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"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11

Text: Genesis 13:1-18

PROMISES CONFIRMED ONCE AGAIN

It wasn’t till Lot had left that God spoke to Abram once again. This time round there was further expansion of the promises God made earlier.

1. The Promised Land

The elaboration concerning the Promised Land must be carefully understood and appreciated.

“Lift up your eyes now and look from the place where you are –
northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land
which you see I give to you and your descendants.”

GENESIS 13:14-15

a) The size of the land promised was far larger than Lot’s choice of Sodom

b) The Promised Land was given to Abram alone! Lot was not given any promises at all!

c) The posterity of Abram would be the beneficiaries! This promise was not extended to Lot at all. This was a reiteration of an earlier promise made (Cf. Genesis 12:7)

2. Abram’s descendants

What a tremendous promise this was! This word of promise was restricted to just Abram.

“And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth;
so that if a man could number the dust of the earth,
then your descendants also could be numbered.”

GENESIS 13:16

a) What a tremendous promise this was! This was similar to the general blessing God gave to Adam and Eve! But this was even more pointed and significant!

b) The promise to bless the descendants of Abram was an extension of an earlier word God gave to him (Cf. Genesis 12:7)

SIGNIFICANCE OF GOD’S THIRD VISIT

Let us consider some possible reasons why God gave to Abram this special word.

1. Indication that the relationship with God had been fully restored

God had accepted Abram’s worship when he built an altar after he fled from Egypt (Cf. Genesis 13:4)

2. Indication of continued sustained blessing

God wanted to encourage Abram after the departure of his nephew Lot! What a special way of blessing Abram!