A New Egypt: Genesis 13:8-13
Those who seek the Lord’s ways may stumble in sin, but they know the importance of returning to the Lord. God doesn’t expect perfection from us because He knows we cannot deliver it. God does expect repentance. He expects our heart to follow Him and He expects us to correct our heart when we turn aside and pursue our sinful desires. He expects us to not look back longingly into our sin.
How can we tell Abram has returned to living by faith instead of living by fear? When trouble comes between Lot’s herdsmen and Abram’s herdsmen, Abram acts. He cuts the source of the strife off at its root. Abram goes to Lot and resolves the problem.
Abram could have tried to avoid the problem. Abram could have joined the problem and made matters worse. Instead, Abram goes to Lot and does the mature thing. Abram sits down with Lot and has a mature conversation about how to get along.
Unfortunately, the solution they arrive at is a solution of division. Abram gives Lot the freedom to pick the land he wants to settle in and promises to settle in whichever land Lot doesn’t pick. It’s a mature solution, but it is a solution of division. Abram’s wealth and Lot’s wealth cause division.
Wealth frequently causes division. In our culture we talk about the “haves” and the “have nots.” Those who have are frequently the subject of the greed and jealousy of others. Those who have often live in places unaffordable by those who do not have. Those who do not have occasionally resort to begging or stealing from those who have. Wealth easily causes division.
As Lot chooses which way he wants to go, the Bible gives a glimpse into his thought process. Lot looks upon the Jordan Valley and sees a resemblance to Egypt. When Abram took Lot to Egypt to avoid the famine, Lot learned to like the lifestyle. Once more the effects of Abram’s sin rear their ugly head. Lot makes decisions in his life based on his desire to live as they did in Egypt rather than seeking the Lord.
Lot may have followed Abram back to Canaan, but his heart still seems to be in Egypt. This is often the case when our hearts get a taste of the world. The temptations the world offers us are plentiful. By their nature, they are tempting to us. Our hearts desire the immediate satisfaction they bring. Our hearts long for the initial moments of pleasure. The more we learn to crave the temptations of the world, the stronger their lure.
Alternately, Abram returned to Canaan to return to the ways of the Lord. Although Abram kept the wealth he gained in Egypt, he never looked back to Egypt. Those who seek the Lord’s ways may stumble in sin, but they know the importance of returning to the Lord.
