Sermon
#1417 Miscellaneous
Notes
Title: The Strife
Between Abraham and Lot
Text: Genesis 13:1-18
Reading: Psalm
1:1-6 Ephesians 4:1-7, 17-5:2
Subject: The Evil Of Strife
Between Believers
Date: Sunday Morning – August 20, 2000
Tape # V-97b
Introduction:
·
(Genesis 13:1-13) "And
Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with
him, into the south. (2) And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and
in gold. (3) And he went on his
journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been
at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
(4) Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and
there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
(5) And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. (6) And the land was not able to bear
them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that
they could not dwell together. (7) And
there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of
Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. (8) And Abram said unto Lot, Let there
be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy
herdmen; for we be brethren. (9) Is not the whole land before thee?
separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou
wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I
will go to the left. (10) And Lot
lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the
LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as
the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. (11) Then Lot chose him all the plain
of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from
the other. (12) Abram dwelled in the
land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (13) But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD
exceedingly."
The passage of Scripture we have just read records one of
the saddest, most troubling, most distressing, most shameful experiences in the
lives of God’s people in this world. This chapter describes strife between
Abraham and Lot, a strife which led to separation, and a separation which led
to even greater sorrow.
·
It was a strife between members of the same family. Abraham was Lot’s
Uncle.
·
It was a strife between brethren, strife between two men who had
enjoyed the closest possible spiritual communion and fellowship. Abraham was
Lot’s spiritual father. He was the instrument by whom Lot had learned the
gospel.
·
And it was strife in the church of God. The whole church of God in the
world at this time was the family of Abraham. And Lot was a member of that
blessed family.
Domestic trials, family quarrels, and
strife in the house of God are not easy to bear. We would all prefer to
pass through this world without trouble. And, if we must have trouble, we would
prefer to have it anywhere than at home. Jacob would have preferred not to
endure the trial he had with the loss of Joseph. David would have preferred to
avoid the trials he had to endure from Michael, Amnon, and Absalom. And Abraham
would have much preferred to live out his days with Lot’s constant
companionship. But it must not be. God’s people all “must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” And
much of that tribulation will come from our own homes.
Why is this? Why do believers
have to endure domestic trials, particularly strifes, and quarrels, and
divisions in our homes and in our churches? Basically, I think, there are three reasons.
First, our faith must be tried in all directions. Just as silver and gold
must be tried by the fire, not to destroy it, but to separate the precious
metal from the dross, just as the diamond must be cut to shape it into a
valuable gem, our trials are intended by God to purify our hearts and mold us
into the image of his dear Son.
Second, our trials are designed to make us long for heaven. When God permits strife to
rise between believers, especially of the same family, it is to teach us that
this world of sin, strife, and sorrow is not our home.
Third, these painful, shameful domestic troubles are
permitted by God, they are brought to pass by the wise, unerring providence of
our heavenly Father, that we may learn by them, that we may learn
patience, forbearance, and kindness toward one another.
You
have probably already guessed that my message today is going to be downright
plain, dealing with problems right where we live. I have a message that God has
used to reprove and instruct my own heart. I hope it will help you.
God
permitted the strife between Abraham and Lot to arise, come to a head, and
erupt in permanent separation, shameful as it was, and recorded for us in the
Holy Scriptures, so that we might learn from their mistakes.
Proposition: Strife between brethren is
always shameful, bringing reproach upon the gospel we believe and upon the God
we serve.
Abraham and Lot were both saved men. Both
were chosen of God. Both were redeemed by the blood of Christ. Both were called
by the Spirit. Both believed God. Both were righteous before God, made
righteous by having the righteousness of God in Christ imputed to them. Both
are seated together now before the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Divisions: I want you to see four
things in this sad incident in the lives of Abraham and Lot.
1. The Shamefulness Of Their
Quarrel.
2. The Exemplary Conduct Of
Abraham.
3. The Lamentable Choice Of
Lot.
4. The Costliness Of Lot’s
Choice.
I. The Shamefulness Of Their
Quarrel (v.
7).
·
(Genesis 13:7) "And there
was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's
cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land."
Let me give you a little background. You will remember that
the God of glory appeared unto Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia.
·
God chose Abraham.
·
God called Abraham.
·
God made a covenant with Abraham
(Gen. 12:1-3).
I do
not know how much Abraham knew. But when he was 75 years old, God promised to
send his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this world through the loins of
Abraham (Gal. 3:13-16). And Abraham believed God. And his faith was imputed to
him for righteousness (Rom. 4:3, 13).
Believing God, after the
death of Terah, his father, Abraham left Haran, came into Canaan, and pitched
his tent at Bethel. There he built an altar and called upon the name of the
Lord. Bethel was “the house of God” to Abraham. But he left Bethel, because of
the famine that arose in the land. He went down into Egypt for a while. But
now, Abraham has returned from Egypt with his wife Sarah, all his possessions,
all his servants, and with Lot. They all came back to Bethel. That is where
Genesis 13 begins.
When
he got back to Bethel, I am sure Abraham must have thought, “Now my trials and
troubles are all over. I am back in the place of God. It will be smooth sailing
from now on.” About the time he got settled, just as he had begun to gather his
family for worship again at Bethel, strife broke out between his servants and
the servants of Lot. This strife between Abraham and Lot was a very shameful,
needless thing. You see…
A. Abraham and Lot were both blessed of God with great
wealth.
They had as much of this worlds goods as they
could possibly need (vv. 2, 6). If one or the other of them had been poor and
needy we might understand jealousy and strife between them. But both of these
men were filthy rich.
·
(Genesis 13:2) "And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and
in gold."
·
(Genesis 13:6) "And the
land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their
substance was great, so that they could not dwell together."
Let
me tell you a little something about these riches. The word translated “rich”
in verse two has many shades of meaning. It means “rich,” as our translation
indicates. It also means “”honorable.” And it might be translated “heavy”. You
see riches are a burden. And those who seek to be rich load themselves with
thick clay (Hab. 2:6).
Riches are a heavy burden -
“There is a burden of care in getting them, fear in keeping them, temptation in
using them, quilt in abusing them, sorrow in losing them, and a burden of
account, at last, to be given up concerning them” (Matthew Henry).
1.
Riches may be a great
blessing of God’s providence.
Abraham was a man rich in faith and rich in
this worlds goods. If well-managed, earthly wealth is a friend to faith. It
furnishes men with the opportunity to do much good.
2.
But very few men can be both
wealthy and useful.
I have been around long enough to have seen a good many men make
advancement in the world. But I have seen very few make advancement both in
riches and in grace. They all think, “If I had just a little more, look what I
could do for the cause of Christ.” But, usually, the more they get…
·
The less they give.
·
The less they attend the worship of God.
·
The less they do for Christ, his people, and the furtherance of the
gospel.
How
wise is that man who has learned to pray - “Give
me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be
full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and
take the name of my God in vain” (Pro. 30:8-9).
I
warn you once more, my friends, “Beware
of covetousness!” Beware of “the
deceitfulness of riches!” All of Lot’s woes began when his herds and his
gold began to increase!
B. This was a shameful quarrel because Abraham and Lot
were brothers and friends (v. 8).
·
(Genesis 13:8) "And Abram
said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and
between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be
brethren."
They
were physically related. Lot was Abraham’s nephew. But, more importantly, they
were spiritual brethren. Abraham was Lot’s spiritual father. When he left his
father’s house, Abraham told Lot what God had revealed to him and urged Lot to
join him. They had walked together for years in the pursuit of God’s glory. But
now they had a falling out. They were both chosen of God and called. They were
both believers. They were both heirs of eternal life. But they fell into
strife. There is something peculiarly sinful about strife between believers.
1.
Lot owed Abraham everything,
both materially and spiritually.
He knew nothing, but what
Abraham taught him. He had nothing, but what Abraham gave him. And he had for
years followed Abraham as Abraham followed God. But now he is willing to part
company for a little more property!
·
At one time, the Galatians were willing to pluck out their eyes and
give them to Paul. But in time, they turned against him.
·
Paul and Barnabas labored together for the cause of Christ. Then, they
fell out over Mark! Strife between brethren is a reproach!
2. And strife between brethren is always petty!
Brethren do not fall out
over the gospel. If the gospel is at stake, somebody has to fall out. But
brethren quarrel about petty things, things that really amount to nothing but
pride! What can be more shameful?
C. And this strife was shameful because It gave the
enemies of God occasion to blaspheme.
“The Canaanite
and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land” (v. 7). The Spirit of God here shows the
great shame of this strife between Abraham and Lot - The heathen observed it!
1. They had seen Abraham and
Lot worshipping at the same altar.
2. Now they saw them fighting
over water and grazing rights!
Do you see the shamefulness
of this quarrel?
II. The Exemplary Conduct of
Abraham (vv. 8-9).
·
(Genesis 13:8-9) "And Abram
said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and
between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be
brethren. (9) Is not the whole
land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I
will go to the right; or if thou depart to
the right hand, then I will go to the left."
Abraham
had his faults. I do not suggest that he was a perfect man. We saw his weakness
in chapter 12, when he was in Egypt. But in this strife, it was Abraham who
moved to put it to an end. And his conduct throughout the matter exemplified
what believers ought to do in such matters.
A. Abraham’s behavior was conciliatory.
He was a man of peace. It was in his heart,
as much as possible, to live peaceably with all men, especially with those who
believe. He knew the value and blessedness of peace. Abraham knew that “the beginning of strife is as when one letteth
out water.” Once it begins, it is almost impossible to stop. He had learned
to “therefore leave off contention,
before it be meddled with” (Pro. 17:14). Abraham took the initiative (v.
8).
May
God give us grace to see that peace between us and our brethren is more
valuable than our own will.
·
The glory of God is at stake.
·
The gospel is at stake.
·
The souls of men are at stake.
·
Friendship is at stake.
B. Abraham condescended to Lot’s pleasure.
1.
Lot should have yielded to
Abraham.
·
God had given the land to Abraham. It was all his.
·
Abraham was the older.
·
Abraham was richer and stronger.
·
Lot owed everything to Abraham.
·
Abraham was God’s spokesman.
·
But Lot was a petty, little man, obstinate, and self-willed.
1.
Therefore Abraham yielded to
Lot!
He was generous,
magnanimous, even to his own hurt. Worldlings, looking at Abraham, would say,
“You fool!” But Abraham sought the glory of God.
·
He turned the other cheek (Matt. 5:39).
·
He took the wrong, and allowed himself to be defrauded (1 Cor. 6:7).
·
He made himself servant to Lot (1 Cor. 9:19; Matt. 20:26-28).
·
Why? He did it for two reasons: (1.) To keep Lot’s friendship, and (2.)
For the honor of God.
3. This is Christianity!
Christianity is more than
doctrines, and creeds, and ordinances. Christianity is Christ in you. And if
Christ is in you, he will stick out in your life!
Illustration: Hubert Montgomery and the Cow
Todd Nibert - St. Joseph Hospital
Earnest and Leroy - The price of a
Lawnmower!
C. Abraham was generous.
He waved his rights and cheerfully gave Lot
whatever he wanted. It does not appear that he was even slightly troubled by
the fact that Lot took the best for himself. In fact, it seems that Abraham
wanted Lot to have the best. Why? How could he behave this way?
1. Abraham believed God.
2. Abraham loved Lot.
3. Abraham was dead to this
world!
Do
you see how honorable and exemplary Abraham’s conduct was?
III. The Lamentable Choice of
Lot (vv. 10-13).
·
(Genesis 13:10-13) "And Lot
lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the
LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as
the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. (11) Then Lot chose him all the plain
of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from
the other. (12) Abram dwelled in the
land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (13) But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD
exceedingly."
Abraham and Lot were standing on one of the high mountains
of Canaan, perhaps Mt. Hebron. Looking to the east, Lot beheld all the
well-watered, fertile plains of Sodom and the rich hills of Moab. It reminded
him of the garden of Eden, which he had heard Abraham describe. And he chose
that to be his portion.
·
He left the tents of Abraham for the tents of Sodom.
·
He left the altar of Abraham for the hills of Moab.
·
He left the worship of Bethel for the riches of the plain.
·
He saw. He coveted. And he took.
Without regard for anything
spiritual, his own soul, or the glory of God, Lot chose the rich plains of
Sodom. His choice was sad. It tells us much about Lot. He had too much love for
this world. And he had too little concern for his own soul, and the souls of
those who were under his influence
·
There was no prophet in Sodom -- only riches.
·
There was no altar in Sodom -- only land.
·
There was no believers in Sodom -- only worldlings.
·
From the moment that Lot made his choice, he began to decline.
He
did not go directly into Sodom. But step by step, he hardened his heart and
seared his conscience, until he convinced himself that the best thing he could
do for himself, his family, and his servants was to move into Sodom.
A. He lifted up his eyes and
beheld the land.
B. He chose the plains of
Sodom.
C. He separated himself from
Abraham.
D. He dwelt in the cities of
the plains.
E. He pitched his tent toward
Sodom.
F. He dwelt in Sodom.
G. He was elected to the city
council in Sodom!
Do
you see how lamentable Lot’s choice was?
IV. The costliness of Lot’s
choice
I will be very brief. But I must tell you
that Lot’s choice, in the end cost him everything he cherished, except his own
soul.
A. He lost all influence for
God with his family, servants, and neighbors.
B. He lost all spiritual
communion, fellowship, and instruction.
C. He lost his daughters,
sons-in-laws, and grandchildren to the Sodomites.
D. He lost all his earthly
possessions.
E. He lost his wife.
F. He lost his last two
daughters in his drunken incest.
G. He lost everything but his
soul.
Abraham lost nothing (vv. 14-18)!
·
(Genesis 13:14-18) "And the
LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine
eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and
eastward, and westward: (15) For all
the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (16) And I will make thy seed as the
dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. (17) Arise, walk through the land in
the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. (18) Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the
plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron,
and built there an altar unto the LORD."
Application:
1. Children of God, “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace.” Avoid strife with one another at all costs.
2. “Love not the world!”
3. In all your earthly
decisions, do not neglect the welfare of your soul - Business - Marriage, etc.
Do right, walk with God, and live in peace!
4. And know this - “Salvation is of the Lord!” Lot was
saved by…
·
Sovereign Election!
·
Blood Atonement!
·
Imputed Righteousness!
·
Infallible Grace!