Not long after Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, they had sons Cain, Abel and Seth. The last verse in Genesis 4 says, “… at that time people began calling on the name of the Lord.”
In Genesis 13, we read that Abram built an altar to the Lord outside Bethel and “… there Abram called on the name of the Lord.”
What does that mean?
Calling on the name of the Lord is another way of saying, they proclaimed Yahweh God as Lord, as the one true God. It means they acknowledged God as sovereign over everything. And that is a God you can trust completely.
In Genesis 13, as Abram worshiped and called on the name of the Lord, he had a sidekick, his brother’s son, Lot. The Lord blessed Abram and Lot with wealth in possessions and livestock—so much so that the land they occupied couldn’t support all the mouths they had to feed. It became a stressful situation, and Lot and Abram’s herdsmen, who cared for the animals, started fighting.
Proverbs 6:16 says: “There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him.” That 7th thing is someone who stirs up family fights.
Abram says to his young nephew Lot, “Let’s not quarrel, you and me. I don’t want any fighting because we’re family. We’re brothers.”
In Genesis 13:9, Abram says, “Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
I love Abram’s posture in this verse—follower of God, considerate, peacemaker. “You pick first, nephew. I’m fine with whatever you choose.”
I think Abram’s indifference as to the land he would call home demonstrates his trust in Yahweh God. He called on the name of the Lord; he trusted that God was sovereign over everything and would remain so regardless of whether he got the land to the left or to the right.
What about in my own life? Do I prevent unnecessary quarrels and fights because I trust that my God is sovereign over the matter? Do I have a tight grip on the good things God has blessed me with? Or do I loosen my grip, smile and trust God with my present and my future?
No Bible character except one is perfect. Certainly, Abram had flaws. But he’s commendable here for trusting God, being a peacemaker, and considering others before himself. And God continued to bless him.
Donielle Winter
EFCC Member