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Both Abraham and Lot received the abundance of God’s blessings. They owned
so many cattle that they had to separate into two camps. As the elder, Abraham
could have had the first choice of the pasture land for his flocks and herds,
but he instead allowed his nephew to choose first. Lot chose the “well watered” plain of Jordan, as it appeared to him a greater
chance to increase his wealth. If he had gone in the other direction then
Abraham would have taken Jordan. Would the patriarch have compromised as Lot
did? It is doubtful, since his heart was right with God. The truth is, Lot would
have backslidden regardless of the location. We can see seven stages to Lot’s
spiritual demise in Genesis.
“And 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”
(Genesis 13:10).
Lot wanted to be seen where all the apparent successful people congregate.
The plain was perfect for raising cattle and producing crops. To gain the riches
of the world he turned a blind eye to the obvious sin and wickedness of Sodom.
He opted for the temporal instead of the eternal. If only he had a heart after
God, and sought His guidance, he would have been abundantly blessed with Abraham
… “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: for all the
land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And 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. Arise, walk through the
land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Then 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” (Genesis 13:14-18). Lot
built no altar to the Lord since he was building his own kingdom upon his
selfish desires.
“Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east:
and they separated themselves the one from the other” (Genesis 13:11).
Lot made his choice. The fertile land surrounding Sodom was a paradise in his
eyes. He probably thought that he would be a fool not to take it. What seems
good and pleasant to our eyes may in fact be an abomination to the Lord’s.
Satan always rolls out his red carpet to attract sinners his way. He makes them
feel like very important people until they are firmly caught in his snare. The
choices we make have consequences we cannot avoid.
“Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of
the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom” (Genesis 13:12).
Was not the plain of Jordan “well
watered” and beautiful? Why then did Lot “pitch
his tent toward Sodom”? Could he not see the danger he was putting his
family and himself in by living so close to the Sodomites? The bright lights of
the city must have been a constant temptation to him and so he was drawn to it
like a moth to the flame. The more he looked, the less sinful the inhabitants of
Sodom appeared. He may have even thought he could teach them about truth and
righteousness.
“And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate
of Sodom” (Genesis 19:1).
Now we find Lot, no longer living in the plain of Jordan, but sitting in the
gate of Sodom. The term indicates that he was now a judge in the city, but could
just as well mean that he was employed as a watchman. He certainly knew all
about the gross sin of the people … And
Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward
the ground; and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your
servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up
early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street
all night. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and
entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread,
and they did eat” (Genesis 19:1-3), yet it appears that he was content to
live there.
Lot could not shake off the influence of Abraham’s godliness, for he hated
the sin of the Sodomites with a passion … “And
delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that
righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous
soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)” (2 Peter 2:7-8). What a
great opportunity he had to preach and teach righteousness and deliverance from
sin! Nevertheless, he must have compromised whatever faith he had to actually
dwell in Sodom.
“And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your
servant's house” (Genesis 19:2).
He started off living in a tent in the “well
watered” fields of surrounding Sodom, but now he owns a house inside the
city walls. He was in Sodom and Sodom was in him. How far he had fallen! He had
exchanged the godly heritage of Abraham’s family for the cesspool that was
Sodom. He was once a humble shepherd tending his sheep, but now he is a judge
pretending to govern souls destined for Hell.
“And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his
daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy
this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law” (Genesis
19:14).
Lot had neglected his walk with God. He failed to teach his daughters the way
of holiness, thus permitting them to marry unbelievers. When he did speak up,
nobody took him seriously. When he realised his own sinfulness, it was too late
to tell others about the Lord. He became the last preacher that the Sodomites
heard (see 2 Peter 2:7-8 again). When he spoke of the coming judgement, people
saw him just as another comedian and a hypocrite. No one had any respect for him
… “This one fellow came in to sojourn,
and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with
them” (Genesis 19:9). In a word, Lot was a spiritual failure.
“And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, thy servant
hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou
hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest
some evil take me, and I die: behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it
is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my
soul shall live” (Genesis 19:18-20).
Even after the miraculous deliverance he experienced he could not trust in
the word of God. Like all sinners, backsliders and compromisers, he thought he
knew better than the Lord. If only he had been a man of faith maybe his wife
would not have hankered after Sodom … “His
wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis
19:26), and maybe his daughters would not have committed their terrible sin (see
Genesis 19:30-36). His spiritual demise was the result of a lack of faith right
from the beginning.
Lot’s choice had its consequences. If only he had sought the Lord he would not have compromised with the Sodomites and offered his daughters to them. None of those awful things would have happened to him and his family. Lot loved the world and it gradually brought him down to its gutter. Our personal choices have their consequences too and, unless we seek God, we will have to live and die with them.
Page created 14 February 2006