1

Lot Followed His Greed

2

Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: (Genesis 13:10-11)

3

When Abraham was 75 years old, God ordered him to leave his hometown and go to Canaan. Abraham followed God's order. At that time, the nephew of Abraham, Lot, also followed Abraham and went to Canaan.

4

God gave a lot of blessings to Abraham because he followed God's order.
Abraham became very rich in that land.

5

Not only Abraham but even Lot also received a lot of blessings from God. And he got lots of properties. He got huge flocks of sheep and herds of cattle as well as many tents. Also, he acquired many servants.

6

But soon they had a problem. The servants of Abraham and the servants of Lot got into a fight. There were too much sheep and cows that the land was not enough. So, to have good places, the servants were fighting with each other.

7

Abraham was so embarrassed. Other people in that land were looking at the people of God fighting with each other.

8

So Abraham brought Lot to a high place where they could see all of the land. "Lot, it is not good to see all of our servants fighting. We should do something to stop them fighting!"

9

Abraham continued. "Come, lift up your eyes and see. Look at all of this land! So choose the land that looks good to you. If you go to the right, I will go to the left and if you go to the left, I will go to the right."

10

Abraham was older and he was Lot's uncle so he could have taken the good land first but he did not do that. Abraham believed that God would be together with him anywhere he went so he was willing to give up the good thing to Lot first.

11

Upon hearing all that Abraham had to say, Lot looked around all of the land. Lot became greedy in his heart. He wanted to have the better land if they could not live together.

12

Then, one part of the land caught Lot's eyes.
It was the Jordan plain that was seen from a far.
That land looked so beautiful and fertile to his eyes.

13

Without hesitating, Lot said to Abraham,"I will go to that land."
Lot was greedy in his heart so he wanted to make more properties in that good land.

14

Abraham allowed Lot's choice. Lot left Abraham and went to the Jordan plain.
This is how Lot and Abraham were separated.

15

After arriving at the Jordan plain, Lot followed the greed in his heart and went further and further away from Abraham. Finally, Lot even reached Sodom. Sodom was a place where God hated. The people in Sodom did many bad things.

16

But Sodom where Lot chose would be punished by God before long. God sent fire and judged all the evil people in that land. By the help of God's angels, Lot was able to avoid the disaster but he left all of his properties in that land and only he and his daughters escaped.

17

If we follow our faith and do the things that make God happy, we will receive lots of blessings but if we follow our greed and do the things that God is not happy about, we will fail and be ashamed. We should let the Holy Spirit guide us to become faithful people who choose to do things God is happy with.