Author : William Stewart
reprinted from “…And They Shall Become One Flesh”
available on Amazon.com in Kindle format.
When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’ 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 him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.’ (Genesis 19:15-17)
Getting Too Close to the World
Lot was with his uncle Abram from the time they departed “…Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan…” (Genesis 11:31) After the death of Terah, Lot continued with Abram (Genesis 12:4-5; 13:1). Eventually, as tensions arose between their herdsmen, Abram and Lot realized they needed to separate. Lot chose the plain of Jordan; Abram dwelt in Canaan (Genesis 13:10-11).
However, when Lot settled in the plain, he did not continue just in the plain of Jordan. We’re told that “…Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.” (Genesis 13:12) Moses then comments of Sodom, “…the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD” (verse 13).
In discussing the judgment of the wicked, the apostle Peter spoke of the destruction which came upon Sodom and Gomorrah, as God made
…them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)… (2 Peter 2:6-7).
Why was his righteous soul tormented from day to day? The simple answer is because of the wickedness of the Sodomites. Why did he continually see the wickedness of the Sodomites? In what began as the pursuit of fertile soil, Lot eventually gained an attraction to the cities of the plain (Genesis 13:12; 19:20). He did not condone their actions, in fact, he spoke against them (Genesis 19:9), but through seeking prosperity and comfort, he willingly tolerated the continual presence of extreme wickedness around his family.
Friend, we cannot help but live in the world, but we must be careful about the associations we keep, and the places we choose to go to, live at, etc.. James asked, ‘Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself as enemy of God.’ (James 4:4) We must be careful not to get too close to the world!
Decisions And Consequences
The plains of Jordan and Sodom looked nowhere near as appealing on that dreadful day as it had years before. Destruction was on the horizon, and in fact would have come while Lot was still there were it not for the Lord’s mercy (Genesis 19:16). Lot went to his sons-in-law and daughters, compelling them to leave the city, but they would not listen (Genesis 19:14).
The angels took hold of Lot, his two remaining daughters and his wife, and led them out of the city. While departing, his wife, perhaps longing for the life they were leaving behind, looked back, and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). The decision to locate to Sodom cost Lot at least half of his family!
“Remember Lot’s wife.” These words were spoken by the Lord as a caution of the danger of turning back (Luke 17:32). We know nothing about Lot’s wife, except that she ought to have been focused on escaping the judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. Instead, she was compelled to look back. Certainly, she was responsible for her own actions, but Lot bore a portion of it, for he led his wife and children into the devil’s nest.
Decisions which we make in life need to be based upon spiritual merit, not physical. Men are to lead their families in such a way that sanctification, holiness, and faithfulness to the Lord prevail (Ephesians 5:26-27; 6:1-4). Jesus asked, “…what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) Each step closer to the world we take is a step further from the Lord. Let us cling to God.
