Today, let's look at Lot, the man. Lot is a premier example of a worldly, compromising Christian. He had knowledge of God. He also wanted the world. Two masters. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:24 that "it is impossible to serve two masters." But some of us keep thinking that we can be the exception! That thinking is to our own peril ... and, as we see with Lot, to the peril of our children. Watch Lot's progression ...
He left Ur with his uncle Abram. Lived with him, traveled with him, learned from him. I suspect Lot worshipped with him in the places we see Abram stop and build altars.
Then the slide began when Lot and Abram decided to separate since their herdsmen were quarreling and there did not seem to be enough pasture land for both of their expansive flocks. (Wait - maybe the slide began when Uncle Abram decided to go to Egypt where there was no famine and life would be easier!)Genesis 13: 10 tells us that Lot "looked" toward Sodom. That word in Hebrew indicates that this was not a casual notice. It was a longing. It is similar to the idea of "lust". So Lot decided to head that direction ... just toward the cities on the plains.
Genesis 13:12 tells us that Lot "pitched his tents near Sodom". Like a moth drawing closer to a flame, Lot moves himself and his circle of people nearer to the place of prosperity, probably excitement and ease.
Genesis 14:12 finds Lot living "in" Sodom. There is no explanation for the move ... just from outside to inside. It's not hard for us to imagine the reasons, the logic, the desire.
Finally, in Genesis 19:1 we find Lot "sitting in the gateway" of Sodom. This is the phraseology used for the elders or principal men of a city - sort of a governing counsel. Lot is fully in.
James Boice says it this way:
Lot had abandoned a high calling and was now the precise opposite of the upright man of Psalm 1. He had walked in the counsel of the wicked, stood in the way of sinners and sat down in the seat of mockers. His delight was not in the law of the Lord, and he was certainly not meditating on it day and night. He was not a tree planted by rivers of water; his leaf was withering; his work was not prospering. He was dangerously close to being like the chaff that the wind drives away.The warnings are so clear they hardly need to be written down. But ... here we go ... and I write them down for myself ...
Never assume that you are above the temptation to be more attracted to the world than to God.
Be ever so careful to know the dividing line between taking the good news of Christ into a wicked place and becoming engaged in the wicked aspects of the place.
"Becoming all things to all men in order to win some" (1 Corinthians 9:22) does not mean taking on sins to be more like particular sinners.
Never forget that association with the world leaves its mark on us. Remember Paul's advice in Galatians 6:1: If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted."
Sometimes I ache for Lot ... sometimes I get so mad at him I want to scream! There is much about him that I do not understand. We see some good ... we see some horrific. Protect the visitors from the violent men of Sodom - You Go Lot! Throw your daughters out to be raped and most likely killed in exchange for your guests - What?! We will consider more of these things in Day 2.
For today ... Lord, am I leaning more toward the world than I am toward You? Are worldly things more important to me than things of You? Do I pray more for ease than I pray for righteousness? Do I long more for happiness than I do for holiness? Show me myself and my heart as You see it. I think I want to know ...
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