ABRAHAM AND LOT

 

The story of Abraham and Lot shows man’s different responses to the voice of God. While both of them heard God’s voice, only one of them obeyed. In the lives of Lot’s family, we see the hindrances to obeying God but in the life of Abraham, we see the keys and benefits to walking according to His voice. We learn from this story the truth that what’s more important than hearing the voice of God is actually obeying it.

Lot: A Man Who Followed the Voices of Practicality and Fear

As their family began their journey from Ur to Canaan, Lot was just tagging along with them, simply following the direction of his Grandfather Terah and Uncle Abraham (Gen. 11:31, Gen. 12:5). However, there came a time when Lot finally had to decide on his own.

In Genesis 13:8-9, his Uncle Abraham left him with a decision to make on where to go and live. This revealed the true condition of Lot’s heart. Lot looked and saw the plain of Jordan that it was well-watered and so he chose this plain (Gen. 13:10-11). Rather than seeking God, he made a decision based on what was practical and what was going to be most profitable for him. He chose Sodom even though the men living there were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord (Gen. 13:13).

When the time came that two angels came to warn Lot to leave that place with his family quickly to escape the impending destruction, Lot still lingered in that place so much so that the angels had to take his hands, his wife’s, and his daughters’ just to deliver them out of that city (Gen. 19:16). It was only by the mercy of God that Lot’s family was delivered even though Lot was not quick to obey. How often do we linger and take our time in following the voice of the Lord?

When the angels told him that they will destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, he was instructed to go to the mountains (Gen. 19:17). Rather than following the angels, he asked the angels to allow him to move to Zoar because he feared the mountains (Gen. 19:18-22). Instead of obeying the command of God, Lot decided based on his own fears. However, when the angels allowed him to go to Zoar, he eventually fled to the mountains as well because he feared the people of Zoar (Gen. 19:30). Thus, another hindrance that keeps man from obeying God is fear.

Lot’s Wife: A Woman Who Followed the Voice of Her Treasures

The Lord, through the angels, gave an instruction not to look back (Gen. 19:17). However, Lot’s wife did not heed the voice of the Lord, she still looked back (Gen. 19:26). What made her disobey God? It was that her heart was still in Sodom because her treasures were there.

Matthew 6:21 says where our treasures are, there our hearts shall be. But another important truth is that we should put our treasures where God’s heart is. When we put our treasures where God’s heart is, it will begin to grow a love in our hearts for the things that matter to God. We ought to align our treasures to the will of God because treasures have a capacity to pull us towards their direction. Is our heart one with God?

Lot’s Sons-in-Law: Men Who Mocked the Voice of God

When Lot warned his family of the destruction that was about to come upon their city, his sons-in-law just laughed (Gen. 19:14). The Lord was showing mercy to them by giving them a warning yet they only mocked His voice. Truly, anyone can hear the voice of God, just like these sons-in-law who didn’t seem worthy to be warned yet were given the chance out of the mercy of God. However, what matters in the end is whether or not we will obey His voice.

Lot’s Daughters

They went out of Sodom with their father but just like Lot, they followed without having a true heart for God. That is why when they arrived at the mountains, they decided to do a very perverse thing of bearing children from their father. They were able to do this because they inherited their father’s practical nature and the immorality of Sodom.

While the dangers of disobeying the voice of God can be seen in the lives of Lot’s family, we can see the benefits of following God in the life of Abraham.

Abraham: A Man who Obeyed the Voice of God

Abraham’s life shows us that when a man learns to seek and obey the voice of God, that man will be preserved. While the Lot, together with the people of Sodom, were taken as captives and Sodom was eventually destroyed, Abraham, on the other hand, never had to experience captivity and judgment.

Another benefit of obeying the voice of God is that we receive an impartation of God’s very heart and nature. Through this story of Abraham and Lot, we can see multiple aspects of the love of God that compelled Abraham to save Lot.

First, Abraham exemplifies for us that love covers a multitude of sins (Prov. 10:12). Lot and Abraham separated ways because of the strife between their herdsmen. For the sake of peace, Abraham gave Lot the choice on which land to take. Further, when Sodom was taken into captivity, Abraham had such a love for his nephew, that he armed his 318 trained servants to pursue Lot’s captors (Gen. 14:14). There will be times that God will bring our way to reach out to the very people who may have hurt us in the past. But love ought to cover those sins.

Another aspect of love that we see in Abraham is in 1 John 4:18: “love casts away all fears.” He risked his life for Lot to set him free. When God brings people under our care, there will be risks we will have to take but it will be the true love of God in us that will cast away those fears.

Finally, Abraham also manifests to us what the scripture says to us in John 15:12-14: “love lays down one’s life for a friend.” In making disciples, we will have to lay down our lives for others. This means making sacrifices. In Abraham’s time, he did this twice for Lot. One was when he fought against the enemies of Sodom (Gen. 14:1-17). But the other was when he interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:16-33).

Abraham: A Foreshadowing of Christ

At one point in our lives, we may be able to relate more with Lot than with Abraham. Yet, let us be encouraged that Abraham was a foreshadowing of Christ, the One who loved the most. Let us remember that it was the love of Christ that took us out of our own Sodom’s, it was the love of Christ that paid the price for our sins so that we may live.

And so, as we seek to raise up disciples, may we understand what birthing and raising up disciples is really all about - that it’s simply paying it forward. It’s simply doing for others what God has done for us. It is simply loving others because we were first loved.

Let’s pray that God will impart to us His love, that love that covers a multitude of sins, casts away all fears, and lays down our own lives for our friends.

Images source: Sweet Publishing/FreeBibleimages.org