Problem Presented

Problem Presented

Genesis 13: ⁵ Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. ⁶ 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. ⁷ 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.

 

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After leaving Egypt with more stuff, Abram and Lot returned to the land that GOD showed. But there was a problem. Abram had herds and flocks and so did Lot. After experiencing a famine, the land was probably healing slowly. Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen may have tried to get up earlier and earlier to guide animals to places to graze. They had another problem. The Canaanites and the Perizzites also “dwelt in the land.”

 

My Observations:

• Abram had a habit of assuming GOD’s plan was completed by what “he” could see.
• Abram and Lot had so much stuff that the original location GOD showed could not hold them.
• Having too much stuff became a problem with everyone, so fights broke out.

 

Wars over territory seem common for humans. People seek the best living spaces they can find. The best views, cleanest water and the most comfort are sought by the masses. This “little” stretch of land was not large enough to hold Abram’s stuff, let alone Lot’s, who had vast amounts of stuff too.

 

While it sounded like a good problem to have, attitudes broke out that could cause wars. GOD had blessed Abram and Lot with stuff, but the stuff was getting in the way of peace. To top it off, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, who may have fought against GOD’s ways, also had stuff. Abram assumed the land was the end of GOD’s plan. Something had to be done. GOD would need to intervene.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the problem of the tiny living space between Abram and Lot?
• Does it seem to you that GOD works in stages that we mistake for the final part of HIS plan?
• Can you drop your assumption that GOD is finished with HIS plan for you because it may be just beginning?