It’s A Lot!

0:00 Parashat leclaude we're going to come to parshot lecla Khan next week, but we've already here kind of so it's kind of like the kingdom of God. It's already but it's not yet. And so we're going to talk about it. And I want for for Aaron safe, but really for everyone else's because Aaron already knows this. part shot lucky God God speaks to Abram. That's how it starts. But I want everyone to know that it's in that week's tour portion next week, which I'll talk about this week. Yeah. I feel like never mind no jokes. Now I forgot what I was saying. Abram Abram has his name changed in next

0:45 week's Torah portion from Abram to Abraham. So I just want everybody else to know that I'm just gonna call him Abraham for simplicity's sake. I don't want to confuse you or anything. So when I talk about Abraham, I do recognize that there is a particular moment where his name changes from Abram to Abraham Abraham, but today I'm just going to call Neighborhood. Personal luck look like it's like lucky if I get up and go like go already. You know go and get moving. So God tells Abraham to get out of haran into leave. And so Abraham leaves her on and Journeys to Canaan and he takes with him lot. his brother's son his nephew.

1:34 I'm giving this I'm giving this really for everyone else's sake Aaron already knows most of this. He takes takes a lot with him along the way he finally comes to Canaan and and Abraham builds a few altars and Aaron mentions this and a few different places. He's going around and there's a famine and Abraham goes down to the Egypt. He leaves the land. He goes down to Egypt and he comes back. super duper wealthy like he he leaves Egypt substantially wealthy really actually foreshadowing what's to happen 400 years later to his descendants. But not only is Abraham wealthy. But what is wealthy with lots of herds? I know we don't really describe wealthy in our society today is having herds and sheep and and

2:20 so on but he's got lots of sheep. Can I just tell you yeah, you guys ever watch Shepherds like with sheep. And and trying to move a sheet from one place to a next. It's a pain. You know, there's a reason that the shepherd has a rod and a staff. You know as David tells us in Psalm 23. Anyways, Pharaoh kicks out Abraham because he's upset that Abraham said that his sister that Sarah who's also the names changes by the way, her name is Sarai and he changes to Sarah and an Aaron mentioned that he's upset that Abraham said she's my sister. which

3:07 you can make an argument for but that's not the message for today. Not that he's a sister but there's a there's a relationship between the two Beyond husband and wife. So from there they travel back. to the land of Canaan and now I just wanted to give you that as kind of to setting the the context of the passage that I'm dealing with Aaron already knows and I'm I'm just kind of looping the rest of you in that I'm looking at this passage from Genesis 13 verses 5 through 8. I've titled my message. It's a lot. But where's somebody on the Tommy's anyways? It's a lot. Now it's funny because Aaron and I had our

3:52 meeting this week, by the way, just in case you don't know that you're unfamiliar with the process. I meet with every Barn bot Mitzvah candidate before they come up on Shabbat. And so Aaron and I had our meeting this week and I I really didn't know which direction he was going. But I and even really who he identified with in the Torah portion, but I'd already decided the direction of my message. And and at the very end Lily Aaron's mother says Aaron, why don't you tell Rabbi? Are you who you identify the most within this in the store portion? He goes well with lots and I said, that's great because that's what I'm preaching about in Shabbat. Lot, we come to this section which focuses on lot and really the relationship between lot and Abraham.

4:39 So I'm going to read this and then we're going to I've done what Rabbi Sean does I've broken it down to nice into three nice points and each each three points has three points in and of itself. So we're gonna walk away with 9 points today at least anyways better than the World Series last night. No, I'm sorry. anyways Genesis chapter 13 when I say starting in verse 5. Yep. Verse 5 now lot who was going with Abraham by the way, I'm just going to go ahead and change the name now. I don't think I'm changing scripture or just giving you the name Abraham now a lot who is going with Abraham also had sheep and cattle intense so that the land could not support

5:27 them living together because their possessions were many and they were not able to stay together. So there was a quarrel between the Shepherds of Abraham's Livestock in the Shepherds of lots livestock. Now the Canaanites in the parasites were living in the land then Abraham said to lot please let there be no Strife between you and me or between my Shepherds and yours since we are relatives. By the way, we're getting close to Thanksgiving. Everybody know how much how little Strife there is between relatives. Isn't the whole land before you please separate yourself from me. If to the left, then I'll go to the right and if to the right then I'll go to the left. lot lifted up his eyes

6:12 hmm Let me look at the area around here a lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the whole area surrounding the Jordan was well watered in its entirety before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Like autonized Garden. So let me translate we'll come to this in a minute. But what's autonized Garden the Garden of Eden? So now we're going back to the beginning of the story. That's what this area looks like like the Garden of Eden. Like the land of Egypt till you come to Zohar. So lot chose for himself the whole area. the whole area surrounding the Jordan lot journeyed to the East and they separated from each other Abraham's weld

6:58 in the land of the cane of Canaan and lot dwelled in the cities of the valley. And he moved his tent from place to place near Sodom, but the people of Sodom were evil, very great Sinners against the Lord. After lot had separated himself from him autonice said to Abraham lift up your eyes now and look from the place where you are to the Norris to the South to the East and to the West for all the land that you were looking at. I will give you I will give to you into your seed forever. I will make your seed like the dust of the earth so that if one could count the dust of the earth then your seed could also be counted. Get up walk about the land through its length in its width for I will give it to you. So Abraham moved his tent from place to place and came

7:45 and dwelt by momres large trees which are in Hebron in Hebron and there built an altar to the Lord. So we're gonna break this up and we're gonna first look at the first couple verses versus five through nine. Lot and Abraham both have lots of flocks and herds and Tents. In fact, they had so much that it became intense for everyone. Thank you for the obligatory laugh. I really am missing Amanda this week, but the scripture says that this passage says that the land could not support their living together. Because their possessions were too great.

8:32 In other words the two groups together require more than the land itself could actually provide. And because of that there's quarreling among the Shepherds and the herdsmen. And now lot in his group are to separate from Abraham's group. now it's interesting because early in chapter 4 it says that Abraham the left Huron with his wife his nephew lot. And all of his possessions you see lot is in the Family Circle before The Possession Circle. By the time we get to chapter.

9:21 I think it's in the next chapter chapter 14. Oh, no, it's in this maybe it's in this chapter. Maybe I just read it. Lot is separated out and comes in the list after. Abraham says, it's Abraham. His wife his possessions. And then lot in his possessions came you see so a lot there's already a distinction that's beginning to happen. And it comes out of abundance. But it's interesting because it seems to me. I don't know about you guys. I don't know about you Aaron, but it seems to me that there's more at stake here than quarreling about land.

10:10 There are two Shepherds. I understand that they have these huge herds. But they're too Shepherds. And it says that they're also are in the land the parasites. and the Hittites the Canaanites which means there's these two people groups and the addition of two Shepherds even despite. However much they might have it doesn't seem like it would stress the land as much as they think. Except it does or at least it stresses the relationship between the Shepherds. And we get to this. Feel about you Aaron, but at least the way I was raised. When when I come to a door?

10:56 And I'm with a group of people. And let's just say I'm the youngest in the group. I was raised I opened the door and I hold the door for everybody who's older than me to go through. You know let the Elder choose to go or not if they say, you know, what you go on ahead and find that's their choice. But it's interesting because Abraham, who's the senior Statesman here? He's the one who says lot. Let's not argue lot doesn't say let's don't let's not argue. He's quiet. Abraham says let's not quarrel. Let's not let our Shepherds Coral. You choose whichever land you want. If you go to the right, I'll go to the left. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right.

11:41 It's Abraham. Who's the one who acts out of humility? And gives the preferential land choice to lot. Now I will say this is all knowing that Abraham Abraham knows that God has already promised it all to him. And even then he knows. I'm going to give the preferential land choice to lot. We'll come back to that in a few minutes. And how do we apply it? Let's move on to this next section section versus 10 through 13 lot looked up. He's looking around and he saw that the whole plane of the Jordan was well watered.

12:27 everywhere This is before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and it was like the Garden of Eden. It was like the land of Egypt by the way in the land of Egypt with the Nile River the Nile overflows and it goes back in and it's just Lush pasture land. Great Agriculture, and this is the same same way. It's described as the Garden of Eden the Garden of Eden it grew by itself. It cared for itself. And it was this beautiful area. This also is at least by appearance like that. And so lot chose this based upon what he saw. By lifting up his eyes and seeing what it was that looked to be the best to him.

13:17 He didn't consider. how the Lord would provide He only considered How can I? provide for myself It's not the first time. In the scripture and we're really only 13 chapters in it's not the first time in the scripture. that there's someone in the story who looks and makes a choice based upon what looks good to them. And it's actually not the last. And the reality is is that's how we live in our society today, unfortunately. One Jewish commentator mentions that the Stranglehold that

14:05 material avarice has on a person is very difficult. To overcome it seems that lot has changed. At the beginning in the text now. I'm I know I'm looking I'm kind of digging deep here at the beginning of the text lot is with Abraham. Possessions are secondary concern. but all of a sudden coming out of Egypt possessions are a concern his wealth is a concern and after he became wealthy, it seems that he's become consumed with the desire to continue to increase his material possessions. If he continued to stay with Abraham, it would restrict his

14:50 accumulation of greater wealth and possessions. Unfortunately, this is a disease that consumes some of the finest and most dedicated individuals alive today. And really throughout history. In Fort oh, here it is. I knew it was in my notes. It's just later in my notes and Chapter 14 verse 12 lot is identified first by his possessions and then secondly by his relationship to Abraham whereas before it was his relationship to Abraham and then his possessions It shows that his possessions have become an integral part of his life. They've influenced his character and changed his personality.

15:37 Proverbs says when you cast your eyes on riches. It is gone. For it surely Sprouts wings and flies off into the sky like an eagle. It's interesting because the moment, you know, we can think. Now, let's see Aaron you're 14. I'm gonna bet. if I told you I was going to give you $10,000. Your eyes would do just that right there. Now if I said that to any of the adults in this room there, may I go that's only half of my car payment? And that's if you've already paid off half of your car payment.

16:24 You see what's interesting is? If you set your goal, I'm gonna make $10,000 the moment you make $10,000. You want more? The number is never enough. Unfortunately, that's the society we live in is called consumerism. It's when we set our eyes on something and we want it and we get it and we're like that's not enough. So what do possessions and wealth what kind of effect do they have on us today? If I can get Joshua if I can get you to pop up that website for me. This is our national debt counter. on the top left that number is increasing so fast. I can't even keep count with the hundreds.

17:14 It's increasing $10,000 every second. That's how much debt that we as a nation have accrued now. That was a fascinating website if anybody wants to go look at it US debt clock. .org I may be misremembering. but when I was Aaron's age Maybe a little bit older. We were basically as a nation out of debt. I mean we had we I think we had like a billion dollars or something like that a billion not a trillion and by not a trillion, I mean not 31 trillion.

18:01 By the way, I can't even like describe. I don't know what a trillion is. is like that number so big I can't fathom it. Somebody wants told me. I think it was a trillion if you took a trillion $1 bills that would cover the distance from here to the Moon if you stacked them on it's on each other like flat wise not lengthwise. I don't know if that's true or not, but that's a lot of money. Has it changed? Has consumerism changed our culture our net our nation our culture Society our even personally has it changed the way we make decisions.

18:50 the average American Is 96,000 in debt? That's the average or it was something like that on the debt clock. According to financial experts the percentage of Americans in debt is around 80% 80% of Americans so that would be we had like 400 million people now. Something like that something right around 400 million. So 80% would be about 320 million people are in debt. The average debt in America not including Mortgage Debt. So Mortgage Debt is housing debt for to buy a house is 38,000.

19:38 Can I tell you some things that I have learned? Is number one? The system we have is so broken. We could talk about that in like for the rest of the year. student debt when we encourage Now I'm going to sound old. but when we encourage 18 year olds to go Well, let's see. I grew up in the in the era. I think it's still that is that era? You can be whatever you want to be. You can do whatever you want to do. Can I tell you Aaron, you know what I can never do and I

20:25 know it. Is I can never be an NBA All-Star? Like I know that. But if I go throw a bunch that they'll allow me to go take on debt to go train to be an NBA All-Star. Even though I know I can't do it. And everybody else. I'm sure everybody in here knows I can't do it. like I couldn't even make this the the back end of the rotation on the worst team in the NBA. You say yeah, I could I don't think so, man. I'm pretty bad. Now let's talk about soccer now. I'm just playing.

21:11 our society that we live in they just It's hey, you want something go get it the world the world is yours. The world is not ours, by the way. The world is the Lord's and everything that's in it. All we are here for is stewardship. Good or bad you leave that decision to you? Whether you're a good or a bad Steward of what the Lord has given us. I get special this time of year I get mailers. And I can say this because my children aren't in here. I get mailers from Amazon by the way, Amazon is not complet. Ely digital company, they send me a magazine. Like a magazine like that comes in the mailbox.

21:59 Yeah, everybody still get mail. I mean you get anything besides John Camille because that's really basically all I get junk mail and bills. That's how I know. I'm an adult. I get the Amazon it's like this thick my kids are always the first one to get it. And they go through. Hey Dad, we're gonna make a Hanukkah list this year. Let me just open it up. And they come back a couple days. Later Dad. We have our Hanukkah list if you want our Hanukkah list, I'm like great literally every item on every page is circled with like with like two exceptions per page. You know, it's like 50 items on a page.

22:50 This is the way our society. lives why is your grass so green? I want your grass because this greener than my grass. Can I tell you something? The grass always looks greener on the other side, but it's really just as brown. especially if you live in, Texas this summer my neighbor across the street Watered his line. I think twice a week. Is that permitted in Dallas? Maybe once a week? Maybe I don't want to. I don't want to he watered his lawn in the in the the appropriate amount. That was not above what the city

23:37 stipulates. I didn't water my grass. Because I don't want to pay for it. Until the summer went really long time and finally I said, I need a water my grass. His grass was just luscious and like thick and we would all of our kids they have a son the same age as Max we go over to sit in his front lawn not in our very own front lawn. It's so nice. Then I was talking to Brittany and I said that is nice except like me and his water bill. Is got to be astounding so just understand when you think the grass is greener on the other side. It may be but it comes at a cost.

24:22 That cost is always there Nothing in life is free I once was told. that if you get something for free Then you're the product. That's being sold. So just think about that. if your social media accounts are free. Who is the one being sold something? Anyways that I talk about social media. Let's move on now. Abrah the Lord said to in verses 14 through 18. The Lord says to Abraham after lot moved away from him. I want to just rewind for a bit back to the beginning of the chapter because in verse 4.

25:08 Which is right before where I started it says that Abraham called upon the name of the Lord, but with the text doesn't say is that the Lord didn't answer him. It just says that he called on the name of the Lord and there's nothing after that. It's not until here after lot has left the camp of Abraham. That the Lord replies to Abraham's inquiry. Perhaps Abraham had placed some of his Trust of being made into a great nation. In the presence of his nephew lot as an acceptable error. You see because the Lord says I'm going to make you a great nation with lots of descendants and he's thinking I don't know. I don't know Abraham, but I would assume the same thing because I

25:55 would think something similar if I'm 75 years old without child. Man my this lot he's he's with the family. He's hanging out. He's doing a good thing. He's following the Lord. Like I think that I think that's who the Lord's talking about. You know, this is a conversation with just Abraham. Abraham comes and inquires of the Lord, but the Lord doesn't respond until lot. Is removed from the situation. And then he reiterates his Covenant that he's already said once in the previous chapter and he'll say again even in the store portion. What is the Covenant that Abraham is going to have? multiple descendants That he'll receive the land that is all around him. He tells

26:42 him look lift your eyes up. Look, you know, first of all lot first looked his eyes up. in Abraham didn't lift his eyes until the Lord told him to that should be revelatory in and of itself. There's a gold nugget for everybody who's here. Abraham looks up at the command of the Lord looks to the east the west and north in the South and sees everything in the Lord says this will be yours and your descendants forever. Not for like now or for your children or for your children's children, but forever. Now from a from a fleshly standpoint, I can totally understand why lot chose where he did versus Abraham Abraham's in

27:28 the middle. I almost had them pull up a picture for you, but I didn't Abraham is in the middle of the like the like did you Dean Wilderness and like their Hills and he's got Shepherd. He's a Shepherd. So he's got flocks which require grassland to have nice nutrition, but they're like the size of hills and Ravines and it's not super conducive. For shepherding flocks. So lot chooses the area where it's nice and green. I understand it. Except does not what God told Abraham to do and so I understand Abraham's Choice as well. So what does this mean for you and me?

28:14 I want to draw three. That are going to turn into nine conclusions. First of all, how are we to behave? When we are in an intense quarrel. especially with family let us act in humility and deference to one another choosing to bless each other before blessing ourselves. Just as Abraham did. Yeshua told his talmudaim if anyone wants to come after me let him say no to himself. Take up his cross his execution stake and keep following me Matthew 16:24. That was the simple one. That was the one with the one so I guess maybe

29:02 really only have seven. So here's my next. How should we make our choices or decisions in life? This is for you Aaron and really for everyone else. because the reality is is your father said you are coming into manhood. You're not quite there yet, but you've crossed the threshold. Like, you know you this is like the limbo years. Like you're not quite but you're just like the kingdom of God. It's already but it's not yet. Like we're just on the way if you will to full adulthood, which please tell me whenever you get there because I want to know when I get there.

29:50 But as we grow older and as you grow older, let us choose to listen. For the Lord's voice as Abraham listened and not look with our own eyes as lot looked with his own eyes. Paul says in 2nd Corinthians, we know that so long as we are at home in the body. We are away from our home with the Lord. For we live by trust not by what we see. We are confident then and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and come to our home with the Lord. Therefore whether at home or away from home, we try our utmost to be at peace with him more over God knows us as we really are.

30:37 You know when when lot made his choice God already knew. And when Abraham made his choice God already knew God knows us as we really are. I was impressed. With your observation as to who you felt you were in the Torah portion because the fact that you even noticed that you tend toward a lot will allow you to correct that and to seek the Lord's correction to make that adjustment in your life from this time forward. Let us behave refrain from behaving like lot and look for what appears to be best before our eyes while ignoring the moral depravity that resides next to or with the healthy pasture land.

31:23 I wonder should we apply this in our political voting as well? We cannot serve two masters. No, one can serve two masters. Yeshua says either you will hate the one and you will love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve both. God and money. You see money becomes a master when you allow it to when your possessions become the focal point. When you look with your eyes and decide to consume. it becomes your master and really there's a proverb and I was going

32:10 to put it and I didn't. Think it's in Proverbs 27. Where it says that the the borrower. Will serve the lender. Or in other words the lender becomes the master of the one who borrows money. Sometimes we have to borrow money. But it's best to get out of that as quick as possible. So that we can serve our Lord with all of our hearts. Because Yeshua says keep a close eye on your money. No, this is what I said. Sorry. I say keep a close eye on your money because it will illuminate which Master you serve.

32:55 Because Yeshua says for where your treasure is your money. There will also be your heart. You see he doesn't say you're going to go spend money wherever your heart is. he says your heart's already there. So it behooves us. To track where we spend money. And I this is an exercise that I would encourage for everyone. if you went for a month or even a week and you wrote down everything that you spent your money on in a little Journal. Man, you are going to be terrified. And I mean that you're gonna be terrified at how much money

33:42 you spend and where you spend it and really you'll find out what who your master is. No, I'm just those are not fighting words. But the same is true with your time. You see money comes and goes. your time it only goes time is on a one-way Street. You can never get it back. And so when you spend your time, it better be for something precious. Finally we come to this last section. What distraction? Is keeping us from hearing the Lord. You see Abraham. Perhaps was distracted by

34:27 lot being in the camp with him in his hopes were perhaps placed in the wrong place. What is the distraction that is keeping us? From hearing the Lord is not that the Lord is not replying. What is preventing us from hearing his reply? Do we know? What the Lord has promised in our lives? or have we hedged our bets to make sure that it will come to fruition in the way that we plan for it to come to fruition. In other words are we really trusting the Lord for our every need? Or are we seeing to it ourselves? Because if we're seeing two at ourselves, that's what lot did.

35:15 God speaks and we are able to hear him when we remove distractions from our lives. Let me give you a caution. Distractions are everywhere. Literally everywhere and I mean that literally as not a millennial but as someone older than millennial. They're literally everywhere. Proverbs says apply your heart to discipline in your ears to words of knowledge. Do not chase after riches but rather. seek first his kingdom In fact, let's just go straight to that scripture Luke 12:29 through

36:00 31. So do not seek what you will eat and drink and do not keep worrying. For all the nations of the world strive after these things. Let me just pause for a moment. They all do that. So we're not supposed to. But your father knows that you need these things. instead seek his kingdom and then all these things shall be added For unto you. It's so funny because I memorized this scripture in a different version and it's trying to come out every time I'm like I say it. And I realized I'm reading a different version here.

36:47 anyways, Aaron you've done a fantastic job. You have made a good start on your journey into manhood. Don't let distractions keep you from the Lord. Always always seek first his kingdom. And he'll take care of the rest. And is really amazing. how God actually takes care of the rest I I could tell you. a dozen stories But I'm going to tell you one. And then I'll be done and it's not even my story. It's another congregant story. Whom you know, and I'm not gonna tell

37:34 you it is so you'll have to just figure it out. I know this. family Who moved to Dallas? And they were moving here from another state. and they got a job here and And but they didn't have the money. To pay for the U-Haul rental to get from their state to here. so they went to they went to the congregation and somebody said you know, what's Anybody have any prayer prayer requests and this is by the way, this is what prayer meetings are for. This person says yeah, you know, I got this job offer. I got to get got to get my family there, but we're gonna move the house and it's gonna do all of this and I don't know if I have time and I got to do in the next week.

38:21 Because I start in a week. and well and so that then got past to someone else. in this person found a check in their mail in their mailbox No, it was handed to them. Now now the person is going to talk to me later and be like, he's totally butchered the story. Anyways, the whole point of the story is the U-Haul rental was $850 and the check was for like 852 dollars. They didn't know how much the U-Haul rental cost. They know anything. But it was a need the Lord knew. I mean, they knew they had a need but it was a need that the Lord knew exactly the right amount.

39:08 So funny whenever we step out and trust the Lord. With the possessions that we Steward because they're not ours. We often think we work 40 hours a week or 60 hour whatever hours we work because this is our money and this is our house. That's really not true. It's really it's all God's. We're just here to Steward it in the best way possible and when we do. God's gonna take care of our needs all along the way it is. Amazing. How time after time it will happen. If you just let him. Otherwise, if you don't let him you're always running just a bit behind the curve.

39:55 May the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you. And give you peace. Give our recognize. my ref und Yahair! I don't know if another lekha the who never come He saw tonight.

40:49 when the name of our Messiah Yeshua amen, Mazel tovaren shabbat shalom