In
the movie, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, Indiana Jones comes into a room
which contains the holy grail. The only problem is that the room isn't just
filled with one cup but hundreds of golden cups. The ancient knight who has
been guarding the cup of life tells him that he must choose wisely because
though the grail brings life the others bring only death. I don't want to spoil
the ending if you haven't watched it but let's just say that choosing the wrong
cup ends poorly, to say the least.
I
bring this story up because Abram and Lot face a problem, their growing herds
are too large for the land they are sharing. With limited resources, the
decision is easy (for reasonable people), divide up and go separate ways so as to
not over-task the land. Abram being the elder could have claimed the first
choice but does something which I believe shows the type of person he is, he
gives his nephew the opportunity to choose first.
Lot looks
around and picks the best for himself. The problem is that the place that has
the best land also has the worst influence. The plains around Sodom and
Gomorrah were great but the cities were wicked. We don't know why, though the
idea is hinted at that he chose the best for himself, but we do find out later
the choice was a bad one.
Personally,
I believe Lot knew something about Sodom and Gomorrah but the temptation for
ease was too tempting to resist. He may have thought that he was strong enough
to resist temptation and everything would be okay, but he was wrong as we will
see later.
What
does this story teach us? That our choices determine our future. We need to be
careful and choose, "Wisely."
LISTEN HERE
Gen 13:1-18
(1) And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
(2) And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
(3) And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
(4) Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
(5) And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
(6) And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
(7) And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
(8) And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
(9) Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
(10) And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
(11) Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
(12) Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
(13) But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
(14) And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
(15) For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
(16) And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
(17) Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
(18) Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
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