Title: The separation happened at Bethel
There are 4 most ancient great civilizations: Ancient Egypt (benefited by Nile River), Ancient Mesopotamia (Euphrates and Tigris River), Ancient China (Yellow River) and Ancient India (Indus River).
- The land God gave to Abraham’s descendant
Abraham was from The Ur of the Chaldeans where Ancient Mesopotamian civilization started and developed.
Next he went to Haran which benefited from the River of Euphrates and Tigris. When Abraham was in Haran at aged 75 years old, God commanded him to leave Haran and go to the land which God will show him (Genesis 12:1).
God appeared to Abraham again when Abraham was passing through a village called Shechem and promised him “This is the land I will give to your descendants” (Genesis 12:6-7).
Hebrew word for ‘to show’ in Genesis 12:1 means ‘to see, to look’ and it was in Hiphil form which makes its literal translation ‘I will let you see’. God ordered Abraham to go the land where God will let him see. Next place which was used in Genesis 12:7 means “the Lord appeared to Abram”. Here, it was used in Nipal form which makes its literal translation ‘the Lord was seen by Abram’.
God ordered Abraham to leave Haran and promised him that he will see ‘something or someone’. Then, when Abraham was passing through Shechem, God showed Himself to Abraham. That was how Abraham became aware that Shechem and the land of Canaan that was represented by Shechem is the land God will give to him descendants. But, Abraham didn’t stay in Shechem but moved to Bethel (Between Bethel and Ai), Hebron, Beersheba and all the down to Negev (Genesis 12:9).
Negev is the village located at the most southern area of the land of Canaan. The reason why Abraham went down to Negev was probably he was not able to fully trust in God until his age of 99, Abraham was looking for a little easier life or comfortable life.
Genesis 12:10 10 Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
Abraham without hesitation decided to go down to Egypt because Egypt has the Nile which never runs dry. Egyptians, using a foot operate water mill were able to keep farming and sustain through famine. In Canaan, there is no water source to pump out water and they have to depend on rain from heaven to do their farming.
- The land Lot chose
Abraham went down to Egypt and experienced a horrible time that he almost lost his wife and jeopardized God’s promise. By God’s protection, he came back from Egypt and went back all the way up to Bethel.
When Abraham was coming out of Egypt, God blessed him and his household. So, Abraham and Lot became so rich. The Bible says that the land cannot sustain them together. There was a quarrel and fight between them (Genesis 13:5-6).
Genesis 13:9 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.
Jews consider front as East. Therefore, left is North and right is South. So, Abraham was suggesting Lot to either go north or south. The land of Canaan is vertically long in shape. Abraham was suggesting that Lot and himself may not be able to stay together in one place but let’s stick together in the land of Canaan, under the same covenant and same blessing. Sticking together under the same covenant is important. For Abraham and Lot, it was the land of Canaan that God promised. Therefore, they shouldn’t leave the land of Canaan but stay no matter what.
Genesis 13:11 So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.
However, Lot chose eastward which means frontward which is out of the land of Canaan. Lot chose not to stay in the same covenant. They should not separate from each other. If Lot chose North or South, the Bible wouldn’t say they separated from each other because they would still be one under the same covenant.
Then, why did Lot choose eastward, the Jordan valley?
Genesis 13:10 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.
Lot chose Jordan valley because it was well watered everywhere. In the land of Canaan, there was no water, no big river. Therefore, people have to reply on rain from heaven. Hebrew word for ‘to be watered’ refers to ‘cultivated water, man pumped water, wine reservoir’. That was what exactly Abraham and Lot went down to Egypt during the time of famine and they learned in a hard way that it was not God’s will. Yet, that was the exact reason why Lot chose to go down to the Jordan valley because he doesn’t have to rely on rain from heaven anymore.
Conclusion:
Where can we find true water?
In Ezekiel temple, water comes from the temple (Ezekiel 47:1)
In New Jerusalem, the river of living water comes from the throne of God (Revelation 22:1)
Jesus is the one who gives water springing up to eternal life (John 4:13)
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 