LOT’S GREAT TRAGEDY – Devotion for Saturday, 30 May 2016 Anno Domini
5 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6 And 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. 7 And 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. 8 And 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. 9 Is 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. 10 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. 11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. Gen 13:5-13 (KJV)
We should not sit in stern judgment concerning the choice Lot made for we all have made them in times past, and many still do so as a matter of habitual greed. Our churches have far more Lot’s today than Abraham’s. Many who know God well, yet know Him not well enough to surrender their frail and imperfect wills to Him, populate not only the pews of churches around the world, but regrettably the pulpits, too. Many clergymen make it a point to learn who gives the greater treasure in offerings so that they can gage the impact of their sermons to please, and not offend, the one with deep pockets. The Apostle James elaborates a great principle regarding that same circumstance: “2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” James 2:2-5 (KJV)
Great and climactic decisions are often more easily made than the steady, day-by-day adherence to the principles that follow in trail of that decision. Lot agreed to follow Abram (later Abraham) from Ur of the Chaldees – to leave familiar surroundings and possessions to go out in uncharted waters following the command of the God of Abraham. Lot did so without so much as a whimper. But along with perfect obedience to God comes blessings. Those blessings had made of Abraham’s nephew, Lot, a wealthy owner of much sheep. So far, Lot and Abraham have gotten on swimmingly well. But the material blessings begin to burden territorial concerns. Lot’s shepherds strive with the shepherds of Lot’s benefactor, Abraham, over water rights. Perhaps less driven by concerns over worldly concerns than Lot, Abraham calls his nephew forward and shows him the territory round and about upon which the two are living. “7 And 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. 8 And 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. 9 Is 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.”
The magnanimity of Abram (Abraham) is abundantly obvious from his initiation of a resolution and his willingness to have second choice on Lot’s preference of land grant. A man who acts out of the will of God rather than his own will always demonstrate the same magnanimity of the Lord in dealing with others. So Lot takes assessment of the choice offered by Abram – an assessment far more inclined to worldly concerns than Godly ones. “10 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. 11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.” What a woeful thing for men and women to choose the attraction of the world over the important consideration of righteous conduct in choosing with whom they will pitch their tents.
Lot chose the fertile plain of the Jordan Valley, and “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” How tragic!
Three stellar points emerge concerning the character of Lot vis a’vis that of Abram.
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Lot lacked a devotion to God that was demonstrated in Abram’s character. Every place he went, Abram built an altar there to the Lord. There is no record of Lot ever building an altar – even after escaping the devastation of ill-chosen city – Sodom! “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”
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Lot was worldly-minded. The Lord hates a “high look.” “. . . . him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.” Psalms 101:5 (KJV) Did Lot defer to his elder uncle, or did he, without hesitation, choose what he believed was the most personally profitable for himself? “10 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.”
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Lot made wrong decisions because he used his own reason and not that of prayerful contemplation. He LOOKED toward Sodom. He chose the wrong side of the land to dwell in. He PITCHED HIS TENT toward Sodom. That was also to enhance his opportunity to gain the wealth from the filthy commerce of Sodom. We have said many times, especially to the young among us, that sin is a direction whose grade grows steeper as we travel in the wrong direction. In pitching his tent toward Sodom, Lot set in play a number of further wrong decisions that would place his very family in grave jeopardy. Finally, Lot became part of the political establishment of Sodom. He moved into that wicked city – so very wicked that we get the term ‘sodomy’ therefrom – and became an official at the gate. When the destroying Angels came to Sodom in the gloaming of the evening, “1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.” Gen 19:1 (KJV)
Please do not tell me that you have not made wrong decision, uninformed by prayer, that you came to regret. Lot did, indeed, come to regret his decision to “pitch his tent toward Sodom.” Decisions we make similar to that of Lot will often have perilous consequences for our innocent children. What was the price that Lot paid for his selfish decision to bring his family near to the very seat and throne of sin?
Only three of Lot’s family was saved. We know not for certain how many perished for we do not know if he had sons in Sodom; but we do know that Lot’s wife perished by looking back perhaps in regret to the city she had loved. His two sons-in-law died in the devastation as well, refusing to leave that sinful hotbed. (sorry for the pun). And the two daughters of Lot, plagued with the sinful and sensuous atmosphere of Sodom, engaged in a reprehensible relationship with their own father from which two cursed sons were born.
We may consider Lot’s decision simply unwise and uninformed. That would be a correct assumption, for it was based on carnal considerations and not prayerful and Godly ones.
Did God at any point send due warning to Lot of the peril of his soul if he remained in Sodom? Yes, God sent very stark warning just as He does to other nations and peoples who heed not His Counsel such as our own sinful nation. Chedorlaomer, with other kings of the vale of Shittim, invaded and defeated the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. With what result? “11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 12 And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.” Gen 14:11-12 (KJV)
So Lot and his family, having been captured by enemy kings, became a once-again burden to his uncle, Abraham. Abraham could not allow his nephew to remain a captive and slave of the enemy, so he raised an army from among his people and rescued Lot, his wife and daughters, and property from Chedorlaomer and slew that king. There were two who came out to meet Abraham following the victory – the King of Sodom, and Melchizedek, King of Salem (King of Peace). Melchizedek is a mysterious figure that seems to meet many corresponding points in character of our Lord Jesus Christ. He served Bread and Wine to Abraham – perhaps the first shadow of the Communion, and Abram gave tithes of all to Melchizedek. But what of the King of Sodom? “21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. 22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine.” Gen 14:21-23 (KJV) We are not to profit from the treasures of sin. What hath Light to do with Darkness? We should be free of any obligation to workers of iniquity. CASE CLOSED!
