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. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
We are on a journey. We presently live as strangers in a world that will eventually be under our ruling. Until that day we must not lose the vision. Oh how easy it is in the constant uncertainly of the roaming to want to settle down somewhere, anywhere, before the full vision of God is accomplished in our lives!
Both Lot and Abraham prospered. They increased so much that the Land could not bear them the Text says. Their servants quarreled. This is the test that results from prosperity. Prosperity brings with it discontentment and a perverted sense of justice and fairness. Worst of all, we associate success with number, so we 'count; we become obsessed with numbers and eventually lose the original vision, mostly the sense that individual people are more important than numbers.. That’s what happened to Lot as he was lured by the prosperous life of the city folks in the area of Sodom. He was tempted by their dainties. Little did he know that as in the case of this generation, Sodom’s false sense of security was about to be shaken; its days were counted.
Abraham on the other hand kept the heavenly vision. He was not at home in this world; he had already found the prosperity of his former worldly station lacking. He therefore went out to look for the true riches that come with desiring the Kingdom of Hashem. The king of Sodom even tried to reward Abraham, but again Abraham made the right choice and turned Himself towards the true King: Melchizedec: the King of Salem: the King of Jerusalem.
May we as we hear His voice today, learn to turn away from the call of this world’s false wealth. May we reject its adulterated sense of justice and fairness where gains and numbers are more important than people. May we turn our heads instead towards the obedience of the true king who owns the true wealth of the true Kingdom that will last forever.