The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 17:36-38,
"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."
What a low estate Lot found himself in! This chapter presents Lot in a very dismal light.
In Genesis 13 we read that Abraham, Lot's uncle, made an offer to Lot to divide land so their holdings and herders would not impinge upon one another. Abraham offered to give Lot first choice, and Lot chose the best for himself. The land was "well watered, like the garden of the Lord", Genesis 13:10. However, it was filled with wicked people, "Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord." I think we get a bit of a clue about Lot in chapter 13.
As we all know the story, the Lord decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to the depravity of the people there. The Lord told Abraham, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me." These are the people Lot chose to make his neighbors in order to enjoy the best of the land.
I think Lot chose poorly. Peter tells us, "... if he [God] condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)..." 2 Peter 2:6-8. Lot brought that distress and torment on himself!
Scripture describes Lot as a "righteous man". Abraham even pleaded with the Lord on the basis of Lot being a righteous man, Genesis 18:16-33. The Lord promised he wouldn't destroy Sodom if there were only ten righteous people in it. So, the Lord took Lot and his family out of Sodom before he destroyed it.
Although Lot is described as a righteous man, I'm not aware of anywhere in the Scriptures he is described as a wise man. In other words, Lot had a good standing before God, but it certainly was not due to his wisdom or prudence. He displayed anything but that.
In Genesis 13:5-6 we read, "Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together." Lot, as Abraham, was a very, very wealthy man. However, by the time we get to the end of Genesis 17, Lot had lost all of his wealth, lost his wife (who looked back to Sodom), and wound up living in a cave with his two daughters that had just lost their fiances. And, as we read in Genesis 17:36-38, his daughters got him drunk to get pregnant by him. As I say, what a low estate!
It appears to me that Lot did very well in life as long as he was with Abraham. However, as soon as he separated from Abraham his life went to hell in a handbag. I wonder if Proverbs 13:20 might apply here, "Walk with the wise and become [I wonder if "be" works here] wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." As we read Genesis we see Lot doing very well until he made the Sodomites his neighbors.
"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."
What a low estate Lot found himself in! This chapter presents Lot in a very dismal light.
In Genesis 13 we read that Abraham, Lot's uncle, made an offer to Lot to divide land so their holdings and herders would not impinge upon one another. Abraham offered to give Lot first choice, and Lot chose the best for himself. The land was "well watered, like the garden of the Lord", Genesis 13:10. However, it was filled with wicked people, "Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord." I think we get a bit of a clue about Lot in chapter 13.
As we all know the story, the Lord decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to the depravity of the people there. The Lord told Abraham, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me." These are the people Lot chose to make his neighbors in order to enjoy the best of the land.
I think Lot chose poorly. Peter tells us, "... if he [God] condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)..." 2 Peter 2:6-8. Lot brought that distress and torment on himself!
Scripture describes Lot as a "righteous man". Abraham even pleaded with the Lord on the basis of Lot being a righteous man, Genesis 18:16-33. The Lord promised he wouldn't destroy Sodom if there were only ten righteous people in it. So, the Lord took Lot and his family out of Sodom before he destroyed it.
Although Lot is described as a righteous man, I'm not aware of anywhere in the Scriptures he is described as a wise man. In other words, Lot had a good standing before God, but it certainly was not due to his wisdom or prudence. He displayed anything but that.
In Genesis 13:5-6 we read, "Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together." Lot, as Abraham, was a very, very wealthy man. However, by the time we get to the end of Genesis 17, Lot had lost all of his wealth, lost his wife (who looked back to Sodom), and wound up living in a cave with his two daughters that had just lost their fiances. And, as we read in Genesis 17:36-38, his daughters got him drunk to get pregnant by him. As I say, what a low estate!
It appears to me that Lot did very well in life as long as he was with Abraham. However, as soon as he separated from Abraham his life went to hell in a handbag. I wonder if Proverbs 13:20 might apply here, "Walk with the wise and become [I wonder if "be" works here] wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." As we read Genesis we see Lot doing very well until he made the Sodomites his neighbors.
Just thinking out loud here...
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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