ABRAM SEPARATES FROM LOT Abram was trained on giving up earthly things for the sake of the Lord. Now, as he returned from Egypt, and became very rich, he asked his nephew Lot to be separated from him, giving Lot the privilege to choose whatever portion he pleases; preferring to endure to be separated from Lot, his companion in the walk of faith, for the sake of making peace with him. 1- Going out from Egypt 1-4. 2- Separation from Lot 5-9. 3- Lot chooses Sodom 10-13. 4- God blesses Abram 14-18 1- GOING OUT FROM EGYPT “Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South (Negeb)” (Gen. 13:1). If Abram went down to Egypt because of the famine, and was about to lose his wife Sarai, yet, because of the purity of his heart, God did not leave him while he was in Egypt, but guarded his wife, besides, he found favor in Pharaoh’s eyes, who persuaded him to go up from Egypt, saying to him: “Now, here is your wife, take her and go your way. So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had” (Gen. 12:19-20). This time, God did not appear to command him to go out, but addressed him through Pharaoh, in whose land Abram sought refuge, as though He is addressing him in the language that suited him then. That is how God deals with man. He talks with every man according to what man chooses for himself. When Abram has been very simple in his faith, God appeared and talked to him directly; but as he sought refuge in Pharaoh’s protection, He talked to him through Pharaoh. And when ‘Balaam’ became as ignorant as a donkey, He talked to him through his donkey (Numbers 22:28-30); And, when Saul of Tarsus went too far in his violence, He talked to him through a temporary loss of his vision (Acts 9:8-9). And as the wise men from the East were preoccupied with astrological studies, He talked to them through a star. That is how God addresses man with his language. “Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him” (Gen. 13:1). Thus, it is fitting for us, even if we got down to leaning on human arm (Pharaoh), we should not remain in weakness, but go up, everyone together with his wife, all that he has, and all kindred; namely, he should set forth with his spirit, as well as with his body (his wife), and with all his energies. He should not leave behind anything that he has on getting preoccupied with worldly things. In other words, our going out should be complete, to set forth to the land of promise, to live under the wings of our Lord! Abram got out of his temptation that revealed his weakness, with many blessings. He apprehended God’s great care for him that prohibited Pharaoh to touch his wife; besides becoming “very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold” (Gen. 13:2). What is the source of that prosperity? If Abram fell down out of weakness, yet, by the strength of Spirit, he did not surrender to fall; as though he is saying: “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall I will rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light for me” (Micah 7:8). The believing soul, filled with hope, even its weaknesses would turn into possibilities to gain greater richness. When ‘Theodore’ fell in love with a beautiful 4 Jewish woman, and left his ascetic life, St. John Chrysostom wrote to him to confirm that his despair is far more bitter than adultery. He sent him two letters until he repented and became a Priest, then a Bishop on the region of Mesopotamia. Of the words of St. John Chrysostom to him: [If the devil has got such a power to pull you from your exalted height and virtue, down to such extent of evil, so how much would be God’s power to lift you back to your original status? He would not only get you back to what you were, but would make you far better. Do not despair, and do not throw away the good hope; Do not fall as the atheists did; It is not the great number of sins, that leads to despair, but the lack of pious soul1.] Another time he says: [God is offended by our unwillingness to change, far more than the magnitude of evil we have committed; Whoever sinned, would fall into human weakness, but he, who persist on sinning, would cancel his humanity to turn into a devil2.] If Abram lost time through his going down to Egypt and returning from it toward the land of the South, then to Bethel “to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai” (Gen. 13:3), namely he returned to where he had been before. Yet, he came out of his temptation with great benefit and prosperity! The children of God would never cease to grow and to enter into spiritual richness, even if they get subjected in their life, to weaknesses or falls, and assumed that they lost the years, to start again from where they have been before. The Scripture testifies that Abram “was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold” (Gen. 13:2). That richness could not occupy his inner heart, nor confuse his mind; Abram enjoyed both worldly richness and the joyful richness of spirit. St. Augustine says: [In order to know that richness in itself is not something to blame, Abraham was very rich, with a great wealth of gold, silver, livestock, and slaves; yet he carried Lazarus, the poor beggar, to his bosom (Luke 16: 22); The poor was found in the bosom of the rich; are they not both rich in the eyes of God?3] 2- HIS SEPARATION FROM LOT “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’” (Gen. 13:5-9). Some believe that the word ‘Lot’ means ‘cover’ or ‘veil4.’ So if Lot accompanied Abram along his walk of faith, yet, the difference between them was, Abram carried a simple and exposed heart, what is inside it is proclaimed by what is outside; that is why he persistently grew in knowledge; Lot, on the other hand, was walking with the procession of faith with a closed heart, carrying inside it some of his selfishness and connection to the world; while from outside, he seemed as though a man of faith, and a companion of the greatest father. That is why time and .6 ¡ 1 ستعود بقوة أعظم، ١٩٦٧ ، ص ٥ . 2 ستعود بقوة أعظم، ١٩٦٧ ، ص ٤١ 3 On Ps. 52. 4 J. Strong., article 3876. 5 temptations exposed his weaknesses, and was falling apart, day after day; until he lost his wife and possessions, and got defiled with his daughters. We cannot, however deny him certain good sides. Lot had been a companion of Abram, and both became very rich; Yet, Lot, in his richness, “had flocks, herds, and tents” (Gen. 13:5), and did not have “silver and gold” like Abram (Gen. 13:2). If silver refers to the word of God, and gold to the Spirit or to heavenly life, Abram, in his richness, was holding fast to the word of God, or to the commandment, as a secret of inner richness. And as the Psalmist says: “I have rejoiced in the ways of your testimonies, as much as in all riches” (Psalm 119: 14); He was also holding fast to spiritual riches or heavenly life (gold); livestock did not distract him away of eternity. Although Abram had been rich in livestock, yet he had his heart open on God’s commandment and His heavenly kingdom; Lot, on the other hand, had been preoccupied with sheep, cows and tents, having a heart, closed to the heavenly kingdom.When Abram saw what happened between the herdsmen of his livestock, and those of his nephew Lot, in love and for the sake of brotherly peace, he asked his nephew to separate from him to whatever place he prefers. And as St. Augustine says: [Probably from this came the peace-seeking tradition, for the older to divide, and the younger to choose1.] Abram, the older, yielded the right of choice, to the younger party, with joy and content, something that revealed his faithful heart, and exposed Lot’s materialistic heart, as though temptation testified to Abram, but exposed Lot. St. John Chrysostom speaks of Abram, the prominent in dignity, how he was not disturbed, as his nephew accepted to be given the right to choose, and took for himself the first best portion, leaving to his uncle the second best portion saying: [When it ended up for the older to lose his first portion, he did not get angry... but was satisfied with his second best portion. When his younger nephew did him wrong, he loved him, and gave him help in the time of need2.] He also says: [Abram, not seeking his own benefit, but that of others, put himself in harm’s way; and interceded on behalf of those with whom he had no relationship. His nephew on the other hand, hearing his uncle saying, “If you take the left, I will go to the right.” He accepted the right to choose, and sought his own benefit, to lose eventually all his possessions, as the whole region burnt up (Genesis 19), while all the surrounding regions came to no harm3.] 3- LOT CHOOSES SODOM “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 tents even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord” (Gen. 13:10-13). Abram and his nephew probably stood on one of the mounts of Bethel. Abram lifted his eyes to recall Eden that man was deprived of because of the envy of the devil. So, he lovingly embraced Lot to his heart saying to him: “We are brethren” 1 City of God 16:20. 2 In 1 Cor. hom 35. 3 In 1 Cor. hom 25. 6 (Gen. 13:8); while Lot, on the other hand, lifted his eyes “To see all the plains of Jordan that was well watered everywhere” (Gen. 13:10). One and the same scenery drew Abram’s heart to brotherly love, and that of Lot to selfishness; the first longed for Paradise, while the other sought the watered land. Lot lifted his eyes to see the land “like the land of Egypt.” He recalled ‘Eden,’ yet, not in its inner peace and the encounter of man with the Lord, but in its being watered and fertile like the land of Egypt. Thus in him, the spirituals were intermixed with the worldly with no separation or discernment. Here, he represents the religious person, who has the theoretical knowledge and the formal practices, while his heart is drowned in the love of the world, crawling on the ground. The third fault committed by Lot, besides his selfishness and lack of discernment between spiritual and worldly things, was the fact that he did not care for the inhabitants of that land, as they were “exceedingly wicked and sinful before the Lord” (Gen. 13:13). An attitude that made him and his family loose much, spiritually and materially. 4- THE LORD BLESSES ABRAM If Lot, with his materialistic attitude, had his eyes drawn to the well watered land, that made him recall the land of Egypt (Gen. 13:10), then by his separation from Abram, the later enjoyed the exalted promises of God. “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are, - northward, southward, eastward, and westward. Arise, walk in the land, through its length and its width, for I give it to you” (Gen. 13:17). God did not wish to confine Abram to one direction, but commanded him to look toward the four directions, to behold the exalted love of Christ, in its length, width, depth, and height constraining him (2 Corinthians 5:14; Ephesians 3:18). By looking toward the four directions, he probably, by faith, also saw the cross by which the Lord Christ, a descendant of Abram, reigns over the nations and peoples who, through their pagan worship became like land. Concerning his saying, “arise, walk in the land, through its length and width” it reveals God’s work in those resurrected in the Lord from the dead. Those who do not cease walking until they completely reign. And as St. Ambrose says: [He did not promise to reward the reluctant and lazy, but those who strife1.] At the time when Abram received a promise for his innumerable descendants to inherit the land, he had not yet had a son. He, in faith, non argumentatively, accepted the promises: “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” ( Gen. 13: 18). There, by the terebinth of Mamre, he received God and His two angels, and thus a promise of the birth of Isaac (Genesis 18). We wish here to refer to: Hebron” as meaning, according to Origen, (union) or (wedding), while, according to others, it means (fellowship). With every true encounter with God, and enjoyment of His promises, we enter into a deeper (life of fellowship), through which we reject union with love of worldly, for the slaying of the Groom of our souls Lord Jesus Christ. Lot departed to Sodom and Gomorrah to live on the well-watered land among the wicked, to lose eventually everything. While Abram departed to the terebinths of Mamre, which is in Hebron, to receive God and His two angels, and to enjoy a life of fellowship with God on a deeper level. Our life is a persistent unstopping departure: 1 Cain and Abel 1:4 (12). 7 either to Sodom, where doom is, or to the terebinths of Mamre, where we would have an encounter with the Grantor of life!
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