Genesis

Chapter Thirteen

Preface

Before exploring this chapter it would be prudent to briefly discuss the descendants of Japheth, Noah’s son.  This was not adequately addressed in the commentary on the latter part of chapter 9.  But first, Noah’s other two sons:  (1) the descendants of Ham, Noah’s youngest son, also known as “Hamites” went southward toward south and central Arabia, Egypt, East Mediterranean, and East Africa—but Canaan (son of Ham), who was specifically cursed by Noah, settled in the land now called Israel; and (2) the descendants of Shem, also known as “Shemites,” included the Jews, the Assyrians, the Syrians, and the Elamites.

According to the Table of the Nations in Genesis 10 the Japhethites are the peoples of the isles or the coastland, a term used in the Old Testament to designate the European continent.  In secular history the Japhethites bear the name of Caucasian, Indo-European or Aryan peoples. . . . beginning with the sixteenth century the European Japhethites initiated a period of world-wide expansion. 

In the course of time they spread out over the whole face of the earth.  At the present juncture of history the Japhethites are in full possession of three continents:  Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand.  They hold a dominant place in South Africa, and even in present-day Asia the Japhethites as represented by America and Russia exert a decisive influence. 

In world politics, in the various branches of art and science, in agriculture and industry, in medicine, in the field of education, child care, the status of women, social welfare, the rights of the individual, freedom of speech and religion—in all these areas the Western branch of Japhethic civilization has been the leader and teacher of the rest of the world.  In the last 25 centuries world leadership has remained in the hands of the Japhetic peoples, “God enlarge Japheth,” said Noah, and God certainly did. (The Messianic Hope—A Divine Solution for the Human Problem by Arthur W. Kac, M.D., Baker Book House, 1975)

In this chapter the account of Abram and the Abrahamic Covenant continues.  The population of earth greatly increased and spread over the world in the centuries following the Flood.  Before long the descendants of Noah grew into nations differing in language, manners and customs.  The true faith-worship of God, as learned from Noah, gradually became corrupt until idolatrous polytheism became the religion of mankind.

Whereas previously, before the proliferation of nations, God dealt with man on an individual basis, He now deals with man on a national basis.  To communicate His grace, mercy and redemptive purpose to the nations of the world God chose one particular nation as His messenger on earth.  He did not choose any existing nations, but created a new nation for this purpose. 

To this end He summoned one man, Abram, and instructed him to leave his native Mesopotamia and settle in Canaan, which was to become the country of the Nation Israel that would descend from him.

Genesis 13:1-4

Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South.  Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.  And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

Abram’s experience in Egypt, even though it revealed a “cowardly trait” within his nature and his sojourn there was not in accordance with God’s will, left him a very prosperous person.  His material abundance, which God allowed, was in spite of his waywardness.  And in this is a very important lesson for all men called of God, particularly those who preach “prosperity Christianity.”

The lesson is this.  One should never make a judgment regarding a person’s spirituality based on his or her prosperity in the world.  Likewise it is indeed unwise to believe that prosperity always comes when one is within the will of God.  Jesus was explicit in teaching His followers that God makes His sun rise on both the evil and the good, and His rain to fall on both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).  The Bible clearly teaches that prosperity comes both to the wicked (Job 12:6; Psalms 37:35; 73:3, 12; Jeremiah 5:28; 12:1) and to the righteous (Genesis 39:3; Deuteronomy 29:9; 1 Chronicles 22:13; 2 Chronicles 16:5; 31:21; Psalms 1:3).

Indeed, Jesus specifically told His followers that in this world they would experience tribulation (John 16:33), because the world would hate them (John 15:18, 19; 1 John 3:1, 13).  It is quite clear in Scripture that the Apostle Paul and the early believers faced both hate and tribulation, and poverty was their lot (Romans 5:3; 12:12; 2 Corinthians 7:4; Ephesians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 3:4; Revelation 2:9).  If anything, to experience great wealth and ease as a Christian should make one carefully examine God’s Word to see if one’s witness is in harmony with it.

Abram came back to the “place of faith,” near Bethel where he originally established his faith-altar.  There he once again “in faith” called upon the name of His Lord.  When one leaves the “journey of faith” on a wayward trek from Christ, there is only one way to return, which is to confess one’s sins (1 John 1:9) and place one’s full confidence (faith) once again in the only Person who can enable one to live the Spirit-filled (controlled) life, Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:6).

Genesis 13:5-13

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.”  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 tent even as far as Sodom.  But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.

There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot.  And to witness such dissention were the “outsiders,” the Canaanites and the Perizzites, who also dwelt in the land.  To some degree this is a picture of the local church today.  Within its walls there is contention and division.  Unfortunately, many who venture into the church also witness this conflict between the children of God.  And this condition is not conducive to the winning of souls over to Christ. 

As the herdsmen of Lot and Abram quarreled over pastureland, Abram, placing the priority on their relationship as “brethren,” took the “high road” and unselfishly offered Lot his choice of all the land.  In true humility, as taught in the New Testament, he esteemed Lot better than himself (Philippians 2:3, 4; Romans 12:10) and placed Lot’s welfare before his (1 Corinthians 10:24, 33; 13:5).

Lot took the “low road” and selected the lush pastures of the Jordan Valley, adjacent to the sin-cites of Sodom and Gomorrah.  In the end and even though Lot was a “righteous man” (2 Peter 2: 7, 8), all he received was grass for his cattle, while Abram received grace for his children.  It is interesting to note Lot’s wayward decline from God.  He saw (vs. 10); he chose (vs. 11); he journeyed away—separated from the good (vs. 11); and he made his home (pitched his tent) toward Sodom, in spite of the fact that "the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD."

Genesis 13:14-18

And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are-northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.  And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.  Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”  Then Abram 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.

Even though Abram allowed Lot to have the choicest pastureland, God appeared once again to Abram and reminded Abram of the land-portion of His covenant with Abram.  He instructed Abram to look a full 360 degrees around where he stood and reassured Abram that all the land that he saw was to be his and his descendants forever.  And God again declared that Abram’s descendants would be as “the dust of the earth” (an innumerable posterity).

Abram simply believed God and to signify this fact, he built a third faith-altar for his Lord “by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron.”

Mamre was a location approximately two miles north of Hebron, which today is called Ramet el-Khalil.  The Hebrew word translated “by the terebinth trees” (“plain” in the KJV) may also be translated “oaks” or “great trees.”  The spot may have taken its name from Mamre the Amorite, the owner at the time (Genesis 14:13).  Hebron is located approximately 19 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem on the road to Beer-sheba via Bethlehem.  It is 3,040 feet above sea level making it the highest town in Palestine.

The chief fame of Hebron rests in the fact that Abram dwelt much of the time at Mamre in its environs (Gen 13:18).  He was living here when the confederacy of kings overthrew the cities of the plain and captured Lot (Gen 14:1-13).  At Hebron his name was changed to Abraham.  Here too he entertained the celestial visitors who spoke of the birth of Isaac (Gen 18:1-15).  Sarah died at Hebron (Gen 23:2) and Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah nearby as a burial place (Gen 23:9). . . . Isaac lived at Hebron (Gen 35:27).  Later, Joseph was sent to his brethren by Jacob from that region (Gen 37:14).  Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah (Gen 49:31; 50:13) were all buried in the cave which Abraham had purchased near Hebron.

The 12 Heb. spies saw Hebron (Num 13:22).  Joshua slew the king of the town during the period of conquest (Josh 10:3-27).  Caleb claimed it as his inheritance and drove out the Anakim (Josh 14:12-15; 15:13-14).  Hebron was assigned to be a city of refuge (Josh 20:7).  David was well received by the Hebronites (1 Sam 30:31) and reigned as king there for seven and one-half years (2 Sam 5:5).  Absalom’s revolt began in Hebron (2 Sam 15:7-12).  Rehoboam fortified it as one of the bastion cities to protect his S and W frontier against Egyptian invasion such as that of Shishak (2 Chr 11:5, 10; 12:2-4).

(Wycliffe Bible Dictionary, by William Culbertson, D.D., President Emeritus and Chancellor, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois, and John Rea, Th.D., Theological Lecturer and Editor; Hendrickson Publishers, 2000)

Abram (later, Abraham), in spite of his human frailties, was primarily a man of faith (Romans 4:3, 9, 12, 16; Galatians 3:6, 9; Hebrews 11:8-10; James 2:23) and it was in the area of Mamre and Hebron that he built a third altar unto the Lord in demonstration of his renewed faith in God’s promises.

To the Christian, Abram’s “faithless” experience in Egypt and his faith-recovery speaks of God’s mercy toward His children.  The Bible clearly teaches that a child of God can never lose this relationship (salvation), but through poor choices may fall from proper fellowship or communion with his Father.  Even though a child of God may diverge off the path of faith and for a time sink into the treacherous and cowardly arms of Satan’s influence, he will always be welcomed back by his Lord through the avenue of confession (1 John 1:9) and faith (Colossians 2:6).  And faith in God’s sure Word (apart from one’s personal emotional quest) is the way to God’s heart.  Without faith (a sure belief and confidence in God’s Word) there can be no proper obedience (a willing and eager compliance stemming from an enthusiastic and positive attitude).