Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. – Genesis 13:12-18

The continuation of the previous passage further sets up the encounters that Abram and Lot will have subsequently in this book. Though far from establishing Lot as a reprobate and Godless man (2 Pet 2:6-9), the passage does establish the wickedness of Sodom against the promised blessing of Abram.

The conclusion of Lot’s decisions to pursue that which was appealing to the eye (Gen 13:10-11), is his proximity to a perverse society that ultimately cost him a Godly lineage and saw his daughters resort to sinfulness (Gen 19:30-37). Their behavior will be dealt within the context this book while Lot’s choice here is ultimately set against God’s ability to bless Abram.

The blessings from the Lord to Abram resound in comparison to the behavior of Lot. The willingness to give in the name of peace is honored by God. The Biblical truths, of giving, ring true here in the example of Abram (Mal 3:10). But this land is also the fulfillment of promise (Gen 12:7).

Also worthy of note is the slight change in language for God’s promise to Abram. Previously Abram was to be a “great nation” (Gen 12:2) with offspring (Gen 12:7). Now that offspring is to be plentiful and uncountable! This promise is slowly being changed to indicate the places of the fulfillment. This promise is not fulfilled in Isaac or fully in the generations following Jacob. Instead it begins to be fulfilled while the people are in Egypt (Exo 12:24). This is worth noting because of the building function of God’s promises to Abram that will eventual be speaking about the Jesus Christ, the church and the whole world.