Lot, The Nephew Of Abram
The story of Lot can be found in the Book of Genesis.
In Genesis 11, it was told that the grandfather of Lot was Terah,
and his father was Haran. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor and
Haran. But Haran died while his father, Terah, was still alive. All
of these occurred in Ur of Babylonia.
Abram married Sarai, and Nahor married Milcah, the daughter of
Haran. But Sarai was unable to have children.
Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot and his daughter-in-law
Sarai, and moved out of Ur. They planned to go to the land of
Canaan. But when they reached the city of Haran, they settled there.
While sojourning in Haran, Terah died there at the age of 205.
Then in Genesis 12, God made a covenant with Abram, and told him to
leave his country and his kindred. Lot, Abram's nephew, joined him
on his journey. And they went into the land of Canaan, and settled
in the hills of Bethel.
But a famine happened in Canaan. It was so severe that Abram had to
go to Egypt, to live there for a while. Abram and Sarai journeyed
into Egypt, bringing along his nephew Lot. While in Egypt, Abram
lied that his wife Sarai was his sister.
Pharaoh, hearing about Sarai’s beauty, intended to take her for his
own. But the Lord sent terrible diseases on him and on the people of
his palace. When confronted by Pharaoh, Abram admitted that Sarai
was his wife. Then Pharaoh sent Abram away, with his wife and all
that he had.
When Abram and Lot returned to the hills of Bethel, they had flocks
and herds and tents. But the land was not able to support them, that
they might dwell together. Their possessions were so great that they
could not dwell together peacefully.
And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and
the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. They were continually quarrelling
and fighting over their rights and ownerships of the land.
Abram suggested that they should part ways. He allowed Lot to make
the first choice and decide where he would like to settle. Lot saw
that the plains of the Jordan were well watered like the gardens of
the Lord and like the land of Egypt. Thus, Lot, his family and his
people began to settle among the cities of the plain, going as far
as Sodom. But Abram went to dwell in Hebron, staying in the land of
Canaan.
Then a war broke out. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell in
defeat. The two cities were plundered. All the goods and provisions
were taken away. Many people were taken away as captives. Lot, who
dwelt in Sodom, was also captured.
When hearing about what had happened to Lot, Abram led 318 men and
brought back his nephew Lot and his goods, as well as the women and
the people.
Later in Genesis 17, God changed Abram's name to Abraham, and his
wife’s name to Sarah.
In Genesis 18, God and two angels appeared to Abraham in the form of
three men. The Lord promised Abraham that Sarah would bear a son,
and he would become a great and mighty nation.
God also revealed to Abraham that He was going to destroy the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their great and grievous sins! But
Abraham pleaded with the Lord not to do so for the sake of the
righteous people in Sodom. He continued interceding, reducing the
minimum number for sparing the city from fifty to forty-five, then
forty, thirty, twenty, and finally, ten.
In Genesis 19, the two angels came to Sodom in the evening. And Lot
was sitting in the gate of Sodom. Lot must be a prominent person or
leader or elder in the city of Sodom as he was allowed to sit near
the city gate to greet visitors who came into the city!
When Lot saw the two angels, he got up, and went to them and bowed
his face down on the ground. Lot said, “Sirs, please come to my
house and spend the night. There you can wash your feet. Then
tomorrow you may continue your journey.”
The angels answered, “No, we will spend the night in the city’s
public square.”
But Lot begged them to come to his house. So, they agreed and went
to his house. Then Lot prepared a meal for them. He baked bread
without yeast, and they ate it.
Before bedtime, all the men of the city surrounded Lot’s house.
These men were both young and old. They came from every part of
Sodom. They called to Lot, “Where are the two men who came to you
tonight? Bring them out to us. We want to force them to have sexual
relations with us.”
Lot went outside to them, closing the door behind him. He said, “No,
my brothers! Do not do this evil thing. Look! I have two daughters.
They have never slept with a man. I will give them to you. You may
do anything you want with them. But please don’t do anything to
these men. They have come to my house, and I must protect them.”
The perverted men around the house answered, “Move out of the way!”
Then they said to each other, “This man Lot came to our city as a
stranger. Now he wants to tell us what to do!” They said to Lot, “We
will do worse things to you than to them.” So, they started pushing
Lot back. They were ready to break down the door.
But the two angels who were with Lot opened the door, and pulled Lot
back inside the house. Then they closed the door, and struck the men
outside the door with blindness. Thus, these men, both young and
old, could not find the door.
The two angels said to Lot, “Do you have any other relatives in this
city? Do you have any sons-in-law, sons, daughters or any other
relatives? If you do, tell them to leave now. We are about to
destroy this city. The Lord has heard of all the evil that is here.
He has sent us to destroy it.”
Lot went out and spoke to his future sons-in-law. They were pledged
to marry his daughters. Lot said, “Hurry and leave this city! The
Lord is about to destroy it!” But they thought that Lot was joking.
At dawn the next morning, the angels begged Lot to hurry. They said,
“Go! Take your wife and your two daughters with you. Then you will
not be destroyed when the city is punished.”
But Lot hesitated, intending to linger a little longer. Without any
further delay, the two
angels took the hands of Lot, his wife and his two daughters. The
angels led them safely out of the city. So, the Lord was merciful to
Lot and his family.
Lot and his family were taken out of the city. Then one of the
angels said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look back or stop anywhere
in the valley. Run to the mountains or you will be destroyed.”
But Lot said to one of them, “Sir, please don’t force me to go so
far! You have been merciful and kind to me. You have saved my life.
But I cannot run to the mountains. The disaster will catch me, and I
will die. Look, that little town over there is not too far away. Let
me run there. It’s really just a little town. I’ll be safe there.”
The angel said to Lot, “Very well, I will allow you to do this also.
I will not destroy that town. But run there fast. I cannot destroy
Sodom until you are safely in that town.” That town was named Zoar,
because it was little.
The sun had already come up when Lot entered Zoar. The Lord sent a
rain of burning sulphur down from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. The
Lord destroyed those cities. He also destroyed the whole Jordan
Valley, everyone living in the cities and even all the plants.
But at that moment, Lot’s wife looked back. When she did so, she
became a pillar of salt.
Early the next morning, Abraham got up and went to the place where
he had stood before the Lord. Abraham looked down toward Sodom and
Gomorrah and all the Jordan Valley. He saw smoke rising from the
land. It was like smoke from a furnace.
God destroyed the cities in the valley. But He remembered what
Abraham had asked. So, God saved Lot’s life. But He destroyed the
city where Lot had lived.
Lot was afraid to continue living in Zoar. He and his two daughters
went to live in the mountains. They lived in a cave there.
One day, the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old.
Everywhere on the earth, women and men marry. But there are no men
around here for us to marry. Let’s get our father drunk. Then we can
have sexual relations with him. We can use our father to have
children. That way we can continue our family.”
That night the two girls got their father drunk. Then the older
daughter went, and had sexual relations with him. But Lot did not
know what she was doing.
The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night, I
had sexual relations with my father. Let’s get him drunk again
tonight. Then you can go and have sexual relations with him, too. In
this way we can use our father to have children to continue our
family.”
That night, they got their father drunk again. Then the younger
daughter went and had sexual relations with him. Again, Lot did not
know what she was doing.
As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own
father. The older daughter gave birth to a son. She named him Moab.
Moab was the ancestor of all the Moabite people. The younger
daughter also gave birth to a son. She named him Ben-Ammi who was
the father of all the Ammonite people.
Reviewing the life of Lot, he was a man who had compromised the ways and
standards of God by conforming to the world and blending into its
ways and standards. In seeking for worldly success and prosperity, he
thought he could have the best of life for himself. He thought he
could enjoy worldly fame, pride and material goods without having to
buy a price for his soul.
While living in the midst of evil people, Lot was perturbed by their
sins. But he could not do anything against them. While being
hospitable and protecting his visitors were noble acts, suggesting
to give away his daughters for
others to abuse sexually was not! Worst, he delayed his family's departure from Sodom. He
thought he could linger a little longer. It was very difficult to
drop everything and start afresh! His wife didn’t want to leave the
life in Sodom! She looked back, and became a pillar of salt! His
daughters initiated incestuous relations with him without his
knowledge! And their descendants were very pagan and worldly people!
Interestingly, in the Bible, Lot was considered to be a righteous
man.
2 Peter 2:4-11
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down
to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved
for judgment;
5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight
people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the
world of the ungodly;
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned
them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward
would live ungodly;
7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy
conduct of the wicked
8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his
righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless
deeds)—
9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations
and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust
of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous,
self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,
11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring
a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
God punished the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He
burned those cities until there was nothing left but ashes. He made
those cities an example to show what will happen to those who are
against God.
But God saved Lot from those cities. Lot was a righteous man. He was
troubled because of the sinful behaviors and acts of evil people. Lot was a
good man, but he lived with evil people every day. His good heart
was hurt by the evil things that he saw and heard. And so, the Lord
knows how to save those who serve Him. He will save them when
troubles come. And the Lord will hold evil people and punish them,
while waiting for the Judgment Day.
Why did God save Lot?
Genesis 19:29
And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain,
that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the
overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.
When God destroyed the cities in the valley, He remembered what
Abraham had asked. Thus, God saved Lot’s life. But He destroyed the
city where Lot had lived.
Though Abraham had asked God to spare Sodom, but the city was still
being destroyed! There were no ten righteous men in that city! But
the life of Lot was saved because of what Abraham had prayed!
Living in our days, it is very easy to do things our own ways
thinking that it is okay as long as others are doing it! It is
common to be presumptuous and self-willed, doing our own things and
having our own ways!
Lot, while living in Sodom, was not willing to depart from the city
even disaster and destruction were impending and approaching! His
future sons-in-law thought he was joking. How could God do such a thing?
They must have forgotten about the story of Noah’s Ark and the Great
Flood.
When facing the global pandemic of COVID-19 that started more than
two years ago, many people panicked and thought it was the end of
the world! Millions died as a result, and the whole earth was
affected and impacted by this virus! Many are still infected by it
on a daily basis!
God knows what is going on in our planet! The problem with us is
that that we think we can handle the matter on our own! We think we
could win using our sciences, medical and technological advancements
and breakthroughs!
Similarly, we like to fight and win at the courts without going to the Lord! The social
problems and issues, if resolved and won in judicial courts, will
still continue to exist! All sins were and are as ancient as in the days of
Genesis!
While fighting for our own rights and religious freedom, we often
neglect the more important things in life! Our own families and
children are neglected. Family abuse and violence continue to
escalate. And the needs of the poor and unloved are ignored! And our
relationship with God is getting worst!
Lot was comfortable in Sodom, even though he didn’t participate in
their wicked sins! But he was enjoying the earthly comforts of the
city!
But Abraham was sojourning in tents! He knew where his true home
was. He was waiting for the city with eternal foundations built and
made by God!
Hebrews 11:8-10
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place
which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not
knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the
same promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder
and maker is God.
Abraham pleaded not in earthly judicial courts! He pleaded in
heavenly courts in the presence of the Lord!
Though Sodom could not be spared, the life of Lot was saved! Abraham
interceded, but he left the answers and results to the Lord! He
didn’t push for his rights or ways!
Looking at ancient Israel, while being called the people of God, they lived
among pagan people and adopted their lifestyles and sinful ways!
They thought that God would forgive and allowed them to continue to
do so! But God sent them off to exile! The Temple of God was
destroyed, not once but twice! Till today, the Temple is not yet
rebuilt!
1 Peter 4:17
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God;
and
if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not
obey the gospel of God?
God knows what is going on in our earth! And when it is time for
judgment to begin, it will begin with the people of God. If it
begins with us, what will happen to those people who do not obey the
Good News of God?
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Thus, let us first search our hearts and seek God first before doing
anything else! The people of God are also committing the same sins
that others are doing!
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal,
despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such
people turn away!
We are living in perilous times. Let us not become perilous people!
Hopefully, we can be more like Abraham and less like Lot!
Interceding and praying more than trying to do things on our own!
Finally, what will Jesus do? He will be still interceding on our
behalf.
Romans 8:34
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is
also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
makes intercession for us.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count
slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that
any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
And Jesus said:
Luke 17:32-33
32 Remember Lot’s wife.
33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever
loses his life will preserve it.
If interested, please view:
Written on 28 August 2022