So after his failure in Egypt, God still provided for him, and…
He returned to the place where he had pitched his tent
at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai.
This was the place where he had first built the altar,
and there Abram worshiped the Lord.
I really appreciate that Abram went back to where he had known God, where God has spoken to him, where he had worshipped him. Unlike Adam who hid after his sin, when Abram was confronted, he moved towards God. That’s a great lesson to me – that no matter how humbled I am, how ashamed I may feel, I can approach God by going back to him and recapture relationship.
But there were still problems. Abram, now reconnected with God in worship, realized continuing with Lot was problematic. While he was the elder with all the power, he humbled himself and gave Lot first choice of the land. Lot looked over the land and took what he thought was best for himself.
But God’s ways are not our ways, and Lot overlooked the power of sin which would someday undo his family and fortune.
Abram was the peacemaker in this situation, giving of himself and his desires for the free choice of another. Right or wrong, he let Lot make his own decision.
Abram’s reward was God reaffirming his covenant with him, giving him and generations to come the land: “Get up and walk throughout the land, for I will give it to you.”
And, Abram’s response once again, was to worship God: “So Abram moved his tents and went to live by the oaks of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.” (remember this location…it will comeback again!)
When we make bad decisions, its a reason to worship. And when we make good decisions, that’s a reason to worship.
There is always a reason to worship.
