Abraham in Canaan
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them to do to us, would annihilate half the ills of life. The spirit of
self-aggrandizement is the spirit of Satan; but the heart in which the
love of Christ is cherished, will possess that charity which seeketh
not her own. Such will heed the divine injunction, “Look not every
man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
Philippians 2:4
.
Although Lot owed his prosperity to his connection with Abraham,
he manifested no gratitude to his benefactor. Courtesy would have
dictated that he yield the choice to Abraham, but instead of this he
selfishly endeavored to grasp all its advantages. He “lifted up his
eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered
everywhere, ... even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt,
as thou comest unto Zoar.” The most fertile region in all Palestine was
the Jordan Valley, reminding the beholders of the lost Paradise and
equaling the beauty and productiveness of the Nile-enriched plains
they had so lately left. There were cities also, wealthy and beautiful,
inviting to profitable traffic in their crowded marts. Dazzled with
visions of worldly gain, Lot overlooked the moral and spiritual evils
that would be encountered there. The inhabitants of the plain were
“sinners before the Lord exceedingly;” but of this he was ignorant,
or, knowing, gave it but little weight. He “chose him all the plain
of Jordan,” and “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” How little did he
foresee the terrible results of that selfish choice!
After the separation from Lot, Abraham again received from the
Lord a promise of the whole country. Soon after this he removed to
Hebron, pitching his tent under the oaks of Mamre and erecting beside
it an altar to the Lord. In the free air of those upland plains, with their
olive groves and vineyards, their fields of waving grain, and the wide
pasture grounds of the encircling hills, he dwelt, well content with his
simple, patriarchal life, and leaving to Lot the perilous luxury of the
vale of Sodom.
Abraham was honored by the surrounding nations as a mighty
prince and a wise and able chief. He did not shut away his influence
from his neighbors. His life and character, in their marked contrast
with those of the worshipers of idols, exerted a telling influence in
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favor of the true faith. His allegiance to God was unswerving, while
his affability and benevolence inspired confidence and friendship and
his unaffected greatness commanded respect and honor.