: THE WOMAN TO
REMEMBER.
SERMON IDEA:
We as Christians we are not saved just by good historical
background we have; but by Grace of GOD through Jesus Christ. Being a good
church member for a long time does not guarantee everlasting life to us; unless
we commit our daily life unto His hand.So, stand firm unto the end.
Introduction
What did Jesus mean by that cryptic expression "Remember
Lot's wife"? What does that woman of long ago have to do with people who
are watching the closeout of history? Why did the Master relate Mrs. Lot to our
day? How can we explain this slacking of spiritual power?
How does the devil
steal the very heart out of the Christian experience?
One thing is certain:
it does not happen suddenly or overnight.
People lose their love
for the truth by degrees.
Little by little they
lower the standards and compromise the faith, until nothing remains except a
dead, empty formalism.
After reading all that Jesus said about those who are saved,
we see one grand absolute truth standing out clearly. There will be no divided
heart in heaven.
There will be no half
surrender on the part of the redeemed.
Those who enter God's kingdom will be there because they
wanted eternal life more than anything else in the whole world.
The Lord Jesus used
Lot's wife as an example of those in the last days who will not be
single-minded for the truth; who will love material things more than the things
of God.
Christ said, "So
likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot
be my disciple." Luke 14:33.
Do you remember the story in the Bible about the businessman
who went searching for the most priceless gem in the world? At last he located
it and learned that it was for sale.
But the price was
outrageous! In order to buy that pearl he would have to sell his home, his
business, and use every penny of his lifelong savings.
But mark this: The
man's desire for that pearl was so deep and compelling that he did not argue
about the cost. He did not consider waiting until he could better afford the
purchase.
Nor did he attempt to
bargain for a lower price. Immediately and eagerly he hurried away, sold
everything he had, and brought the money back to buy the gem from the owners.
The pearl, of course, represents eternal life, and those who desire it must be
prepared to invest everything they have in order to obtain it.
"Remember Lot's wife," said Jesus. That is
probably the most dramatic, potent illustration the Master ever used in a
sermon. As we read the context, it is very obvious that the words were being
applied to those living on this planet right now. "In that day"
refers to the "day when the Son of man is revealed." Here is what
Jesus actually said:
"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did
eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, but the,
same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven,
and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is
revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in
the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field,
let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife." Luke 17:28-32.
I gather that one of the most deadly perils for God's people
in the last days will be to slowly slip away from the truth as Mrs. Lot did.
Jesus warned that the loss of spiritual power takes place almost imperceptibly:
"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
Matthew 24:12. As pressures of conformity and compromise crowd in, the faith
gradually erodes and disappears.
Lot's Good Intentions
But let's come back to the story of Lot's wife and try to
understand what Jesus wants us to learn from her example. According to the
Bible record, she belonged to one of the finest families in the East. As the
nephew of Abraham, Lot shared the tremendous faith of his uncle and prayed at
Abraham's altar. When God's call came to get out of Mesopotamia, Lot went right
along with Abraham, not knowing where the call might lead. Together they
brought their families to the entering place of the Promised Land and offered
their sacrifices of thanksgiving.
Then dissension erupted between the herdsmen of the two
wealthy kinsmen. Their vast combined flocks and herds didn't have enough room
to graze in such a restricted area, and they had to separate. Lot was given the
choice of direction as the whole land stretched out before him. On one side lay
the verdant hills with their lofty trees; the other led down into the crowded
centers of commerce and trade. The materialistic appeal of the prosperous
cities had an immediate impact on Lot, and the Bible records very simply that
he "pitched his tent toward Sodom." Genesis 13:12. The predictable pattern
of future tragedy was settled by that early decision to move near those wicked
cities.
Lot stands forth as a man of good intentions. Quite
obviously he did not actually plan to take his family into the urban
environment of sinful Sodom. He would only live in the vicinity, where he could
take advantage of the economic opportunities of such a bustling trade capital.
Very likely he made special mental reservations about letting his family mingle
with the degraded inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. In fact, he had no idea at
all of giving up his religion. His move was prompted by selfish concern over
temporal advantages, and he had no intention of losing anything.
But what happened in spite of all the wonderful intentions?
Poor Lot lost his wife, his possessions, and almost his own life. Good
intentions were not good enough. He moved closer and closer to the cities until
finally he actually moved in to dwell with the Sodomites. His plans to guard
the spiritual interests of his children failed to materialize. All his
rationalization about counteracting the wickedness with stricter prayer
schedules and family-altar religion just didn't seem to work out as planned. He
gradually compromised with the environment and watched his children slowly
assimilate the ways of their heathen neighbors.
I'm sure Lot did not feel at ease when he first settled
among the evil citizens of that abominable place. Every day he heard news of
the mushrooming crime rate. He must have been repulsed and even horrified by
the vile jokes and obscene language. Then he had to watch with alarm the
growing fascination of his family for the perverted lifestyle of their friends
and associates.
Finally, his daughters fell in love with worldly men and
married them. Outside of the home, united with the enemies of God, they lost
all faith in the ancestral religion of their childhood and youth. They began to
look upon Lot as narrow and bigoted and soon expressed their extreme loathing
of his half-hearted appeals to establish true worship in their homes.
Nevertheless, we still tend to sympathize with Lot in his
frustrated attempts to hold the reins on his unregenerate wife and children. He
had much against him, but most of it had been created by his own weakness and
indecision. One compromise led to another, until finally he must have become
totally demoralized over the rebellion of his worldly family.
Mrs. Lot's Response to Sodom
Still, it was an act of flagrant presumption when Lot
actually settled within the city. The society there was shameless, degenerate,
and entirely sex-perverted. Mrs. Lot not only moved into Sodom, but Sodom moved
into her. She was the type who loved fine things, and the mad whirl of social
activities fascinated her from the beginning. She was soon caught up in the
excitement of party rounds of pleasure, and the evidence seems to indicate that
she eventually shared much of the materialistic mind-set of the Sodomites.
Can we analyze the cause of such a shocking turnabout? How
could it happen to the wife of Abraham's relative? Was it, perhaps, because no
one was praying for her in that provocative situation? No, indeed. Abraham was
pre- senting his prayers and sacrifices night and morning for his nephew's
family. Was it because no warnings were given concerning the spiritual dangers?
We cannot believe that those angel messengers left them without full
information concerning the snares of Sodom. Then what brought terrible
soul–ruin to this woman? Was it because she disbelieved the call of God to get
out? No. She did not mock the message as did her married daughters and their
husbands. She believed the warning and actually started on her way to safety.
But mark this – there was no eagerness in her heart and no
enthusiasm for the program. She was so reluctant to leave the fine appointments
of her affluent Sodom home that she lingered. Her heart and life had been so
bound to material things that she could hardly pull away from the accumulated
treasures of those finely furnished rooms. With death at her heels, she
lingered. With life and security awaiting her on the mountaintop, she lingered.
What was wrong with the woman? She loved the world more than she loved God. She
still believed the truth; she knew what she ought to do; she wanted to be
saved–yet she lingered.
We still find many people exactly like Mrs. Lot. They also
believe the truth, know what they ought to do, and want to be saved. They
linger, too, just as she did. Like Lot's wife, many of them wait until the pull
of the world overpowers the will to act, and they are not able to let go of
"things." Why will people linger over the call of God? Have you ever
done it? Millions have lingered until the best years of their life are gone.
They linger until their children grow up and are lost in the world. They linger
until the world holds them with bands of steel and the voice of God dimly fades
away.
But at last Mrs. Lot began to move. The record describes how
angels had to take hold of their hands to hurry them out of the doomed city.
The angels cried, "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee."
Genesis 19:17. But Lot's wife did not reach the safety of the mountains. Why?
The Bible tells us that she "looked back," and immediately she was
turned into a pillar of salt. Why did God deal with her so severely? Was it not
the smallest offense of all just to move the head slightly? The Word of God has
a name for that type of action: sin. She disobeyed the commandment of the Lord,
and her judgment underlines the urgency of obedience. God means what He says.
There is no excuse for sin, and God cannot overlook it.
Is There a Little Sin?
Nowhere in the Bible does God give the slightest tolerance
for men to modify His revealed will. God says what He means to say, and He
accepts nothing less than full compliance with His commandments. Some dramatic
experiences are recorded in the Scriptures which emphasize this urgent truth.
Two sons of the high priest offered strange fire before the Lord, and they died
on the spot. God had required that they use only the sacred fire in the
sanctuary during their priestly ministry. To them it seemed unreasonable that
one fire could not burn sacrifices as well as another fire. Using such human
judgment, Nadab and Abihu disobeyed the direct command of the Lord and died.
They did not understand the seriousness of violating the sanctity of that which
God had set apart for a holy use.
Similar arguments are used today in connection with things
which have been sanctified by God. Often it is asked, "What is the
difference between worshiping on the Sabbath and worshiping on Sunday? One day
is just as good as the other." The tremendous difference is that God made
one day holy and wrote an unchangeable law about it on tables of stone. The day
is different because it has God's special blessing upon it. Woe to the man who
touches with common hands those holy institutions of God!
Nadab and Abihu were not guilty of any rebellious defiance
of their faith in other areas of their religious office. They never considered
refusing to carry out the proper type of offering in the manner prescribed by
the Levitical statutes. The small matter of the fire was the only command which
struck them as frivolous and arbitrary. In that area alone, they felt justified
in making a tiny change that would more easily and smoothly fit into their idea
of functional worship. They reasoned that such a minor deviation in the
interests of such a sanctified program could not bring any serious
consequences. God would certainly not count it a sin to improve on a program to
worship Him.
What an irony that much disobedience of God's law takes
place in the name of religion! Christ acknowledged that men would be worshiping
Him while they substituted the "commandments of men" for His
requirements. He rejected such worship as vain and empty. In the sermon on the
mount, He described a large class who would seek entrance into the kingdom
because they had prophesied, cast out demons, and done many wonderful works
"in thy name." Yet Jesus will say to them, "I never knew you:
depart from me." Matthew 7:23.
How can people become so blind and deceived that they feel
securely saved while willfully breaking God's commandments? In their vain
worship, they bowed regularly in prayer, sang songs of praise, and probably
never missed a church service. They professed great love for God and gave
moving testimonies of the same.
Is the same problem with us today? Do religious people still
disobey God's law while professing to love Him? On any given Sabbath, look
around you to see what is going on. People will be ignoring the very heart
commandment which God wrote on the tables of stone: "The seventh day is
the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work." Exodus
20:10.
Who are these people who ignore God's Sabbath commandment?
As you see them hurrying about their regular work program, pursuing their own
pleasure on the seventh day, there seems to be no remorse for violating the
clear command of God. Yet tomorrow many of them will be in church, praying,
singing, and talking about how much they love Jesus. Where did they get their
definition of love? Was it from the bumper stickers on the interstate–"Smile
if you love Jesus," "Wave if you love Jesus," "Honk if you
love Jesus"? That is not what Jesus said, is it? He declared, "If ye
love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15.
To Obey is Better
Why do people feel secure in breaking one of the Ten
Commandments? For the same reason Saul felt secure in bringing back the
forbidden sheep and oxen. God had told him not to bring back a thing after he
defeated the Amalekites. But Saul was going to use those animals to sacrifice
in his worship of God. Notice the incredible illogic of his actions. He
disobeyed in taking the animals and then tried to justify the disobedience by
using the stolen animals in worshiping God. In the same way, modern church
members disobey God by taking the Sabbath for their own use. Then they do like
Saul and try to justify their disobedience by worshiping God in the name of
what they have stolen.
God declared through the prophet Samuel, "To obey is
better than sacrifice." It is also better than all the vain worship of a
thousand religious services performed in conjunction with the willful violation
of His specific command. Obedience is better than anything else in revealing
our love. Jesus said so. "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Disobedience is worse than anything because it is an act of disloyalty in its
very nature. Observing a counterfeit day derived from the pagan worship of the
sun is no more acceptable to God than Saul's prize-winning sheep and cattle. He
is not honored by disobedience, and He is especially offended by the breaking
of His commandments in the name of worship.
Have you noticed that in the stories of Nadab, Abihu, and
Uzzah the seemingly slight offense had to do with things God had set apart for
sacred use? The fire was holy and the ark of the covenant was holy. Both were
to be reserved and preserved for one sacred purpose only. Common hands were not
to be laid on the ark and common fire was not to replace the holy fire. When
those "set apart" things were treated just like other things, the judgments
of God fell.
Are there sanctified things today which God has set apart
for a holy use? Indeed there are. The Sabbath has been described by God as
"my holy day." Isaiah 58:13,14. That one-seventh of time has been
signally blessed and commanded by God for rest and worship.
The tithe is something else which has been separated by the
Word of God for a special, sacred purpose. To appropriate that one-tenth for
ourselves is actually to steal from the very coffers of God. The Scriptures
describe it thus: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say,
Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings." Malachi 3:8.
Some people are horrified to read about the judgments which
fell upon Uzzah when he touched the ark of God and upon Lot's wife when she
simply turned her head. Are tiny infractions so serious that sudden death can
ensue? Does this indicate that the quantity of sin is not so significant as the
quality of it? If Eve's simple act of biting the fruit could precipitate six
millenniums of planetary suffering and death, surely we dare not measure
disobedience in terms of size or appearance.
No wonder, then, that Lot's wife suffered the same terrible
consequences as all others who trifled with the word of a holy God. The offense
of looking back indicated a divided will. It also revealed the fact that her
heart was still bound up with the affairs of a corrupt, condemned social order.
Two voices were competing for her allegiance: one, the voice of the
highlands–the voice of God calling her to liberty, purity, and salvation; the
other, the voice of the lowlands–the voice of popularity and pleasure, the
voice of Sodom. Slowly the voice from beneath gained the mastery of a badly
bent conscience, and Mrs. Lot stands before us as a tragic example of a divided
heart.
Jesus said, "Remember Lot's wife," and He said it
to those who would live through the final traumatic moments of earth's history.
He is saying it to us right now–"Remember Lot's wife." We need that
message. Millions are just as double–minded as Mrs. Lot. They find no time to
pray with their family. Like Mrs. Lot, many read magazines more than the Bible,
and thus they have only a superficial form of religion. Like Mrs. Lot, they
linger around the edges of sin–make no strong decision to go all the way in obedience
to God.
God's Ultimatum to Lot
What did God think about the namby-pamby way Lot had
neutralized his influence in Sodom? You know the story of how those angels
visited Abraham and then Lot, telling him that God had tolerated their
fence-straddling long enough. They had reached the limits of their double life,
so God faced them with an ultimatum: get out or get in! "This is it!"
God said. "You can't be neutral any longer. Choose right now what you will
do. Come all the way out, or stay there and perish."
What a fantastic confrontation: a final call, a last-minute
chance to slip from death to life! Does it sound familiar? If it doesn't, you
had better look around again and see what's happening to the world. The same
fiery fate which loomed over Sodom has been decreed for this wicked age as
well. Jesus pointed to the parallel conditions between the two periods of
history. After describing the excesses and indulgences of Lot's day, Jesus
said, "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."
Luke 17:30.
What did He mean by "even thus"? Similar moral and
social problems? No doubt about that. Did He also foresee a startling final
appeal to lingering Lots and Mrs. Lots whose wills have almost been paralyzed
by indecision? Indeed, the language of the Master seems to indicate that the
whole sordid picture of a dying world was before Him. As in the days of Sodom,
men would have just one last opportunity to say Yes or No; then it would be
over. Some, like Lot's wife, will be so wedded to the world that they cannot
let go in time. They will have to perish with the things which they loved more
than they loved God. Others, like Lot, will arouse just in time to choose
quickly and decisively. Without a backward glance, they will move out in complete
obedience to the will of God. This is the choice everyone faces.
The same issues which precipitated the dramatic showdown in
Sodom are leavening the Christian churches at almost every level. Materialism
and lukewarmness have placed a mold upon the lifestyle of millions who profess
to be followers of truth today. While the winds of destruction are slowly
slipping through the fingers of the four apocalyptic angels who have been
holding them back, the professed people of God relax in a carnally secure
dreamworld. Like Lot's family, they have become comfortable in the society of
money markets and a compromised faith.
God looks upon the nauseous blend of flesh and spirit as
intolerable. As the True Witness of the Laodicean church, He calls upon this
last–day religious remnant to repent. Just as those heavenly messengers laid
down the ultimatum so long ago, we are also being called to leave it all or
perish. There is no more time to be divided. Get off the fence, God says, and be
either hot or cold. Come all the way out and live, or stay lukewarm and perish.
There is no place for half-surrender in the church of the translation!
The story of Lot and his family proves that God will not
long tolerate a double lifestyle on the part of His professed people. Those who
are trying to live in two worlds must make a decision. God's Word declares that
the friendship of the world is enmity with God. "Whosoever therefore will
be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4:4. Another Bible
writer, who was the closest of Christ's disciples, declared, "If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15).
What One Sin Can Do
Why did Jesus say, "Remember Lot's wife?" Because
He knew that many others would be just as attached to "things" as she
was. They would linger, and then look back with longing heart upon those things
which are forbidden. "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that
he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33.
What do modern church members know about the principle of
self-denial and forsaking all? The book of Revelation foresaw the unholy
mixture of Laodicean Christianity which would make God sick on the stomach. He
said, "I will spue [vomit] thee out of my mouth." Revelation 3:16.
Those words are probably the most graphic that ever passed the lips of our
Lord. He was addressing the subject of hypocrisy in the end times. Similar
strong language was used by Jesus in describing the same condition among the
religious leaders of His day. He called them hypocrites generation of vipers,
and whited sepulchres.
In the Old Testament, God used equivalent rhetoric in
calling for His vacillating people to get off the fence. "If the Lord be
God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." 1 Kings 18:21.
In all these instances, God was speaking to those who laid
claim to being His favored, chosen ones. Yet their practice was not the same as
their profession. There was a mingling, in their experience, of the holy and
unholy. They were saying one thing and doing something
else. The result was a weak, wishy-washy witness which made no positive impact
on others. God found such conduct repulsive. That is why He demanded that
choices be made; but take note that only two alternatives were ever available.
It was either God or Baal, obedience or disobedience.
One of the strangest obsessions of modern churchianity is to
blithely blend the concepts of salvation and sin. The Bible makes it very clear
that willful transgression is the antithesis of spiritual security. God's call
is to "come out of her and be ye separate." Deliberate disobedience
cannot coexist with a clear Christian conscience. The Word of God has much to
say about sin, but never a good word. No one has ever read the slightest inspired
intimation that sin should be reduced or diminished. Whenever it is mentioned,
sin is declared to be non-negotiable. It is to be abandoned, rejected, and
utterly repudiated. Jesus did not say to the adulterous woman, "Go and
taper off on this sin." He said, "Go and sin no more." John did
not write: "My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin
less and less." He plainly declared, "I write unto you that ye sin
not."
The story of Lot's wife is a dramatic illustration that the
presence of one small act of willful disobedience can lead to eternal loss. Any
effort to reconcile God's love, character, or righteousness with a tolerance
for sin must end with miserable failure.
How is it with you today? In this final fragment of
probationary time, have you renounced every competitor of Christ for first
place in your heart?
Just as the angels pleaded with Lot and his family to make a
total surrender, the Holy Spirit urges upon us the same kind of commitment
today. The call is for separation and urgent action. Multitudes linger in the
twilight zone of indecision while the fires of destruction are poised for the
annihilation of this world. Worldlings and professed Christians alike are
hearing the plea of God to turn loose. The door of probation is open for just a
few moments more.
To every soul there comes a golden last moment of decision
before the door shuts. Will all be able to recognize that moment? Tragically,
no. Some, with senses dulled by worldly compromise, will not even discern the
final departure of God's messenger of salvation. The sins of Sodom are just as
hypnotizing and appealing today as they were long ago. The same perverse
practices have become more commonplace and popular than they ever were in the
doomed city of the plains. Lot had no time to take anything with him. Neither
do we. There must be a willingness to deny self and cut away from the
abominations of the flesh in every form. Our only hope is to move quickly in
separating from the evil attachments of a corrupt society. A loving Saviour stands
behind the invitation, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord."
The secret of being able to resist and reject the appeal of
a perverse, renegade society is to look at the cross of Jesus Christ. We might
abhor the evil and desire deliverance, but there is only one source of strength
to break the pattern of sin. Christ's substitutionary death at Calvary
satisfied the penalty which transgression had placed against every living soul
in the world. The broken law demanded death, and when Jesus suffered that
penalty for every man on the cross, a glorious transaction was made. Legally,
every lost soul was freed from the penalty of disobedience. Again, in a legal
sense, the whole world was redeemed through the atonement of the cross. The
corporate guilt of Adam's descendants was canceled by the corporate
justification accorded through the death of Jesus.
We can truthfully assure every sinner right now that his
sentence of death has already been legally satisfied and executed upon his substitute,
Jesus. What a fantastic truth! This means that God actually took the initiative
in saving man. He almost made it difficult to be lost by declaring an
emancipation from the slavery of sin for every person who would receive it. But
please take note that something was done even for those who would not receive
it. A corporate justification actually was made effective for the entire world,
both good and evil. Through that universal justification the curse of universal
condemnation was erased, and Adam's children could be born without bearing the
guilt of their father's sin. (Romans 5:18)
But the most glorious consequence of the atonement is seen
in the experience of the ones who claim personal justification through faith in
His blood. Paul described it thus: "Being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I
say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:24-26) Here is clearly revealed
a picture of individual acceptance of all those who claim Jesus as forgiver and
justifier.
What is accomplished for the ones who enter this intimate
relationship of justification by faith? Are they merely delivered from the
guilt of sin, or do they also receive deliverance from the sin itself? Paul
answered that question. "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I
unto the world." Galatians 6:14.
In this verse we find that victory over the world system of
evil is definitely tied to the atonement of the cross. No one has been
delivered from sins of the flesh without receiving that deliverance as a gift
through the merits of Christ's suffering and death. We are made dead to the
world's appeal by looking into the face of our Substitute and Saviour. His agape
love, revealed at the cross, melts the stubborn will and weans the heart away
from every attraction the world can devise. That is how Jesus is "made
unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 1
Corinthians 1:30. It is all in the cross. Look at it daily and remember Lot's
wife, that you may be saved from her terrible fate.
"Lot's Escape from Sodom"
The escape of Lot and his family from Sodom (circa 1510).
Original painting by Raphael (1483-1520).
Photo: Getty Images
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Lot, nephew of the Old Testament patriarch Abraham, was a
man who seemed to be greatly influenced by his environment. As long as he
accompanied his godly uncle Abraham, he managed to stay out of trouble.
But when he got away from Abraham's good example and moved
to the city of Sodom, Lot knew he was in a place of sin. Peter says Lot was
distressed by the evil going on about him, yet Lot did not work up the
initiative to leave Sodom. God considered Lot and his family righteous, so he
saved them. On the verge of Sodom's destruction, two angels led Lot, his wife
and two daughters away.
Lot's wife turned and looked back, whether from curiosity or
longing, we don't know. Immediately she turned into a pillar of salt.
Panicky because they were living in a wilderness cave where
there were no men, Lot's two daughters got him drunk and committed incest with
him. Perhaps if Lot had raised his daughters more strictly in God's ways, they
would not have gone through with such a desperate plan.
Even so, God made good come out of it. The older daughter's
son was named Moab. God gave Moab a section of land in Canaan. One of his
descendants was named Ruth. Ruth, in turn, is named as one of the ancestors of
the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.
Lot's Accomplishments:
Lot made his flocks grow to the point where he and Abraham
had to part ways because there was not enough grazing land for both of them.
He learned much about the one true God from his uncle,
Abraham.
Lot's Strengths:
Lot was loyal to his uncle, Abraham.
He was a diligent worker and overseer.
Lot's Weaknesses:
Lot could have been a great man, but he let himself get
distracted.
Life Lessons:
Following God and living up to his potential for us requires
constant effort. Like Lot, we are surrounded by a corrupt, sinful society. Lot
could have left Sodom and made a place for himself, his wife, and daughters
where they could serve God. Instead, he accepted the status quo and stayed
where he was. We can't flee from our society, but we can live God-honoring
lives in spite of it.
Lot had a wonderful teacher and holy example in his uncle
Abraham, but when Lot left to go out on his own, he did not follow in Abraham's
footsteps. Attending church regularly keeps us focused on God. A Spirit-filled
pastor is one of God's gifts to his people. Listen to God's Word at church. Let
yourself be teachable. Resolve to live a life pleasing to your heavenly Father.
Hometown:
Ur of the Chaldeans.
Referenced in the Bible:
Lot's life is featured in Genesis chapters 13, 14, and 19.
He is also mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:9, 19; Psalm 83:8; Luke 17:28-29, 32; and
2 Peter 2:7.
Occupation:
Successful livestock owner, Sodom city official.
Family Tree:
Father - Haran
Uncle - Abraham
Wife - Unnamed
Two Daughters - Unnamed
Key Verses:
Genesis 12:4
So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with
him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. (NIV)
Genesis 13:12
Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the
cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. (NIV)
Genesis 19:15
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying,
"Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be
swept away when the city is punished." (NIV)
Genesis 19:36-38
So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father.
The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the
Moabites of today. The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him
Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today. (NIV)
• Old Testament People of the Bible (Index)
• New Testament People of the Bible (Index)
More About Lot
Lot's Uncle
Abraham
Why God Destroyed
Sodom and Gomorrah
Lot's Wife
More About Sodom
Abraham's Prayer
for Sodom
Sodom and Gomorrah
Painting
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