GOD’S WORD OF VISION

“LIFT YOUR EYES now and LOOK from the place where you are – northward, southward, eastward, and westward…” – Genesis 13: 14b

GOD re-visited Abraham with the WORD of VISION: “And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “LIFT YOUR EYES now and LOOK from the place where you are – northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever (Gen.13:14-15). God spoke this Word of Instruction, Vision, and Promise to Abram, “after Lot had separated from him.” Lot’s association with Abram seemed like a deterrent to destiny-fulfilment – a barrier to receiving and pursuing divine Vision!  Abram had returned from Egypt with great riches, but he was right back where he started. Essentially, his time in Egypt was wasted time. God could and would have provided for his needs in Canaan, even in a time of famine (Gen.12:10).

Abram returned to the land that God had earlier promised: “the place where his TENT had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the ALTAR which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord” (vv.1-4). Abram had slid from his place of worship, into lying, until an ungodly king rightly rebuked him (Gen.12: 18-19). Now, instead of torturing himself about his past sin, he chose to begin again and do the right thing: live with the tent as a Pilgrim and the altar as a Worshipper, calling on the name of the LORD.

Abram returned to the Promised Land as a beginner – Back to Bethel. In his return was his restoration. God wants us to walk in our first love and first works (Rev.2: 4-5). God commanded Abram to leave his family behind when he came to Canaan (Gen.12:1). But Abram brought his nephew Lot – and trouble – along with him: Like the contention between their hired workers (vv.5-7). Having grown in understanding, Abram handled the brewing strife wisely. While they both had great wealth, Lot’s wealth possessed him, Abram’s didn’t. Although older, he made Lot a generous offer, to choose wherever he desired (vv.8-9). He didn’t yield to Lot out of weakness, but out of love and trust in God.

A few acres of grazing land wouldn’t be worth fighting for to a man who lived with an eternal perspective. Abram fulfilled the New Testament principle of love: “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phi.2:4). Right or left, Abram knew he could trust God to be there (v.9). Whatever Lot chose, God would ensure he, Abram, prospered. In Egypt, Abram thought he had to take his fate into his own hands and look out for himself. Now, he was wiser, and willing to let God look out for his interests.

Lot – the lustful – lifted up his eyes and “chose for himself” what appeared to be the “well watered” portion (vv.10-11). Lot made his choice purely based on sight. He cared only for the material abundance of the land, and cared nothing for how it would impact him and his family spiritually. Faith means we do not walk by what we see, but by what we know to be true in God: “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Cor.5:7). Abram walked by Faith and generosity; Lot walked by sight and selfish worldliness, and would eventually lose it all. Lot’s choice didn’t lead his heart astray. His heart was already astray, and it was proven by his choice. Restored and separated from lust, Vision visited Abram!

In re-confirming His Promise, God instructed this childless man of faith to lift up his eyes from where he was in all directions! All the land was for him and his countless descendants’ forever (vv.14-16). By Faith, he was to arise and “walk in the land through its length and its width” v.17). Abram “dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron” (v.18). “Mamre” means VISION. “Hebron” means COMMUNION. Abram once again walked in the LORD’s VISION and in COMMUNION with the LORD. The Word of Vision came to reinforce his Faith!