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†. Gen 13:1-2 . . From Egypt, Abram went up into the Negeb, with his
wife and all that he possessed, together with Lot. Now Abram was
very rich in cattle, silver, and gold.
The word for "rich" is from kabad (kaw-bad') which means: to be heavy, i.e.
in either a bad sense (burdensome, severe, dull) or in a good sense
(numerous, rich, honorable); causatively, to make weighty (in the same two
senses); viz: which is why, I guess, we call the rich "loaded"
So the rich are not only wealthy, but weighted down too. It was a piece of
cake for Abram to pull up stakes and move around wherever God wanted
before he got so wealthy. Now it will be an undertaking especially without
power tools and mechanized conveyances.
NOTE: Though it's not stated, I think it's probably pretty safe to assume
that Lot enjoyed the very same privileged status in Egypt that his uncle
Abram did due to their mutual relationship to Sarai; so that Lot came up out
of Egypt a very prosperous cattle baron.
†. Gen 13:3-7a . . And he proceeded by stages from the Negeb as far
as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been formerly, between
Bethel and Ai, the site of the altar that he had built there at first; and
there Abram invoked the Lord by name.
. . . Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,
so that the land could not support them staying together; for their
possessions were so great that they could not remain together. And
there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and
those of Lot's cattle.
Grazing land can support only so many head of cattle per acre, and the land
was just recently recovering from a famine. Lot's drovers were squabbling
with Abram's over available grass; and probably the available water too. If
those men had barbed wire in that day, I'm sure they would have strung it.
Then the shootin' would have really started up!
†. Gen 13:7b . .The Canaanites and Perizzites were then dwelling in
the land.
How do you suppose Abram's and Lot's squabbling looked to the pagans?
When God's people can't get along, outsiders become disgusted with them
and they sure won't be influenced for God in a good way when Yhvh's people
are fighting amongst themselves like that.
Years ago, when I was a young welder just starting out on my own, I rented
a small room in a daylight basement from a man who was the senior pastor
of a medium-sized Seventh Day Adventist church in the Portland Oregon
area. He and his wife radiated the luster of polished spirituality whenever I
spoke with them out in the yard, but in my location under the floor of the
house, I could overhear their bitter quarrels upstairs behind closed doors.
Was I favorably inclined to attend his church? No.
†. Gen 13:8-9a . . Abram said to Lot: Let there be no strife between
you and me, between my herdsmen and yours, for we are kinsmen.
Is not the whole land before you?
Palestine was still pretty much a wild frontier in the 20th century BC.
Actually very little of it was private property. And what with no Bureau of
Land Management, the land out west from Ur was pretty much up for grabs
to anyone who had the moxie to take it. Abram and Lot remind me very
much of early day American pioneers and cattle barons.
†. Gen 13:9b . . Let us separate.
It wasn't an easy thing for Abram to be firm with his kin, and it was a
weakness in his spiritual life from day-one. He and Sarai were supposed to
leave their kin and come to Canaan alone. He wasn't supposed to take along
a nephew. But Abram just couldn't leave Lot behind. So now he and Lot are
separating with bad blood between them. And Lot's future is very uncertain
down in that God-less country away from his uncle Abram's patronage.
†. Gen 13:9c . . if you go north, I will go south; and if you go south, I
will go north.
Even though there was some bad blood now between Abram and Lot, the old
boy remained a gracious man. Being the senior of the two, Abram could
have claimed first dibs on the land. But he waived the privileges of rank, and
gave his nephew the choice. But, in point of fact, Abram made Lot a promise
that he could in no way guarantee to honor; because it was God who
ultimately dictated where Abram was to dwell in the land
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 13:1-2 . . From Egypt, Abram went up into the Negeb, with his
wife and all that he possessed, together with Lot. Now Abram was
very rich in cattle, silver, and gold.
The word for "rich" is from kabad (kaw-bad') which means: to be heavy, i.e.
in either a bad sense (burdensome, severe, dull) or in a good sense
(numerous, rich, honorable); causatively, to make weighty (in the same two
senses); viz: which is why, I guess, we call the rich "loaded"
So the rich are not only wealthy, but weighted down too. It was a piece of
cake for Abram to pull up stakes and move around wherever God wanted
before he got so wealthy. Now it will be an undertaking especially without
power tools and mechanized conveyances.
NOTE: Though it's not stated, I think it's probably pretty safe to assume
that Lot enjoyed the very same privileged status in Egypt that his uncle
Abram did due to their mutual relationship to Sarai; so that Lot came up out
of Egypt a very prosperous cattle baron.
†. Gen 13:3-7a . . And he proceeded by stages from the Negeb as far
as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been formerly, between
Bethel and Ai, the site of the altar that he had built there at first; and
there Abram invoked the Lord by name.
. . . Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,
so that the land could not support them staying together; for their
possessions were so great that they could not remain together. And
there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and
those of Lot's cattle.
Grazing land can support only so many head of cattle per acre, and the land
was just recently recovering from a famine. Lot's drovers were squabbling
with Abram's over available grass; and probably the available water too. If
those men had barbed wire in that day, I'm sure they would have strung it.
Then the shootin' would have really started up!
†. Gen 13:7b . .The Canaanites and Perizzites were then dwelling in
the land.
How do you suppose Abram's and Lot's squabbling looked to the pagans?
When God's people can't get along, outsiders become disgusted with them
and they sure won't be influenced for God in a good way when Yhvh's people
are fighting amongst themselves like that.
Years ago, when I was a young welder just starting out on my own, I rented
a small room in a daylight basement from a man who was the senior pastor
of a medium-sized Seventh Day Adventist church in the Portland Oregon
area. He and his wife radiated the luster of polished spirituality whenever I
spoke with them out in the yard, but in my location under the floor of the
house, I could overhear their bitter quarrels upstairs behind closed doors.
Was I favorably inclined to attend his church? No.
†. Gen 13:8-9a . . Abram said to Lot: Let there be no strife between
you and me, between my herdsmen and yours, for we are kinsmen.
Is not the whole land before you?
Palestine was still pretty much a wild frontier in the 20th century BC.
Actually very little of it was private property. And what with no Bureau of
Land Management, the land out west from Ur was pretty much up for grabs
to anyone who had the moxie to take it. Abram and Lot remind me very
much of early day American pioneers and cattle barons.
†. Gen 13:9b . . Let us separate.
It wasn't an easy thing for Abram to be firm with his kin, and it was a
weakness in his spiritual life from day-one. He and Sarai were supposed to
leave their kin and come to Canaan alone. He wasn't supposed to take along
a nephew. But Abram just couldn't leave Lot behind. So now he and Lot are
separating with bad blood between them. And Lot's future is very uncertain
down in that God-less country away from his uncle Abram's patronage.
†. Gen 13:9c . . if you go north, I will go south; and if you go south, I
will go north.
Even though there was some bad blood now between Abram and Lot, the old
boy remained a gracious man. Being the senior of the two, Abram could
have claimed first dibs on the land. But he waived the privileges of rank, and
gave his nephew the choice. But, in point of fact, Abram made Lot a promise
that he could in no way guarantee to honor; because it was God who
ultimately dictated where Abram was to dwell in the land
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=