountain ranges; on the east and south the deserts. Such was the country of Canaan to which God led Abraham.

Abraham, and Lot his nephew, went down into it.

They first pitched their tents in Shechem, a spacious well-watered valley. It seemed just the sort of place that Abraham had longed for. There was one great tree there which was famous for centuries after. It was a tree something like our own English oak. Probably, however, there was no town called Shechem when Abraham arrived, so he could encamp on open unoccupied soil, and under the great oak he could rear an altar to Jehovah.

But some trouble with the people drove Abraham out of Shechem, so later he shifted his camp to the “Mount of Bethel.” It was in many respects a wonderful place. From it the whole land round about could be seen. It was a district too in which one might find prosperity and at the same time live a hardy, vigorous life.

We read that Abraham built another altar there and called again upon the name of the Lord. Both he and Lot had become rich men. They had flocks and herds so many indeed that their herdsmen, cramped for room, argued with each other. Abraham knew of the quarrels, and the thought of them disturbed him. “Let us have an end of this strife,” he said to Lot.

“Why should we or our herdsmen argue? We are brethren. Let us separate. Look round about. If you take the left hand, I will take the right, and if you depart to the right hand, I will go to the left.” It was a simple and beautiful way of ending a an argument.

As he listened to Abraham, Lot looked down on the green valley of the Jordan. It was almost tropical in the luxuriousness of its vegetation; and there were fine cities in the valley as well. He had often heard of them, more particularly of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their inhabitants were said to be very advanced in learning, and also to have invented all sorts of pleasures for themselves. Lot felt he would like to live in one of those cities, and pitch his camp near at hand. So he chose the rich soil, and the chance of an easy and thoughtless life. Selfish, wasn't it? He should have deferred to his uncle, and said, “You are the older, make you the choice.” But he didn't.

The great Napoleon was a very selfish man. “After all,” he said to someone who was with him in his banishment, “I care only for people who are useful to me, and only so long as they are useful.” His followers knew it. One of them confided to another, “The Emperor cares only for those from whom he expects some service; he is what he is; we cannot change his character. It is because of that character that he has no friends, and has so many enemies, and indeed that we are at St. Helena.” Punishment had come to him at last; for when he wanted real friends he found only courtiers.

Lot “moved his tent as far as Sodom”; so says the story. In doing it, he thought only of himself. He forgot about his wife, and what was even worse, he forgot about his two girls. He forgot that he was taking them to live in a wicked place.

So although Lot is spoken of as a “righteous” man, his selfishness and forgetfulness of those nearest and dearest to him will be told against him as long as the world lasts.

How refreshing it is to go back to the thought of Abraham away up among the hills! Better than the enjoyment of these, he had God's blessing, and the promise. “Lift up now thine eyes,” God said.... “All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever” There was a “for ever” in the promise. There comes a time when two ways lie before us the mountain path of giving up, with God, and the level path of ease. Lot chose the latter, and the story of his life darkens towards its close. If we choose as Abraham did, we shall have God as our Friend, and what is more, if we trust Him we shall have that friendship for ever and ever.