A costly choice or lamentable choice

Dear Friends,

For our study, lets focus the life story of Lot, Abram’s nephew in Genesis 13, 14 and 19, When Abram’s servants and Lot servants had a quarrel, Abram asked Lot to choose the land first to avoid the fighting among themselves. The proposal made by Abram to Lot was exceedingly generous. May be Abram and Lot were standing on one of the high mountains of Canaan, perhaps Mt. Hebron. Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the well watered, fertile plains of Sodom and the rich hills of Moab. It reminded him of the Garden of Eden, which he had heard from his uncle Abram. And Lot chose all the plain of Jordan for his portion and separated from his Godly uncle. Lot dwelt in the cities of the plains for a while, then he pitched his tent toward Sodom. Finally, he dwelt in Sodom, there he was elected to the city council. Bible scholars say that Lot lived in Sodom for 20 years.

What is wrong in Lot’s choice?

Without regard for anything spiritual, just for his own soul, Lot chose the rich plains of Sodom. His choice was not good, because he had too much love for this world and he had little concern for his own soul and the souls of his family. There were no prophets in Sodom but only riches. There was no alter at which to worship God in Sodom but only green grass. There were no believers in Sodom but only wickedness & worldliness. From the moment that Lot made his choice, he began to decline. He did not go directly into Sodom, but step by step, he hardened his heart and seared his conscience until he convinced himself, that the best thing he could do for himself, his family was to move into Sodom. He compromised all his Godly characters to inherit Sodom. Are we traveling towards Sodom step by step leaving Godly friends, fellowship and communion? How is our commitment with our Christ? Is it fading day by day? Then cry out to God to replace the first love back into our lives immediately!!

Walking by sight:-

Lot walked by sight and not by faith. In Genesis 3:6, we see that, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and it was pleasant to the eyes, she took the fruit of the forbidden tree”. Walking by sight is the cause of most of our failures and sorrows. Abraham walked by faith and not by sight. That was the reason he could able to inherit God’s blessings in his life.

What did Lot gain by his separation from Abraham and journey to Sodom?

Nothing at all. Instead of gaining, he was the loser. In Genesis 14, we see the battle between 4 kings with five, they took all the good of Sodom and Gomorrah and they took Lot who also dwelt in Sodom and his riches and departed. When Abram came to know, he and his armed servants redeemed Lot and his property and all the riches of Sodom & Gomorrah, but still Lot returned back to Sodom. When I read this, I felt bad for Lot. How ignorant he was for not knowing God’s will in his life. His mind was targeted with Sodom’s riches and not to have fellowship with God. I don’t find Lot building an alter for God to worship in Sodom either. Even God’s providential dealings are insufficient to move Lot’s heart as his eyes and heart were fixed to Sodom’s riches. Lets ask ourselves, where are we now? When our own plans and selfish dealings don’t work, are we still lingering at the same place for trying to succeed? May be this is the right time for us to allow God to deal our lives once again. Are we like Lot going back to Sodom after seeing failures?

In Genesis 19, we see 2 angels found Lot sitting in the gate of Sodom, when Lot requested angels to partake of the hospitality, but angels preferred to abide in the street, this again confirms that Lots heart was far away from God’s presence. He compromised all his Godliness to please Sodom riches. Angels reluctance to enter Lots dwelling is in contrast with their fellowship with Abram. The utter meanness and selfishness of lots character was exhibited when he proposed to sacrifice his daughters to the men of Sodom in order to secure his own preservation and peace. The powerless of Lots testimony appeared in the response made by his sons in-law when he warned them that the Lord was about to destroy the city. He could not even gain a single soul for God when he was 20 years in Sodom. Lots words had no weight because of his previous way. How pathetic it is to experience in a Christian life. How is our testimony today? Is it powerful or powerless like Lot? The angels laid upon Lots hand while he was lingering and delaying in Sodom, which again confirms that where his heart was and how he loved that wicked place?

Lots choice of residence was completely dependent upon immediate and temporal needs and not on eternal spiritual blessings. His life on earth was a wretched failure; there was no witnessing for God and no blessings of God upon his family. His wife turned to be a pillar of salt and all his life, he left face to face with fruit of his own awful sin in the dark cave.

Lot is a concrete warning, a danger signal, for all Christians who feel a tendency to be carried away by the things of the world. May the God of Abraham help everyone to make a costly choice for the glory of God? Amen.