Abram 3 – No hangers on
I want to continue with our man Abram and his search for God but in this blog I want to focus on a little statement that we find in Genesis 12:4 and Genesis 13:1 “And Lot went with him”.
I find this little statement quite challenging because in our search for God there can be “no hangers on”. The search for God is always personal and can only be realised individually, yes there is a sense and reality that our journey will involve interaction with, and challenge from others but ultimately our search for God is personal. Working out our salvation through life will be individual with the added encouragement of the communal.
So back to this little phrase “And Lot went with him”. This phrase seems to imply that Lot was not really searching for “a city which had foundation, whose builder and maker was God” but went along because Uncle Abram thought it would be good to search for God. It would appear that Lot did not have the same kind of conviction that his Uncle Abram had.
What do we know about Lot?
We know that Lot was Abram’s nephew, he was the son of Abram’s brother Haran who had died when Lot was young. We read in Genesis 12:28 that Haran had died “before his father Terah in his native land of Ur.” In this situation and at this juncture in history it would be quite logical for Abram to take Lot under his wing and care for him as a son.
We can assume, but not be certain, that Lot travelled with Abram to Egypt and back because the next time we read about Lot is in Genesis 13:5 which reads that “Lot who was traveling with Abram had also become very wealthy.” It does appear that it is possible to travel on a calling given to someone else and to also benefit and receive blessing from an almighty and gracious God as a result, but there comes the time when we will be required by God to seek and then stand on our own calling. In our story we read that Abram says that “the land cannot sustain both” Genesis 13:6.
I want you to notice at this point that the text records that a dispute broke out amongst the herdsman of Lot and Abram.
The conflict always starts among those who feel they are not being fairly treated or their point of view is not listened too, it is at times like this that we need Godly leadership and Godly wisdom.
In Genesis 13:8 it becomes apparent where this Godly leadership is, it is with the one who had first experienced the call “leave your county and go to a land I will show you”. It was to the man who was searching for higher things, to the man who was looking for a city with foundation, where the builder and maker was God.
What I want you to notice is what Abram says to Lot in Genesis 13:8-9. First he says “do not let conflict come between us” and then he gives Lot the choice of the land before them both and we see that Lot chooses the fertile planes of the Jordan Valley to the east, remember anywhere east of where you are is not in God’s plan (see abram-a-restless-spirit).
So Lot chose and removed himself to a place that looked good, looked inviting but proved to be a snare and ultimately he lost everything including his wife and dignity.
Abram, on the other hand, by default, went into a more rugged landscape, obviously less appealing, but rested on the promise of a God who had called him to Himself, had rescued him from destruction in Egypt and who he had found to be utterly faithful.
Always in life, especially the Christian life, we need to rest in the everlasting promises of an Almighty God, “knowing that He works all things together for good to those who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.
God wants people who heed the call, people who are prepared to trust Him and take Him at His word. God will tolerate and bless “hangers on” but will always bring them to a place where they have to choose life in Him or separation to the east and certain destruction. It is never too late to choose life.
Don’t settle for just being a “hanger on” be determined like Abram to seek for a city that has foundation whose builder and maker is God.
// Required code