Genesis 13:14-1814And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. (Genesis 13:14‑18)
“And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.” 10:14,15.
After Lot was separated from him, God says to Abram, “Lift up now thine eyes...” And what does He show him? All the land! In every direction he looked his promises lay. Even that which Lot had thought to claim for his own was part of that promised to Abraham. God is indeed a generous giver, and one who walks in obedience to Him and His word will find He will do beyond every expectation. He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Ephesians 3:2020Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (Ephesians 3:20).
How sweet for Abram to have trusted in the Lord, leaving all the question, though apparently with Lot, really with the Lord. May we too learn to be thus simple and confiding. There is never a giving up of self that is not answered by the Lord, in His grace and in the sweet assurance of it to our souls, by a better gift still through Jesus Christ our Lord.
“And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth.” This speaks plainly of earthly blessings connected with the nation of Israel. In a later chapter when God again appears to Abram these promises are made to include the Gentiles also. Thus Abram is called “the father of the faithful”—God’s earthly people, Israel, and his heavenly people, the Church.
After viewing the land of promise, God told Abraham, “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it,” verse 17. So he moved onward to the plains of Mamre, in Hebron, where he built another altar to the Lord. Mamre means “vigor” or “faithfulness,” and it seems to have been a place of encouragement to Abraham. We cannot but help notice the difference between Abram’s going to Mamre, where he could enjoy unbroken counion with God and Lot’s going into the plains of Jordan, which means “death.”
But the Lord would not be satisfied to have His servant merely dwell in, and look out on, his blessings. He called him to “arise and walk through it.” In a later day when the descendants of Abraham, having been redeemed out of Egypt and having crossed the desert, were coming into the land of promise, Joshua was told: “Arise, go... unto the land which I do give to them... Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.” Joshua 1:2,32Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. (Joshua 1:2‑3). Nor is it enough for the Lord’s people now to merely rest on the assurance of eternal salvation, precious as this is. But to fully enjoy all that we possess in Christ, those “spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)), we need to lay hold of them by faith and walk confidently in the good of them. “Arise, walk through the land” is as important a word for the Lord’s people today as it was for those of long ago. “That ye,... may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.” Ephesians 3:17-1917That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:17‑19).
ML 04/11/1965