(Walla Walla, WA – June 27, 2002)
Introduction
Let’s read Genesis 13. “And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the Name of the LORD.
And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might 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. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”
We have two persons before us in this chapter. One, I believe, whose life is recorded in Scripture as an encouragement, and the other serves as a warning. Since we need both of these things in our Christian pathway, I would like to look at these two men and make some practical applications from their lives for our own lives. In particular, I want to point out four things in Abram’s life that were missing in Lot’s. I will focus on Lot predominantly.
The Reasons for Lot’s Departure From the Path of Faith
Now I don’t want to look at Lot’s life to denigrate or belittle him for the mistakes he made, but that we might learn some practical lessons for our own lives.
This is a sad chapter in our Bibles because it records the story of Lot departing from the path of faith and going into the world. I believe there are reasons why he went and settled down in Sodom, and I’d like to look at those things this afternoon to see what we can learn. I see in this account four essential things that were missing in his life that were the cause of his failure in the path of faith.
1) He Didn’t Have an Altar
The first thing I would like to draw your attention to, that would give us a strong clue as to why Lot departed from the path of faith, is taken from his life in general. As we look through the pages of inspired history having to do with Lot’s life, we do not find that he ever had an altar, as did Abraham and the other patriarchs. It is conspicuous by its absence!
What characterized the life of Abram was his “tent” and his “altar.” If you read through the history of Abraham, you’ll see that these two things were an integral part of his life. We read of it in chapter 12:8; “He (Abram) removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the Name of the LORD.” And then in our chapter (13), “He went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; unto the place of the altar.” And then again at the end of the chapter, “Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.” He did make a detour from this path and left his tent and altar behind when he went into Egypt; but what generally characterized Abram was that he had a tent and an altar.
A tent speaks of the pilgrim life. One who lives in a tent is truly a pilgrim life (Heb. 11:9, 139By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: (Hebrews 11:9)
13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13)). It depicts a lifestyle that bespeaks a person passing through this world without settling down in it. The pilgrim path, of course, is what should mark the Christian, as he follows the Lord. The Apostle Peter said, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:1111Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (1 Peter 2:11)). We are strangers and pilgrims here because our “citizenship” is in heaven and our home is there (Phil. 3:2020For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Philippians 3:20)). We are merely passing through this scene on our journey to our heavenly home.
A stranger is one who is not at home.
A pilgrim is one who is on his way home.
Now Lot had a tent (Gen. 13:5, 125And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. (Genesis 13:5)
12Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (Genesis 13:12)), which means that he walked the pilgrim path with Abram as they sojourned together in the land of Canaan. However, while Lot had a tent, he didn’t have an altar! This is the first thing I want to consider. An altar would speak of the soul’s link of communion with God. If you read back in the 12th chapter, you’ll find that when Abram built his altar unto the Lord, it says that he “called upon the Name of the LORD.” This clearly speaks of communion with God. Not having an altar would speak of living without communion with the Lord, which is a serious thing for a child of God. This neglect in Lot’s life was the source of all his poor decisions, and his eventual departure from the path of faith altogether.
Now, what can we learn from this? Well firstly, we learn that it doesn’t pay to live our lives without being in communion with the Lord. We can’t live at a distance from Him and not have failure! Peter tried it. He followed the Lord “afar off,” and he ended up denying the Lord. If we don’t live in communion with the Lord, we’ll eventually turn aside in the path too.
Let me ask you, “Do you have an altar in your life? Do you think it’s important? Do you take time each day to have a little ‘quiet time’ where you can be alone with the Lord? Is there a time when you open the Scriptures to read and pray—to speak to the Lord, and let Him speak to you through His Word?” This is an essential element in Christian life. It is our spiritual lifeline. It is what gives us the energy to live the Christian life. There is no substitute for it. It is, therefore, absolutely important that we take care of the maintenance of the state of our souls every day by spending time with the Lord. I don’t ask whether you have ever done it (you may have read the Scriptures here and there from time-to-time), but is it a habitual thing in your life? You know, if we don’t have that inner life with God, everything else in our Christian lives, sooner or later, is going to break down.
There was an absence of this vital thing in Lot’s life, and when it came time to make important decisions, he didn’t have the guidance of the Lord, because the habit of his life was to live without reference to the Lord. He made his decisions based only upon nature and what pleased him personally, and he ended up making a mess out of his life. If we are going to have a happy, fruitful Christian life, we absolutely must have an altar. If that has not been the case in your life, dear friends, then you want to establish this important element in your life immediately. I suggest that you make the morning the time to implement this “quiet time” in your life—before you meet the activities of the day. This is something that brethren have insisted on many times in ministry—in fact, what I’m saying this afternoon might sound a bit like “a broken record,”—but it’s absolutely essential. It is not without need that I make this point. Let me put it to you straight from the shoulder; if you don’t have an altar in your life you are going to crash and burn spiritually! Your Christian life will end up “on the rocks”—shipwrecked.
One time at a conference I asked my kids, “Who spoke at the young people’s sing last night?” And they said, “Brother so and so.” Then I asked, “What did he talk about?” And they said, “Oh, he talked about how you need to read your Bible and pray.” So I said, “Well, that’s good; we definitely need that.” Next night I asked them what the brother at the sing spoke about, and they said, “Well, he said that you need to read your Bible and you need to pray.” Again, that’s good. Then I said, “They’ve asked me to speak to the young people tonight, and I am going to talk about how you need to read your Bible and to pray too!” Now, why do these brothers speak to the young people about this same subject so often? Because they know how important and essential it is for a happy and successful Christian life. They also know that it’s probably what’s missing in the lives of many of you young people.
Now in Lot’s case, by living with a tent but having no altar, it wasn’t long before he gave up his tent! It’s no wonder. Having a tent without an altar speaks of walking the path of faith in separation, but without the inner life of communion with the Lord that would provide the impetus to walk in that path. Without communion that path will become pretty dry—pretty uninteresting—or, as the young people say, “boring.” If it gets dry and boring, it is because there isn’t a living link of communion with the Lord. Let me encourage you, therefore, to find time—or rather, to make time in your life to be with the Lord in quiet communion. We have the example of the Lord Jesus. It says in Mark’s gospel that it was the habit of His life to get up early in the morning and go into “a solitary place” to be alone with God and pray (Mark 1:3535And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. (Mark 1:35)). Let’s follow that example.
2) He Followed Abraham Without Any Apparent Conviction of His Own
Now, the second point that I want to draw your attention to is that Lot merely followed Abraham in the path without any apparent conviction of his own. All outward evidence points to the fact that he didn’t seem to have the faith for the path that his feet were treading. Again, this second point is taken from his life in general. If we were to go back into the 11th chapter, we would see that when God called Abram out of “Ur of the Chaldees,” it says that Lot went out with him (Gen. 11:31-3231And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. 32And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. (Genesis 11:31‑32)). And when God directed Abram into the land of Canaan, it says, “And Lot went with him.” (Gen. 12:44So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (Genesis 12:4)). Then, when Abram got the idea to go down into Egypt, Lot went with him. When Abram came back out of Egypt, it says, “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)). And again, when Abram went to Bethel, it says, “And Lot also, which went with Abram.” (Gen. 13:55And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. (Genesis 13:5)). It is pretty clear from these references that Lot was merely following his uncle Abram in the path. He didn’t seem to have the faith and conviction for it. After a while this broke down, and Lot chose a different path, which was really where his heart was.
Exercise of heart concerning the path is an important thing that needs to be in our lives. Without it, we’re bound to go off track. You don’t want to be like the young person who, when someone questioned him as to why he was part of a group of Christians which didn’t even have a so-called Pastor, said, “When I get home I’ll ask my dad what we hold on that.” He couldn’t give an answer as to why he associated with Christians who meet simply in the Name of the Lord, because he probably had never been exercised enough about it to search it out in the Scriptures. How about us? Do we have any conviction about the path that our feet are on? Sooner or later, we’re going to be tested concerning the path that our feet are treading; and if there is no real conviction with us, we could get swept away by the enemy of our souls—which is what happened to Lot.
You know, there was a man in the Old Testament named Rehoboam, who was a king in the house and lineage of David. It says of him that “he did evil, for he applied not his heart to seek Jehovah” (2 Chron. 12:1414And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. (2 Chronicles 12:14)). I believe that this should be a warning to us. If you are the kind of Christian who sort of floats or drifts along in the Christian path without much exercise or concern—perhaps with the attitude that says, “If the path is good enough for Dad and Mom, it’s good enough for me”—then the enemy will have a relatively easy time of taking you away. That’s why we need to have some conviction about the things we do as Christians. We need to let the truth of God get down deep into our souls. We need to know what we believe and why we believe it—and we need to be firmly grounded in those things.
We don’t read that Lot ever had any conviction about the path. He was a mere follower of his uncle Abram, the man of faith. He was just drifting along in the path that Abram was walking in. How is it with you? Are you known as being a young person who is serious about the Lord’s things? Don’t have the idea of: “As I get older, I’ll get more into these things.” You know, the habits that we get into in our early lives will very often form our character for our whole life. So, the time to get serious about the things of God is right now! I want to encourage you to have these two things we have touched on in your own life—an altar, and a serious conviction about the path.
Now, let’s pick up the narrative in the chapter at verse 6. It says that their substance began to increase, and it became a problem. “There was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle.” This shows us that when there is a heavenly-minded believer and an earthly-minded believer walking together, you can be sure that there will be differences of opinion. One has a completely different set of values from the other. This rippled down through to the herdsmen, and there was strife among them. Similarly, an earthly-minded Christian and a heavenly-minded Christian will rarely see eye-to-eye. How can you expect a heavenly-minded person and an earthly-minded person to see things in the same way? Their objectives are entirely different. We can see by this struggle that developed that the path that Lot was treading as a pilgrim was becoming increasingly more burdensome to him.
His life was sort of a paradox; he was walking in a path that he knew he should walk in, but on the other hand, he didn’t have the faith or conviction for it. His discontent is evident by the fact that he became a source of trouble to the household of Abram. How sad it is when we see one who has grown cold and whose heart is no longer in the path—he usually becomes a source of strife among his brethren.
Then in verse 7 it says that “the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.” You might wonder why that would be mentioned here in this story because it seems to have no connection with the subject. But I believe that it’s put here to show us that when brethren have differences and quarrels, the world often notices it. Such differences render a poor testimony before the world of the God that we profess to follow. We have to be careful of our public testimony. Think of it: these two groups of herdsmen were striving together and the Perizzites and Canaanites saw it. What a shameful testimony! It may have led them to mock the path of faith altogether. Maybe they said to one another, “Look at those people that think they know God, why they can’t even agree among themselves!”
Abram seeks to dissolve the dispute, saying, “Let there be no strife.” He suggests to Lot that he make a choice to take one part of the land, and he would take the rest. This became the occasion wherein Lot’s spirituality was tested. I believe there is going to be a time of testing in the life of every one who takes the path of faith. Lot was left now to make his own choice as to the path—and it manifested which way the wind was blowing in his soul, spiritually speaking.
Lot made his choice, and you’re going to have to make choices in life too—and those choices will manifest where you are in your soul. Now, the young people here might well have started the Christian path following the exercises of your father and mother (if you’ve grown up in a Christian home), and that’s OK to start with, because our parents are there to guide us. But there will come a time when each one of us must make your own decisions in life, and if we don’t walk in communion with the Lord and don’t have a conviction about the path, we’re bound to make the same mistakes that Lot made. Our spirituality, or the lack thereof, will become evident in the choices we make.
Abram had suggested that Lot take one part of the land, and he take the rest, but Lot didn’t want any part of the land. The land of Canaan speaks of the Christian’s heavenly “portion” of blessings that are given to us when we are saved (Acts 26:1818To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18); Col. 1:1212Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (Colossians 1:12) – J. N. Darby Trans.). Lot had no appetite for the things and the lifestyle that motivated Abram. Verse 10 says that “Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.” This was land on the other side of the Jordan river. We can see from this that Lot was a confused man. He looks at the plain of Jordan, which was filled with men living in flagrant sin, and he sees it as a delightful place where he would like to live! In his confused thinking, he likens it to the Garden of Eden, and believed it to be a wonderful thing to live there! This shows that he had lost his spiritual discernment—if he ever had any to begin with. If you drop down to verse 13, you’ll see what the Lord thought of the place. He saw them as “wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.” Lot certainly didn’t see things the way God saw them.
3) He Had Wrong Objectives in His Life
“Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan” (vs. 11). It was quite evident what was in Lot’s heart; he wanted a life in the world. He based his decision merely on nature and on what he saw with his eyes. There was no counsel with the Lord about which way he should take; it just wasn’t the habit of his life to inquire of the Lord. Now, let me ask, “Is that the way you make decisions in your life? Do you ask the Lord to direct your path?” Do you want to know His mind and will on various matters?
It’s clear that Lot was thinking only of material gain. He was thinking of improving his station in life. He wanted to get to a place in his life that we call “financial independence.” He thought that if he went down to the Jordan valley that he could surely reach his goal. But in doing so, he would have to compromise in the path—to give up walking by faith on the mountains of Canaan. He would also have to give up fellowship with Abram. But those were things that didn’t seem to concern him. He has this one burning object—to take advantage of the opportunities that the plains of Jordan offered.
Now we need right objectives in our lives. We should be living for something more than material things. If that’s all your life consists of, it will be pretty unfulfilling. James says, “Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:13-1413Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:13‑14)). We know what a “vapour” is; it’s something that has no substance to it. And if you live merely for material things, you’ll have a life that is without any real substance to it. It will be empty and unfulfilling.
Let me ask you: If an opportunity came up where you could really improve your station in life, and really do well for yourself monetarily, but in doing so it would mean that you’d have to remove yourself from where you could have regular fellowship at the meetings, would you take it? Lot had that opportunity, and he jumped at it in a heartbeat! The opportunity presented itself, and he didn’t ask a second question; he was ready to go. What would you do in that situation? Perhaps there is something like this that is presenting itself to you. Are the claims of the Lord in the equation when you make such decisions?
When Lot looked at the plains of Jordan, it says that it looked to him like “the land of Egypt.” Now where did he get a glimpse of Egypt? Well, that points us back to the last chapter (12) when Abram brought him down there. He had gotten a taste of Egypt that never left him. When he saw the plains of Jordan, it reminded him of Egypt. There’s a warning here for those of us who are older. It’s possible to take our young people into something that will give them a taste for this world that they won’t lose. Later in their lives, when they have opportunity to choose for themselves, they might go right for it, and we’ll have ourselves to blame for it. We’ll have to hang our heads and acknowledge that we have encouraged it in some way—perhaps inadvertently—but the damage has been done. I don’t know, but maybe Abram blamed himself for Lot’s decision here. I suspect that’s the reason why, in the 14th chapter, he went to such lengths to recover Lot when he was taken by the kings that came into the valley of Siddim. He felt a responsibility in helping him. This is definitely a warning for us who are parents. Are we inadvertently giving our children an appetite for the world? Lot had acquired a taste for Egypt that whetted his appetite for more of it. He thought he found it in the plains of Jordan, but it turned out that all he got was vexation of soul (2 Peter 2:88(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:8)).
4) He Neglected Separation in His Life and Consequently Got into Bad Company
Verse 12 Says, “Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.” Here we have another clue as to what led to Lot’s downfall—he neglected separation in his life, and consequently, he got into bad company. It surely affected him in a wrong way. The Bible warns, “Evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Cor. 15:3333Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (1 Corinthians 15:33)). His new friends and connections made him vulnerable to the enemy’s deceptions.
A city is a collection of people living together. But these people, we are told from verse 13, “were wicked and sinners before the LORD.” That’s the kind of people he began to mix with! I’m not saying that he got into practicing their wicked deeds, but it tells us of the kind of people he chose to live with. It’s hard to believe that he would want to be among those people, but his objectives were such that he thought it was worth it. As I say, those people affected him. The Scripture says, “None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Rom. 14:77For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. (Romans 14:7)). That means that every one of us, regardless of who we are, has some kind of influence on others. You cannot live your life any old way you want and think that it won’t affect anybody, because it will. And vice versa, you can’t expect to move among wicked people and not be affected by them.
Now notice, it says that Lot dwelled in the “cities” (plural) of the plain.” You might wonder how he did that, because we all know that you can only be in one place at a time. How then did he live in those “cities?” Well, it just means that he didn’t stay in one spot. He tried them all. He lived in one for a while, but when it evidently didn’t satisfy him, he moved on to another one and tried it, and so on. This shows that he was a restless soul. He evidently wasn’t getting what he was looking for, so he kept moving on. It teaches us that pursuing this course in life leads to discontentment. There wasn’t the satisfaction and contentment of heart with Lot that we see with Abram.
And note this, friends, all the while this was happening, his tent was getting closer to Sodom! He was being drawn into Sodom, and I don’t know if he realized what was happening. It also shows that he didn’t get into Sodom all at once. He didn’t just plunge from the mountaintops of Canaan into Sodom in one giant leap. No, he got into it in steps. And that’s the way it is when someone departs from the path. They usually get into the world a little bit at a time. They go into something, and when their conscience is somewhat acclimated to it, they go a little farther, and so on. It’s sad; it really is.
Notice, too, it was his tent that he was pitching toward Sodom—which as we said, speaks of the pilgrim life. He still had a tent, but that was soon to go. When we read of him later, we see that he had a house in Sodom (Gen. 19:22And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. (Genesis 19:2)). That’s because it’s not possible for someone to live in the world and still maintain his or her pilgrim character for very long! You could say that Lot tried the pilgrim path for a time, but it didn’t work for him. But of course it wouldn’t work for him; he didn’t have an altar, and without it the pilgrim life cannot be walked in for very long, without the person going sideways.
He wanted something more than what the pilgrim life offered, and the people of the plain encouraged him in his course. Among the companions he picked up along the way, there was one in particular who was no help to him at all. It was his wife! In Luke’s gospel, the Lord warns, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:3232Remember Lot's wife. (Luke 17:32)). This brings me to ask, “Who are your companions? Are they those that serve the Lord and put Him first?” Psalm 119:6363I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. (Psalm 119:63), says, “I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts.”
Lot got his wife from one of the cities of the plain, and he never got that out of her. Young brother, you can get your wife out of the world, but can’t always get the world out of your wife! Sodom certainly was not a good place to look for a companion in marriage. Christian marriages are to be “in the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:3939The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:39)). Some worldly-minded Christians think that it’s OK to marry someone as long as they are a believer, but the Word of God never puts Christian marriage on such a low level. If that were the case, then the Scripture would have said, “Let them marry whom they think best, only let it be in Christ.” But it doesn’t say that. It says. “ ... only in the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:3939The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:39)). A marriage “in the Lord” is one in which both partners are acknowledging the Lordship of Christ in their lives. “In Christ,” means to be in Christ’s place before God, which is our place of acceptance before God, and is true of every Christian regardless of how he or she may be living. If you marry a Christian who is not going on well in the path—who hasn’t put the Lord first in his or her life—I would say it’s a marriage “in Christ,” but not a marriage “in the Lord!” It’s not an unequal yoke (2 Cor. 6:1414Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)), but it’s not a marriage in the Lord either.
However, in Lot’s case, his marriage was definitely an unequal yoke. His wife was not converted, and she was no help to him at all. Later we find that when they had a family, their kids turned out to have no interest in the things of God. Isn’t that sad! But what can you expect? You know, it has been said that the character of our children is mostly formed by the influence of the mother who is with them far more than their father is in their early years. Do you young brothers want to have a wife like that? When you go off to work, your wife is at home feeding your children the things of the world! Is that what you want? We can be warned by this, surely.
The Lord wants us to be found in good company—with those who want to go on for Him. It says in the Song of Solomon 1:88If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. (Song of Solomon 1:8), “Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock.” That’s where the Lord wants us to be found—in the footsteps of His flock who are following Him. That’s a good exhortation for us. We need the fellowship of the Lord’s people. With Lot, he separated himself from his godly uncle Abram. Perhaps he thought he had a good excuse for the choice he made, but he was the loser, as we will see.
At the end of chapter 13 we see the Lord speaking to Abram about the inheritance that was his by the promise of God. I believe that it is brought in here to encourage Abram, and also, to show us what Lot was missing. The Lord told Abram to “lift up” his eyes and see the portion he had in the land. It was all his! This was a promise from God Himself.
These closing verses of our chapter are a type of the substance of the two prayers in the epistle to the Ephesians. The Lord told Abram, “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.” The Lord wanted Abram to see how richly he was blessed, having the possession of all that land of Canaan. That corresponds with the prayer in Ephesians 1:16-2316Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:16‑23) for the eyes of our understanding to be opened that we might know how richly we have been blessed—only, of course, our blessings are heavenly and spiritual. Then, in verse 17, the Lord wanted Abram to go a step farther than merely looking at it; He wanted him to “arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it.” He wanted him to enjoy the fruits of that land and enjoy what was his by experiencing it. This answers to the second prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 That we would be found living in the enjoyment of the glory that surrounds the Man of God’s counsels—the Lord Jesus—and enjoying His love. That second prayer also talks about the length and breadth of the vast scene of glory that surrounds Christ. These two things go together. We need to know how richly we have been blessed, and then we need to live in the enjoyment of it, beholding the glory of Christ and basking in His love. Then we’ll surely be filled with all the fullness of God.
It is not what we know that controls our lives spiritually, but what we enjoy. If we are enjoying spiritual things, it will give us the energy to live the separated life of a stranger and pilgrim. David said, “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wonderous things out of Thy Law. I am a stranger on earth” (Psa. 119:18-1918Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. 19I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me. (Psalm 119:18‑19)). The wonderful things that he saw in the Word captured his soul, and in doing so, it made him a stranger on earth. This is what gave Abram energy to carry on in the path.
Now look at the last couple of verses of the chapter. It says that Abram lived “in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron.” The word Hebron means communion. Mamre means fatness. It would speak of a rich and full life in communion with the Lord. There is nothing better! And note, he had his “tent” and his “altar” there. Those two things are the key to that good life. That’s what the Lord wants for you and me.
In contrast to this, we read in 2 Peter 2:77And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (2 Peter 2:7), that Lot was “vexed with the filthy conversation (manner of life) of the wicked.” We are told that he was “vexed” from “day to day with their unlawful deeds.” Was he happy? Indeed, he was not! He was frustrated with the ways of the people of Sodom. When it comes to this world, every one of us is either in one or the other of two classes. We are either overcomers or we are overcome with the world. Lot was definitely overcome with the world. And that made him useless for anything to do with furthering the testimony of God. Which will it be in your life?
Now to summarize, Abram had an altar, an exercise about the path, right objectives, and he walked in good company. To put it as simply as possible, if you lack these things in your life, you have the formula for disaster. And that’s exactly what we see in Lot; he ended up wasting life.
Lot Gets a Second Chance
In chapter 14, we have the account of the defeat of Sodom by the confederate kings under “Chedorlaomer.” When Sodom was taken, Lot became a captive of those kings. When Abram heard of it, he went to great lengths to deliver Lot, and by the grace of God, Lot was liberated. This meant that he had a chance to start over. How good is our God! He is a God of second chances in life! We may have failed and have made a mess of our lives. I want to tell you that He is faithful and will often give a person another chance to go on for Him. If this has been the case with you, you want to learn from Lot’s failure, and start going on for the Lord from this time forward (Jer. 3:44Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth? (Jeremiah 3:4); 1 Peter 4:22That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. (1 Peter 4:2)).
God wants us to learn from our failures. This disaster should have served as a warning for Lot, but sad to say, it had no apparent effect on him. He didn’t learn a thing from it. The next time we read of him, he’s back in Sodom again. And this time he is even more deeply entrenched in that wicked city. We read that he became involved in the government of the city as a “judge” (Gen. 19:1, 91And 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)
9And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. (Genesis 19:9)).
Things Abraham Enjoyed That Lot Didn’t Have
When we pass on to chapters 18-19, which occurred a number of years later, we see some of the results of the course of things in the lives of Abraham and Lot. And they are quite a contrast indeed!
Chapter 18:1-7—Abraham lived in fellowship with the Lord. This chapter records a special visit by the Lord to Abraham and a time of fellowship together. This was something that Lot didn’t have. Though he was a child of God, by all outward indications he lived his life out of communion with the Lord. Angels, out of necessity, would visit Lot in providence, but not the Lord.
2) Chapter 18:8-15—Abraham had a godly wife, and soon to follow, a blessed family with whom he could enjoy the things of God. They inherited the land of Canaan and lived in the enjoyment of it. (He was told that he would have a son who would walk with God and through whom the promises would be fulfilled.) In contrast to this, Lot’s wife proved to be a lost soul, and his children lived far from God. Some of them died in the judgment of Sodom. How solemn!
3) Chapter 18:16-21—Abraham had insight into the counsels of God. He had divine communications directly from the Lord. The Lord told him of His secrets as to the future. He was given to know some very wonderful things regarding the promised seed Isaac, and of the future of the cities of the plain. Lot, on the other hand, knew nothing of this. The judgment of Sodom was a rude awakening to him; he didn’t see it coming.
4) Chapter 18:22-33—Abraham had confidence in God in his intercession. He left speaking to the Lord, knowing that the God of all the earth would do right. Lot had no confidence in the Lord. When the angels told him to flee to the mountains, he said he couldn’t do it. It would require trusting the Lord for safety, and that was something which he was not accustomed to doing in his life (Gen. 19:18-2018And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: 19Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: 20Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. (Genesis 19:18‑20)).
In retrospect, Abraham lived a rich and full life that counted for the glory of God, whereas Lot lived a frustrated and empty life among the sinners of Sodom, being vexed every day (2 Peter 2:88(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:8)). He had a saved soul, but a lost life! What a tragedy.
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Now in closing, let me ask you, “Of these two men, who was the real gainer?” It’s so obvious that I hardly need to ask that. Which of these two lives would you like to have your life recorded as for eternity? Lot kind of reminds me of Balaam, in that he wanted to “die the death of the righteous,” but sad to say, he didn’t want to live the life of the righteous! (Num. 23:1010Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! (Numbers 23:10))
Lot’s Losses
• He lost the chance to live in the inheritance of Canaan (Gen. 13:14-1814And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. (Genesis 13:14‑18)).
• He lost his power of influence with his family—if he ever had it (Gen. 19:14-1514And 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. 15And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. (Genesis 19:14‑15)).
May God give us the grace to learn from Lot’s life, in order that we might be spared from making a mess out of our lives. Let us surrender ourselves to the Lord today so that He can make our lives a blessing.
B. Anstey
(Adapted)
Lessons From the Lives of
ABRAHAM & LOT
Bruce Anstey
LESSONS FROM THE LIVES OF ABRAHAM & LOT—Four Things Abram Had That Were Missing In Lot’s Life
B. Anstey
First Printed Edition – June 2002
Printed Version – 1.0
Printed in Canada
First eBook Edition—May 2021
eBook Version – 1.0
Note: all Scriptures quoted are from either the King James Version (KJV)
or the J. N. Darby Translation, unless otherwise noted.
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