Oct 16, 2016

Genesis 13:5-14:16

Genesis 13:5-13, “Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.

So Abram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.’ And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. 

And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.”

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Genesis 13:14-18, “And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: ‘Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are - northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.’ Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.”

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“And the Lord said to Abram…” Keep in mind, this act of God stepping into the life of Abram was not predicated upon anything Abram had done. He had not built an altar and he wasn’t presently “calling on the name of the Lord.” As a matter of fact, Abram has just allowed the temporal things of the world (what he’d procured in Egypt) to separate he and Lot.

Notice how God begins, “Lift up your eyes now…” In the original Hebrew this word “now” is rather unique. As a matter of fact Hebrew scholars really aren’t sure how to translate this word - especially in the context of this passage. The best they’ve been able to come up with is that the word should be translated as “please now…” You see the word seems to imply that, in this instance, God is in actuality pleading with Abram to “lift up his eyes.”

Why would God be pleading with Abram to do this? Think about it… God called Abram out of Ur promising to provide he and his descendants a land. What does he do? Abram leaves Ur, but travels only as far as Haran before settling there for several decades. 

Then, following the death of his father Terah, God again calls Abram to leave Haran reiterating all of His original promises. And what does he do? Abram is obedient to enter the land only to then immediately bail and move to Egypt the moment the going got tough.

Now that Abram has finally returned to the land God had promised him (mainly because Pharaoh had kicked him out of Egypt) what do we find him doing? He’s giving the land away to his nephew Lot! The simple truth is that Abram is making God’s work difficult!

Aside from the fact that it really is amazing God would again speak to Abram after everything that had transpired in Egypt, it’s this tone in God’s voice “after Lot had separated from him” that I find to be so powerfully revealing. At this point God is pleading with Abram to listen not because He’s frustrated… God is pleading because He knows of all the blessings Abram has failed to realize because he hasn’t consistently walked with Him.

Because we’re looking at these stories in Genesis through the lens of grace I want to address a much larger point for just a minute… Yes! As with Abram, you are saved by grace (God’s favor in place of your merit). Yes! As with Abram, you are also sanctified by grace (God’s favor in spite of your inabilities). Yet, Abram illustrates the reality that the lasting effects of either are never possible if you don’t appropriately respond to His Word. 

Think about it like this… While it is undoubtedly true God’s grace initiates first contact and that you played zero role in the process - that God’s grace sent Jesus to die and now invites you (the sinner) to the cross, the full effects of this grace manifesting in your life can and will never be realized unless you respond to His call and accept His Son Jesus’ sacrifice.

Additionally, while it’s then God’s grace that fills you with His Spirit providing you a relationship with Jesus (neither of which you earned or maintain) - a relationship, mind you, that naturally yields a transformation of your passions, desires, and behaviors, the full effects of this grace can and will never be realized if you aren’t willing to walk with God according to His Word which enables the Holy Spirit’s supernatural work in your life.

You see the power of grace is only realized in a life that allows it! Grace can save you if you accept it and it will transform you if you permit it, but grace still, in both of these dynamics, requires the most simplistic act of your free will to say yes to that work! 

In Haran God’s grace was sure, but because Abram quit walking the manifestation of grace’s blessing was delayed. In Egypt God’s grace remained, but because of Abram’s failure to trust God in the face of a famine the manifestation of grace’s blessing was hampered. The pleading of God at this point in Abram’s life is striking, because grace had so much more in store for Abram - so much he was failing to experience. And that’s true for you!

You see I don’t agree with the notion that you can abuse God’s amazing grace (if you’re accused of such a thing it’s only evidence you never understood grace in the first place), but I do think you can limit the effects of grace. While you don’t earn God’s favor, you can fail to see God’s favor fully manifest in your life if you choose not to walk with Him.

Notice how God continues, “Lift your eyes and look from the place where you are…” Keep in mind God does not exhort Abram to look where he was presently standing (“where you are”), rather He exhorts Abram to look “from” that place. While God is going to reiterate a profound promise to Abram it was important he first have the right perspective. 

Though it’s so easy to grow overcome by your present situations and even your current failings, more often the not the key to making sense of what’s in front of you is to look back from that place to where God has brought you and ahead to the place He’s leading.

And as Abram does this God reminds him that “all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.” In context it’s almost as though God is saying, “In spite of what you just gave to Lot - in addition to this horrible failure in Egypt, I’m still going to give you every part of this land.” WOW! What grace! Abram tarnished his witness in Egypt and then gave away his inheritance to Lot; and yet, God’s promises remained sure and full!

Abram’s actions may have been hindering God’s work, but they hadn’t eliminated the work itself. If you’ll bear with me… I’m convinced that in asking Abram to look “northward, southward, eastward, and westward” God wanted him to see more than just geography.

In looking “northward” what would Abram have seen? God’s grace! He would have seen the city of Haran which represented the years he had waisted. Not only had Abram squandered so many years because he’d stop walking with God, but I’m sure as he looked northward he would have recalled God’s unwavering grace and incredible patience. Even though he may have made a costly detour, he would have remembered God’s call and that His promises remained sure. There is no doubt as Abram looked northward he could see those early footsteps… He would remember the early days of this exciting journey.

In looking “southward” what would Abram have seen? God’s grace! He would have seen his footprints coming back into the land from Egypt - a reminder that nothing good ever results when we fail to trust God. He now knew a “severe famine” in the land of promise was far superior to the green pastures of this world. I can imagine Abram considered all of the stuff he and Lot lugged with them back through the desert… Disobedience wasn’t worth it!

In looking “eastward” what would Abram have seen? God’s grace! He would have seen his home town of Ur… He would have remembered his life before God’s initial appearing - before His calling! Additionally, you can imagine Abram would have seen the “plain of the Jordan” and thought about the relationship he’d lost with his brother Lot. While he may have taken the easy road and given away the land, the land was still his descendants “forever.”

In looking “westward” what would Abram have seen? God’s grace! He would have seen an uncharted territory - an entire expanse his journey with God had yet to lead him into. Even in spite of his failures, God’s plan for his life remained solid - new things were on the horizon.

This morning, wherever it is you’ve come from or whatever situations or circumstance you’re presently facing, God is asking you to “lift up your eyes from the place where you are…” If you’ve failed to enjoy His grace God is asking you this morning to “lift up your eyes!” May I ask… What do you see? Do you see the life you once lived - a life God saved you from and called you out of by His grace? After a time walking with God do you miss it?

Do you see the journey with God you’ve traveled up to this point - a journey that’s included mountains you’ve had to summit as well as valleys you’ve had to endure? After a time walking with God by His grace has the journey been worth it? If you look ahead what do you see? If you’re like Abram and you “lift up your eyes” my guess is that you see God’s grace!

The point of Abram gaining such a perspective is that God was reminding him, in much the same way as He reminds you and I, that this journey we’re all on began in grace, was maintained through grace, and would only reach its destination if God’s grace remained sufficient. Abram once again needed to decided if he wanted to receive the blessings of God’s grace. This is why the exhortation was so simple… “Arise, walk!”

Notice how the chapter closes… We read “Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.” I love the meaning of these names and therefore the interesting picture they paint. The word “Mamre” means “strength or vigor.” The word “Hebron” means “association or communion.”

The idea of “Mamre” (strength) being found “in Hebron” (communion) is profound. Because of the word of the Lord and God’s grace once again being demonstrated towards Abram… Because of his renewed connection and communion with God… Because Abram said yes to the promises of God and choose to walk in grace, he was now in a place of strength. 

I hope you know this morning that it is only the communion we experience with God that yields in our lives the necessary strength and vigor to walk with Him (which, as we’ll soon see, Abram was going to need for a major battle was percolating around him).

It’s interesting to point out Abram’s strength was not developed because of something he did, but was rather found in a place he “moved his tent” into. Strength was a byproduct of the place he dwelt and not the result of an activity he engaged in. The same is true for us. 

How we grow spiritually or how we gain spiritual strength so that we can endure the trials of life, fulfill the call of God, or simply walk with Him is a topic long discussed by Christians. Most of the time you will find the remedy to feeling weak is presented with the exhortation to read your Bible more often or pray more diligently; and while I don’t disagree that those two things are important, we should never forget they are both simply a means to an end.

Spiritual strength is something only found in communion with God… Meaning the goal of praying or Bible study is not to develop my own strength, but to instead grow in my dependency on His! You see the more I grow in my knowledge of Him and the more I communion with Him the more I’m inclined to rely on His strength when the going gets tough. 

In 2 Corinthians 3:5 Paul wrote, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” Then in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “Jesus said, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’”

It’s an amazing fact that Jesus never told His disciples to obey Him or to be obedient, instead the exhortation was to “abide.” In John 15:4-5 Jesus told His disciples, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Note: There is a huge difference between obedience and abiding. Obedience is my attempt to do the right thing so I can enjoy a relationship with Jesus. While abiding is enjoying a relationship with Jesus that manifest the right things. Guys, the key to seeing all that God’s grace has for your life is really that simple… Walk with Him, commune with Him, pitch your tent in Hebron and find strength!

Once again the chapter closes with Abram “building an altar there to the Lord.” Unlike the altar in Bethel where he “called upon the name of the Lord” only for God to remain silent, this altar was built as a response to God’s Word and the strength he found in God presence.

Before we read through the first twelve verses of Genesis 14 I should explain we’re going to take a rather unorthodox approach to this passage. What we find being described by Moses is an epic battle that takes place during the time of Abram - a battle that not only ends up directly effecting Lot, but one that subsequently leads to Abram’s direct involvement.

Ultimately, this battle pits 5 kings rebelling against 4 kings with the 4 kings enacting retribution against the 5. Additionally, in the process of doing this, we’re told several other groups of people end up being caught in the cross fire. Because it’s difficult to grasp the flow of the text because of all the ancient names and place, I’ve decided to recast this as an epic rap battle using only the names and crews of the most prominent 90’s rap stars.

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Genesis 14:1-12, “And it came to pass in the days of (Nas) Amraphel king of Shinar, (DMX) Arioch king of Ellasar, (Snoop Dogg) Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and (Notorious B.I.G) Tidal king of nations, that they made war with (Tupac) Bera king of Sodom, (Coolio) Birsha king of Gomorrah, (Mos Def) Shinab king of Admah, (Busta Rhymes) Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and (LL Cool J) the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). Twelve years they served (Snoop Dogg) Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 

In the fourteenth year (Snoop Dogg) Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him (Nas, DMX, and the Notorious B.I.G) came and attacked (N.W.A) the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the (Wu-Tang Clan) Zuzim in Ham, (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and the (Beastie Boys) Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. Then they (Snoop Dogg, Nas, DMX, and Biggie) turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of (Outkast) the Amalekites, and also (the Fugees) the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.

And the king of Sodom (Tupac), the king of Gomorrah (Coolio), the king of Admah (Mos Def), the king of Zeboiim (Busta Rhymes), and the king of Bela (LL Cool J) (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim against (Snoop Dogg) Chedorlaomer king of Elam, (Notorious B.I.G) Tidal king of nations, (Nas) Amraphel king of Shinar, and (DMX) Arioch king of Ellasar - four kings against five. 

Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and (Tupac and Coolio) the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. Then they (Snoop Dogg, Nas, DMX, and Biggie) took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.”

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Three quick points… (1) I hope that approach helped you track what was happening. (2) I pray no one found that approach to be to sacrilegious (and yes the title of this mornings message will be “When Snoop Dogg went to War”). And (3) don’t forget the entire purpose of recounting this particular war is to explain how the conflict effects Lot and then later Abram. 

This character “Chedorlaomer” (Snoop Dogg) and his four nation coalition completely rout these five rebellious kings and for the most part destroy the entire region. As can be expected, they come to the two largest cities “Sodom and Gomorrah” and take the spoils - which included Lot. Side note… Anytime there are “kings” there will always be war!

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Genesis 14:13-16, “Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.”

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It’s interesting to point out this is the first time we find the word “Hebrew” in all of the Bible. We specifically read of “Abram the Hebrew…” While the etymology of the word is difficult to fully ascertain it’s likely the word literally means to “pass over.” The idea is that this word was used to describe a nomad who didn’t have any particular city or place of residency.

Not only does the word Hebrew describe Abram as a sojourner who’s home was heaven, but I also find it interesting the word defines how Abram had been given a home in heaven. Because “he believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness” the judgment of God would literally pass over him. He was righteous because of his faith in a Sacrifice!

Did you also notice that Abram had “three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his house?” The idea that they were “trained servants” is that they were skilled in the art of war. Aside from the fact Abram had that many servants, how interesting that while a man of faith and a nomad he was still prepared to defend himself if necessary.

According to the text, upon hearing that Lot had been taken hostage, Moses tells us Abram and his commandos with the troops he was able to get from his Amorite allies pursued Chedorlaomer as far north “as Dan.” Note: At this point in history “Dan” was likely located near a well-known spring in northernmost Canaan. The word “Dan” literally means “judge” and may have become known as such based upon the events of this story.

Regardless, upon their arrival we’re told they “divide their force,” waited for nightfall, before launching a surprise attack. Their strategy works, Chedorlaomer and his armies are forced to flee, and Lot and the spoils of Sodom and Gomorrah are eventually recovered.

What strikes me most about this passage is that immediately upon hearing word that “his brother Lot” was taken captive Abram sprung into action. This old man was willing to risk life and limb to rescue his brother. He was willing to do something about it… 

The truth is that I believe Abram felt a measure of responsibility for what had happened to Lot. His brother had separated from him for all the wrong reasons. I’m sure the grace Abram had experienced in the midst of his failures motivated him to act to save Lot and his family.

May I ask what your reaction is when you hear about a brother or sister who’s fallen into sin? Are you willing to do something to go rescue a brother being held captive? C.H. Mackintosh wrote, “The claims of a brother’s trouble are answered by the affections of a brother’s heart. This is divine. Genuine faith, while it always renders us independent, never rendered us indifferent - indifference will wrap itself in its fleece while a brother shivers in the cold.”

How easy it is for us to come up with ways of justifying inaction when we see a brother taken captive by sin… Imagine if Abram reacted like we do, “Lot made his bed now it’s important he lie in it. You know sin has consequences and he was playing with fire. God will use this situation to teach him a valuable lesson. I don’t want to rob him from the experience.”

No! Abram immediately sprung into action! He rally the crew, armed up, and pursued Lot! Christian, just maybe word of another’s plight has reached your ears because God wants you to do something about it. Just maybe, instead of judging a brother or coming up with all the reasons you can’t do anything to help, like Abram, you need to demonstrate grace… That you need to arm up and go rescue the brother you claim to care about. I can’t help but think that many of you are here this morning because a brother or sister refused indifference choosing instead to pursue and liberate you from your captivity!

Yes! It’s true Lot returned to Sodom and seemingly didn’t learn his lesson, but of what concern was that to Abram in the moment of need? Yes! Engaging in such a task will indeed require a sacrifice on your part; and yet, never forget, when you were held captive by sin praise the Lord Jesus decided to act on your behalf. Sure you might get crucified in the process, but if you do know this… It was a sacrifice Jesus was willing to make to save you!