Genesis 13:1-13

So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negev.

² Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

³ And he journeyed on from the Negev as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

⁴ to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD.

⁵ And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,

⁶ so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together,

⁷ and there was conflict between the tenders of Abram’s livestock and the tenders of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. ⁸ Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no conflict between you and me, and between your tenders and my tenders, for we are kinsmen.

⁹ Is not the whole land before you? detach yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

¹⁰ And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

¹¹ So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot travelled east. So they detached themselves from each other.

¹² Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

¹³ Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD. _________________________________________

The important questions

The LORD had promised to bless Abram, but not Lot. But Lot’s presence with Abram had led to blessing. In the course of time, Lot’s blessing was so great that it became necessary for him to physically detach himself and his household from that of Abram. He made what seemed like a very wise decision to go to the fertile land of the Jordon Valley. He did not take into account two important things: Abram’s relationship with the LORD, and the sinfulness of the men of Sodom. Lot failed to ask the important questions, and involve those answers in his decision-making.

LORD, give us the wisdom to ask the important questions when facing the decisions we must make in life.