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Looking for the Lord’s Blessings on Long Journeys in Cramped Places
Preached September 16, 2009 at a Mission in Downtown Birmingham, Al by Jake Hanson
Over the past few weeks at Bro B Mission, I have made an observation which I would like to speak to tonight. The observation has come from several conversations with several different people as well as from prayer requests. And the observation is this: there is division and disunity here at Bro B. The division is subtle at times, though I am certain that you are all aware of it.
I have seen, and you surely have seen, places with more overt, more uncomfortable and more disgusting division, but still the division exists here.
I want us to look at a text tonight which deals with two real people struggling with their own divisions and tensions. The text we will be looking at tonight is Genesis 13. Please turn with me there. I am titling this message, “Looking for the Lord’s Blessings on Long Journeys in Cramped Places.” “Looking for the Lord’s Blessings on Long Journeys in Cramped Places.”
Long Journeys
The story we find in Genesis 13 is about Abraham and his nephew Lot. Abraham, for those of you who do not know, was the father of the Jewish people—the one to whom Jesus claims His heritage. He is a very significant biblical character. When we come to Genesis 13, Abraham, then called Abram, and his family were on a long journey.
Many of us find ourselves on long journeys. We come here from many different places—Minnesota, Colorado, Michigan, Georgia, South Alabama, Ohio, Tanzania, and the list goes on. But our journeys not only encompass places on the map, we come from different places in life, different experiences and many different places of sin from which we have been delivered.
Like many of us, Abram and his family were on a long journey. You will remember that Abram was in Ur when the Lord came to him in Genesis 12 to promise to bless him and his family with land, a nation, fame and influence. So Abram left his home, somewhere in modern-day Iraq to survey the land of promise some 400 miles away on foot and on camel—just slightly less convenient than modern travel across the world. But Abram found many obstacles in his way to the promise. The land of Canaan was filled with Canaanites and Perrizites. What is more, while he continued to acknowledge the Lord in worship, there was a great famine in the land of promise.
So, the long journey continued. Abraham took his family and possessions down to Egypt, some 200 miles away, in order to flee the famine. There we encounter Abram’s first major blunder—you might even say a wavering of faith—perhaps not wavering in faith in the end of the promise, but at least in the method of the promise of the Lord. You see, Abraham feared that his beautiful wife would be taken as a wife of pharaoh, and that he would be killed, thus negating the promise that he would have children. Maybe he thought that he could help the Lord along in fulfilling His promise by lying and saying that his wife was really his sister, and then he would be spared. Neither the Lord nor pharaoh were too pleased with the arrangement, but still the Lord led him through the error of his ways—a promise of the Lord, after all, is a promise!
And this is where we find Abram when we come to Genesis 13. Please read with me these first four verses:
“So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him.
2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold.
3 He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,
4 to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly [in chapter 12]; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.”
So Abram left Egypt and came back to the land of Canaan—the land of promise. Here, Abram called on the name of the Lord. This is an interesting phrase. What does it mean to “call on the name of the Lord”? You are likely to think of Abram crying out in prayer to the Lord, which it can be in the Old Testament. But in the books of Moses, it has a more specific use. Martin Luther perhaps says it most succinctly. Abram was “preaching” or “proclaiming.”
But what was he preaching? When we come across the word “name” in the Scriptures, we are not just speaking of a name, like “Jake,” or “Dominic,” or even “Yahweh,” or “Jesus.” We are speaking of the nature and character of that person. So we find Abram waiting for the fulfillment of the promise of the Lord while proclaiming the goodness and the character of the Lord. You will notice that this is the second time Abram has “called on the name of the Lord,” but it is also held up against the fact that the Lord promised to Abram that Abram’s name would be great—and his name is only great today because in turn, Abram continued to proclaim the greatness of the name of the Lord God.
So, we come here tonight—on a long journey. And we find in Abram some things to keep in mind as we are on a long journey. First, we learn to consider and to proclaim the goodness of the Lord God.
Consider where you have been. Many of you have been in bondage to great sin and have journeyed through strange and difficult places. Some of you have lived in bondage to alcohol, drugs, sin of various kinds, but the Lord has sought you out and brought you to Himself. He has led us back from all of our wanderings, our failures, our sin, our sins. He has brought many of you from homelessness, from loss of home, from hunger, from broken family relationships. And He has led us to this place—imperfect though it is. The Lord God has been good to you. Consider His goodness to you, and proclaim that goodness, just as Abram did.
I cannot help but think of that verse of Amazing Grace: “Through many dangers, toils and snares...we have already come. T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...and Grace will lead us home.” So we give thanks to the Lord for His loyal, faithful, unconditional, covenant love which endures forever. We need not look far for the blessings of the Lord for us. And we must thank Him for these blessings. And we must praise Him for His great name.
But now, in the midst of long journeys we find ourselves in cramped places. Read with me verses 5-13:
“5 Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.
6 And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together.
7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.
8 So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers.
9 "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left."
10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.
11 So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.
12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.
13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.”
Cramped Places
You have been brought to this place—to Brother Bryan Mission. At times, it surely must feel a bit cramped. Having opinionated adult men together under one roof in this sinful world is a recipe for strife and division. But even so, it is a blessing from the Lord that you are here. For as Scripture teaches, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Prov 27:17). As my brother likes to say, sometimes when you sharpen iron, sparks fly! This is the case with us sharpening one another. Being in such tight quarters not only tests us, but it also refines and shapes us. But we have a choice in how it shapes us—toward Christlikeness if we let it, or toward further strife and division.
Abram left Ur with his nephew Lot, so you might assume that they were close. Even so, the realities of adult life caused them some division. I imagine that if they had been at Brother Bryan, they would have had similar strife as you have with your brothers here. Fighting over intruding into one’s space, taking more than their fair portion of food or drink or dessert, failing to fulfill their duties, or just being a bit annoying.
How Abram handles the situation of a cramped place filled with strife is a model of how you and I should handle situations of strife in faith. You see, family relationships—and you are brothers in Christ if you have put your faith in Christ—family relationships were more important to Abram than something even as significant as how, or where he would live. Rather than harm the relationship, Abram magnanimously and generously offered Lot first choice on land usage. This too should be our habit—as believers in Jesus Christ, we would rather be wronged than to wrong another. We would rather sacrifice our own pleasures and desires than harm another. We would rather bless than to curse, rather do good than to return evil for evil.
The language of the text is significant here and shows a contrast between decisions based on faith, and those based on the flesh. The text, in verse 10, tells us that “Lot lifted up his eyes and saw” lush land. One can hardly fault Lot for his decision. When we are given choices, we consider the options and choose what we think will be best for us. But what is important here is that Lot is depending on his sight—his fleshly eyes—and his fleshly desires in the decision-making process. And he is making decisions selfishly.
The text also tells us how woeful this decision is and should serve as a warning for us—for in that land rest the most vile cities—perhaps in the history of the earth—Sodom and Gomorrah. Perhaps it is here where our friend John Calvin is particularly instructive when he writes:
“Let us then learn by [Lot’s] example, that our eyes are not to be trusted; but that we must rather be on our guard lest we be ensnared by [our eyes], and be encircled, unawares with many evils; just as Lot, when he fancied that he was dwelling in paradise, was nearly plunged into the depths of hell.”
You will remember now the title I gave to this message: “Looking for the Lord’s blessings on long journeys in cramped places.” Lot was looking for the blessings in places his fleshly eyes could see, but the blessings of the Lord are not always what one might expect. For example, in later years when the people of Israel demanded a king, the Lord gave them Saul, who was head-and-shoulders above the rest and that feature pleased the people. But Saul was a great disappointment. When Samuel was looking for Saul’s replacement in the highly insignificant village of Bethlehem, the Lord said to Samuel: “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” So, as Samuel looked on the sons of Jesse, he rejected seven of his most stout and seemingly worthy sons, to come to the youngest—to David. The one that nobody expected would rise above the others.
But this great king who would become the type of king we long for in Jesus—he was so small, so insignificant, from the city of Bethlehem, a village so small, so insignificant. For, as the prophet Zechariah says, “it is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” that the Lord’s will is accomplished.
So, also, Israel itself is a nation with little hope to conquer the great nations of Egypt, Babylon, Assyria or Persia. But the Lord uses this weak nation—the nation of the descendants of Abraham to declare His glory and power to the nations.
And of course, there was that baby, Jesus, in a manger who would have the government upon His shoulders, who would be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, the Prince of Peace—He was the One who “had no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.” But it was this One who would be used to bring us salvation and who will bring peace and justice to this broken world. It is God’s method to use the seemingly small and insignificant to our fleshly eyes in order to demonstrate His power in weakness.
So we have seen that we are not to trust our fleshly eyes, but how are we to seek the Lord’s blessings on this long journey in this cramped place? Let’s continue reading in verse 14.
14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.
16 "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.
17 "Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you."
18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.
Looking for the Blessings of the Lord
Notice the change here. You remember that Lot lifted up his own eyes and beheld the lush valley below, for Abram who had waited on the Lord, we see in verse 14, that the Lord lifted Abram’s eyes to look—not just to the right or to the left as Lot had done, but to the North, to the South, to the East and to the West. That is, in front of him, behind him, to the left and to the right of him. God’s promises and blessings are so much greater than the blessings which we think of or try to grab for ourselves. For we often try to grab perishable things like silver or gold from our futile way of life inherited from our forefathers. But we are to cling to the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. This promise of the blood of Christ is not just in front of us, behind us, to the left and to the right, but the blood has been sprinkled, and poured on us, and is within us to cleanse us. This blessing is complete, full and eternal. Are you seeking your own fleshly blessing? Or are you trusting in the Lord to show you and give you His blessing?
Notice the second command the Lord gives to Abram in verse 17. “Arise, and walk about the land through its length and breadth.” This word, “walk to and fro” is a wonderful word in the original language. The same word and form is used for Enoch who apparently did not die, but “walked to and fro” with God. The Lord was telling Abram to examine, to consider, to cherish, to enjoy, to hope for, to cling to the promises of the Lord.
On this long journey of life, in a cramped place at Brother Bryan, I want to encourage you to look at the promises which God has placed before you, and to walk to and fro within them. I want to encourage you to examine, to consider, to cherish, to enjoy, to hope for, to cling to the promises of the Lord Jesus Christ to you.
We have considered how God has been good to bring us safe thus far from our sin and difficulty, but we can also be thankful that since we “belong to Christ,” according to Galatians 3, “we are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” And what is this promise that we have? We who put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ are born again “to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which can never perish, spoil or fade which is reserved in heaven [the land of our promise] for you…” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
Just as Abraham was told to lift his eyes and look at the promises of the Lord, tonight I also call on you to lift up your eyes. Lift up your eyes from the pleasures of this world—which are the source of your quarrels James tells us (James 4:1). Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. And all the while, do not to look back on Sodom, for the blessings there—if you can even call them that—are but fleeting and perishing.
And just as Abram was commanded to arise and walk to and fro throughout the promises of the Lord, so too, we are to walk and dwell within the promises of the Lord in His land of promise. As you go through this land of promise, be sure to look at every mountain or crag for a place to build an altar to the Lord and proclaim His great name. Check out every well from which you might draw living water. Make note of the green pastures and oases in which to lead others. Keep an eye on your enemies and on dangerous places which might cause you to stumble. And all the while, keep your eyes on Jesus whose hand guides you, and walk to and fro with Him in the love that He has lavished upon us as children of God. As you do this, perhaps you will see—with Abraham—the blessings of the Lord on long journeys in these cramped places. AMEN.