Genesis 13:1-18 - The Eternally Promised Land

Genesis 13:1-18

Abram Inherits Canaan

1 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 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, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. 6 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. 7 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.

8 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. 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.”

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. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 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. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.

14 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; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”

18 Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.

The eternally promised land was shown to Abram after he had worshiped and called on the name of the LORD at Bethel on the return trip with his nephew Lot.  They brought all their possessions obtained in Egypt with them as they came to the place where Abram had pitched his tent (Genesis 12:8-9) and first called on the LORD in Bethel, named the House of the LORD because of his dream of the stairway to heaven.  When they looked around, Abram and Lot realized they had far too many animals and people to settle in the same place, so Abram gave Lot the choice of where to settle.  He chose the fertile plain of the Jordan River, but one which held hidden evil of immortal sodomites in place sight there.  These “exceedingly wicked and sinful” men who were opposed to God and who would find God’s judgment on their abominable behavior later.  Lot pitched his tent near them without considering the consequences, however.  As for Abram, he listened to God who told him the promise of the land for eternity granted to him and his descendants as the LORD pointed it out to him.  As he looked around as far as he could see in all directions, he heard the promise to multiply him as the innumerable dust of the earth covering that land.  He told Abram to walk through that land to see and feel the reality of the promise for himself as God’s gift of grace.  Abram obeyed and pitched his tent near Mamre in Hebron.  Then he built another altar to the LORD to worship in thankfulness for the promise and for God’s faithfulness in bringing him out of Egypt and his deceit there to rely on an honest appreciation of God’s provision by faith instead of his own efforts.  Do we rely on the Lord in worship for the promises of the kingdom or do we attempt to earn them on our own terms instead of according to His word by faith?  May we learn that the Lord is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:3) who promises and wait (Psalm 27:14) on Him for the eternal heavenly country (Hebrews 11:16, 40) to come.