God-centered decision
Genesis 13
[[[[map]]]]] Someone said life is a series of choices. Whether you like it or not, you face every day to choose. Last midnight, the day saving time ended. You enjoyed one more hour sleep. But you may feel more tired. Should I attend worship service or not? People also said your choice determines your next 10 years life. But actually, our choice, whether we agree or not, affects our whole life. It is like when you choose the UD, in your whole life, your UD graduate certificate will follow you.
In today’s passage, Abram and Lot made some decisions. Their choice was done momentary, but their decisions destined their whole life. They were accountable for their choice. But at that time, they did not know if their choice was good or bad. In chapter 12, when Abram entered Egypt, he told his wife that tell people you are my sister. Abram thought that would be the best choice to save his life. But it turned out to be the worst decision. So, through today’s passage, especially through the cases of Abram and Lot, let us learn why we have to make God-first or God-centered decision in our life. Also, how can we make such a decision as well?
First, Abram chose to stay in the place where he had first built an altar.
In verse 1, Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev. The famine was not over yet. Why did he move up to Canaan? In Genesis 12, he was afraid of the Egyptians. He lied to Pharaoh that Sarai was her sister. Pharaoh took her to be his wife. But because of her, God inflicted serious diseases on Pharoah and his household. After finding out the truth, Pharoah ordered Abram to leave his country immediately. So, Abram had to move up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
In verse 2, Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. When he had moved from Haran, he brought all his possessions. In Egypt, he also received sheep, cattle, male and female servants, and camels. Now he has become super-rich.
Look at verse 3. From the Negev, Abram went from place to place to settle down. But in the end, where did he choose to settle in? Shall we read verse 3? until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD. Abram could go to other places. But he chose to return to the place where he had first built the altar. In other words, he came back to God. He turned back to the place where he was thankful to God who had chosen him from idol worships and called him to be a blessing. He was also grateful to God who has been with him and protected him in Egypt. He wanted to commit himself to God once again. He decided to live for God; believing God’s promise, endure patiently in Canaan. He also wanted to be a good example to his household. In Egypt, because of fear, he messed up. Probably people in his household were disappointed. Yet, as he went back to the place where he had first built an altar, he refreshed his personal relationship with God. Between him and God alone. His life was still uncertain, confused, and somehow in chaos. But as he chose to settle in the place where he first called on the name of the Lord, he wanted to live God-centered life.
In Luke 15, one second son left his father’s house. He went far away where no one told him what to do. But there, he wasted all his money and became poor. Then, his senses came back. He could still go to other places. But he decided to return where he had first felt his father’s love: his father’s house. Though he messed up, he came back to his father to start his life once again.
Like Abram or the second son, let us go back to the place where we had first believed God or first decided to follow Jesus. The place could be literally or spiritually. The point is that through returning to the place, we can refresh our personal relationship with our God once again.
Second, Abram chose to suggest Lot to pick up the land first.
Look at verse 5-7. Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. Who was Lot? He was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother. But Haran died when he was young. Abram took pity on him and took care of him like his own son. Since then, Lot followed wherever Abram went from Ur to Haran, Haran to Canaan, Canaan to Egypt, now back to Canaan. As he has followed Abram, while God has blessed Abram, he was blessed too.
Then, what happened between Abram and Lot? Look at verse 6-8. The land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. So, Abram’s herders and Lot’s began to quarrel. When they were poor, there was no problem. But now as they became rich, they began to have conflict.
How did Abram choose to solve the conflict? Shall we read verse 8 and 9? So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
Abram suggested Lot to choose the land first; If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” It is unbelievable what Abram told. He has brought up Lot. He has protected Lot. He was like a father to Lot. He should choose the land first. However, he gave Lot the right to choose first. How could he suggest this way? Verse 8 says for we are close relatives. Abram considered him his own son. He thought about Lot’s good life first. He hoped that Lot would grow a man of God.
What Abram did is quite different from what we hear today. We have heard many stories such as how siblings sued each other to get more of their parents’ inheritance or how relatives sued each other to get more money. Nobody wants to give up their right to choose better things. They do not want to lose benefits for their life. No one wants to lose even $1. But Abram yielded his right to Lot. He was not a saint. How could make such a choice? It was because what Abram experienced about God in Egypt. In Egypt, he messed up. Yet, God rescued him and his wife. Also, he got lots of sheep, cattle and donkeys from Pharoah. He experienced God’s presence and God’s help. He learned that material blessings came from God. Because of this, he had room in his heart to ask Lot to choose the land first.
His choice seemed to be foolish. But his decision reminds us of what Jesus did for us. As the Savior, the son of God, he could live a good life. But he knew we were the enemy of God. He became a peace offering to God. He suffered and died on the cross for our sins. He cried out on the cross, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” His decision of the cross seemed foolish. However, because of the choice, we are saved, we are redeemed, we are restored to God, we are growing in learning Jesus.
In Jesus, we are not just close relatives. But in him, we are brothers and sisters. God is our heavenly father. When there is a conflict among us, as Jesus did to us, let us consider others first. It is not easy but let us be even willing to anything for the sake of brothers and sisters.
Third, Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan.
Look at verse 10 – 13. Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) The land Lot picked up was perfect: it was well watered. Most important factor for animals. The land was also like the garden of the LORD (meaning the land of God, feeling God’s presence, beautiful trees and quite waters), and like the land of Egypt (human civilization, city life). So, he chose the land. This shows what Lot desired; he desired both: God and Egypt. In one side, serve God and in the other side, love the world. It is like he put one leg in God and the other leg in the world. Lot might think he made a very smart choice. But he missed one thing: he did not see the people who lived there – the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. In verse 13, they were wicked and were sinning greatly against God. God was planning to punish them. But Lot did not see this. In the end, in Genesis 19, when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot also lost all his possessions.
2 Peter 2: 7-8 talks about Lot. It says Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard). Lot was a righteous man, meaning he believed God. He worshipped God. He never left God. However, when he served both God and the world, his soul was greatly tormented. He was distressed. His soul was burnt out, so crushed, and so tired. His soul could not find rest. All these troubles began from his wrong choice.
Proverb 14:12 talks about this kind of wrong decision. It says There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Lot thought choosing the whole plain of the land near Sodom seemed to be a right choice. However, in the end, it led to his destruction.
Like Lot, many Christians love God but the world too. They want to serve God, but at the same time, follow pleasures of this life and material things. They might ask, what is wrong with the lifestyle? I can catch two rabbits. But Lot’s case shows how the end will be like.
In Leo Tolstoy’s one book, named “How much land does a man need?” A believing peasant heard that the owner was selling huge land with very cheap price So he went there. The owner agreed to the peasant, he could sell as much land as he could walk around in one day – the only condition was that he must return to the exact point he started before sunset, or the land and money will be forfeited. He set out to encircle so much land that by the afternoon he realized he had created too big of a circuit. Panicked, he began to run and was ultimately driven to exhaustion. As the sun is setting, he fell down and died. His friend buries him, noting that all he ever really needed was six feet of land for his grave. This story reminds us once again: Proverb 14:12 says There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
Jesus also said, a man cannot serve both God and money. But many people do not think so. They think they can serve God and money too. However, the Bible clearly says Lot’s soul was tormented greatly when he sought both God and the world. In the end, he lost all his possessions as well. Like Lot, we face to decide every day and every week, it is like choose what kind of job, where, which company, where to live, even Sunday, attend worship service or not, and so on. We are not sure if our choice is good or bad for us at that time. But when we must make a decision, how should we choose? God first, God-centered decision. This is not easy, but when we do that choice, God will bless us in every way.
There is a brother in Washington UBF. He came from India for his graduate program. Before he graduated, he got an engineering job offer from Hue, big satellite company. They even promised to sponsor his permanent residency in America. He wanted to get a house near the company so that he would never be late and work hard to survive. However, he was challenged to find a house near the church; spiritual life first, God first. He struggled a lot; actually from human point of view, it was silly to live a house 30 minutes away from the company even though he had a chance to leave close the company. But he made a decision to seek God first; then, he got peace in his heart. Even though it was hard for him to drive long, God was with him. God blessed him grow spiritually. God blessed him to marry a beautiful and goldy woman. Now. He is working as a NASA senior engineer.
Now let’s go back to verse 14. Lot left Abram. How did Abram feel at that time? Abram considered Lot his own son. They traveled together. They shared their life together. Now Lot was gone. How lonely he felt. How depressed he was. He was low. However, at that time, God appeared to him again.
What did God say to him? Shall we read together? Verses 14b- 16. “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring[a] forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. God told Abram ‘Do not look down. Look around from where you are; north, south, east, and west. Shake it off. I will give all the land to you and his offspring; the best land the Canaanites occupied, the land Lot took just now, you and your descendants will possess all the land in the end. Also, God promised Abram that his offspring will be like the dust of the earth. Right now, Abram had none. Even Lot left him. He was very discouraged. However, God said “do not worry, your descendants will be not only one but so much like the dust of the earth”. What a comfort and encouraging! God comforted Abram. God had a great vision for Abram. God called Abram to live not just mediocre life (one son and one good land) but a God’s visionary life (expand his heart to the whole world and all peoples on earth will be blessed through him).
Look at verse 17. God commanded Abram Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” God told Abram ‘Do not just stay in your tent. Deny yourself, and get out, walk’. Because I will give the land to you. So, in verse 18, by faith, Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the LORD.
In conclusion, in today’s passage, we learned that Abram chose to stay in the place where he had first built an altar. He also chose to suggest Lot to pick up the land first. In the meantime, Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan. At that time, their choice seemed not very important in their life. Also, Lot’s choice seemed better. However, as we have seen, in the end, Lot’s soul was tormented and lost all his possessions he had worked with in his whole life. But Abram was pleased with God. Their decisions teach us why we should put God first in our decision-making. It would be best if we can make a choice to please God and me too. But in reality, such a decision is very rare. You got to choose one: either please you or God. Also, when we see our decision, it shows who we are; what we desire in our heart. When we make God-centered decision, like Abram we may lose. But God is going to be pleased with us. Even though we live in this world, we can overcome this world. We can grow as mature Christians. God will not disappoint us as well. College life is good for you to practice in putting God first when you have to make a decision. If you are not able to choose God first in college, how can you put God first in your decision in society? It is impossible. So, even if you may not like it, but let us practice to make God-centered decision from small things so that we can live a life not just one son and one good job, but having God’s vision and live up to his calling as a blessing.