PITCHING YOUR TENT

PITCHING YOUR TENT
GENESIS 13: 11-13
KEY VERSE: GENESIS 13:12
FOCAL POINT: BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU PITCH YOUR TENT!

INTRODUCTION:

THIS TEACHING ENTAILS TWO MAIN CHARACTERS, ABRAM (EXALTED FATHER WHOSE NAME AS LATER CHANGED TO ABRAHAM (FATHER OF NATIONS) AND LOT (COVERING) WHO WAS THE SON OF HARAN AND ABRAM’S NEPHEW. REF: GENESIS 13: 11-13 AND GENESIS 17:5. A DISPUTE AROSE BETWEEN ABRAM ‘S AND LOT’S HERDSMEN BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF GRAZE LAND FOR THEIR HERDS. ABRAM OFFERED LOT FIRST CHOICE TO SETTLE THE DISPUTE. LOT CHOSE NEITHER NORTH OR SOUTH, RATHER HE CHOSE TO MOVE EAST TO THE JORDON VALLEY (GENESIS 13:11). YOU CAN READ THE ENTIRE EPISODE OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH IN GENESIS, CHAPTERS 18 AND 19.

EXPOSITION ON GENESIS 13:11-13

LOT’S CHOICE OF MOVING EASTWARD CREATED A FEW UNSETTLED QUESTIONS. EARLIER, ADAM, EVE AND CAIN TRAVELED EASTWARD AFTER THEY SINNED (GENESIS 3: 24 AND 4:16) THE PEOPLE OF BABEL WENT EASTWARD AND REBELLED AGAIN GOD (GENESIS 11:2). LOT SETTLED ON THE EASTERN FRONTIERS OF THE PROMISED LAND (GENESIS 13:11). THE EXACT LOCATION IS DUBIOUS BUT LIKELY IN THE GENERAL AREA OF THE DEAD SEA.

THE GENERAL REGION LOT CHOSE WAS INVITING DUE TO THE PROSPERITY IN THE GENERAL AREA. WATER AND PLENTIFUL PASTURE FOR GRAZING HERDS ABOUNDED. THE TWO MAJOR SETTLEMENTS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH PROSPERED. FROM AN ECONOMIC VIEWPOINT, IT APPEARED GOOD. FROM A SPIRITUAL VIEWPOINT WAS ABSOLUTE DEVASTATION TO LOT’S HOUSEHOLD. READ GENESIS 19 TO SEE THE FULL IMPACT OF THE DECISION.

THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES GIVE INSIGHT INTO CHOICES:

DEUTERONOMY 28: 29 “AND YOU SHALL GROPE AT NOONDAY, AS A BLIND MAN GROPES IN DARKNESS; YOU SHALL NOT PROSPER IN YOUR WAYS; YOU SHALL BE ONLY OPPRESSED AND PLUNDERED CONTINUALLY, AND NO ONE SHALL SAVE YOU.” (NKJV)

PROVERBS 4: 19 “THE WAY OF THE WICKED IS LIKE DARKNESS; THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT MAKES THEM STUMBLE.” (NKJV)

PSALMS 82: 5: THEY DO NOT KNOW, NOR DO THEY UNDERSTAND; THEY WALK ABOUT IN DARKNESS, ALL THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH ARE UNSTABLE.” (NKJV)

THE GOOD NEW IS THE LIGHT THAT CAN PENETRATE YOUR DARKNESS!

JOHN 8: 12 “THE JESUS SPOKE TO THEM AGAIN, SAYING, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. HE WHO FOLLOWS ME SHALL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS, BUT HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.” (NKJV)

EPHESIANS 5:14 “THEREFORE HE SAYS, :AWAKE, YOU WHO SLEEP, ARISE FROM THE DEAD, AND CHRIST WILL GIVE YOU LIGHT.” (NKJV)

CONCLUSION: WHEN YOU PITCH YOUR TENT TOWARD SODOM AND GOMORRAH, YOU BECOME SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

REF: DR. CONSTABLE’S NOTES ON GENESIS, BIBLE ANSWERS TO ALMOST ALL YOUR QUESTIONS BY ELMER L. TOWNS, STRONG’S CONCORDANCE, THE MACARTHUR STUDY BIBLE, TSB BY WARREN WIERSBE, EXTRACT FROM SERMON BY VANCE HAVNER, BLUELETTERBIBLE,ORG AND GOTQUESTIONS.ORG