Separation of Abram and Lot – Genesis 13

Wikipedia describes a nomad as “a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pastoral tribes slowly decreased, reaching an estimated 30–40 million nomads in the world as of 1995. Pastoralists raise herds of domesticated livestock, driving or accompanying them in patterns that normally avoid depleting pastures beyond their ability to recover. Nomadism is also a lifestyle adapted to infertile regions such as steppe, tundra, or ice and sand, where mobility is the most efficient strategy for exploiting scarce resources.” That exactly describes the life of Abram in Canaan.  But his wandering had another purpose in Yahweh’s mind.

[1] So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

[2] Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. [3] And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, [4] to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD. [5] And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, [6] so that the land could not support both of them dwelling 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. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.

[8] Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. [9] Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” [10] And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) [11] So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. [12] Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. [13] Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.

[14] The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, [15] for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. [16] I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. [17] Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” [18] So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD. (Genesis 13, ESV)

Abram had failed to trust Yahweh, leaving the land of Canaan for Egypt during a famine, and lying to the Pharaoh about his wife, Sarai, and despite this came back from Egypt even more wealthy.  Returning to the altar he had built between Bethel and Ai, Abram may, we suppose, confessed his lack of faith and worshiped Yahweh there.

Moving about from pastureland to pastureland, Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen run into conflict over the limited resources.  Here is another opportunity to give witness to Yahweh, this time to the Canaanites and Perizzites.  Abram trusts Yahweh and loves Lot, and gives Lot first choice of where he wants to pasture his herds.  Lot, like Eve, sees the garden of Eden like conditions of the Jordan Valley, and though he knows that the men of Sodom were wicked sinners, he chooses that area to graze his herds.  He has moved outside the promised land.

Abram then hears from Yahweh with a restatement of the promise to make this land Abram’s, and to make Abram’s offspring large in number.  Yahweh commands Abram to walk the land as an acknowledgement that it is being given by Yahweh to Abram and his offspring.  Abram then settles by the oaks of Mamre.  Mamre was an ally of Abram who lived in the area of Hebron.  Abram builds an altar there and once again worships Yahweh.

The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the Old Testament argues that this restatement of God’s covenant with Abram should be compared with ancient land grants: “In the ancient Near East, ruling elites commonly made land grants to their faithful vassals. This phenomenon is attested from the mid-second millennium through the mid-first millennium. Weinfeld points out that while the form of treaties and land grants overlap considerably, the important difference is that the treaty is a document that imposes obligation on the vassal, while the royal grant represents an obligation of the suzerain.”

God is taking responsibility for making this promise happen.  This is not to say that Abram does not have responsibility to live faithfully before Yahweh, as we will see.