Free Bible lesson for kids · Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Abram Lets Lot Choose
Abram and his nephew Lot had so many flocks, herds and tents that the land could not hold them both, and their herdmen began to quarrel. Abram said there should be no strife between them, “for we be brethren,” and he let Lot choose first; Lot chose the well-watered plain of Jordan. Then God told Abram to look northward, southward, eastward and westward, and promised all that land to him and his seed for ever.
- Bible passage
- Genesis 13:1–18
- Big idea
- Peacemakers put others first and trust God to take care of them.
- Memory verse
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Matthew 5:9 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
Abram came up out of Egypt with his wife and Lot, and he was very rich (Genesis 13:1–2). At the altar near Bethel he called on the name of the LORD (Genesis 13:3–4). Lot also had flocks, herds and tents. The land could not hold them both, and their herdmen began to quarrel (Genesis 13:5–7). Abram told Lot there should be no strife between them, “for we be brethren” (Genesis 13:8).
Abram let Lot choose first: if Lot went left, Abram would go right (Genesis 13:9). Lot chose the well-watered plain of Jordan and pitched his tent toward Sodom (Genesis 13:10–12). God told Abram to look northward, southward, eastward and westward: “For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever” (Genesis 13:14–15). Abram built an altar unto the LORD at Mamre (Genesis 13:18).
Read it in the Bible: Genesis 13:1–18 (KJV)
1And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. 2And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; 4Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. 5And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 9Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. 10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. 14And 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: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
Questions to ask
Why could Abram and Lot not dwell together?
Their substance was so great that the land could not bear them, and their herdmen had strife (Genesis 13:6–7).
What did Abram say to Lot?
“Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee,” and he let Lot choose first (Genesis 13:8–9).
What did God promise Abram after Lot left?
All the land he could see, northward, southward, eastward and westward, for him and his seed for ever (Genesis 13:14–15).
What this story teaches
- Peacemakers are called the children of God (Matthew 5:9).
- Family peace is worth more than having the best land (Genesis 13:8–9).
- Putting others first shows humble, unselfish love (Genesis 13:9).
- What looks best to our eyes is not always good (Genesis 13:10, 13).
- God takes care of those who trust Him (Genesis 13:14–15).
Jesus Is Our Peace
Abram let Lot choose first to keep peace. Jesus is our peace: by the cross He brings us back to God and to each other.
Ephesians 2:14–16
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Ask God to help us be peacemakers who let others go first. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “Peacemakers put others first and trust God to take care of them.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Matthew 5:9 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors · about 10 minutes
Stand Up Together
You need: A long rope tied into a big loop
- Everyone sits in a circle, holding the rope loop with both hands.
- Together, everyone leans back and pulls evenly, until the whole group stands up at once.
- If anyone pulls too hard or lets go, everyone sits back down. Try again.
Abram said, “Let there be no strife… for we be brethren.” Peace takes everyone pulling together.
For youth group · game · outdoors · about 30 minutes
Four Directions Hunt
You need: A compass app, clues hidden north, south, east and west of the church
- Teams get their first clue: “Walk 40 steps north…”
- Each clue sends them in a direction to the next one.
- The final clue leads to snacks, and Genesis 13:14–15.
Abram let Lot choose first, and God told Abram to look north, south, east and west: all of it was his.
Pray
Ask God to help us be peacemakers who let others go first.