Abram & Lot

Gen 13:1-18

After leaving Egypt—where deception led to danger, rebuke, and expulsion—Abram returns to the earlier place of worship between Bethel and Ai, seeking restored fellowship with God. Both he and Lot have acquired substantial wealth, and the land cannot sustain their combined herds, especially in the lingering aftermath of famine. Conflict grows between their herdsmen, prompting Abram to pursue peace by proposing a voluntary separation. Confident in God’s promise, he allows Lot to choose first.

Lot selects the well-watered Jordan plain, a region later known for the wickedness of its cities. Though described elsewhere as righteous, Lot’s choice places him near corruption that will eventually cost him everything. Abram remains in Canaan. After Lot departs, God expands and reaffirms the covenant: all visible land is given to Abram and his descendants permanently, and those descendants will be beyond numbering. The gift is described as present rather than future.

Abram then settles near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron, building another altar as he has done at each place of dwelling, marking sites of worship and encounter with God along the main travel route through the land.

The narrative underscores several reflections: divine grace, not human merit, underlies God’s choice of Abram; blessings can create strain if they shift focus away from God; proximity to wrongdoing endangers even the well-intentioned; and when circumstances deteriorate through poor decisions or fear, the way back begins by returning to the last point of genuine communion with God.