Bible Commentaries
Genesis 13

Verses 1-18

THE PROMISE RENEWED TO ABRAM

ABRAM IN EGYPT (Genesis 12:10-20 )

It is felt that Abram acted unadvisedly in taking this journey to Egypt, for which three reasons are assigned:

1. God could have provided for him in Canaan, notwithstanding the famine; there was no command for him to leave Canaan, to which place God had definitely called him; and

2. he fell into difficulty by going, and was obliged to employ subterfuge to escape it. Still these arguments are not convincing, and in the absence of direct rebuke from God we should withhold judgment.

Concerning the trial which Abram encountered, how did the last lesson justify in part, his subterfuge? What shows the unwisdom of it even on the natural plane of things (Genesis 12:18-19 )? How does his character suffer in comparison with that of Pharaoh? Who interposed on his behalf, and how (Genesis 12:17 )? How does this circumstance demonstrate that the true God has ways of making Himself known even to heathen peoples? How does it further demonstrate that the record itself is true?

SEPARATION FROM LOT (Genesis 13:1-13 )

If Abram has been out of fellowship with God during his Egyptian sojourn, how is that fellowship now restored (Genesis 13:3-4 )? Have we any lesson here concerning our own backsliding? (Compare 1 John 1:9 .) What shows the unselfishness and breadth of Abram’s character in dealing with Lot (Genesis 13:8-9 )? How does this show that Canaan at this time must have been largely depopulated? What principle governed Lot in his choice (Genesis 13:10-11 )? How does the Revised Version render Genesis 13:12 ? Have you identified these localities on the map? What shows the unwisdom of Lot’s choice (Genesis 13:13 )? Read on this point 2 Corinthians 6:14 to 2 Corinthians 7:1 .

THE PROMISE RENEWED TO ABRAM (Genesis 13:14-18 )

Does Abram suffer for his unselfishness? What advance does this renewal of the promise record so far as the land is concerned (Genesis 13:15 )? So far as Abram’s posterity is concerned? What two references to Abram’s seed do Genesis 13:15-16 record? In what way may he be said to have taken possession of the land in advance (Genesis 13:17 )? Have you identified Hebron? Abram by the Egyptian episode may have well felt he had forfeited the promise, if it had rested on his faithfulness, but instead it rested upon the faithfulness of God. How kind, therefore, for God to have reassured His unworthy servant, and even to have given him a larger vision of what the promise meant!

QUESTIONS

Because of the number and nature of the questions in the lesson itself, a special section of questions is unnecessary here. Group leaders may want to review the lesson looking for potential discussion topics.