Genesis 13 – People Moving, Abram Worshiping
As Abram and Lot journeyed, Lot chose the land east of
Jordan because it was fertile. He chose the plain going to Zoar, near to Sodom.
Some people today place this north of the Dead Sea, others east, and others
south-east of the Dead Sea. The land east of the Dead Sea later became known as
Moab, descendants of Moab, one of Lot’s son’s after Sodom was destroyed. Today,
this land is a plateau, so may not be the plain Lot chose.
The text in Genesis 13 adds that the region Lot chose was
like the garden of God and says this was “before the Lord destroyed Sodom.”
This comment could imply that the land in many of these regions was more
fertile in the early centuries after the Flood. We know Egypt was. In the
desert regions of Egypt there are paintings of African animals, animals that
today are only seen further south. In the centuries after the Flood, conditions
in these regions were deteriorating, and by the time Moses and Israel came out
of Egypt many deserts existed. Deterioration had already begun in Abram’s early
years in Canaan, which is why in Genesis 12 we see Sarai and Abram visiting
Egypt to escape a drought. The comment in Genesis 13 could indicate that the
destruction of Sodom contributed to these poorer fertility conditions.
In this first half of Genesis there are many small comments
that may indicate massive geological and climatic changes. Like in Genesis
7:11, during the Flood, “all the springs of the great deep burst forth.” This introduces
seismic activity, which isn’t hinted at prior to the Flood. The Rift Valley now
extends right down through Canaan and into Africa, where the earth’s tectonic
plates move apart. We see references to this seismic activity in regard to
Sodom, in the book of Job (“fire from heaven”) and in reference to Edom (Isaiah
34). Many factors were altering living and agricultural conditions at that time
and would also have lent to the movement of people and empires across the
regions.
It's possible that the Dead Sea wasn’t there in Abram’s
time. We will look at this in more detail when we address the destruction of
Sodom, but the biblical text and best archaeological evidence indicates a
significant seismic event that depressed the land in the Rift Valley. The best
archaeological studies put the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Valley of
Siddim (which means well-watered fields), also called a plain, just south of where
the Dead Sea is today. The term “valley” may suggest the Jordan valley, which
then may have continued to flow south through that region. (See
biblearcheology.org, “The discovery of the sin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.”)
However, one needs to ask the point of the story for its
inclusion into the scripture. The scripture doesn’t waste space. There must be
many points, but here I can quickly see two. Abram’s character shines through.
He is just. He doesn’t grab land or grab anything else, saying it is God’s
inheritance for him. He allows Lot to choose his portion of land first. In all
of Abram’s dealings in the land we see this same justice in his relationships
with other people who live there. He makes no attempt to become lord over
others or to enforce his rights. His duty here was to care for Lot as his
nephew, and he fulfilled this duty.
The second point is in the choice Lot made. It seems to
reveal that he did not know the call of God. The narrative suggests that Lot chose
the best place for fertility, even though it was close to the wickedness of
Sodom. On the other hand, Abram was left with that which was God’s call for
him, even though to man at that time it looked second best. Lot had no view, it
seems, to the call of God and to the blessing that was in God’s calling. He was
with Abram but did not know Abram or the purpose of God who called him.
Another thing the text reveals is the source of Abram’s
character. He journeyed to Bethel, the place where he had earlier built an
altar to call on the name of the Lord. So Abram did this again at Bethel. This
worship, this dependency on the Lord’s character and the Lord’s wisdom, is what
established the steps that Abram walked.
0 Comments