Genesis 13:1-7 -Abram was very rich

13:1-4

So Abram left Egypt with all that he had, which was rather a lot (no pun intended). He had much in the way of livestock, silver and gold, and we will see here an example where wealth does not become a snare. Arguably in the case of Lot, wealth was a snare. He returned back to the place where his tent had been at the beginning. When we have made mistakes it is best sometimes to return to where we were and to get back our God focused bearings. At the same time, sometimes we make mistakes (or commit sins) from which we cannot go back to where we were and we just have to move on. Chapter 16 will involve such an incident. Note verse 4 emphasises that this was the place where Abram had made an altar and had called upon the name of the Lord. There is perhaps a hint that on his Egyptian sojourn he had not called on the name of the Lord.

13:5-7

Lot, who had travelled with Abram, had also accumulated a reasonable amount of wealth. In fact, they had so much in the way of livestock between them that the land could not support them both. When there is a shortage of resources it always produces strife. Things are no different today, the recent petrol shortage and earlier toilet paper shortage clearly demonstrate this. Mention is made again that the land was currently occupied by the Canaanites and Perizzites. Abram lived as a man of faith (and flaws) in a land that would be his, but was currently occupied by others. The earth is currently occupied by the world, but we are to live on the earth as people of faith (along with our flaws).