Here is a little map that I scribbled out on my lap while reading this chapter.
As you can see (hopefully), Abram, Sarai and Lot are traveling out of Egypt. They have acquired many possessions and livestock.
The herdsman of Lot and the herdsman of Abram start to quarrel. There are so many of them that the land cannot support them all. Solution? Split up.
Abram tells Lot to pick a direction and he will go the opposite direction. Lot chooses to go East, near Sodom in the plains of the Jordan.
Abram then goes to the land of Canaan. God tells Abram that he will have as many offspring as dust on the earth and that the land will be his forever (again). Abram takes his tents and goes to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron. Here he builds an alter to the Lord.
He offers Lot the choice of where to live, even though Abram would have been completely justified to choose first since he was older.
Lot makes an interesting choice by selecting the land next to Sodom to live. Sodom was known to be filled with sin and wickedness.
As Christians, we are called to love others, regardless of how they are living their lives, however, we also need to be aware of where we are placing ourselves and our families. If we are living, working, hanging out with a crowd that isn't honoring God , it may be difficult for us to honor God as we would with our time otherwise. Even if it doesn't effect us personally, it may be a dangerous environment for the people we bring along, for example, our children!
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