READ Gen 13:1-18

Abram means “exalted father,” and Abraham means “father of a multitude.” These two names tell us that he is the founding father of all who believe. His journey can teach us what it means to live by faith from beginning to end, especially when our faith is tested. Abram’s story is told as a series of tests. We have seen the test of his call and the test of famine, but this chapter tells us about the test of prosperity.

1. The Test of Prosperity

The test of prosperity is one most of us would sign up for any day! But the bible cautions us. Prosperity is a gift of God, but it is also one of the most difficult tests, greatest dangers, and threats to living by faith. The passage tells us that both Abram and Lot had become so wealthy that they could not stay together. In v. 7, we see quarreling between the herdsman of Abram and Lot. They are left with a choice to separate (v.8). This choice becomes a significant turning point in both of their lives.

This test is not only one for Abram and Lot but for us today. The Bible tells us in many places that prosperity can increase our pride, decrease our reliance upon God, and even lead us to destruction. All this should be a flashing warning lot for anyone living a culture of prosperity like ours.

2. Lot’s Choice

Abram gives Lot the first choice of the land. Lot chooses the entire plain of the Jordan for himself. His choice makes sense because it is lush, fertile, and great for livestock, but there’s something Lot didn’t see or chose to ignore. Lot decided to go to the very edge of the promised land near Sodom, where the people were described as “evil, sinning immensely against the Lord.” Lot thought something we all do: “I could be dangerously close to evil, but it will never affect me.”

Why would Lot put himself in this situation? The text reveals Lot’s perspective, who saw the land was “watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden” (v. 10). It wasn’t just about material prosperity, but a way back to the garden of Eden. Prosperity isn’t bad or sinful in itself; it’s what we believe our prosperity will do for us that leads us away from God. Here Lot looked and saw what looked like the garden of the Lord, but one thing was missing… The Lord! His choice is a lot like the first temptation in the garden: you can have all you want and even more without God and His rule, His word, or His boundaries.

3. Abram’s Choice

Abram faced the same choice as Lot, but his response was not only counterintuitive but countercultural. As the head of the family, including Lot, and the one initially promised the land, he could have simply chosen the best land for himself. Abram let go of the opportunity to advance himself, his wealth, and his riches. There are a few reasons for this:

Abram valued his relationship with Lot more than his wealth.
Abram valued his relationship with God more than his wealth.

No one would ever say aloud, “I value money more than my relationships,” but we often act like it in how we live. Our pursuit of security and significance ends up squeezing out all our time or leaving us so empty we have nothing left to give those we love or God Himself. Abram let it all go so he could preserve his relationship with Lot and the Lord.

4. Our Choice

Lot chose the garden without the Lord over the Lord of the garden. The result for him was ruin. By contrast, the result of Abram’s choice was God promising to give it all back to Him - not just for him alone but for all his descendants (v.14)!

Abram here points us to his greater Son, Jesus, who passed an even greater test of prosperity and earned an even greater blessing for his family.

He left His Father's throne above,

So free, so infinite His grace.

Emptied Himself of all but love,

And bled for Adam's helpless race.

In our sin, we chose the garden without the Lord. On the cross, Jesus took the judgment of that choice in our place – a life apart from God. Now, we can come back to the Lord of the garden and find the safety, security and significance we long for in him. This sets us free from the “hook” of prosperity so we can live countercultural and counterintuitive lives like Abram. We can become poor (by letting go and being generous) so others can be enriched. By doing so, we bear witness to the One who gave it all up to restore our relationship to Him.

QUESTIONS

What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?
How can prosperity be a gift of God and also something that leads us away from God? How does this relate to our faith? How have you seen this play out in your life?
Look up Deut. 8:12-18, Prov. 30:8,9, Mk. 10:23, 1 Tim. 6:9-10. What practical insights can you take from these passages regarding having prosperity or wanting more of it?
When Lot saw prosperity - he was blind to the evil he was getting dangerously close to (in Sodom). How can this happen in our pursuit of success, wealth or prosperity?
How is a desire for prosperity looking for a “way back to the garden without the Lord”? Why doesn’t it work? How is it like the bait on a hook that draws us away from God?
Abram made his choice because he valued his relationships with Lot and with God more than gaining more wealth/success. How can our desire for prosperity, quest for more security, safety, significance harm our relationships? How have you seen this in your life?
Jesus passed an even greater test and earned an even greater blessing for us. How does Jesus letting it all go, emptying himself, and giving everything up for us set us free from seeking prosperity as our “god”?
How might Jesus be calling you to look at your own financial situation, needs and pursuits differently? How might He be calling you - like Abram - to give something up to be free and bear witness to his promise?

Listen to the sermon on SoundCloud here.