** INTRODUCTION **
There are characters in the bible who started well and loved God but then in the end they turned away from God, such as Samson who gave into lust and Judas who gave into money. Lot also gave into money as we will see from this commentary.
Lot's story is a sad one but we can learn a great deal from people's failures.
** MAIN **
Apostle Peter describes Lot as a righteous man in 2 Peter 2:7
Lot started on the right path, he loved God and wanted to follow in his uncles footsteps, but things went wrong.
Here’s his story in Genesis 12 & 13.
Lots story begins when God called Abram to leave his fathers house and go to Canaan, the promised land. Abram left with his wife Sarai and all their wealth (gold, clothes, animals) and with his nephew Lot. Abram was rich he could have stayed where he was and enjoyed a good life.
It takes faith to leave your comfort zone and follow the calling of God on your life. It could be that God is calling you to leave the comfort of your warm cosy bed at 3am to get up and pray for half an hour. As you spend time with God he will reveal to you the job he has for you to do. He'll reveal it to you. Let God reveal his will for your life to you and not someone else. When you know that God has said it, then you can stand on his word through the difficult times, when God has said it then it will happen.
Lot might have been very excited and looked forward to this new adventure. He had put all his faith and hope in God or was it in Abram, or was it in the wealth of Abram. Like all of us Lot wanted the best for his life.
But when Abram & Lot reached Canaan the promised land it wasn't quite what the expected. There were a few difficulties they had to face. The Canaanites were still living there and there was a bad famine nothing to eat.
Sometimes we can be very eager and excited for God to use us for great things. What do you do when difficulties come your way, when things aren't as you expected. Do you stay and pray it through or do you keep on moving until you feel comfortable.
Those who know their God personally will be able to stand strong and do great things in his name. Daniel 11:32b
When Abram entered Canaan the promised land, God said 'Abram all this belongs to your children'. Abram acknowledged this by building an alter to God. But Instead of staying in the promised land and overcoming the difficulties and waiting on the fulfilment of Gods promise, he chose the easier route and went to Egypt. In Egypt there was enough food but Abram had no peace, because he was living a lie, he had lied about his wife and allowed her to suffer humiliation and be dishonoured.
Abram ruined his own reputation in the eyes of the King of Egypt. God caused a terrible disease to come on the king and so the king showed favour to Abram. It was God alone who saved Abram from this embarrassing and shameful big mistake.
What must Lot have thought about his uncle Now? I'm sure that Lot didn't have the same respect for Abram now as he did originally.
This is a reminder to us all to think about the influence we have on others by what we say and what we do. We are advertising JESUS by our life style. Often people will read us before they read the bible. It also reminds us that when we fix our eyes on people we will always be disappointed. Sometimes we can be misled when we fix our eyes on other things.
But when we fix our eyes on God, when we seek his face, listen to him and get our daily instructions from him and put our trust in him we will be on the right path and God will never disappoint us.
Lot didn't need to follow his uncle into Egypt. He was free to make his own choice. And who knows maybe Lot could have influenced his uncle from going to Egypt. Just because people are older in years doesn't mean that they are always right.
Abram and Lot went back to Canaan and eventually Abram went back to Bethel the place in Canaan where he first went and built an alter to God. Here Abram once again called upon God.
If we stay in the place where God has called us and work with commitment we will save ourselves a lot of problems.
God blessed Abram even more than before. We read in the bible that Lot followed his uncle everywhere because Lot wanted what Abram had got. But, did Lot want a relationship with God or did he want the gift and blessings? Later on it becomes very apparent what was in Lots heart.
Soon Abram and Lot became more richer than before and they grew in number. Their workers started arguing and this wasn't good for the families and it didn't look good in front of others like the Canaanites.
Unfortunately this is what wealth can do to relationships. So Abram decided that they should go their separate ways. With humility and love for his nephew Abram gave up his own right and gave Lot the first choice of land. Now we see Lots true colours, we see what's really in his heart. Lot thought he had won the lottery. He chose the most fertile land, not half of it but all of it. Lot had the lot.
He didn't honour his uncle and say uncle Abram you choose first or say let's split the best land between us. Lot was greedy and his love for money was greater than his love for Abram or God. God blessed Abram in Canaan even more. But, Lot made his new home in the rich fertile land of Jordon, he made his home near to Sodom where the people were wicked and sinning against God. Slowly but surely the love of money was taking Lot further away from God.
That is what sin does, if you don't deal with sin then it will deal with you. Later in Lots life we read in chapter 14 that Lot and his family were living not near Sodom but in Sodom. Maybe the more Lot and his family looked at Sodom the more attractive it became.
While Lot may not have been doing sinful things, he was not standing against it either. Later we will see that Sin city was having an influence on him, his wife and daughters. Lot had backslidden from God.
Backsliding doesn't happen all of a sudden, it creeps in slowly. We must not give the devil a foothold. If you give the devil a foot hold he will try to make a stronghold in your life.
But thank God for those who pray for us, just as Abram prayed for Lot. The very blessed Abram now called Abraham prayed for Sodom for the sake of Lot his nephew who he still loved.
Do you still love those who have hurt you, do you pray for them and want the best for them?
Abraham interceded and God saved Lot and his family. But the evil that was inside Lots wife destroyed her. The last thing we read about Lot speaks volumes of the bad influence living in Sodom had on his daughters.
** CONCLUSION **
It's a very sad ending to his life as recorded here in Genesis 19. There's much to learn from the story of Lot. He loved God but loved money more and reaped the consequences.
There is a time in your life when you have to choose who you are going to serve. If you don't deal with the sin in your life, then it will deal with you.
Lot started well but ended badly. He was a righteous man caught in a trap. For the love of money is a trap and it is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). That's the story of Lot.
** PRAYER **
Heavenly Father help us to learn from Lot's life. We pray that you will be number one in our lives. Show us the things we need to put aside. May we live in the centre of your will and purpose for our life. AMEN
