DWDP - Gen 13: 5-17 Lot's Sad Choice

One choice can change the direction of a whole family, and Genesis 13 shows it in painfully clear detail. We watch Abram and Lot hit a pressure point: their herds grow, the land feels limited, and the conflict starts to spread. What happens next isn’t just a story about ancient tent life, it’s a mirror for modern Christian living, leadership under stress, and the daily decisions that shape our witness.

We talk through a principle that hits close to home: righteousness spills over. When Christ is alive in us, the blessing doesn’t stop with us, it touches our kids, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and church. But the overflow works both ways. Sin and compromise don’t stay private for long, and the people closest to us often pay the first price. From Joseph’s influence in Potiphar’s household to Abram’s mixed track record, we tease out how integrity and failure ripple outward.

Then we slow down at the crossroads moment: Abram offers Lot the first pick, and Lot chooses what looks best. The Jordan Valley seems like Eden, yet it pulls him toward Sodom. We connect “pitching your tent toward Sodom” to the modern temptation to stay close enough to the world to enjoy its advantages while trying to keep a clean testimony. That tension leads to a practical question: if your light is getting swallowed by the darkness around you, do you need to step back and rebuild strength?

We close with a path forward for anyone who feels compromised: confess to God, make it right with people, and protect your witness with real boundaries. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review so more listeners can find these Genesis devotions.

Transcript

Copy

Welcome And Settle In

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, Dr. Robert Jackson.

SPEAKER_02 0:16

Papa, can you tell me a story? Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go get your brother and your sisters, and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr. Papa. Gather round, grab your Bibles, and let us look into the written word which reveals to us the living word who is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 13 Reading And Context

SPEAKER_02 0:43

Today we are at Genesis thirteen verses five through thirteen. Now Lot, who went with Abram also had flocks and herds and tents, and the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together, and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abraham's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizite were dwelling then in the land. So Abram said to Lot, please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me, if to the left, then I will go to the right, or if to the right, then I will go to the left. Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward, thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord. May the Lord add his blessing to the reading of his word. Now let's start back at the beginning with verses five through

When Righteousness Blesses Others

SPEAKER_02 2:29

seven. There was strife between Lot's herdsman and Abram's herdsman due to the limited resources. How did Lot acquire his great wealth? Well, it was by riding his uncle's coat strings, by being in his aura. He was the beneficiary of God's promises to Abram just by being a part of his household. That's how Lot acquired his great wealth. There's a principle here. Your righteousness spills over into the life of those around you as blessings. Let me say that again. Your righteousness spills over into the life of those around you as blessings, just as Abraham's righteousness spilled over into Lot's life as blessings. Just as Joseph's righteousness was a blessing to Potiphar's household, the Bible says that even his garden was blessed under Joseph's stewardship. So your children and friends and employees and your church and your neighbors will be blessed because of your righteousness, simply because they live within the orbit of your life. On the contrary, your sinfulness, your bad choices will spill over into the life of those around you as a detriment, spoiling their peace and joy. Just as Michael, David's wife, her pride and her condescension spoil his unbridled and joyful worship of the Lord. Abram's deception in Egypt almost ruined the entire family, but God was faithful to his promise, even when Abram was unfaithful because God cannot deny himself. God's faithfulness spilled over into the entire family. And Lot was protected and he was enriched along with Abram. He was almost ruined because of Abram's sin along with the rest of the family, but he was rescued because of God's integrity, because of God's faithfulness to his unconditional promise to Abram. Remember, in your work life and in your family life, that the life of Christ in you flows over into the life of those around you. And it flows over into their life as blessing and favor. Whether they deserve it or not, it flows into their life as blessing and favor because of your righteousness, because of the life of Christ in you. If however we allow sin in the camp, if we allow sin in our life, it drags us down and spills over into the life of everyone around us, spoiling them as well. In Galatians the Bible says, Be not deceived, whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. If he sows to the flesh, he shall of the flesh reap corruption. But not just you, brother and sister, those around you, they shall also reap corruption. But if he sows to the spirit, he shall of the spirit reap life and peace. And not just you, brother and sister, those around you will enjoy the life and peace that you enjoy because you sowed to the spirit.

Abram’s Humility And Lot’s Choice

SPEAKER_02 6:57

Now go to verse eight through nine. In verses eight through nine, Abram offered life Lot a choice, yet he is the elder statesman. He is the uncle. He is the provider of all that benefit, all the benefits. And what should Lot have done? He should have deferred. Oh no, Uncle Abram, you choose should have been his response. Obviously Lot was not the beneficiary of a Sunday school class, where he learned the meaning of the acronym Joy J O Yesus first, others second, and yourself last. Do you remember learning that in Sunday school? That's the Christ life, dead to self, alive unto Christ, serving others. Do you remember that from Sunday school days? Neither did Lot have the benefit of Jesus teaching to his disciples when he observed grown men struggling to get the best seats at a banquet table. He warned his disciples to always choose the lowest seat, so if a less important guest arrived, they would be called up to a better seat and not be embarrassed by being asked to move farther away. Then he said in my kingdom the first shall be last, and the last shall be first, and you shall be servant of all. This was such an upside down concept that his disciples were dumbstruck as they watched grown men fighting for position at the table, and Jesus only laughed. Lat had no benefit of this teaching, nor in fact do many of your friends, if you don't teach them by word and by example. So Lot chose poorly, dissing his uncle Abram, who was both superior in his position in life, and he forgot the benefits that accrued to his account by simply being associated with his uncle Abram. He chose the fertile plains of the Jordan rather than deferring to his older and wiser uncle. And then in verses 10 through 13, Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere. And this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. It was well watered like the garden of the Lord, like the Garden of Eden. It was well watered like the land of Egypt as you go down to Zoar, a place where Lot and Abram had just visited, and he could see the prosperous and exciting cities in the plain of the Jordan. And he recalled the Garden of Eden. He recalled the land of the Nile Valley, Valley in Egypt that they had just left.

The Slow Slide Into Compromise

SPEAKER_02 10:23

And like so many Christians today, Lot compromised. How so? Well verse seventeen tells us that the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord. So it couldn't have been a secret. Lot chose the five wicked cities in the Jordan Valley, where Abram on the other hand looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God, as Hebrews eleven and verse ten informs us. These verses tell us that Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom and dwelled in the cities of the plain, not actually in the cities. He lived in his tent, not in the city, but in their orbit, near enough to enjoy their advantages, but not part of their life. Let me tell you, Christians today tried to do that, hoping to enjoy the spiritual blessings of a separated walk, a separated walk with God and the carnal advantages of following after the world. Sooner or later one has to choose. Neither God nor the world will allow divided allegiance. In first John chapter two verses fifteen through seventeen, the Bible describes first John two verses five through seventeen tells us that do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lust, but the one who does the will of God lives forever. As we continue to study Genesis, we will see that Lot eventually dwelt in Sodom in Genesis fourteen twelve and finally sat in the gate of Sodom in Genesis nineteen one as one of its business leaders. His gradual compromise led to the destruction of himself and his family.

Living Set Apart Without Retreating

SPEAKER_02 13:02

What about you and me? Paul tells us to come out from among them and be ye separate. He says we are in the world, but not of the world. He is telling us that although we cannot physically separate ourselves from the lost people around us, we should be morally and spiritually distinct from those around us by living holy lives that everyone notices. The Christ life should set us apart. The fruit of Holy Spirit in us should make us distinctively different from the matting crowds. The more we allow Holy Spirit to make us like Jesus, the more we will be distinct from the rest of the lost world. We are still in the world, but not of the world. And we belong to a king whose kingdom is not of this world, as Jesus told Pilate. We will represent our king. We will be ambassadors. We must guard and protect our testimony against compromise, lest we become a poor ambassador. Now, what if the environment corrupts your testimony? What if the darkness around you overwhelms your light? Then I would recommend that you retreat and train a little more, or recruit more soldiers until your light is stronger or incorruptible. Just don't allow yourself to be compromised.

How To Repair A Damaged Testimony

SPEAKER_02 14:57

What if I've already been compromised and my testimony has been tarnished? Well then, dear brother, dear sister, confess to God that you've been compromised. Confess to family and friends and co workers. To forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Trust me, your family, your friends, your coworkers will never ever forget the day that that Christian came and asked forgiveness, for compromising their testimony by gossiping or cursing or telling an off colored joke, they'll never forget the day that you came and asked for forgiveness. And then they will watch you like a hawk from then on, and your light will shine brightly in the darkness. You and I are in this world, but not of it. Our commander, the commander of the kingdom of God is not of this world. Keep your testimony shining brightly.

Closing Encouragement And Next Steps

SPEAKER_02 16:20

You're listening to devotions with doctor Papa. If you like what you hear, follow, like, share, share it with your friends, and we'll be back again next week as we continue going through the book of Genesis. And remember, Jesus loves you and your doctor loves you. And until next week, may the Lord bless you real good.

SPEAKER_00 16:43

Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medic. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, Instagram, or web page at Jackson Family Ministry dot com.