See what your lookin’ at…and look at what you are seein’.”
–Lou Bradshaw (and Cain Smiled)
“Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are… Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”
“Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are… Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”
–Genesis 13:14, 17 (NKJV)
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One thing the Bible does is to give ample warning. God tells us to redeem the time, to look up for our redemption is near. He warns us against the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. He warns us of the coming judgment and that now is the day of salvation. By looking at the lives of those in the Bible we can see how they either obeyed God’s warnings or ignored them. Noah obeyed and was saved; Saul was disobedient and did not heed the Word of the Lord and died in shame. Demas left Paul, however, Paul knew that there was a crown of righteousness waiting for him. Take a look at a man that is a conundrum–Lot.
We can learn a lot from the lives of Abraham and Lot. It is clear that Abraham wanted nothing more than to serve the Lord. However, his nephew seemed to cast his eyes on the material things of life. Abraham took Lot with him when he left Ur, but now Lot was becoming uneasy and quarrelsome. Wiersbe states, “The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart. Lot’s heart was centered on wealth and worldly achievement.” We see with these two men the truth of Amos 3:3, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
Finally, there came a break and Abraham let Lot choose which way he would go and Abraham would take the other course. Here we see the heart of Lot, “And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar…. Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.” (Genesis 13:10, 12-13, NKJV)
At this point in his life, at least, Lot was not devoted to the Lord. Note that term, “he pitched his tent.” He leaned toward Sodom and what it had to offer. He looked at the wealth and the possibilities, not at the wickedness and evil. He saw what he could gain, not what could happen. Yet, Peter tells us that Lot was righteous. There was something in Lot that must have caused him to turn his heart. He was well entrenched in the city for he was at the gate which speaks of leadership. The teachings of God must have taken root; the witness of Abraham’s life, must have lingered in his mind. “[He] delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for the righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)–then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations…” (2 Peter 2:7-9, NKJV)
When Lot separated from Abraham, I would ask, was he righteous? “The eyes see what the heart loves. Abraham had taken Lot out of Egypt, but he could not take Egypt out of Lot. Outlook helps to determine outcome… Lot’s eyes were on the sinful cities of men, and he went on to worldly success, spiritual failure, and a shameful end.” (Warren W. Wiersbe) Even when the angels came, he lingered. “And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought them out and set him outside the city.” (Genesis 19:16, NKJV) Lingering, Lot had to be “propelled from his home by physical force.” (NKJV Study Bible) The angels actually had to seize him (“took hold”) to take him from the city. This shows the power of evil and the hold it can have over people.
Notice a couple of contrasts besides what we have already seen. Lot and Abraham both pitched their tents, the difference was when Abraham pitched his tent he also built an altar. “Instead of lifting up his eyes to heaven, Lot lifted up his eyes to the plain of Jordan.” (Wiersbe) Abraham looked to the “child of promise,” while Lot was willing to give his daughters to the men of the city to use for their lusts. We do not see where Lot was ever thankful, or where he ever praised the Lord. Then, more depravity in the life of Lot, his daughters get him drunk and seduce him. (Genesis 19:30-35) It seems that his daughters were following the way that they had learned in Sodom. “Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.” (Genesis 19:36, NKJV) Lot lost a family in Sodom which carried over to the evil of his daughters and himself. Moab and Ben-Ammi (Ammon) were born to Lot; people who became troublesome to the people of Israel.
Yet…Lot was righteous??? There had to be something in his heart. We do not see him praising God or thanking God or trusting God. Yet, he was deemed righteous. There is great mercy and grace that flows from God, there must have been a spark of faith in Lot’s heart. He hated the evil of the city, but could not leave it. Can a person be so caught up in evil that he cannot break the chains? Only God…only God can bring about a new heart, a new creation. F.B. Meyer puts it this way, “Lot was saved from Sodom, but took Sodom with him. He was saved so as by fire, but his life-work was burnt up.”
———————————-
One thing the Bible does is to give ample warning. God tells us to redeem the time, to look up for our redemption is near. He warns us against the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. He warns us of the coming judgment and that now is the day of salvation. By looking at the lives of those in the Bible we can see how they either obeyed God’s warnings or ignored them. Noah obeyed and was saved; Saul was disobedient and did not heed the Word of the Lord and died in shame. Demas left Paul, however, Paul knew that there was a crown of righteousness waiting for him. Take a look at a man that is a conundrum–Lot.
We can learn a lot from the lives of Abraham and Lot. It is clear that Abraham wanted nothing more than to serve the Lord. However, his nephew seemed to cast his eyes on the material things of life. Abraham took Lot with him when he left Ur, but now Lot was becoming uneasy and quarrelsome. Wiersbe states, “The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart. Lot’s heart was centered on wealth and worldly achievement.” We see with these two men the truth of Amos 3:3, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
Finally, there came a break and Abraham let Lot choose which way he would go and Abraham would take the other course. Here we see the heart of Lot, “And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar…. Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.” (Genesis 13:10, 12-13, NKJV)
At this point in his life, at least, Lot was not devoted to the Lord. Note that term, “he pitched his tent.” He leaned toward Sodom and what it had to offer. He looked at the wealth and the possibilities, not at the wickedness and evil. He saw what he could gain, not what could happen. Yet, Peter tells us that Lot was righteous. There was something in Lot that must have caused him to turn his heart. He was well entrenched in the city for he was at the gate which speaks of leadership. The teachings of God must have taken root; the witness of Abraham’s life, must have lingered in his mind. “[He] delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for the righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)–then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations…” (2 Peter 2:7-9, NKJV)
When Lot separated from Abraham, I would ask, was he righteous? “The eyes see what the heart loves. Abraham had taken Lot out of Egypt, but he could not take Egypt out of Lot. Outlook helps to determine outcome… Lot’s eyes were on the sinful cities of men, and he went on to worldly success, spiritual failure, and a shameful end.” (Warren W. Wiersbe) Even when the angels came, he lingered. “And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought them out and set him outside the city.” (Genesis 19:16, NKJV) Lingering, Lot had to be “propelled from his home by physical force.” (NKJV Study Bible) The angels actually had to seize him (“took hold”) to take him from the city. This shows the power of evil and the hold it can have over people.
Notice a couple of contrasts besides what we have already seen. Lot and Abraham both pitched their tents, the difference was when Abraham pitched his tent he also built an altar. “Instead of lifting up his eyes to heaven, Lot lifted up his eyes to the plain of Jordan.” (Wiersbe) Abraham looked to the “child of promise,” while Lot was willing to give his daughters to the men of the city to use for their lusts. We do not see where Lot was ever thankful, or where he ever praised the Lord. Then, more depravity in the life of Lot, his daughters get him drunk and seduce him. (Genesis 19:30-35) It seems that his daughters were following the way that they had learned in Sodom. “Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.” (Genesis 19:36, NKJV) Lot lost a family in Sodom which carried over to the evil of his daughters and himself. Moab and Ben-Ammi (Ammon) were born to Lot; people who became troublesome to the people of Israel.
Yet…Lot was righteous??? There had to be something in his heart. We do not see him praising God or thanking God or trusting God. Yet, he was deemed righteous. There is great mercy and grace that flows from God, there must have been a spark of faith in Lot’s heart. He hated the evil of the city, but could not leave it. Can a person be so caught up in evil that he cannot break the chains? Only God…only God can bring about a new heart, a new creation. F.B. Meyer puts it this way, “Lot was saved from Sodom, but took Sodom with him. He was saved so as by fire, but his life-work was burnt up.”