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Abraham is the ancestor of Israel and Arabs, while Lot is the ancestor of Moab. Abraham was also Lot's uncle.
Abraham or Ibrahim, formerly known as Abraham or Abraham, is a prophet of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and a person chosen and blessed by God from all living things on earth. At the same time, it is also the * * * ancestor of the legendary Hebrew and Arab peoples.
Lot (meaning to hide and cover again), the ancestor of Moab and the Ammonites. Lot was the nephew of the Israeli ancestor Abraham (Genesis 12:5) and the son of Abraham's brother Haran (Genesis 1 1:27).
Abraham's family moved to Harlan when his father Tara was still alive. Later, Tara died in Harlan, and Abraham came to Canaan with his wife and nephew.
At that time, agriculture should be very underdeveloped. Therefore, both Abraham and Lot lived by grazing, and they also hired many shepherds to help them graze.
But the pasture in Canaan is limited, and there are too many cattle and sheep in Abraham and Lot. Therefore, the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot often have conflicts because of the problem of pasture. Abraham also knew that this was not a long-term solution, so he called Lot.
Abraham was inspired by God in Manley Oak, so his heart was full of justice without considering selfish interests. On one occasion, he told Lot his worries and suggested that he and Lot should separate and choose a big ranch to graze. Abraham gave Saul a choice first.
Lot looked up and saw the lush aquatic plants along the Jordan River, so he chose the Jordan River-later Sodom and Gomorrah-around today's Dead Sea.
Abraham chose to go to the Mamre Oak in Hebron-that's where Abraham was inspired by God.
In this way, Abraham and Lot separated.
The reason why Abram fought with Lot's servant.
At that time, Canaanites and Perizzites lived there. Abram's shepherds fought with Lot's shepherds. Abram said to Lot, "Don't fight between you and me, and don't fight between your shepherd and mine, because we are the same flesh and blood."
-Genesis III 7- 13
The hardships at home are unbearable. Many believers hope to go to heaven without any twists and turns. I have no doubt that Jacob hopes to never suffer the loss of Yue Se; David hoped that he had never been saddened by Absalom's death. Abraham would rather go to a better place than have an argument with Lot. But it backfired.
The reason why family difficulties occur is to test our confidence first. Just like a jeweler throws gold into a crucible, not to destroy it, but to remove its dross; God's trial is also to remove our impurities. Second, let us look forward to a better home. When God allows suffering to happen in the home of believers, it is to tell us that this is not our home.
First, family difficulties
"Abram's shepherds fought with Lot's shepherds" (verse 7). Do you remember how the glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham? He was still in Mesopotamia and had not moved to Harlan. Do you remember that he left his hometown and his father's house and went to the place where God wanted to show him? Now that Abraham has come to this land, there is no doubt that he will think that all his sufferings have finally passed. He winds his way to the winding river and to the sea. He feels that his current road should be smooth sailing, and there will be no bumps on the road to heaven. But at this moment, he heard the cries of his shepherd arguing with Lot's shepherd, and his heart was about to sink! This argument is guilty. They are all rich. In the second section of the same chapter, you will read: "Abram has a lot of gold and silver and livestock"; Verse 5: "Lot who went with Abram also had herds, flocks and tents." They are rich in material things and should have known how to live. If one is rich and the other is poor, maybe there is a reason for their quarrel. Isn't it common in the world? Once the poor family becomes rich, quarrels often follow.
Arguments are also sinful, because they are friends. Lot was the son of Abraham's brothers, and they were close relatives in the Lord. I think Abraham is the spiritual father of Lot. When Abraham left his father's house, he invited Lot to go with him. However, although they are brothers, there are arguments between them. Those who have fellowship with each other in the Lord argue, especially those who are guilty. Some of you may think that you will never argue with those who are favored by you in the Lord. This is what happened between Paul and Galatians. Once they turned their attention to him, but soon they turned to other gospels; Not only that, they hate him as much as they loved him.
There is another reason why this argument is guilty: "Canaanites and Perizzites lived there at that time." Undoubtedly, this fully exposed the evil of this dispute. When Canaanites and Perizzites saw Abraham build altars, slaughter and sacrifice every morning; At night, gather his children at the tent door and teach them to read the Bible. They will surely wonder what kind of people they are. However, when they see servants quarreling with each other, they will say, "Ha, they are just like others." It still is. Won't the world say the same thing when Christians and Christians go to court and your family quarrel? They watch you go to a secluded place and have a mysterious conversation with God. They heard you sing a hymn for him. They said, "Let's watch these people and see what happens between them." What will they think when they see you arguing and shouting? In the eyes of Canaanites and Perizzites, this is also a sin.
Second, Abraham's generosity.
Abram said to Lot, "Do not fight between me and your shepherd, for we are the same flesh and blood. Isn't it all in front of your eyes? Please leave me: if you turn left, I will turn right; If you turn right, I'll turn left "(sections 8 and 9). You can read these two verses together with 14 and 15: "After Lot left Abram, the Lord said to Abram,' From where you are, lift up your eyes and look east, west, north and south. All the land you see, I will give it to you and your descendants forever. "
It is obvious that Abraham is the son of peace; The truth engraved in his soul is: "If possible, try to live in harmony with others" (Rom. 12: 18). This is what he did on the issue of Lot. I believe that Lot also felt the sin of this argument. So Abraham said, "Don't argue between you and me", and he agreed. The question is who should give in? I think it should be a lot. God gave this land to Abraham: "I will give it to you". Lot is the smaller of the two, and everything he has now should belong to Abraham. Of course, young people should let old people.
Secular society will fight for this, because Abraham is richer in between. The Bible says, "Abram had a lot of gold, silver and livestock." Think about what such a person would do in a similar situation: God gave me this land, should I give it to you? Whoever has the power is right. I believe this is the way people do things in the world. But look at Abraham's different practices. Verse 8 says, "You and I are not at odds, and neither are your shepherds and mine, because we are the same flesh and blood. Isn't it all in front of your eyes? Please leave me, you turn left, I turn right; You turn right and I turn left. " Abraham gave the choice to Lot.
Brothers, this is the meaning of being a Christian, and this is what Christ did. Do you remember the order not to fight the wicked? "But I tell you, don't fight against the wicked. If someone hits you on the right face, turn around and hit you on the left face "(Matt. 5: 39). Many of you don't understand what this means, and I am often asked this question. That is, when someone slapped Abraham in the face, he turned his other face to him. Look at 1 Corinthians 6: 7: "It is already a big mistake for you to blame each other. Why not be bullied? Why don't you want to suffer? " You can see the same example in chapter 9, section 19: "Although I am free and nobody is in charge, I am willing to be the servant of everyone in order to get more people." Wait a minute.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is exactly what Abraham did; He is willing to suffer, and he is willing to be a servant in order to win Lot. This is exactly what Jesus Christ himself did. He turned away when they hit him in the face. Brother, if this scene is not engraved in your heart, you don't understand the love of Christ. I find that there is a big mistake now: people think that being a Christian means remembering some teachings in their minds-not being a Calvinist. But the truth is, being a Christian means having Christ in your life. Abraham did not say: I want to own this land, because this is my right to own it. He said, "please leave me: if you turn left, I will turn right;" You turn right, I turn left. "This is how to become a Christian. It is not words that make you a Christian; It's not opinions that make you a Christian. Only Christ can make you a Christian.
Third, draw lots to decide
Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that all the plain of Jordan was wet as far as Zoar. That land (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) was like the garden of the Lord and the land of Egypt "(section 10); Section 13: "Sodom committed a great sin before the Lord." Maybe Abraham and Lot are standing on the high ground near Hebron. They can see east and west. Looking west, I saw an endless wasteland, and the sun sank brilliantly into the Mediterranean Sea at the edge of the wasteland. Looking eastward, you will see the continuous Moab Mountains, the fertile Sodom Plain, and irrigated fields everywhere. At that time, there was no dead sea full of poisonous water. So Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the plain, and he remembered the garden of the Lord that his father told him about, where our first ancestors lived before they were tempted by snakes to commit crimes. Lot said, that should be my land and my choice.
Oh, what a hasty decision! He made a decision by intuition. He will leave Abraham's tent and altar. Read Genesis chapter 18 and see Abraham's prayer for Sodom. But Lot bid farewell to everything in this hasty decision. He forgot Abraham's tent, Abraham's altar and Abraham's prayers in the morning and evening. You who choose to put the world before Christ, what can replace the prayer of believers in this world? Besides, he forgot that the people of Sodom had committed a great sin before God. It seems that he did not enter their city directly, but set up a tent in the direction of Sodom. Alas, from Abraham's tent to Sodom, from Abraham's prayer to their abuse, what a great change! What a hasty and regrettable decision this is!
One thing he didn't consider: God would destroy Sodom. When the sun shines on it, he pays attention to this lovely scene; When he raised his eyes and saw the beautiful river winding away, he thought it was a place suitable for his life; But he didn't know there was a dark cloud behind the sun-he forgot what Abraham told him about the flood. Abraham must have told him how God destroyed the world with a flood because of its evil. But he pitched his tent in the direction of Sodom, because he saw it.
Don't many of us move from one parish to another and from one country to another? Why? Just to improve their environment, regardless of whether they are under a loyal shepherd. Is there no such person here? Maybe a young man is leaving his father's house. Why are you doing this? Is it for a well-watered garden or for Abraham's tent? Is anyone looking for a life partner here? Who do you choose? Are you going to leave Abraham's tent for a garden with plenty of water? Pay attention to the person you choose. Finally, are there any servants looking for jobs? How did you find it? Is it for a higher salary? Is it for the fertility of the valley? Or for Abraham's tent? May God prevent you from making the right decision.
After Lot left Abram,
Abram (Abram was named Abraham by God at the age of 99, and his wife Sarai's name was Sarah) responded to God's call and left his father and brother to open up a new world. Besides his wife Sarai, only his nephew Lot accompanied him. Of course, each of them has his own property: slaves, livestock, gold, silver, tents and so on. When they wandered to the grassland between Beit Er and Ai Cheng, their cattle and sheep increased, and the number of slaves and tents also increased. "There is no place for them in that land because they have too much property and they can't live together." In order to compete for pastures and wells, Abram's shepherds and Lot's shepherds even clashed. Abram decided to separate from Lot, and he let Lot choose his own direction. Lot chose the Jordan Plain, which is rich in aquatic plants and many cities. Lot's family settled near the city and slowly moved into Sodom. Abram chose the land of Canaan, which God promised him to be a great country, even though it was the Gobi Desert where sand and stones were flying.
At that time, Sodom was already an Sin City, but God had not decided to destroy it. The struggle between princes involved Sodom in the war. Sodom was defeated by the governors, and Lot was devastated, and his family and property were taken away. Abram formed an army of more than 300 servants. They defeated the enemy and took back the lot family and their belongings. Abram also released the prisoners of the king of Sodom. The king of Sodom decided to reward Abram: "Give me the population and keep the property for yourself!" " "Abram is such an open and honest righteous man that even if he has reasonable reasons, he doesn't want to take other people's property. He said, "I won't take anything from you, not even a thread or a shoelace, lest you say,' I made Abram rich'. Abram led his army back to the grassland, and Lot still lived in Sodom.
The evil desire of Sodom kept expanding, and God couldn't stand it any longer and decided to destroy it. On that day, God had just promised Abraham (previously, God named Abraham) that he would have a son. God trusted Abraham very much and told him the plan. Abraham thought of Lot and bargained with God, hoping that God would forgive Sodom for the righteous Lot family. God promised that Sodom would not destroy the city if there were 10 righteous people. That night, the angels visited Sodom, and the enthusiastic Lot welcomed them into the house and gave them a good reception. When the evil Sodom people learned that strangers were coming and wanted to do injustice, Lot tried his best to protect them. God finally realized that Lot was the only righteous man in Sodom, so he made up his mind to destroy Sodom. Before God poured sulfur and fire into Sodom, the angel warned Lot's family to run as far as possible to the mountain, and once they left Sodom, they could not turn back. Lot didn't want to run to the mountain, so the angel had to allow them to take refuge in Zoar for a while. When they arrived in Zoar, the city of Sodom caught fire. Lot's wife turned thoughtfully and suddenly became a pillar of salt.
This story in Genesis of the Old Testament seems to contain something about cities and desires.
In fact, a city is just a place where division of labor and exchange, food and entertainment, political struggle and commercial fraud, interest expansion and moral disputes converge. Plato believes that the city is the product of the development of human desire-because of the diversity of human desire and the limited production of individuals based on natural ability, they need to communicate and coordinate with each other. Therefore, the city has become such a place to coordinate supply and demand, production and consumption. The pattern of division of labor within the city is actually the embodiment of people's diversified needs. When Plato deduced the basic division of labor model of cities from people's basic needs, Glaucon couldn't help laughing-your city is a city of pigs, because people only have simple needs like pigs. Plato went on to say that people's desires are always growing, and after the basic needs of nature are met, people will have higher needs. With the expansion of desire, with the increase of demand types and the improvement of demand grades, there will be a deeper and finer division of labor. In fact, in such a prosperous environment as a city, people are constantly learning from each other, cultivating their own good qualities and nurturing their own desires. As a result, the urban environment has become a hotbed of desire growth. Cities are constantly expanding themselves in the constant expansion of human desires-this includes the expansion of urban geographical boundaries and the expansion of urban functions. What worries Plato is that the refinement and deepening of urban division of labor is constantly pushing the expansion of people's desires, which may be beyond people's control, leading people to be crazy and cities to war. Therefore, Plato hopes to establish an ideal country, where noble, far-sighted, brave and temperate philosophers become kings, and they control the growth of human desires by controlling the division of labor to prevent urban madness.
Cities are always regarded as hotbeds of desire and volcanoes with destructive power. Just like Sodom, it symbolizes both desire and sin, and also symbolizes the fate of being destroyed. When Lot chose the Jordan Plain, it was not the abundant aquatic plants that attracted him, but the great desire of Sodom as a city that seduced him. The temptation was so great that after all the plunder, Lot was still unwilling to leave. When the angel advised him to leave Sodom and take refuge in the mountains, he also asked to enter another city, and Lot's wife was even more tempted by this city. When the city was destroyed, she risked her life to look around. Lot and his wife became righteous in the eyes of God. They have relatively purer hearts and nobler sentiments, but they still cannot extricate themselves from the temptation of the city. When Lot chose the plain near Sodom, Abram promised him. Maybe he knew the danger that Lot was going to face, but he didn't stop it. This may reflect Abram's respect for Lot's free choice (just as God did not prevent Eve and Adam from stealing the fruit of wisdom), and it can also be understood as Abraham's helplessness in the growth of human desire.
Desire expansion is the inherent requirement of human growth and the original motive force of human social progress and development. The expansion of human desire promotes the development of division of labor and exchange, thus promoting the expansion of cities; At the same time, as a place to aggregate and catalyze human desires, the expansion of the city has become a catalyst for the development of human desires. In Plato's idea, the infinite expansion of human desire will be beyond human control, thus becoming a factor to destroy mankind. Therefore, we advocate controlling people's desires. In fact, since the growth of human desire is natural and inevitable, control itself becomes an unnatural behavior, and its feasibility will be questioned. In this way, the mutual promotion of desire and city will eventually lead mankind to an unpredictable future.