And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. (Exodus 20: 22-24).
After Adam’s sin, the perfect and very good world God made descended into a polluted, wicked, nasty, and continually evil place. When the time for judgment came, God sent the flood and started over with a family of eight. A man named Noah built an ark. Noah was also a builder of something else, something important and often overlooked. This man, who scripture says found grace in the eyes of the Lord, built an altar. What is an altar? It is a dedicated place or platform set apart for the intent of offering a sacrifice in hopes of meeting with, worshiping, praising, and giving thanks in remembrance and in reverence to God. An altar marked an area for people to have a meeting place to show and share their dedication and dependence on God. Ten generations later, a descendant of Noah, through Noah’s son Shem, would answer his call from God and build a few altars. Are you an altar builder? Who does your altar represent? Let’s dive in!
And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
So much is said about Lot. Whether you feel that he backslid or whether you agree with Peter that he was just, he was Abram’s (his name is changed to Abraham in Chapter 17) nephew. The strife mentioned here does not seem to be between Abram and Lot - It is between their herdsmen. They are so abundantly blessed by God that the management of their herds causes a conflict. The solution is based on love. They are family: we are brethren. How different the world might be if we remembered we are all brethren!
Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
Abram is in the land that God had called him to occupy. He believes God. He isn’t concerned about the getting; God has told him what he will get. He, in fact, preferred Lot ahead of himself. He says he will gladly take whatever Lot does not take. However, they must separate.
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
There is a lot of debate, mixed with much tradition and opinion on why Lot chose the way that he did. Lot did what Abram told him. He looked. As a herdsman, he saw well-watered fields - even as the garden of the Lord. It is interesting that it has been almost 2000 years since the Garden of Eden but this is the comparison that is made. They had just left Egypt having traveled there because of famine. Egypt was not then what it is now. If we take the scripture strictly as written, Lot’s choice is sensible and suitable. It doesn’t say anywhere that the land chosen by Abram was any less.
Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
Should Lot have known that the land of Sodom was filled with exceedingly wicked men? How often are we in situations where we don’t look ahead? Was Lot purposefully choosing the wicked? Many opinions! God knows. Bad choices come in all shapes and sizes, with and without our intentions. The key takeaway is that Lot could have left at any time after he saw the wickedness of the city. Same for us. We may not want to, but we always have the choice.
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:6-8).
And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
If God gave Abraham the land in every direction, that meant that eventually, the land Lot chose would also belong to Abraham. Abraham made a sacrifice in order to have peace with Lot. His sacrifice resulted in a greater blessing. The altar Noah built to God in order to thank him for the deliverance from the flood was rewarded with an inheritance of all the Earth, as his family alone survived.
Christ gave himself as a sacrifice on the cross, and while He surrendered all to the will of the Father, He afterward received a name that “is above every other name.” He redeemed the world for himself, and He alone has all power, all the glory, and He is the King of Kings.
What does a believer sacrifice today? Where is our altar? We come forward in many churches to pray for salvation and we surrender ourselves fully to God and ask for Him to save us. At that altar, pride is relinquished, and any self-righteousness that we cling to. What do we receive? Kinship with Christ, we are made children of God and are granted eternal life in His presence. Every altar, every dedicated place in our life where our desires are laid down and given away to the Lord, becomes a place of great inheritance. We exchange trash for treasure.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
I often wonder why Abraham chose to bring Lot along. Maybe he relied on his companionship to encourage him. It is always easier to do things with a friend than on our own. Because of their separation, Abraham was forced to rely on no one but God. As he generously gave Lot a choice, God abundantly demonstrated his great sufficiency to Abraham. He would not be alone.
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
I encourage you to build an altar today in your heart. Sacrifice on it the things that you cling to but that no longer help you in your walk with Jesus. Sacrifice those things that the Holy Spirit has been pointing out to you that are getting in the way of your work for the Lord, and that cause you to stumble in sin. It won’t be easy to turn from things that you have grown accustomed to, but God’s reward for obedience far exceeds our expectations. Our skills at building, believing, and becoming will be a witness to all who see. Our God gently leads us, the Bible says, “from glory to glory.” He has only your best at heart. Pray that God will help you separate from the lesser things and embrace the great and powerful goodness of His plan.
Thank you for Studying with Us! God Bless!
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