Answer to June Enigma

 •  7 min. read  •  grade level: 6
 
H. G. Q., aged 11.,
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS, Your subject this time is a very solemn one. Let each one ask himself or herself, Do I know this call of God? Have I heard the Good Shepherd’s voice, who calleth His own sheep by name? Here are your proof texts that all God’s own people have each been called by God, as was Abraham. Ex. 3:44And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. (Exodus 3:4); 1 Sam. 3:3, 43And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. (1 Samuel 3:3‑4); Isa. 43:1; 51:21But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. (Isaiah 43:1)
2Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. (Isaiah 51:2); Mark 2:1414And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. (Mark 2:14); John 10:33To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. (John 10:3); Acts 9:1, 3, 4; 10:31And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, (Acts 9:1)
3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? (Acts 9:3‑4)
3He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. (Acts 10:3); Rom. 1:6, 7; 8:28-30; 9:16-246Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6‑7)
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:28‑30)
16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. 17For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? 22What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? (Romans 9:16‑24); Gal. 1:1515But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, (Galatians 1:15); 1 Cor. 1:2020Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (1 Corinthians 1:20); Heb. 9:1515And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:15); 1 Peter 2:99But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9).
If God were pleased to take His people home to Himself as soon as He had called them by His grace, as He did the dying thief, we should not know the worst evils of our fallen nature, and might imagine that when born again the believer would never backslide; but God leaves most of His people here for their trial, that they may know what they are in themselves, and what He is in His unchanging love towards them. When Abraham and his family arose to go to Canaan, and in due season entered the promised land, no difference was discernible between Abraham and his nephew Lot. But God will not allow any of us to walk in other men’s faith. The trial must come to each, sooner or later, as to our own state before God, to manifest what we really are, and what we have received from His own teaching and grace. A child of godly parents, brought up in the fear of God, and taught His truth, may appear to be walking in faith, when he may be only acting under the influence of a Christian home-training, and when his circumstances change, we are ready with disappointed hopes to exclaim with the prophet, “How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold...hanged.” Lam. 4:11How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. (Lamentations 4:1).
Till the testing moment came, Lot was Abraham’s constant companion. He started with him on his pilgrimage.
When Abraham halted at Haran, Lot tarried with him. After Terah’s death he went forward with Abraham, and followed him to Canaan. He was Abraham’s companion in his tent and at his altar. When Abraham’s faith failed in the day of famine, Lot went down to Egypt with him, and when the Lord called Abraham out of Egypt, Lot returned with him to the place where his uncle’s altar had been at the beginning. But at length a trouble arose in the families of the two pilgrims, and this became the means of discovering where Lot’s heart really was. God had abundantly prospered both Abraham and Lot, “and,” as we read, “the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle, and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” Gen. 13:6-96And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 9Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. (Genesis 13:6‑9). Hitherto, we read that Abram took Lot with him to Canaan. Gen. 12:55And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. (Genesis 12:5). That “Abram went up out of Egypt... and Lot with him.” Gen. 13:11And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. (Genesis 13:1).
The Spirit describes him as, “Lot... which went with Abram.” Gen. 13:55And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. (Genesis 13:5). But when the strife of their herdmen made Abram, for peace sake, decide that he and Lot must separate, Lot could no longer walk in Abram’s faith. He must act for himself. What did he need at this moment, which became the turning point in his history? Surely to inquire what was God’s will concerning the place where he should pitch his tent. As scripture says, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
Prov. 3:66In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:6). Lot did not, however, seek counsel of God, but lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, and there he chose to dwell. He judged for himself, and was guided by prosperous circumstances. How much is contained in those few words, “Lot lifted up his eyes.” Had he lifted them higher, even to heaven, God would have guided him in the right path; but Lot was independent, and selfishly chose the best land for himself, and pitched his tent towards Sodom. If the temptation had been put before him at the first, to go to Sodom and settle there, where the men were wicked, and sinners before the Lord exceedingly (verse 13), he would surely have refused; but departures from God are always small in their beginnings, and their dark end is hidden in the light of some present attraction. It is most important to trace out the first wrong step in a course which ended so terribly as Lot’s. You know what followed. Little by little, Lot departed from the path of pilgrimage and faith. He soon gave up his tent, and dwelt in Sodom, and there “that righteous man, dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.” 1 Peter 2:88And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. (1 Peter 2:8). He allowed his daughters to marry Sodomites (Gen. 19:1414And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. (Genesis 19:14)), and thus were they “mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.” Psa. 106:3535But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. (Psalm 106:35). Then he sits in the gate of Sodom, the place of a ruler among them. Gen. 19:11And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; (Genesis 19:1).
At length, the judgment of God drew nigh. God had sent his angels to call Lot and his family out of the city He was about to destroy, but Lot’s relations would not listen to his warnings. When he bid them flee, because the Lord would destroy the city, he seemed only as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law. See that mournful procession leaving Sodom in the early dawn. An old man with his wife and two daughters, with lingering steps, urged on by the two men that were leading them by their hands, tearing them away from all they loved and valued, the Lord being merciful unto Lot, his heart still in Sodom, upon which in a few hours God would rain fire and brimstone from heaven, saved as by fire, his wife turned into a pillar of salt as she disobediently looked back from behind Lot; his daughters in the end, the mothers from whom came the Amorites and the Moabites, the enemies of God’s people, and poor Lot ending his days in fear in a mountain cave. Gen. 19:3030And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. (Genesis 19:30).
Dear young readers, you who profess to be followers of Christ, be warned by Lot’s unhappy history; walk not in the light of Christian relatives or friends, but seek to walk with God, fear the dictations of your own will, and depend wholly upon the Lord for guidance on your every step in life. Abraham lived and acted by God’s word. Lot only followed Abraham. We never hear of him seeking a word from God, and so he follows his own will in the end, and loses his all in putting gain before godliness. Beware of your will working, beware of choosing for yourself, after the light of your own eyes. Lot’s was a marred life, a soiled and blotted testimony, a warning instead of an example. May God save you from lifting up your eyes and choosing for yourselves.
Your affectionate friend, UNCLE R.