“Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together. So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. (At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.) Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.” Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.”
Genesis 13:5-13 NLT
“That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.” “Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.” But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”
At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!” When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.”
Genesis 19:1-8, 15-16 NLT
What do you see when God tells you to look around you? All that glitters isn’t always gold. When it’s time to separate yourself from the familiar, and you need to make a choice that will set the tone for your future, what will you be looking for? Lot saw the lushness of the Jordan Valley and thought “this is paradise”, he likened it to the garden of the Lord, like the Land of Egypt. Press the brakes. Whenever you mention Egypt in the same sentence as Eden, something not so kosher is about to go down.
When he made his choice based upon what he saw, he had no idea how drastically his life and that of his family would be changed. Sin city always gives the appearance of lushness. The attraction always promises larger than life opportunities. Lot was about to be compromised by his eyes. The next words after his decision was a dead giveaway: “Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.” Oh boy!
I don’t know how long Lot was gone from Abram, the Bible doesn’t say. But in the fourteenth year a war broke out in Sodom and Gomorrah, and Lot was taken. Abram had to go rescue him. From the looks of things, Lot and his family went back to Sodom. Was that an opportunity to relocate? I don’t know. But what came later was the real test. Sometimes when we have settled, we tell ourselves that everything is alright, even when what we’re seeing is saying otherwise.
Never get comfortable with sin, in you or around you. Be willing to move when God sends a warning. How was he not repulsed? The land was so bad the Lord Himself, accompanied by two angels, came down to check it out. The only reason Lot was even spared, was because of Abram’s intercession. Thank God for praying family members. People who can pray us out of the messes we get ourselves into. What are we willing to do to remain compromised? Lot went to a low place.
When the angels showed up, he already knew what the men of the city would do. He had probably witnessed countless abuse of men who innocently thought they were visiting a nice city, compromised by their eyes as he was. That’s why he wouldn’t allow the (men) angels to remain outside. He knew these men(angels) were different, he made the customary obeisance towards them and addressed them as “my lords.” He had no idea that they were there to rescue him and his family. He couldn’t even discern the holy from the profane. He just knew they were visitors. He wanted to protect them, they were there to protect him, but his eyes were compromised. I know scriptures refer to him as righteous purely because he wasn’t living the life he was exposed to, but he didn’t hate it enough to leave.
The Bible says before they had gone to bed, all the men, both old and young surrounded Lot’s house, demanding that he send the men out to them so they could have sex with them. Just writing this makes me nauseous. How had Lot lived all those years in that place without being moved by what he saw and heard? He had been compromised. He had grown desensitized, it was his new normal. This is the level that Lot had stooped to. The next few verses are gut wrenching. As a parent myself, I cannot fathom the recklessness of his offer.
As the men demanded he send the men out to them. This was Lot’s peace offering:
“So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”Genesis 19:6-8 NLT
Are you kidding me! This man was willing to turn his daughters over to be raped or whatever else they would’ve done to them. Thank God the men weren’t interested. He may not have been living like the men of Sodom, but he sure wasn’t disturbed by what they were doing. He never left, even after Abram rescued him. He was comfortable there. The men knew he wasn’t one of them, they even called him out.
“Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door.”Genesis 19:9 NLT
Ahem! If you’re willing to live with them, it doesn’t matter that you’re righteous if you’ve lost your influence. It’s obvious they never bothered him, as long as he didn’t stand in their way. And what sort of men were his future sons in law? You notice he didn’t offer them as a peace offering, he offered his virgin daughters. Had the angels not pulled him inside and struck the men with blindness, he would’ve been sexually assaulted. Am I reading the Bible?
But wait! Even after all this, when Lot was told by the angels about the reason for their visit, he still hesitated. Read it for yourself in chapter 19. He was so compromised, so comfortable, that they had to literally drag him and his wife and daughters out! Jesus! The angels urged them to flee to the mountains, he begged to be able to stay close by.🤦♀️The Lord was showing mercy because of Abram, but Lot was still seeing with compromised eyes. There are countless Lots in the body of Christ today. How many times has God mercifully extended His hands and offered a way of escape to His children, yet they’d rather live in the lush plains of sin city?
Have you been compromised by your eyes? Have you lingered too long in the place you should’ve left long ago? Have you held to a relationship that even though the signs were everywhere, you’ve told yourself it’s the best you can do? The plains of Jordan offered Lot everything he needed, but it came at a cost. Before your next big decision, why don’t you pray and ask the Lord to open your eyes? Ask Him to reveal every hidden thing. Things compromised eyes aren’t able to see. But, if you’ve already made the move, but now you know the choice wasn’t right, won’t you take His hands of mercy and allow Him to lead you to safety? Don’t hesitate or make excuses like Lot did. Escape the judgment while you can. There’s a safe place in the hill country. A place the Lord has provided for your safety and restoration, a place to begin again. Run! Run to Him.
“But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.” Genesis 19:29 NLT
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
April 16, 2021