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Question about Abraham and Lot

March 17th, 2015

A question from a brother in Christ that I also found interesting. When God called Abraham, why did Abraham take Lot with him after God had specifically told him to separate from his family?

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  • Tim White The commentaries through the years are full of ideas and suggestions, but we don’t know. We are not told.
    March 15 at 1:55pm · Like · 1
  • Dale Agner Great question…but as I read the texts in the NASB and ESV…the question above has a couple presumptions that I do not see in the text. Abraham is called to another land …I do not see where it “forbid” Abraham to take anyone that wished to follow him (Abram), in Abraham’s obedience to God….Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God….Abraham left the land of his family, but I do not see where it forbid any family members to follow with Abraham. ……….. Lot is an interesting character…as there is some evidence that he had a heart for God…but with some incompleteness. It is from Lot’s descendents from which came Ruth…and Lot is praised in 2 Peter 2:7. Hence I see in Lot a desire to follow God…but with an incompleteness reminiscent of many future kings of Judah.
    March 15 at 8:22pm · Like · 2
  • Patrick Thompson that is a good question and I wonder how many of us have just glossed over this as Abram being disobedient and taking Lot with him anyway. However, I came across an interesting commentary from Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, where he starts with Acts 7:3 and follow it up with Genesis 24 about Abrahams second calling. I think it might have some merit, as apposed for someone to think there is a contradiction in the scripture.
    March 15 at 9:08pm · Like · 1
  • Ed Chait Thanks for the replies. I’m dealing with something right now that makes it difficult for me to reply, but I wanted to thank you guys and I will come back to the thread when I’m not so distracted.

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