Learning From the Old Testament Greats: Abraham – The Father of FaithSampel

Day 2: Abraham and Lot  

Thoughts on the Passage

Abraham separates one more time, this time from Lot who came with him to Canaan. They were just too big together and needed more space between them. Abraham is the one who is oldest and has the right to choose, but his choice is to let Lot choose first. Lot chooses the best land – a place like heaven on earth. Abraham gets the rest. 

 God makes a different decision. He says to Abraham “it is all yours!” Remember that when someone takes advantage of you.

Lot chooses a location which looks wonderful, but it is filled with people who are very wicked. He goes to that area and moves right into the location of the wicked people. Sodom is known for its wicked behaviour. Lot chooses to live right there with them. We will see later that it has serious consequences. 

God tells Abraham to walk through the land – it is his, get to know it. So Abraham sets up his tent in a location in the mountains and uses that as his base for work. It is a place where he must dig the wells; it is a place where work has to be done to make it a home. Abraham does that. 

It is a place where God speaks to Abraham. Abraham sets up another altar. He makes it a place dedicated to God and we will see God meet with Abraham there. In the end, God meeting with Abraham there is what truly makes this place heaven on earth.

Application to our Lives

Does the presence of God define where heaven on earth is for me? Do I look at the physical world to define God’s presence or does a place where I meet Him define it?

When someone else takes the best and forces me to take things that are the “leftovers”, what is my reaction? Let God decide what is really mine not other people.

Time to Pray

Father, Lot went where it looked like the garden of Eden, a place of tremendous beauty. Abraham went where it was not nearly as nice. Yet Abraham was where heaven came down to earth. I want to be where You are. I want to be able to pray and be where heaven is going to respond to my prayers. It may be a place that others reject. It may require a lot of work to make a living. It may be a barren place physically. Still, when I call to You and You answer me, that is worth everything. Keep me contented in these places. In Jesus name, Amen.