People (Gen. 12:11-13:4)

Once in Egypt, Abraham faced a new set of problems; for if you run away from one test, you will soon face another. Once you enroll in "the school of faith," you are not allowed to "drop out" just because of one failure. God has purposes to fulfill in you and through you, and He will do all that is necessary to make you succeed (Ps. 138:8; Phil. 1:6).

In Canaan, all Abraham had to deal with was a famine; but in Egypt, he had to get along with a proud ruler and his officers. Pharaoh was looked on as a god, but he was not a god like Abraham's God, loving and generous and faithful. Abraham soon discovered that he had been better off dealing with the circumstances in Canaan than with the people in Egypt. Notice the changes that took place in Abraham's life because he went down to Egypt.

To begin with, Abraham moved from trusting to scheming. Abraham had no altar in Egypt, and you don't find him calling on the Lord for guidance and help. When I was ministering in Youth for Christ International, my friend and fellow worker Pete Quist often reminded us, "Faith is living without scheming." When you stop trusting God's Word, you start leaning on man's wisdom; and this leads to trouble (Prov. 3:5-6; 1 Cor. 3:18-20). Abraham and Sarah brought this "half-truth" with them from Ur (Gen. 20:13), used it in Egypt and Gerar (Gen. 20), and then their son Isaac adopted it (Gen. 26). When you find yourself scheming in order to escape problems with people, beware; worse trouble is coming!

He also moved from confidence to fear. When you are in the place of God's choosing, you don't ever need to be afraid; for faith and fear cannot dwell in the same heart (Isa. 12:2; Mark 4:40). The fear of God is the fear that conquers every fear (Ps. 112; Isa. 8:13); but "the fear of man brings a snare" (Prov. 29:25, nkjv). God had repeatedly said "I will" to Abraham, but now Abraham was saying "They will" (Gen. 12:12, italics added). He took his eyes off the Lord and started looking at people.

A third change took place: He moved from "others" to self. He lied so that it might "be well with me for thy [Sarah's] sake" (v. 13). As the husband, Abraham should have thought first of his wife and not of himself (1 Peter 3:7; Eph. 5:25, 28-29). In fact, he should never have taken his wife there in the first place! A husband out of the will of God can bring untold trouble to his wife and family.

This leads to a fourth change: He moved from bringing blessing to bringing judgment. God called Abraham to be a blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:1-3); but because of Abraham's disobedience, judgment fell on Pharaoh and his household (v. 17). This also happened years later in Gerar (Gen. 20). If you want to be a blessing to others, then stay in the will of God. Jonah ran from God's will and caused a storm that almost sank the ship. Like Jonah, Abraham lost his testimony before unbelievers and had to face embarrassment and rebuke.

God graciously watched over His servant and brought him out of a difficult situation. If Sarah had become one of Pharaoh's wives, what would have happened to the promise of the Redeemer? When we don't let God rule, He overrules and accomplishes His purposes; but we pay dearly for our disobedience.

Abraham learned his lesson, repented, and "went up" out of Egypt (13:1). When you disobey the will of God, the only right thing to do is to go back to the place where you left Him and make a new beginning (1 John 1:9). No failure is permanent in "the school of faith." Abraham went back to his tent and altar and the life of a "pilgrim and stranger."

A casual observer of this episode might conclude, "What happened to Abraham wasn't all bad. Pharaoh gave Abraham a lot of wealth (Gen. 12:16; 13:2), and Sarah was given her own maid, Hagar (16:1). God forgave Abraham's sin, and he started over again. So, what's the big problem?"

The "big problem" is that everything Abraham received in Egypt later caused trouble. Because of their great wealth, Abraham and Lot could not live together and had to separate (13:5-6). Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant, brought division and sorrow into the home (Gen. 16). Having had a taste of Egypt (the world), Lot started measuring everything by what he saw there (13:10-11); and this led to his downfall and the ruin of his family. There are no benefits from disobedience.

The practical lesson from all of this is simply never abandon your altar. Stay in fellowship with the Lord no matter what the circumstances may be. If you have disobeyed and God is disciplining you, go back to the place where you left Him and make things right.

Remember: "The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings." That is not an excuse for sin, but it is an encouragement for repentance.

Things (Gen. 13:5-18)

I wonder how many family fights have been caused by the love of money. The newspapers often publish reports about families battling in court because of an inheritance or a lottery winning. People who used to love each other and enjoy each other start attacking each other just to get money, but money cannot buy the blessings that families freely give.

Abraham may have failed the first two tests, but he passed this third test with great success. The test was not an easy one, for it involved land and wealth; but Abraham is the example of what every believer should do when there are disputes about material things.

Abraham determined to be a peacemaker and not a troublemaker. The problem between Abraham and Lot was not caused by the land, the famine, their wealth (both of them were rich), or even their herdsmen (13:7). The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart. Lot's heart was centered on wealth and worldly achievement, while Abraham wanted only to please the Lord. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3)

It was bad enough that this dispute was between brethren (Gen. 13:8); but even worse, the heathen people of the land were watching and listening (v. 7). When Christians have disputes, it hurts the testimony of the Lord. In my pastoral ministry, I frequently visited the unsaved relatives and friends of church members, seeking to interest them in spiritual things, only to discover that they knew about every "church fight" in town. No wonder our Lord prayed that His people might be one, that the world might believe (John 17:20-23). Christian unity is fragrant and fruitful (Ps. 133), but disunity turns that fragrance into a stench and the garden into a desert.

James 3:13-4:10 explains why Lot was a troublemaker instead of a peacemaker: He had "heart trouble." He followed the wisdom of this world (as Uncle Abraham had done in Egypt) and not God's wisdom. He was at war with Abraham because he was at war with himself, and he was at war with himself because he was at war with God. The world's wisdom and the world's wealth seem so satisfying, but they ultimately bring disappointment.

Covetousness—an insatiable appetite for more things—leads to all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10). In order to get more money, people will lie (Prov. 21:6), mistreat people (22:16), cheat (28:8), and even trouble their own families (15:27). "Covetousness is both the beginning and the end of the devil's alphabet," wrote Robert South, "the first vice in corrupt nature that moves, and the last which dies."

Abraham had caused trouble in Egypt because he was out of place, and Lot caused trouble in Canaan because he was out of place: His heart was really in Egypt (Gen.13:10). According to 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:3, there are only three kinds of people in the world: the natural (unsaved), the carnal (saved but living for the world and the flesh), and the spiritual (devoted to God). You find all three in Genesis 13: the natural (v. 13), the carnal (Lot), and the spiritual (Abraham). Lot was a righteous man (2 Peter 2:7-8) but not devoted to the Lord. He could not walk with Abraham because Abraham was the friend of God (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8) and Lot was a friend of the world (James 4:4). Many church splits and family fights are caused by carnal Christians who are not walking with the Lord or with other believers.

Abraham lived for others, not for self. While in Egypt, Abraham thought first about himself (Gen. 12:12-13); but when he returned to his altar in Canaan, he put God first and others next. As the "elder statesman" of the camp, Abraham had every right to decide the issue and tell Lot what to do; but he gave Lot first choice. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another" (Rom. 12:10). The spiritual Christian does not insist on his or her own rights but gladly yields to others.

In his latter years, General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, was too infirm to attend the Army's world conference; but he would send the delegates a message. One year he cabled them only one word: OTHERS. I have been privileged to minister with the Salvation Army in different parts of the world, and I can testify that they take that word OTHERS very seriously. "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Phil. 2:4, niv).

Abraham lived by faith, not by sight. No matter what Lot did, Abraham was not worried about his future; for he knew that everything was in the hands of the Lord. Abraham had never read Psalm 47:4 or Matthew 6:33, but he was putting both into practice by faith. He had met God at the altar and he knew that everything was under control. When God is first in your life, it makes no difference who is second or last.

Lot had a tent but no altar (Gen. 13:5), which meant he did not call on the Lord for wisdom in making decisions (James 1:5). Instead of lifting up his eyes to heaven, Lot lifted up his eyes to the plain of Jordan (Gen. 13:10) and stopped there. The eyes see what the heart loves. Abraham had taken Lot out of Egypt, but he could not take Egypt out of Lot. Outlook helps to determine outcome. Abraham's eyes were on the holy city of God (Heb. 11:13-16), and he went on to walk with the Lord and inherit blessing. Lot's eyes were on the sinful cities of men, and he went on to worldly success, spiritual failure, and a shameful end.

Lot had a great opportunity to become a man of God as he walked with Abraham, but we don't read of Lot's building an altar or calling on the Lord. First, Lot looked toward Sodom (Gen. 13:10); then he moved toward Sodom (13:11-12); and finally, he moved into Sodom (14:12). Instead of being a pilgrim who made progress, Lot regressed into the world and away from God's blessing (Ps. 1:1). He "journeyed east" (Gen. 13:11) and turned his back on Bethel ("house of God") and toward Ai ("ruins"; see 12:8). The people in Sodom may not have appeared wicked to Lot, but they were wicked as far as God was concerned; and His evaluation is all that matters.

Abraham let God choose for him. After Lot had gone away, Abraham had another meeting with the Lord (13:14-18). Lot had lifted up his eyes and seen what the world had to offer; now God invited Abraham to lift up his eyes and see what heaven had to offer. Lot chose a piece of land which he finally lost, but God gave Abraham the whole land which still belongs to him and his descendants. Lot had said, "I will take." God said to Abraham, "I will give." What a contrast!

Lot lost his family, but Abraham was promised a family so large it could not be counted. (Remember, Abraham and Sarah were old and had no children.) Lot was living for the possible, but Abraham was trusting God for the impossible.

"Lift up your eyes and look" was followed by "Lift up your feet and walk" (see v. 17). Claim your inheritance by faith! (Josh. 1:1-3; Deut. 11:24) The discipline he experienced in going down to Egypt had taught Abraham to respect boundaries, so now God could trust him with horizons. It is your faith in God that determines how much of His blessing you will enjoy.

When you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, God gave you "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). You now have your inheritance! All you need do is appropriate that inheritance by faith and draw on "His riches in glory" (Phil. 4:19). The Word of God is the "will" that tells you how rich you are, and faith is the key that opens the vault so you can claim your inheritance.

Abraham gave thanks to God. Not only did Abraham lift up his eyes and look (Gen. 13:14) and lift up his feet and walk (v. 17), but he also lifted up his heart and worshiped God and thanked Him for His gracious blessing. He pitched his tent from place to place as God led him, and he built his altar of witness and worship. The people in Sodom were proud of their affluence (Ezek. 16:49), but Abraham had spiritual wealth that they knew nothing about (John 4:31-34). He was walking in fellowship with God, and his heart was satisfied.

Satan wants to use circumstances, people, and things to tempt you and bring out the worst in you; but God also wants to use them to test you and bring out the best in you. Abraham failed the first two tests because he resorted to faith in man's wisdom instead of faith in God's Word. But he passed the third test with great distinction because he let God take control. "And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith" (1 John 5:4, nkjv).