“Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.” - Genesis 13:10-13
If I were to ask you to name some of the great saints of the Old Testament, I doubt that you would mention Lot. I'm sure you'd mention his uncle, Abraham, but Lot would certainly not be among the mighty men of faith from the Old Testament.
We tend to overlook Lot for a number of reasons. Most focus on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, but somehow minimize the fact that Lot lived in Sodom. Without Lot, would we know much about these cities? The Scriptures give us a great deal of insight into Sodom because Lot was living there with his family. Obviously, the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah are given as a warning to future generations, including ours today, that judgment will come upon such wickedness.
Lot ended up living in Sodom. Then he stayed there. It took a work of God to get him out. What caused Lot to get accustomed to Sodom? Why did he stay there? What lessons are we to learn from this man?
First of all, when Lot separated from his uncle, it revealed that Lot lacked the spiritual depth that Abraham had. When they chose which direction to go, Lot did not consult God. Abraham moved forward with faith and prayer. Up to the point of separation, Lot was benefiting from his uncle's faith. Many young people face a similar issue when they move away from home for the first time. Perhaps they grew up in a Christian home. Perhaps they attended church regularly. Now that they are on their own, they are no longer enjoying the benefits of mature Christian parents. When they marry or go to college, spiritual matters become less and less important. As a pastor, I've watched young people get excited about spiritual matters, only to see that excitement wane greatly when they begin dating or get old enough to be on their own. Each person needs a personal faith in the Lord Jesus. We do not go to heaven on the coattails of family members. The harsh realities of life will test our faith. We need to have a strong faith in God ourselves. While it is good to have strong, mature believers around us, we need to get stronger and grow deeper ourselves.
Lot's separation from Abraham revealed a second problem. Lot didn't seem to seek any divine guidance when it came time for him to choose his future. We don't find that he asked God for direction at all. How often do we make the same mistake?
A third problem we find is that Lot made his decision based on the potential for prosperity. You see, Lot chose based on what he saw. He saw the fertile land that led to Sodom and made his decision based on the prospects of prosperity in that direction. Let's be honest. Most Americans make decisions exactly like Lot did. When faced with a career choice, we make our decisions based upon the personal gain we may achieve. Often a man will pack up his entire family and move many states away because of the promise of a high wages at a company. Like Lot, he never considers the spiritual impact of the choice he is making. He uproots his family from a quiet neighborhood, good schools and a spiritually alive church and moves to a questionable area. He never does his homework about churches in the new community or the quality of education that is available there. He only researches the “dream job,” for his own advancement. He just assumes that there will be spiritual opportunities in this new area. Ultimately, he may sacrifice his family on the altar of his career.
Finally, it is obvious that Lot was a poor spiritual leader of his own family. He and his family moved into Sodom. He should have realized immediately that Sodom was not the place for him to live. Over time, he and his family established deep roots there. His daughters married. His wife considered it home. Moving did not seem to be an option. The Apostle Peter wrote that Lot's soul was vexed daily by the wickedness of Sodom. He should have never gone there to begin with. Once he arrived there and saw the sinfulness of the city, he should have left immediately. Instead, he stayed.
The entire experience was costly for Lot. God sent two angels who delivered Lot and his family from Sodom before judgment fell. Consider the cost. His sons-in-law refused to leave. After fleeing the city, in disobedience to the angelic command, Lot's wife turned back and became a pillar of salt. Later, Lot's daughters committed acts of immorality with their own father.
To be honest, we are living in a land that is resembling Sodom. More and more wickedness is prevailing in our land. Many believers are just like Lot. They are blending in with society. It is corrupting marriages, families and churches.
Let's learn from the lessons of Lot. Not only do we need to get ourselves out of Sodom, we need to get Sodom out of us.
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