Abram Goes back to Canaan and Separates from Lot – Genesis Chapter 13
by Sabrina Dawkins
After having been sent away from Egypt, Abram actually traveled back to where he had pitched his tent in the beginning: in the land of Canaan, where he had built an altar and called on God (Genesis 12:8). But the Bible doesn’t indicate that he waited on the response: He just continued traveling toward the south (Genesis 12:9). But God never told Abram to go to Egypt.
Abram had become very rich, and Lot also had his possessions and herdsmen. They had too much substance to dwell together comfortably. And conflict arose between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. Also, Canaanites and Perizzites lived in the land. Abram told Lot to separate from him, while still acknowledging Lot as his kinsman, to end the conflict. And Abram even let Lot choose what land he would take.
Lot chose the whole plain of Jordan, which he saw was well watered. So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot in the cities of the plain of Jordan, near Sodom, which was later to be destroyed by God because the men there were very wicked. And God waited until Lot had separated from Abram and gone to live in the plain of Jordan near Sodom to speak to Abram.
The second time Abram arrived where he had built the altar and called on God, he again called on God. God again told Abram that the land he was currently on, the land of Canaan, would be given to his seed. But this time God added that he would give the land to Abram and his seed forever. He also told Abram that his descendants would be countless. Abram built a third altar to the Lord (Genesis 12:7-8; Genesis 13:18).