Let’s Learn a Lot from Lot
I don’t know about you, but I often look at some of the Biblical heroes of the faith (see Hebrews 11) and think, “They must have been different than me. I could never do what they did!” While it is technically true that only they could do what they did, the sentiment is that somehow they were one level of Christian and I am second class or second string. The problem with this sort of thinking is that it discounts the sovereignty of God in our lives.
To avoid this kind of thinking, I sometimes look at people that did not get things so right and analyze their lives to see where they went wrong, so I can avoid their mistakes. Lot is a great example of this type of study. If you have never read of Lot’s life, you might want to pause, get out your Bible and read Genesis 11:27-31, 12:1-13:1, 13:8-13, 14:12-16, 19:1-30. Let me warn you, you are going to read some things that are hard to consider in these passages. Go ahead and read it and the paper will be right where you left it when you return.
Having read of Lot’s life, we see that he had a problem. He saw the advantages of living first near, then in and then help to lead Sodom and discounted the danger found therein. In the first account, Abraham gives him a choice of land. The text tells us that Lot seems to have already known Sodom and Gomorrah were sinful places where the people offended God. Perhaps he thought he was immune to giving in to the pressure sin brings along, so he decided to move there, live there and planned to resist the sin.
You and I do the same thing. Whether it is talking with someone that seems to be paying us attention while thinking we could never have an affair, hanging out at the donut shop with the “brain trust” and thinking we can resist the donuts, or whether we think we can use our credit cards without worrying about falling deeply in debt, we do the same thing. We see the benefits and discount the danger. This is why Paul told Timothy to flee from youthful lusts (See 2 Timothy 2:22). He did not say to get as close to it as you can and show your spiritual bravery. He said run away! The first lesson we learn from Lot is to recognize our limitations and do the smart thing. If it seems like there is danger in a decision, relationship or purchase, we would do better to pray more, put off the action and seek godly counsel.
Next, we also see from looking at the passage together that Lot gave in to a series of small compromises that led to his destruction. From the Genesis 14 account, we find Lot no longer living near Sodom, but in Sodom and is taken captive with the inhabitants of Sodom. In the passage of Genesis 19, we find him sitting at the gate of Sodom, and, except for the prayers of Abraham and the grace of God, would have been destroyed with them.
Like us, Lot started out with good intention, but found himself in a pickle. His desire for the benefits led him into the danger. He compromised and entered into the danger, even though he might not have realized this was what he was doing at the time. We do the same thing. We never set out to cheat someone out of their hard earned money, but we charged until we can’t pay it back, so we file bankruptcy. We never wanted to weigh 400 pounds, but we never thought that one more piece of cheesecake would be that big of a deal. We never wanted to get drunk again, but we didn’t realize the effect having one beer would have on us. We should have fled, but we stayed instead and now we are in dread!
The most important lesson we can learn from Lot is that, even when he made a big mess of things, there was still a God ready to deliver from the destruction he had brought upon himself. It is the same for you and me. No matter what kind of mess you have made of things, you can still repent, turn away from the sin, turn to God and He will forgive and walk with you through the consequences of your actions. Sometimes, He even delivers from those consequences! Let’s learn a lot from Lot and stop the cycle of thinking we can handle our lives and the temptations that come our way. Let’s run to the arms of God and trust in His strength, love and mercy to be enough!