So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.

Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. And quarreling arose between Abrams herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. So Abram said to Lot, Lets not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Lets part company. If you go to the left, Ill go to the right; if you go to the right, Ill go to the left.

Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.

The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you. So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord. Genesis 15:1-18 (NIV)

Like Abram, believers also have a covenant with God – the New Covenant – with promises that have not yet been fulfilled. While the promises given to Abram were amazing in their scope and detail, the promises God has given us (such as resurrection from the dead, eternal life, rewards in Gods kingdom) far exceed anything God gave Abram. The difference, however, is that we have the advantage of seeing how God has been fulfilling the promises he made to Abram, while Abram himself had no such paradigm to follow.

Like Abram, our faith in Christ and obedience to our New Covenant with its New Commandment to love each other as Christ has loved us directly affects how we enjoy the benefits of our covenant. We can choose to disobey our covenant relationship with God and experience the consequences, or we can obey in faith and see the benefits of our covenant expand. Also like Abram, obedience to the New Covenant requires meekness in the face of conflict and this meekness brings the kingdom blessings of love and peace when we experience conflicts with others. Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5), is his commentary on this passage.

On the other hand, like Lot, there are hangers-on: people who associate with Christians and the church, but who don’t truly believe, or who believe and don’t bother to even try to follow the covenant they have with God. Their minds and hearts are set on this world and not on eternal values. As a result, they make poor decisions and even seem to prosper for a while. But they face discipline and even judgment for their acts of worldliness. Their temporary prosperity may discourage us, especially when we consider the sacrifices we make on behalf of the kingdom of God, but we nevertheless remember that God’s Word is true and what He promises us will ultimately come to pass. “Whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.” (LEB)

Discussion Questions

1. Do you think conflict between believers is inevitable?
2. What other conflicts between brothers is described in the Book of Genesis?
3. Describe the role Abram’s meekness played in resolving his conflict with Lot?
4. How did Abram and Lot view life differently?
5. Do you sometimes feel like you as a believer are sitting under some shade tree out in the desert while worldly people enjoy life to the hilt?
6. What perspective do you take on your situation?