The Promised Land
Notes
Transcript
Handout
text: Genesis 13:5-18.
5 Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.
6 But the land was unable to support both of them while they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they were unable to coexist.
7 And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers.
9 Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”
10 And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
11 So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And Abram and Lot parted company.
12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.
14 After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west,
15 for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.
16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.
17 Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.”
18 So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the Oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.
PRAY
Introduction
Life is full of choices. Some decisions seem small, while others shape our future.
I can think of a small decision I made many years ago that has had an enormous impact on my life even until today.
At the Christian school I attended down in SC, I was preparing to enter 9th grade. Until that point, most if not all of my classes were chosen for me, but now I enjoyed the freedom of choosing an elective - an additional class beyond the basic curriculum that I would take. I had multiple language classes to choose from, musical opportunities, and many other classes to choose from.
I had settled on German. I don’t remember why, but I thought I would enjoy studying that language. But as I talked with my parents about it, my dad suggested to me that I should take Spanish instead, because I would be able to use it more, especially in ministry. Even by that point, I think my parents sensed God’s call on my life.
So I had to choose. Do I take the class that I want to, or do I follow my dad’s advice? I chose to listen to my dad, and I’m so glad I did. I had no idea at the time how significant that choice was. I would not be here today apart from that choice.
I ended up taking the Spanish class and excelled at it. I took all 3 years of high school Spanish and won the Spanish award my Senior year.
After a year or two of Spanish, I started getting involved in a Spanish church in our area.
I started taking mission trips to Spanish speaking countries, including Peru, Mexico, and Ecuador.
During my first trip to Peru in 2005, I sensed God’s call into Spanish speaking missions and I began to pursue that call.
I minored in Spanish in college and continued taking mission trips to Spanish speaking countries.
Many of my closest friends during college and grad school were Spanish speakers, especially from Mexico.
Following my master’s degree, I served for a year at a small Bible college in Puerto Rico.
And it was because of my interest and involvement in Spanish-speaking mission work that Sarah first sent me a message a little over 10 years ago on a missions website.
That led to the beginning of our relationship and then our marriage a year later. Then we took a survey trip to Mexico, joined a mission board, raised support, and went to Mexico for 4 years. And there God blessed us with the first two of our four children.
And after God led us to return, we settled again in this area where Sarah grew up in order to be near family.
So I’m here today preaching to you today because of that one small choice. I’m married to Sarah and we have 4 children because of that one small choice. Though it seemed insignificant at the time, that one choice has shaped the course of my life. I’m so glad I listened to my dad.
In our passage today, Abram and Lot are faced with some choices. And the choices they make here have massive consequences later in their lives. We won’t get into all the details today, but in the coming weeks in Genesis we’ll see how the choices Abram and Lot make in this story will greatly affect their lives down the road. The choices before them are these:
First, how are they going to respond to the conflict that arises?
Second, how are they going to respond to God and His promises?
The essence of the choice before both of them is this: Am I going to walk by faith or by sight? Am I going to live in love toward God and others, or am I going to be selfish and trust myself?
We see that Abram chose to live by faith, while Lot chose to live by sight.
Faith Values People more than Earthly Benefits
Faith Values People more than Earthly Benefits
(v. 5-11)
In v. 5-11, we see how a situation of conflict serves to display what is in the hearts of Abram and Lot. In the case of Abram, the conflict reveals faith and love, and in the case of Lot, the conflict reveals selfishness and pride.
In our case also, conflict provides an opportunity for us to respond either in faith or self-confidence, either in selfishness or love. Conflict is a test of whether we are walking by faith or by sight.
And in this passage we see that Abram is an example of walking by faith, while Lot is an example of walking by sight.
The Context of the Conflict: God’s Blessing (v. 5-6; 2)
5 Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.
6 But the land was unable to support both of them while they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they were unable to coexist.
2 And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold.
God had blessed both Abram and Lot with many material possessions.
This reminds us of the truth that wealth and possessions ultimately come from God. Proverbs 22:2 tells us that “The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is Maker of them all.” And Proverbs 10:22 affirms that it is “The blessing of the LORD [that] enriches.”
It is God’s right and God’s choice when to bestow wealth and riches and when to withhold them. It is also true that, humanly speaking, not all wealth is accumulated in honest and upright ways. But even then, it is still under the sovereign hand of God who directs all things according to the counsel of His will.
In our own day, there is an evil attitude (especially on the political left, but it is pervasive) that looks down on the rich and hopes for or even seeks their downfall simply for being wealthy, as if having riches and possessions is inherently evil. This idea comes from the godless ideology of Marxism which has invaded our educational system and is constantly pushed by cultural influencers, Hollywood, and the media. These are the ideas our children will hear if they attend public schools and if we consume Hollywood movies and news media. So we must be vigilant to combat this false ideology with Scripture.
Although wealth can be used in wrong ways, it is not inherently sinful or evil, and those who are rich are not inherently evil oppressors of those who are not. God is the one who sovereignly disposes wealth to some and not to others, and so when we complain about it or act in jealousy or greed toward those who have more than us, we are sinning against God.
God is the one who had blessed both Abram and Lot here with many possessions.
And up until this point, they had been traveling together (13:1, 5) and staying in the same area near each other (v. 6)
But now, as a result of God’s blessing on them, there was not enough space or provision from the land for them to continue living near each other.
The Conflict (v. 7)
7 And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.
The word translated “discord” here means strife, dispute, or quarrel. It is a conflict that involves arguing and hostile words toward one another. If you’ve ever been on social media, you’ve observed this there. You don’t have to scroll very far before you find people arguing and exchanging harsh and unkind words about any number of different topics.
In situations like this, very little if any good comes from these heated exchanges. That’s because people are being controlled by their emotions (especially anger) and they’re not thinking properly. James tells us that we “should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20).
But all too often, like these herdsmen here, we are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to anger.
And so in our conflict there is often a need for a mediator - someone to come between and bring resolution and peace. And thankfully, that’s just what Abram did.
But consider for a moment what might have happened if he didn’t.
One wrong way that we handle conflict is to ignore it and hope that it just gets better on its own. I don’t know about you, but this is something I struggle with. I don’t like conflict at all, and even though all my experience says otherwise, I keep hoping that this time the conflict will go away if I just ignore it.
While on the surface that may seem like a peaceful way to handle conflict, it does not work.
If Abram had not stepped in seeking a peaceful resolution, the conflict may have escalated to the point of physical violence or even war (see ch. 14).
Thankfully, Abram came in as a mediator and brought the conflict to a peaceful conclusion. What this shows us is that…
Living by faith means pursuing peace
Living by faith means pursuing peace
(v. 8-9; Numbers 20:1-13)
In v. 8-9, we see Abram stepping into the conflict in order to bring peace. Here he serves for us as a practical example of living by faith.
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”
I want to highlight the word “contention” in v. 8, because I think Moses picked that word very intentionally here. It is a different word from the one translated “discord” in v. 7, and it’s a significant word later on in the writings of Moses.
It’s the word “Meribah.” In case you’re not familiar with that, let’s look at the story in Numbers 20 where this word is highlighted.
Following God’s deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt, they began traveling through the desert, and what did they do in the desert? They complained! And complained. And complained. By the time we get to Numbers 20, we’ve come to expect that response from them.
We read in Numbers 20:3, that because there was no water where they were,
3 The people quarreled with Moses …
God told Moses and Aaron to speak to the rock while the people watched, and He would make water flow from the rock.
But Moses, whose sister Miriam had just died, was so fed up with these no-good, complaining, rebellious people by this point, that he let his anger get the best of him, spoke angrily to the people, and struck the rock twice with his staff instead of speaking to it. As a result of his sin, he and Aaron were not allowed to enter the promised land.
And then v. 13 tells us,
13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.
So the place where this incident took place was renamed “Meribah” which means quarreling or contention. It’s the same word as in Gen 13:8
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers.
I think Moses used this word intentionally here to contrast Abram with his descendants, the Israelites. The father of the Israelites was a man who brought peace and stopped contention from happening, but his descendants the Israelites, were known for their constant complaining and quarreling. Moses is setting up Abram as an example for them to learn from and follow. And he’s a good example for us too.
Instead of allowing the contention to continue, Abram proposes a peaceful solution.
9 Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”
While there wasn’t enough room for them to live in the same place, there was plenty of land available - plenty of room for them to move and find the pasture and resources they needed for their animals and their households.
What’s more, Abram gives Lot first choice. This shows us that…
Living by faith means using your strength to serve the interests of others
Living by faith means using your strength to serve the interests of others
(v. 9; 2 Cor 8:9; Mark 10:45)
Abram was probably more powerful and wealthy; he’s also older, and he had basically adopted Lot into his own family (Lot’s dad Haran, Abram’s brother, had died). We could say that if anyone deserved to choose first, it was Abram. But instead he uses his strength and position to serve his nephew:
9 Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”
This reminds me of the Lord Jesus Christ, who “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9) He who is the King of Kings, the eternal, all-powerful God, humbled Himself and became a man in order to serve us and meet our greatest need. Though He deserves to be served, He did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
Those in this world who have money, wealth, and influence, usually use these things to benefit themselves rather than others. So when someone uses their power and position to serve others, it stands out.
That’s what Abram does here. He lets Lot have the first choice, knowing it means that he may not get the best portion of the land.
By this, Abram shows genuine love for Lot. He shows that he values Lot more than he values having the nicest land. Abram is demonstrating his faith by his love.
But the contrast between Abram and Lot couldn’t be much clearer. Whereas Abram acts in love, Lot acts in selfishness. He should have been grateful for his uncle’s kindness and care for him, and he should have honored him by making sure he got the best land. But Lot was looking out for Lot. Here he serves as an example of one who lives by sight rather than by faith.
Living by sight looks like pursuing our own interests ahead of others’ interests
Living by sight looks like pursuing our own interests ahead of others’ interests
(v. 10-11)
We see Lot’s response in v. 10-11. Rather than acting out of gratitude and love for all that Abram had done for him, Lot selfishly chooses the best-looking land for himself.
10 And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And Abram and Lot parted company.
Interestingly in v. 10, Moses references two significant places that were also fertile land - one from before the time of Abram, and another from afterwards.
The garden of the LORD seems to refer to the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2-3, where it says that there were springs of water and a river that flowed through Eden to water the garden. Though neither Moses nor Abram had seen the Garden of Eden personally, they had certainly heard about it from not-too-distant relatives.
And the land of Egypt is where Abram had just gone during the famine, but it’s not until later that we learn about the area of Goshen which was ideal for raising flocks and cattle.
What both of these references show us is that this plain by the Jordan River is a beautiful place and a great piece of land for pasturing animals. This is why Lot chose it for himself.
To summarize the difference between Abram and Lot here,
Abram is living by faith, which we see from his love and kindness toward Lot, and
Lot is living by sight, acting selfishly toward his kind uncle.
If we are living by faith, we will love others and treat them the way we want to be treated.
Faith Values God more than Earthly Blessings
Faith Values God more than Earthly Blessings
But before we can love others, we must first receive God’s love and love Him in return. You will only truly love others if you have received God’s love and have learned to love and treasure Him.
Do you really love God, or do you just love the things He gives you?
Would you still love Him if He took away the material blessings you enjoy?
Is your heart set on heavenly things or earthly things?
First we see the negative example of Lot, who, at least here, did not value God more than earthly blessings.
Living by sight looks like disregarding God and moving toward sin
Living by sight looks like disregarding God and moving toward sin
Though later Scripture testifies that Lot was a righteous man, he is certainly not acting in a righteous way here.
Going East (v. 11; Gen 3:24; 4:16; 11:1-2)
Going back to v. 11, there’s a phrase there that ought to catch our attention: “Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east.”
11 So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And Abram and Lot parted company.
In biblical imagery, moving to the east often indicates moving away from the place of God’s presence and blessing.
Remember when Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:24, they went east.
After Cain killed Abel and received God’s curse, Gen 4:16 tells us that Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
The tabernacle and temple faced east, so that to go east was to move away from the place of God’s special presence.
Moving toward Sodom (v. 12-13)
It also tells us in v. 12-13 that Lot began moving toward Sodom.
12 … Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.
Now it’s not for another 6 chapters that Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed, but Moses hints at it already here in v. 10, with that parenthetical note “(This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)”
Even though we haven’t reached that part of the story yet, Moses is hinting to us that this is a foolish choice on Lot’s part.
Verse 13 tells us that the men of Sodom were wicked sinners against the LORD. Their specific sins will be recounted in Genesis 19 and later passages as well, but notice especially that last phrase, “against the LORD.” Their sin is against God - defying God to His face.
And it is toward these people that Lot decides to move. Later on, we learn that he even settled in the city and had received some measure of acceptance there.
It seems that Lot, like these wicked sinners, is ignoring God, disregarding Him and His promises.
Surely Lot knows God’s promise to Abram that He will give Abram’s descendants the land of Canaan. If Lot had been a wise man, he would have wanted to stay closer to Abram and certainly in the land area that God had promised to him.
By choosing to move away, then, he showed that he did not value God and the promises God had made.
On the contrary, Abram did value God, and even though his faith was not perfect (as we saw last week), Abram did believe God’s promise to him.
Living by faith means trusting what God has said and responding in obedience and worship
Living by faith means trusting what God has said and responding in obedience and worship
(v. 12, 14-18; Gen 12:7)
We’ve seen this pattern before, at the beginning of ch. 12. God gives a command and makes several promises, and Abram responds in faith leading to obedience and worship.
Now he does it again.
12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan…
Abram “lived” or “settled” in the land of Canaan, probably in response to God’s promise to him back in Gen 12:7. There God had told him,
7 … “I will give this land to your offspring.” …
So Abram makes his choice of where to settle based on the promise God had made. He is living in faith and obedience toward God.
And now, God makes further promises to him:
14 After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west, 15 for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.
16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.”
Earlier, God had only promised that Abram’s offspring (or seed) would receive the land, but now God includes Abram himself as one who will enjoy the land (v. 15).
Not only that, God now says that He is giving this land to Abram and his seed forever (v. 15). This is significant especially since Abram did not inherit any of the land (except a burial plot) during his lifetime.
And third, God now explicitly states what He had implied earlier. He had already told Abram that he would become a great nation and that his descendants would receive the land of Canaan. Now God specifically promises to multiply his descendants like the dust of the earth - uncountable (v. 16). This is similar to what God tells him later also about the stars.
Understanding God’s Promises
Understanding God’s Promises
Before considering Abram’s response, let’s take a moment to talk more about what these promises mean and how they fit into the Bible’s big story.
The Land Itself
The Land Itself
(v. 15)
I strongly believe that the theological system called Dispensationalism gets a lot of things wrong, and one of its errors is a wrong understanding of God’s promise of land to Abram and his descendants. And I think the reason it’s wrong is that it misses the whole Bible picture of what the land is really all about.
In order to truly understand what God is doing here in this promise, we need to go back to the beginning and then take it all the way through the end of Scripture.
Author and Pastor Jim Hamilton does an excellent job of that in his book Typology, which I highly recommend. He says,
Typology: Understanding the Bible’s Promise-Shaped Patterns; How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ §2.3. The Land of Israel as a New Eden
How does the promise of land function in the Bible’s story? The territory pledged to Abraham is the place where God means to resume fellowship and dwell among those with whom he has entered into covenant, beginning the process of regaining what was lost when mankind was driven from the garden of Eden.
When God made the world, the Garden of Eden was His special dwelling place where He walked in perfect fellowship with Adam and Eve, to whom He had given His covenant. God’s purpose for Adam and Eve was to bear children and fill the earth with other worshipers of God, and thus expand the Garden of Eden to the whole world, with God walking among His people all over the world.
When Adam and Eve sinned, the ground was cursed, and their fellowship with God was broken. They were driven out of the Garden of Eden. But even there, God’s promise in Gen. 3:15 hints that God is at work to bring about the restoration of people to Himself.
One part of the equation is land - an area or space where people can meet with God, walk with Him, and live in a right relationship with Him. Eventually the tabernacle and Temple would provide the place for God’s special presence, but even they were only temporary, pointing forward to realities accomplished in Christ.
So when God promises the land, it’s not just about the physical dirt in the area called Israel or Palestine - it is a symbol of the spiritual reality that God is at work to accomplish and will one day complete when He makes the new heavens and new earth.
Hamilton continues,
Typology: Understanding the Bible’s Promise-Shaped Patterns; How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ §2.3. The Land of Israel as a New Eden
God works toward the solution to the problem of his image-bearers being driven from the land of life at expulsion from Eden by vouchsafing the land to Abraham—a strip of ground that points beyond itself to the recapture of the whole world (cf.
While there was a physical fulfillment of this promise to Abram’s physical descendants, the land that God is promising is ultimately pointing forward to a spiritual reality which is accomplished in Christ.
Abram as Inheritor of the Land
Abram as Inheritor of the Land
(v. 15; Hebrews 11:8-16; Rom 4:13)
And I think Abram understood that at least to some extent. The passage that we read earlier from Hebrews 11 states regarding Abram’s faith in God’s promise that “he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Heb 11:10).
This indicates that Abram understood God’s promise not only to be referring to a physical land, but ultimately to a heavenly city, as the author of Hebrews states a few verses later, “Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Heb 11:16).
Abram wasn’t just looking for a physical plot of land to settle in, he was looking forward to an eternal, heavenly home with God, a reality that will be complete when God makes the new heavens and new earth.
We’ll see this later on when Abram insists on buying a burial plot for Sarah and himself in Canaan (which would also be used for several of his descendants). He did this because he believed God’s promise; he was looking forward to the resurrection. He believed that one day, God’s plan would be complete, he would rise from the dead, and he would enjoy the inheritance God had promised.
And when Paul picks up on this promise in Romans 4, he indicates that God’s promise to Abram and his seed did not only include the land of Canaan, but symbolically the whole world. He says in Romans 4:13
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
What God was promising to Abram was not just a small chunk of land, but the whole world. And it was not this present world with its curse of brokenness, sickness, and death, but the world to come - the new heaven and new earth, where there will be no more tears or “death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:4).
That is ultimately what God is promising to Abram here in Genesis 13.
The Land Belongs Forever to Abram’s Seed
The Land Belongs Forever to Abram’s Seed
(v. 15; Gal 3:16, 29)
Let’s consider also, in what sense is God giving this land to Abram and his seed forever?
Again, when we have a proper understanding of what the land is that God is promising - not merely the plot of ground there in the Middle East, but a reclaiming of the whole earth as God’s dwelling place with His people, then we can understand better what this promise means.
First, who is Abram’s offspring or seed spoken of here?
While there was a sense in which Abram’s physical descendants the Israelites inherited the physical land of Canaan, Paul tells us in Galatians that the true and ultimate fulfillment of this promise is in Jesus Christ. Regarding this promise, Paul says in Galatians 3:16
16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
Paul is telling us that the promise God made to Abram in Genesis 13 is ultimately about Jesus Christ. When God promised the land to Abram’s seed or offspring, ultimately God (and maybe Abram also understood this) - God was looking forward to when He would send His Son, the Lord Jesus. And because Jesus alone perfectly keeps God’s covenant, He alone is worthy to inherit the land forever.
So the ultimate fulfillment of this promise is not to the Israelites or Jewish people, but to Jesus Christ, as well as to all who belong to Him, as Paul says a few verses later:
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
Jesus is the ultimate seed to whom the promise belongs, but everyone who belongs to Him also inherits the promised land. Everyone who has ever trusted the promises of God, which are fulfilled in Christ, will inherit the land forever.
And that word forever once again shows us that we’re not talking about this broken and sinful world, but about the world to come when sin and its curse will be gone forever. The new heaven and new earth will belong to us forever if we belong to Christ.
Abram’s Seed Will Be Like the Dust of the Earth
Abram’s Seed Will Be Like the Dust of the Earth
(v. 16; 2 Chronicles 1:9; Rom 4:16-17)
And so also, when God promises Abram that his seed will be as uncountable as the dust of the earth, we need to see this not only as a promise regarding Abram’s physical descendants, but a promise ultimately fulfilled in us who trust in Jesus.
Abram did have a multitude of physical descendants. Solomon says in 2 Chronicles 1:9 that the people of Israel have indeed become “as numerous as the dust of the earth.” So God did fulfill this promise in a literal sense, but this promise was not only about Abram’s physical descendants.
Just as the promise of the land points beyond a physical reality to the heavenly and spiritual reality to come, so also the promise of seed or offspring.
Returning to Romans 4, we read
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”…
Paul says that God’s promises to Abram belong to those who share his faith. And he is the father of us all, Paul says, not only of those who are physically descended from him, but also of those who trust God’s promises like Abram did.
So Abram’s uncountable seed that will be like the dust of the earth include not only his physical descendants, but us also, if we are trusting in THE SEED, Jesus Christ.
There’s a lot more to say about these and other promises God makes to Abram, but hopefully that’s enough to get you started in forming a whole-Bible view of God’s plan and purposes so that you correctly interpret His promises.
Let’s conclude by looking at how Abram responded to the promises that God makes to him.
Abram’s Response (v. 18):
In response to God’s promises, Abram once again demonstrates faith as he responds to God’s promises with worship:
18 So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the Oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all lived for significant periods of time near this town of Hebron. It’s also where David was anointed king of Israel nearly 1000 years later.
And once again, Abram builds an altar as an act of worship to Yahweh.
So, to summarize the difference between Abram and Lot here regarding their response to God,
Lot showed that he was living by sight, ignoring God’s promises and moving toward sin.
Abram showed that he was living by faith, trusting God’s promises, obeying Him, and worshiping Him.
What we see then from Abram’s example here is that to live by faith is to live in love - love for God and love for others. To live by faith means that you value God and other people more than you value what this world has to offer.
Genuine, saving faith is expressed by deeds of love toward God and others. Truly trusting God’s promises frees us from selfishness and pride and enables us to love God and others.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
If you are living by faith and not by sight, you will live in love toward God and others.
Application
Application
What does that mean practically?
Prioritize Church Gatherings
Prioritize Church Gatherings
One way you can show love toward God and others is by prioritizing church gatherings. Living by faith means that you value God and other people more than you value getting extra sleep, spending time with family, or working on your hobbies. Faithful attendance and participation at church is a practical way to show that you love God and other believers.
Find Ways to Serve
Find Ways to Serve
Another way you can show love toward God and others is by keeping your eyes open for opportunities to serve other people. We show love to other people when we see and seek to meet their needs - whether it means offering a word of encouragement or a Bible verse to someone who’s discouraged, holding a door open for someone, buying groceries for a needy family, shoveling snow off of a porch for an older neighbor, or thousands of other ways we can meet practical and tangible needs of other people, whether believers or unbelievers.
So let’s walk by faith and not by sight. Let’s be people who trust God and His promises and live in love toward God and everyone around us.
PRAY
