Message topic: Who was Lot?
Scripture: Genesis 13: 1-10
One of the most-scary stories in the bible to me, is the story of Lot’s wife becoming a pillow of salt. How did this happen, what did she do to cause this happen to her? where was her husband? And who is Lot anyway?
In Genesis chapters eleven, twelve and thirteen, we can learn of God telling Abraham to leave his father’s house and his country and go to a place where He will show him the way.
Abraham’s father’s name was Terah, he had three sons, namely Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran had a son and called his name Lot; Haran died before his father Terah, so Terah took responsibility of his grandson Lot.
Abram wanted to be obedient to God, to leave his country the land of Ur, to go the land of Canaan, and when he did his father and his nephew Lot left with him but when they got to Haran they stopped for a while, and Terah died there. Lot’s father and grand father who had care of him now dead, so Abram took lot with him.
While Lot and Abram were considered righteous men, the extent of their God-fearing differed. Abraham was known for his unwavering faith and obedience to God, while Lot’s faith and obedience were more wavering, and he was sometimes driven by fear rather than faith.
Abraham’s faith was his defining characteristic, he trusted God implicitly, even when faced with difficult decisions like leaving his homeland or being asked to sacrifice his son. Abraham’s faith was counted to him as righteousness, demonstrating his deep relationship with God.
Lot was also considered righteous, but his faith was less consistent. He was saved from Sodom and Gomorrah because of Abraham’s righteousness, and he tried to persuade the people of Sodom from their wicked ways, however, he also made choices driven by fear and worldly desires suggesting his faith was not as strong as Abraham’s, his uncle.
In essence, while Lot was a righteous man who was loved by God, his righteousness was not as unwavering and consistent as Abraham’s. Abraham’s faith was a driving force in his life, while Lot’s was more reactive and influenced by his surroundings.
We have come to learn that this journey which Abraham and Lot was on, was in obedience to God commanding Abram to leave the land of Ur and to go to the land of Canaan and He God would show him the way; but along the way their numbers and wealth increased so much that it become difficult to maintain peace between their herds men, so they had to separate, and only Abraham and his group was able to ether the land of Canaan which were their ultimate destination.
In the separation Lot chose to live in the rich, but spiritually deprived region near Sodom, while Abram settled out into the land of Canaan. Let me repeat something that I just said in regard to Abram and Lot.
While both Lot and Abram were considered to be righteous men, the extent of their God-fearing differed. Abraham was known for his unwavering faith and obedience to God, while Lot’s faith and obedience were more wavering, and he was sometimes driven by fear rather than faith. Can this condition be found among men of God today?
Both Abraham and Lot came to the conclusion that to keep peace between them, it would be better to be apart. Then Abram in Genesis 13:9 said to his nephew Lot: is not the whole land before thee, separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: then I will go to the right or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou coms unto Zora.
Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east and they separated themselves the one from the other, Abram settled in the land of Canaan as God had promised to give to him: while Lot choose to live in the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom, but the men of Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
God in His first encounter with Abram said to him, leave your family and go to a place called Canaan, I will show you the way, now lift up thine eyes and look, around, all the land you see is yours and your descendants to come.
Abram is now settled and all is going well: then one day as he sat in the door of his tent, he looked, and there were three men standing by, and when he saw them he ran to meet them from his tent door, and bowed himself towards the ground, and said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee from thy servant.
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort your hearts after that you shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant; and they said, so do, as you hast said.
Abraham went to his wife and said to her we have three visitors, let’s fixed for them, he went to the herd and fetched a calf tender and good, dressed it and set it before his visitors, which they enjoyed. They then asked for Sariah his wife, and made him a promise that by this time the coming year she will have a child, though she has passed the age of child bearing.
It was then that they revealed to Abram that they were on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy the cities.
Abraham went close to the strangers and said to them, will you destroy the righteous with the wicked? What if you find fifty righteous people there? Abram had Lot on his mind, because he lived in the region. He then asked, what if you only find forty- five? He got the answer I will not destroy the city if I can find ten righteous souls there
Two angels went down to Sodom in the evening and found Lot sitting at the gate of the Sodom: lot seeing them went to meet them, bowing his face to the ground and said to them, you can refresh yourself at my house and spend the night there, so they took him at his word, went home with him and had dinner.
Before they went to bed, the men of the city compassed the house, both young and old, calling Lot and saying to him, where are the men who came to you this evening, let them out that we may know them. Lot went out and talked with them, even offered his two daughters to them, but they wanted nothing but the two men that is now in your house.
They were about to brake the door when the men open it, pull Lot in and smote all the men round about with blindness, so they could not find the door to break it.
The visitors then said to Lot, get all your relatives that is in the city for we are here to destroy the cities for their sins has come before the Lord, so the angels in the morning hasten Lot saying, arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters which are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
As they lingered the men laid hand upon Lot, his wife and two daughters and led them out side of the city only as the Lord had mercy on them with this instruction: escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed: bur Lot’s wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
God rescued Lot, but he still lost his wife who disobeyed God, and pretty much lost his daughters too; his foolish daughters as time went by, committed incest on him and those sons and their descendants fell away from God and were wicked, the tribe of Moab and Ammon, as they were pagans, idol worshipers, and became enemies of Israel.
Lot spent much time with his uncle, a true man of God, but failed to walk in his foot steps.