Bible Study for Texas lesson for Dec. 9
Family problems provide opportunities for wisdom
__Genesis 13:1-18
___1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
___3 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 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.
___5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 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. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
___8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
___10 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.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
___14 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. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 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. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."
___18 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.
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____By Amelia Bishop
___"Well, the honeymoon is over."
___This particular description may have been used initially to describe a married couple when "the new has worn off," and the initial euphoria has given way to love plus "learning to live together." Yes, they love each other dearly, but they are coming to realize they are indeed two different people, perhaps with different backgrounds and value systems. Many of these things they may have discussed earlier, but now words have become realities, and they need to deal with it. So, how do they work things out?
___Today, the "honeymoon is over" has been broadened to include a number of different scenarios. It may pertain to a new job when that "perfect situation" turns out to be somewhat less than perfect. It may be a new house or car that seemed to be exactly right but turns out to need some adjustment or modifications upon closer inspection.
___In any of these illustrations and countless more like them, the possibility of conflict looms heavily on the horizon, and it may not be so dis
tant. However, it is more painful than usual--and has a greater potential for personal havoc--when it is conflict within the family.
___Where do we look for guidance?
___In last week's lesson, we focused on the call of Abraham, his response and that part of his story. Today we continue with him (as indeed we shall for all this unit) with particular emphasis on working out family problems and what may be involved in decisions made.
___Traveling the same road
___After Abraham was asked by Pharaoh to leave Egypt, he went to the Negev in the southern region of Judah, between the cultivated lands of the Jordan Valley and the desert region of the Sinai. Accompanying him were Sarah, Lot and his entourage. Abraham had become quite wealthy in not only livestock, but also silver and gold.
___Then, from the Negev, he "went from place to place" until he came to Bethel, a town significant in his own history, as well as that of several other Old Testament personalities. Abraham had been there before. In last week's lesson, we saw that he pitched his tent there and called on the name of the Lord. Here we find him coming back after his experiences in Egypt and seeking the Lord's face again in a place that had become special. This pattern was significant in his life, as we shall see subsequently.
___By this time, Abraham and Lot had traveled many a mile together. They had the closeness not only of their family ties, but also of experiences shared throughout the years. However, it had become obvious a crossroads was looming ominously ahead.
___As mentioned, Abraham had become wealthy. Lot also had fared well. In fact, between them there simply wasn't enough pasture lands for their combined livestock as long as they remained together. Their respective herdsmen had begun arguing among themselves. There was "conflict in the camp." To make the picture even darker, they were surrounded by Canaanites and Perizzites--scarcely a time for a family fight.
___Crossroads and decisions
___It was time to make a decision.
___At this point, Abraham demonstrates one of the characteristics that made him a spiritual giant.
___"Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers," he said (Genesis 13:8). He thus reminded Lot of their familial relationship, no small matter in the Hebrew world, and he set the tone for their ongoing discussion.
___Yes, they had a problem, but a solution was possible. Abraham pointed out there was no shortage of territory--they had the whole land in front of them. The solution was to divide it and go their separate ways, thus providing each man with sufficient pasture land. Abraham gave Lot first choice, saying he would take what was left. The Scripture says Lot looked on the well-watered land of the Jordan and made his choice. Apparently his decision was based solely on what he saw before him. What factors were involved here?
___Obviously, we cannot know all factors involved in the way Lot made his determination, but the scenario as played out reflects the individual natures--or perhaps the spiritual maturity--of the people involved.
___It is significant to note at the onset that neither man was denying there was a problem.
___To be "in denial" blocks any possibility of solution. Their willingness to acknowledge the existence of a problem was a good beginning.
___From that point, the way each man looked at and handled the problem was revealingly different. Abraham was a man who tried to seek God's will and stay in tune with the Father. Remember, he had set up an altar at Bethel earlier. He returned to it after the Egyptian sojourn in which he had "messed up" and brought problems on all concerned. (These two happenings follow one after the other at the end of Genesis 12 and the beginning of Genesis 13.)
___He was a man who really was trying to stay close to God, and it was evidenced in his behavior.
___Also, Abraham was the leader. He could have exercised his prerogatives and taken first choice. But he didn't. He offered that choice to Lot. Considering what was involved, he was not only going the proverbial second mile, but a good way beyond it.
___Then, as the Scripture relates, Lot looked up and saw the fertile plain of the Jordan, an attractive sight indeed. He made his decision; he wanted that land. Perhaps the memory of the earlier famine was in his mind, and he saw this area as security. And, to his credit and as is sometimes pointed out, Abraham had seemingly shown no particular interest in the land.
___Perhaps Lot acted too impulsively. He could have sought the Lord's leadership in the matter. He could have considered the negative side of living next door to Sodom and Gomorrah. Perhaps he planned to stay separate from such an influence, but it didn't work out that way.
___The pull of Sodom was too strong for him and his family as we see in subsequent Scripture. Another factor might be, as some authorities have pointed out, that Lot had been following Abraham's leadership so long he couldn't "stand on his own feet."
___But for whatever reasons, the choice was made. Abraham lived in Canaan, and Lot in the Jordan Valley near Sodom. Locating there proved to be tantamount to placing himself on a slippery slope, and it resulted in tragedy for his family.
___Obviously the "slippery slope" is not confined to Old Testament days. All of us as individuals, families and churches have found ourselves in this situation. We may be mulling over something we really feel would not be a good idea, yet it is so attractive, so enticing. Couldn't we just try it, or just sample it, and then step back?
___The wise answer is a resounding "No!" Those who are well-versed in the field of human behavior tell us that it is that first step that leads to downfall in almost all instances. It is when we continually flirt with making an exception to the rule or goal we have set that we find ourselves on the slippery slope. (Ever tried dieting? This is a facetious approach, but it does illustrate the point.)
___This is also important to us on the state level. As Texas Baptists, we have such a need to maintain our focus on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, on ministering to human needs, on equipping our people for service, on developing Christian families. We can ill afford to give time to divergent activities--however tempting--that would blur our focus.
___Abraham set a good example for us in the way he approached this problem. He heard. He followed. When he made mistakes, he "went back to Bethel" and reached for higher spiritual ground. He kept his focus.
___Traveling on
___"Traveling on" meant things were different both for Abraham and for Lot. In Abraham's case, it meant he had fulfilled his obligation to "leave all his kindred" mentioned in Genesis 12:1. Obviously he was still with his immediate family, but in the Hebrew sense, "family" meant a much larger picture. Ahead of him was the beckoning journey involved in God's promises.
___Lot had gone his own way. He would soon find the nearness of Sodom too great a temptation and his problems multiplied. Things for both men were indeed different. Too often we find our "no-brainer" decisions that seem so obvious lead us to places we would never choose because we fail to ask for God's direction.
___What Abraham then did was what had become typical of him: he spent time with the Lord. "Lift up your eyes from where you are," the Lord said, "and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever" (Genesis 13:14-15).
___The promise now contained some new aspects. Abraham was told the land would belong to him; previously, in Genesis 12:7, he was told it was to be given to his descendants. Also, when he was told to look in all directions, his gaze would have included the area where Lot had looked. What Lot had chosen eventually would belong to Abraham. He had been willing to give it all up; in time he would receive even more.
___Abraham settled in Hebron, near the great trees of Mamre. And there, as the Scripture relates, "He built an altar to the Lord" (Genesis 13:18).
___He kept his focus. He still was looking to God for guidance.
Questions for thought and discussion
___ It was important to Abraham to renew his faith, to draw close to the Lord, by going "back to Bethel" as we have seen in our lesson today. Have there been places in your life that were spiritually significant, which made you want to return to them? (One friend of mine has a special place in her backyard garden; another makes a solitary journey to the mountains.) Or, for you, is the best plan to return in memory, and thus be refreshed?
___ Do you find that some family problems will "take care of themselves" and other difficulties should be brought out in the open and addressed? How do you know the difference?
___ Within the family, when differences are aired, each member usually begins by telling what he/she thinks, and why. How can we help each other "see the larger picture"? How would a decision affect different family members? Affect the whole family? What's down the road if this path is followed?
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