Genesis 13

        Verses 1-2: Abram left Egypt a very wealthy man. Even though he had displayed a lack of faith by going there in the first place, and then sinned even further by convincing Sarai to lie to the Egyptians about her marital status, God still blessed him with livestock, servants, gold and silver. God demonstrated great love, patience and mercy toward Abram in spite of Abram’s selfishness, disobedience and lack of faith. There is great comfort for us, His children, in knowing that God’s love and faithfulness are not dependent on us always being faithful and holding up our end of the covenant. Even when we err, or backslide, or give into temptation and sin, God is still faithful and is always ready to forgive. He never goes back on His word. (2 Timothy 2:13)
 
        Abram returned to Beth-el where he had built an altar unto God. (12:8) Because of his sojourn in Egypt, he and Lot both now had so much livestock that there wasn’t enough land in that immediate region to support them both. (v.6) There was constant strife and bickering between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s. (v.7) So Abram gave his nephew the first choice of all the land, both there in Canaan and beyond it to the plains of Jordan. Lot chose Jordan, pitching his tent close to the city of Sodom. (v.11-12) Verse 13 makes it clear for the reader that Sodom was not a good place. Its men were exceedingly wicked.
 
       Verses 14-17: God once again promised Abram all of the land that his eyes could see in all directions. Abram’s descendants would be as innumerable as the dust of the earth, and God would give them this land. God rewarded Abram for his trust and obedience. Abram, as the patriarch of the family, could have given himself first choice of all the land instead of deferring to Lot. But Abram trusted God and thus gave Lot the first pick of all the choice land. God rewarded Abram for his humility and faith.
        Lot, for his part, did not consult God for guidance and direction. And the fact that he was allured by Sodom, a great and wealthy city established in the equally rich and fertile plains of Jordan, is an indication that Lot was more interested in worldly pleasures and fulfilling the lusts of the eyes and the flesh than he was in obeying and trusting the God of his Uncle Abram.
      
       Verse 18: Abram again took God at His word. He migrated to the plain of Mamre in Hebron and built another altar unto the Lord. He was not ashamed to publicly worship God in the midst of all the heathen nations.