Men in the Bible: A Man of Peace Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South….
Men in the Bible: A Man of Peace
Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel… Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock… So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” – Genesis 13:1-9
Another sterling quality that we can learn from the man, Abraham, was his maturity and peace-loving nature. He was a man of peace, full of maturity and wisdom.
We had earlier considered how largehearted Abraham was in accommodating his young nephew through his own personal evolution and in all his journeys. We also saw how Abraham was the primary benefactor of Lot, through whom the latter also came into opulence and had vast means of his own. Meanwhile, there came a time that Lot’s and Abraham’s livestock got so big that the land they occupied could no longer sustain them both, as their livestock and herdsmen kept increasing to the point that the two parties started bickering over available resources to feed their livestock.
This bickering must have continued for a while. However, when it got to a boiling point, Abraham demonstrated an unusual sense of maturity and wisdom in the way he handled it all. Firstly, he was the one who seized the initiative to reach out to his younger relative about the friction boiling between their workers.
For context, it is good to state that Abraham and Lot were not close in age. Abraham was the firstborn of three children, and Lot’s father, Haran, who died at a young age, was the youngest of that family. So, there was another son, Nahor, between Abraham and Haran, Lot’s father. Although Nahor did not follow his father, Terah, on the journey to Canaan. He preferred to stay in Ur of the Chaldeans instead.
This background is to help us appreciate the distance in age and stature between Abraham and Lot. However, when quarrels broke out between their workers, it was Abraham who made the overture by initiating peace talks with Lot. He did not wait for Lot to make the first move. After all, everything that Lot had was either acquired directly or indirectly through him. Yet, Abraham did not use this to browbeat Lot or manipulate him. On the contrary, he made the first move and offered that Lot be the first to pick the side of the land he preferred so that he, Abraham, and his own people would head in the opposite direction and settle there.
Moreover, recall that Abraham was also the one God promised the land of Canaan as an inheritance, not Lot. But he did not cite this at any time during their discussions either. He also did not castigate Lot as to why he was not grateful for everything he had, as to be now jostling for ownership of the land that God exclusively promised him, Abraham. He was too mature for that.
All he wanted was for peace to reign between him and his nephew, and between his own workers and the workers of Lot. He was a man of peace indeed. Surely, we can all learn from that.
Men in the Bible: Abraham – A Laidback and Complacent Man And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his…
Men in the Bible: Abraham – A Laidback and Complacent Man
And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran… Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. – Genesis 11:31-32, 12:1-5
The man we shall explore today is Abraham, the father of faith. Undoubtedly, Abraham was a prominent figure in ancient history and a dominant one still today through his descendants in the Middle East as well as his adopted descendants through faith. However, it is interesting that Abraham did not start out as the larger-than-life figure we know him to be today. On the contrary, he came across as a timid, laidback and complacent fellow.
From the passage above, Abraham joined his father, Terah, on a long journey as they relocated from Ur to Canaan. However, due to the distance of the journey, they decided to camp halfway at Haran. Unfortunately, Terah, the originator of the expedition, did not make it beyond this point, as he died in Haran at age 205.
Having thus lost his father, who was the one keen on getting the family to Canaan, a land reputed to be flowing with milk and honey, it appeared Abraham was not interested in continuing the journey from there. He was very well content with staying permanently in Haran. Even though he knew the original intent of his father, Abraham appeared unperturbed by the idea of staying put where they camped. He was ready to settle down halfway to their intended destination and make the most of life in Haran. After all, he had his wife, Sarai, and Lot, his young nephew, to consider.
But then God came in.
God must have seen Abraham’s intention to settle halfway rather than go the long haul to Canaan. He must have read the fear behind Abraham’s decision to settle for less. He must have listened to the logic Abraham put forth in explaining his decision and justifying his position to his wife and family. But God would have none of that. So, He decided to make an overture to Abraham.
God knew that for someone fully determined to settle as Abraham was, He needed to entice him with something to get him to continue the journey which his father started. So, God came to Abraham with an offer. He said:
“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”- Genesis 12:2-3
With this inducement, God was able to get Abraham to rally his family and gather all they had so they could proceed on the journey to Canaan. From this point, Abraham went on to become a great person, just as God had promised him. However, if not for God’s intervention when he decided to settle for less by nesting in Haran, he might not have fulfilled his potential or become the great person that we know him to be today.
The lesson here is that it is okay to entertain fear and feelings of inferiority from time to time, particularly if the prospect you are contending with is as daunting as Abraham’s, who was not looking forward to the prospect of walking about 1000 kilometers on rough and rocky terrains traveling through deserts and wilderness, with the dangers of beasts and men of the underworld always there.
However, by dangling the promise of blessings, greatness and prominence before him, God was able to get Abraham to look beyond his anxieties and see the picture of all he might be if he embarked on the journey. Thankfully, he did.
Men in the Bible: How Not to Be A Father And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine and was…
Men in the Bible: How Not to Be A Father
And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside…So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren.” – Genesis 9:20-22,24-25
Having considered the terrible mistakes made by Ham, the second son of Noah, in turning his father’s nudity into a topic of gossip and joke, it is apt for us to look at the scene from another point of view so as to make our lessons from this scenario more balanced. In that regard, we shall be looking at the man Noah as an example of recklessness and how not to be a father.
After surviving the flood and being the privileged person to lead the new world order that God started with the human race at that time, Noah did well by picking up a new vocation as a farmer. Perhaps it was the giddiness of his first harvests, which must have been bumper, or something else, Noah indulged himself by drinking from the wine harvested in his vineyard. That is not bad in itself as one is meant to enjoy from his labor. But he did it to the point of reckless abandon such that he threw caution to the wind, cast his clothing aside, and was stark naked in the tent.
Considering that tents in those days were not as structured as our modern housing, with proper roofing, doors, and other items for privacy, it was reckless behavior on the part of Noah to indulge himself to this extent. He might as well have debauched himself outside the tent in the glare of the public. Noah put his family members in a difficult position by not exercising more self-control or being more discreet with his indulgence.
Secondly, by this time, Noah was already a grandfather. That meant he not only had a wife of his own, but his sons also had their own wives and children as well. So, what could Noah be thinking by throwing caution to the wind this way? Yes, he was the patriarch, but any of his grandchildren could have been the ones to walk into his tent with the intention of spending time with grandpa.
Moreso, what example was Noah setting for his own sons and his grandchildren by drinking wine so excessively to the point of stupor. He certainly did not cover himself in glory in this regard. He was careless, reckless and irresponsible. To make it worse, his hubris led to the downfall of one of his sons. That is certainly not how to be a father.
Further, after Noah came to his senses and the realization of what his son, Ham, had done, what he did next was even more shocking. Instead of rebuking his errant son sharply for his immaturity or correcting him in love, he rather placed a curse on him. Worse still, he did not curse the son directly; he placed a generational curse on the son of the son! In other words, he cursed his grandson! What kind of man curses his own grandchild?
Even worse, Canaan, the grandson he cursed, knew nothing about what his own father had done. So, Noah only cursed an innocent child. He did not have the ball to curse his own son, perhaps because he did not want to witness the manifestation of his curse while he was still alive. Still, he had no scruple in cursing his own grandson, an innocent boy, and that with an eternal curse that he would forever be a servant of servants, was the height of irresponsibility. That means Canaan and his own descendants would not just be servants to masters but would be servants to the servants of masters. That was relegating Canaan and his entire lineage to the very dregs in societal order.
What a man! What a father! What a grandfather Noah was! This is certainly not the way to be a father or a grandfather to boot. A right-thinking (grand)father corrects his (grand)children in love, not condemn them; he blesses them, not curse them. Noah was the opposite of this. We all can learn how not to from him.
Men in the Bible: Abraham and White Lies Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe…
Men in the Bible: Abraham and White Lies
Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. – Genesis 12:10-16
Another standout attribute of Abraham’s, which we can unlearn, is his penchant for lying to gain access and favor. Abraham had a propensity for telling white lies as a way of self-preservation.
From the passage above, we can see how he prevailed on his wife to lie about her relationship to him, claiming that she was his sister, in order for them to gain access to and be welcomed in Egypt. After deciding to vacate Canaan, due to the famine ravaging the land, Abraham set his eyes on Egypt, but there was a problem; he sensed that the Egyptians might not be receptive to them once they learn that Sarah was his wife. So, in order to facilitate their being received while also saving his own life, he decided to doctor the identity of his wife by claiming she was his sister.
This initially worked as planned, as the Egyptians were warm towards the couple and even lavished Abraham with many gifts as Pharaoh started to warm up to the idea of taking Sarah as his own wife, by making her supposed brother happy. Abraham must have been delighted at his newfound fortune and favor in Egypt, even though he might have had remorse at having to live without his dear wife. But at least their plan worked out, and the white lie they said was well received. Not until the consequences of what the lie led to broke out.
But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had. – Genesis 12:17-16
God visited Pharaoh and his household with great plagues for taking Abraham’s wife, even when Pharaoh was not aware she was already married. God was not interested in that. He only reacted to the fundamental that was breached by Pharaoh by afflicting him severely. Not just him, but his entire household as well. So, what was to be an innocent lie and a saving grace to help someone stay safe or alive proved to be a disaster for another person, and even more people to boot.
Therefore, while Abraham’s lie about his wife’s identity earned him a temporary respite and assets in Egypt, that did not last long. Upon discovering the cause of his recent problems, Pharaoh, who was still smarting from all the afflictions that God had piled on him and his household, no longer wanted Abraham and his wife around. So he ordered that they be banished from Egypt immediately.
Men in the Bible: A Man of the Altar Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an…
Men in the Bible: A Man of the Altar
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. – Genesis 12:7-8
In continuation of our exploration of Abraham’s personality, a unique element that stood out in his life and behavior was his disposition to worship. He was a man of the altar, as he always erected altars of worship to God at various stages of his journey.
From our reference passage today alone, which contains two verses, although many things must have happened in the life and journey of Abraham that were not mentioned in the passage. However, the chroniclers did not forget to mention the fact that he built two altars at two different places, representing different bases in his journey, which says a lot about his heart of devotion.
In fact, Abraham built more altars to God than virtually everyone else in the Bible. The only person who equaled his record in altar building was his grandson, Jacob. Even though Abraham built several altars, there were records of five distinct altars credited to him in the Bible: in Shechem (Genesis 12:6-7), Bethel (Genesis 12:8), Hebron (Genesis 13:18), Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:9) and Beersheba (Genesis 21:33). Each altar marking significant moments in his relationship and encounter with God. Little wonder that he was so blessed by God.
It is common knowledge that God craves nothing more than worship (John 4:23). This is a secret that God Himself might have revealed to Abraham or perhaps Abraham stumbled upon the secret himself in the course of their interactions. But, unlike most people who do little with the secrets they discover, Abraham made the most of his by going on to erect several monuments to God at different turns to attest to his heart of devotion and life of worship. He was the better for it.
Another lesson we can learn from God is His disposition to a balancing act. He is not a God of extremes. Even though some who profess to follow Him go to extremes in His name or make extreme claims on His behalf, extreme is not a label that one can pin on God. He balances the acts.
Understanding God: He is Not Moved by Sentiments
Another lesson we can learn from the personality of God is that sentiments do not move Him. Therefore, He cannot be deceived into making a wrong judgment or call, as humans tend to do.
Understanding God: He is A Creator
He is a Creator. This is not to be interpreted loosely, particularly in the light of our contemporary use of the word. God is the ultimate Creator, as He created all things, even the ends of the earth (Isaiah 40:28).
Understanding God: God of the Beginning
There is no better way to begin this journey of exploring the people and entities in the Bible than to start with God. He is not just the beginning but is the origin of all things.
Women in the Bible: A Paragon of Beauty
What made Sarah’s beauty so compelling that kings and nations took notice? Explore the deeper layers of grace, favour, and mystery surrounding one of Scripture’s most unforgettable women — and discover why her story still provokes wonder today.
Men in the Bible: A Man of Ambition and Adventure
Terah may not have reached Canaan, but his courage to start a life-changing journey laid the foundation for Abraham’s destiny. Discover how ambition and bold steps mark a life of significance.
Men in the Bible: An Impetuous and Impudent Man
A revealing glimpse into a man whose choices exposed deeper issues of character, showing how hastiness and entitlement can quietly shape a destiny, and why his story still speaks to us today.
Men in the Bible: A Man with Little Foresight
Sometimes what looks like a smart choice can hide the seed of a mistake. This reflection from Scripture invites us to think again about how foresight — or the lack of it — shapes a man’s story.
Men in the Bible: The First Man to Tithe
Before laws, temples, or traditions, one man honoured God with his substance. Abraham’s tithe was not commanded, demanded, or enforced. It flowed from reverence.
Fathers in the Bible: A Destiny-Shaping Father
What makes a man a truly aware father? Discover how one man’s prophetic foresight shaped his son’s destiny and changed generations forever.
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