“And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:”
My Notes
What Does Genesis 13:14 Mean?
"And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward." After Lot chooses the fertile Jordan valley (which looked like Egypt), God speaks to Abram — and the timing is significant. God waits until after the separation. Lot took what looked best; now God shows Abram everything. "Lift up now thine eyes" — look at what remains. It's all yours.
The four directions — north, south, east, west — represent totality. God isn't giving Abram a parcel; he's giving him a panorama. Everything Abram can see is his by promise. Lot chose by sight and got Sodom. Abram waited for God and got everything.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What has someone recently 'taken' that left you feeling like you got what was left over?
- 2.Why do you think God waited until after Lot left to show Abram the full picture?
- 3.How do you resist the temptation to choose by sight (like Lot) rather than waiting for God's timing?
- 4.What might God be showing you right now that's bigger than what you think you lost?
Devotional
Lot just took the best land. He looked at the Jordan valley — lush, well-watered, prosperous — and said: that one. Abram let him choose first. And then God spoke.
The timing is everything. God doesn't speak to Abram before the separation. He waits until Lot has walked away with what looked like the better deal. And then: lift up your eyes. Look north. South. East. West. Everything you can see — it's yours.
This is how God often works. He waits until the person who chose by sight has left with their portion, and then he reveals to the person who waited that the portion was never the point. Lot got a valley. Abram got a nation. Lot chose what he could see. Abram received what only God could give.
If someone recently took something you thought was yours — if they got the promotion, the opportunity, the relationship, the position — and you're standing where Abram stood, feeling like you got what was left over, listen for God's voice. He often speaks after the separation. After the loss. After someone else walks away with what looked best. And what he shows you in that moment is usually bigger than what they took.
Lift up your eyes. God's giving you the panorama, not the parcel.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him,.... The Lord appeared unto him as he had before,…
- Abram and Lot Separate 7. פרזי perı̂zı̂y, Perizzi, “descendant of Paraz.” פרז pārāz, “leader,” or inhabitant of the…
The Lord said unto Abram - It is very likely that the angel of the covenant appeared to Abram in open day, when he could…
We have here an account of a gracious visit which God paid to Abram, to confirm the promise to him and his. Observe,
I.…
northward and southward, &c. The promise here includes, in the future possession of Israel, the land which Lot had…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture