Abram, Sarai, and Lot


At the beginning of what we know as Genesis 12, we have the remarkable call of Abram by God, but by the end of that chapter, we have Abram being chided by Pharaoh of Egypt for dishonesty which was caused by unbelief. The sad story ends this way: "And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him [Abram], and they sent him away with his wife, and all that he had." (12:20).


In chapters 13 and 14, we see Abram interacting with his nephew Lot. God had seen to it that both men had prospered "So that the land could not support both of them dwelling 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" (13:6-7a). Abram graciously permits Lot to choose which part of the land to dwell in. We observe Lot's choice in chapter 13, which seems completely understandable. But in chapter 14, and again in chapters 18 and 19, Lot's choice turns out to have farther reaching consequences than anyone could imagine.

Interestingly, in chapter 13 we learn this: "The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him [emphasis added] 'Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land than you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever'" (13:14). Again God commits Himself to fulfilling His covenant with Abram.

The vignette in chapter 14 may foreshadow the events of chapters 18 and 19, though here not only Lot but all he possessed was rescued by Abram and his associates, whereas when Lot is rescued from Sodom the next time, only he and his immediate family will be spared.
How did Lot come to such a sad end as chapters 18 and 19 reveal? He'd had the benefit of living with his godly uncle and aunt, and profited financially to the point where he had to separate from them. Yet he made one choice which led to others, moving toward and then into Sodom. His reputation with the residents of Sodom was mixed at best. Those who came to take the angels were unappeased by his position in the community. His would-be sons-in-law thought he was joking about the imminent destruction. His wife looked back and was destroyed. His daughters would take advantage of his weaknesses and bear sons by him incestuously. The sons they bore were to become the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites--who became enemies of the descendants of Abram.
Abram and Sarai had weaknesses of their own which would also lead to tragedy.