Genesis 13:12-13,12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
In today’s time one of the most common scenario in most homes is that of the young generation moving out of the safety of their homes to new unknown countries for the purpose of education or jobs. Most often we do not get a housing we desire. At times this affects our lives in unexplainable manners. If we do not have good neighbors and friends we might end up in trouble.
Let us now observe the lives of two people. Following the instructions from the Father almighty, our forefather Abram set out with whole family into an unknown land. He did not question or doubt the saying of the Lord. Abram was accompanied by Lot, his brother’s son. The Lord had blessed both of them with abundance and wealth.
Genesis 13:5-7,5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 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. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. …. Abraham built an altar to the Lord and gave thanks and praised Him. There is no mention that Lot too thanked and praised the Lord. The two of them then travelled in opposite directions. Abraham had given him the freedom to chose whichever direction he wanted to go. Genesis 13:10-13,10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
In chapter 14 we read that a war happened in the land. The king of Sodom fell while fleeing for his life from the enemy kings. All that Lot and his family has accumulated was plundered. Genesis 14:14-16, 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people. It is important to observe who received Abraham when he returned from defeating the other kings.
Genesis 14, 18-20, 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
We need to ponder about what kind of people did Abraham live with.
Sarah had died. He went looking for an appropriate place to bury her. Genesis 23: 2-6, 2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.
3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, 4 “I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.”
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.” It is noticeable and to be appreciated the way the Hittites respect and are polite towards Abraham. We should think how the people around us perceive us, God’s own children.
Lot had selected the sinful land of Sodom-Gomorrah only having seen the green land and abundance. Due to the sinful ways of the land Lord decided to destroy everything in it. Two angels of the Lord reached Sodom. Lot was standing near the gates of the city. Even though Lot was a newcomer, by this we can understand that he had made himself a man of status and position there. It is possible that the sinful ways of Sodom disturbed Lot during his initial stay. Slowly slowly he became accustomed and habitual to their ways.
Lot took the two angels who had reached Sodom to his house. Seeing the two angels, it is unthinkable what the people of Sodom wanted to do with the angels. Genesis 19:4-8,
4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”
6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”
9 “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.
In his search for more wealth and luxury in life, Lot had selected the evil and sinful land of Sodom. Even though Lot was a righteous man, he had to pay a heavy price for having chosen to live in Sodom. He lost all his wealth and his wife. What his daughters did to him is beyond the thinking of any of us. It was incest that they impregnated themselves through their own father, without his knowledge. Abraham was man of the Lord who always praised and glorified Him. When Lot was with Abraham it is understood that he too must have praised and glorified Lord. The time that Lot was with Abraham he was blessed both spiritually and in material terms as well.
Abraham and Lot had travelled out together. We have seen with whom and how Abraham spent his life. On the other hand, what kind of people did Lot have as neighbors??? Dear children of God, this lapse can happen even from us. In our run after the material luxuries of this life we should always remember these two people. When his teacher was being handed over to be persecuted, Peter chose to be among the enemy camp. The result, he denied Lord Jesus three times. Think, if we came to the situation these people were in which way would we take, Abraham, Lot or Peter??? Think over where we were and where we are now. Try and balance between what you have gathered here and what you have lost. Think among whom do you live??
Psalm 1:1-6,
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Jehovah Roi 