It shows that he really made a careful survey of the surrounding region and chose the most attractive side.
It is interesting to note that Lot made the decision without any thought or concern for Abram. This reveals a selfish mind, one that presents itself in contrast to Abram’s who showed selflessness by offering Lot to choose first. The spirit of faith is one of selflessness, of love, and not of selfishness.
These are words that may be linked to Genesis 2:1 – 3:24. There are a number of instances in the earlier chapters in Genesis where decisions are made as a result of seeing:
in the garden of Eden where Eve “saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye”
when the sons of God “saw that the daughters of men were beautiful”
when “God saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become.”1
Now in Genesis 13:10, Lot also sees the Jordan plain that leads him to a decision.
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)