Separation Of Abram And Lot

After his long circuitous journey and his adventures in Egypt Abram returned and camped again at Bethel. There, the Scriptures tells us, Abram invoked the name of YAHWEH (Bereshith 13:4). That is a very significant observation.

'Abram invoked the name of YAHWEH.' This means that during his journey to the land of the Pharaohs Abram remained constant to his belief in YAHWEH, and was not corrupted by the dreadful polytheism of Egypt with its deified beasts and monsters. These gods of the valley of the Nile must have been observed by Abram at the doors of the sanctuaries or in the avenues of the sphinx; he would have seen their colossal carved effigies at the entrances of the temples or the fortresses which were to be found even in the frontier zone of the delta.

Thus, immediately on his return to Bethel, it was fitting to show clearly that he had remained unwavering in his fidelity to YAHWEH. On arrival at his old camping-ground 'Abram invoked the name of YAHWEH', in other words the envoy wished to show that he had in no wise failed in his mission; he had carefully kept the message entrusted to him; there had been no compromise with polytheism.

On the other hand, Abram seems to have emerged from the expedition very successfully. His flocks had multiplied and his 'tents' (that is, his shepherds, servants and slaves) showed an extraordinary increase in numbers. It was the same with Lot, his nephew who, from what the Scriptures says, seems to have possessed his own flocks and establishment. As was to be expected, the usual difficulties soon occurred. The pasture was insufficient to feed so great a number of stock and in addition there were clashes between the shepherds at the wells. In the evening, when they had to take their turn at the drinking places, they quarreled. It was time to separate. That indeed was the ordinary process. Once a clan had grown too numerous it divided in two. In this way were constituted the tribes, federations of clans derived in principle at least from a common origin.

Abram, lording it over his nephew, allowed him to choose his pasture. From the natural viewpoint provided by Bethel there was an immense sweep of country to be seen. In the distance was the valley of the Yordan and nearer the shores of the Dead Sea with the plains bordering it on the southern side. As a background stood the lowering mountainous country of Moab. Lot had only to say where he would go. 'Let there be no dispute between me and you,' said Abram, 'nor between my herdsmen and yours, for we are brothers Part company with me: if you take the left I will go right; if you take the right I will go left' (Bereshith 13:8-9). The conciliatory spirit could be pushed no further.

Lot needed no pressing, and since his uncle had allowed him to choose he took good care that his choice should be a good one. He chose the pastures in the valley of Siddim, to the south of the Dead Sea, in the neighbourhood of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

It was no doubt necessary for Lot to disappear, not indeed from the history of the Hebrews but at least from Abram's clan. In this way Abram remained the head of the family, alone before YAHWEH. He was available for service. In this land of Bethel, which for several spiritual reasons the people of Yisrael regarded as an especially set apart place, the time had come when, for the third time, YAHWEH was to manifest himself to Abram.

At Shechem YAHWEH had revealed his general plan which though expressed in lofty terms, was still not very explicit: 'It is to your descendants that I will give this land.' A gift of this nature, it is clear, required confirmation in more solemn form, and at Bethel YAHWEH gave further information. As we have seen, and it is a point of some importance for the understanding of what happened, from his camp Abram could look down on an immense panorama of the valleys, pasture land and plains of the south. YAHWEH explained to the patriarch that all this constituted the future domain of his children.

YAHWEH said to Abram: Look all round from where you are towards the north and the south, towards the east and the west. All the land within sight I will give to you and your descendants for ever. I will make your descendants like the dust on the ground: when men succeed in counting the specks of dust on the ground, then they will be able to count your descendants! (Bereshith 13:14-16).

But the agreement had not yet been sealed, so to say, in solemn form. It was at Hebron that this occurred in the great ceremony of the eternal Covenant granted by YAHWEH to his people. To this end YAHWEH gave a command: 'Come, travel through the length and breadth of the land, for I mean to give it to you.' So Abram went with his tents to settle at the Oak of Mamre, at Hebron (Bereshith 13:17-18).

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