Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 30
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IMMERSE
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BEGINNINGS
12:14–13:13
And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed
S arai’s beauty. When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to
Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. Then Pharaoh
gave Abram many gifts because of h er—sheep, goats, cattle, male and
female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household
because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused
him sharply. “What have you done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you
tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow
me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get
out of here!” Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he
sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions.
So Abram left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev, along with his
wife and Lot and all that they owned. (Abram was very rich in livestock,
silver, and gold.) From the Negev, they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, and they pitched their tents between Bethel and Ai, where
they had camped before. This was the same place where Abram had built
the altar, and there he worshiped the Lord again.
Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had also become very wealthy with
flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. But the land
could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds
living so close together. So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of
Abram and Lot. (At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living
in the land.)
Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! The whole
countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land
you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll
take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go
to the left.”
Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden
of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord
destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan
Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and
parted company with his uncle Abram. So Abram settled in the land of
Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among
the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were extremely wicked
and constantly sinned against the Lord.
