LESSON 9.
LOT. A WARNING
He hesitated...
(Genesis 19:16)
The Bible, which was written for our instruction, shows us what we should not
be like, as well as showing us what we should be like. If we want to be holy,
the Bible shows us what to avoid as well as what we should seek. Lot is an
example of something to be avoided. His character is summed up in the two
words, he hesitated. Even though it was two angels who were urging him to leave
the town of Sodom, nevertheless he still hesitated!
1.
What sort of a person was Lot?
If I do not make this quite clear, perhaps many will say, `Ah! Lot was a bad
man, a poor unconverted man ---- no wonder he hesitated.' But Lot was nothing
of the kind. Lot was a real child of God, and a justified believer. He was, a
righteous man ...
(2 Peter 2:7). There were defects in his character and he paid dearly because
of them. So let us not forget that, like Lot, a believer may have many defects
and yet
still
be a true Christian.
a) We know that Lot lived in a wicked city;
he saw acid heard lawless deeds
and yet was not wicked himself (2Peter2:8) To be a righteous man in Sodom could
only be by the grace of God. Without such grace it would be impossible
b) Another evidence to his character is that he was
tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard
(2 Peter 2:8). He was grieved, pained and hurt at the sight of sin. Nothing
will account for this but the grace of God.
c) One more evidence of his character is that he was
distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men ... from day to day
(2 Peter 2:7). He did not gradually become so accustomed to the sight of sin
that he began to view it with unconcern, as many often do. Again, this can only
be explained by the grace of God in Lot.
So do not forget - Lot was a child of God.
2. What do the words
he hesitated
tell us about him?
He understood the appalling morals of the citizens of the city in which he
lived; he realised that terrible judgement was about to fall on the city; he
knew that God was a God who always kept his word -yet in spite of all this, Lot
showed astonishing hesitancy. He believed there was danger, for he had taken
the trouble to go to his future sons-in-law and urge them to escape;
Hurry and get out of this place because the LORD is about to destroy the city!
(Genesis 19:14). And yet he hesitated!
He was slow when he should have been quick - backward when he should have been
forward - loitering when he should have been hurrying. And yet, remarkable as
that may seem, I fear there are many Christians just like Lot! There are many
true children of God who, however, know far more than they actually live up to,
and understand far more than they sincerely practice. They believe in heaven
but seem to care little for it; they believe in hell but little seem to fear
it. They hate the devil but often seem to tempt him to come to them. What shall
we say of such Christians? They are brothers and sisters of Lot!
a) These are the sort of people who seem to think that real holiness is
something beyond their reach. They will agree that holiness is a lovely thing.
They like to read about it, and see it in others. But they seem to make up
their minds that it is beyond their reach.
b) These are the sort of people who have wrong ideas about love, and rush about
trying to please everybody except God. They are afraid of being thought
narrow-minded and so try to be agreeable to everybody - forgetting that they
ought first to be sure they please God.
c) These are the sort of people who shrink from self-denial and are unwilling
to make sacrifices. They seem unable to accept the Lord's command to
take lip the cross and follow him
(Matthew 16:24).
d) These are the sort of people who hesitate to be strict in their adherence to
God's ways, and feel that to mix a little in the ways of the world could do the
world good. Yet they do not do good to the world and only get harm to
themselves.
--A hesitant person is not a happy one!
3. What reasons could account for Lot's hesitancy
He made a wrong choice earlier in his life. Abraham gave Lot the choice of
where to settle with his flocks and his cattle. Lot chose the ground which
looked best for his animals, land near to the town of Sodom. He did not ask God
if he was doing the right thing by choosing that place. He chose on the basis
of worldly wisdom and not on the basis of faith in God.
He mixed with the ungodly when there was no necessity to do so.
He pitched his tent near
Sodom (Genesis 13:12). And the next time we hear of him he is actually living
in Sodom (Genesis 14:12). If you make a wrong choice in life - an unscriptural
choice-and settle down among ungodly people, the certain result will be damage
to your own spirituality. This is the surest way to blunt your feelings towards
sin. Beware of needlessly mixing with ungodly people. Beware of Lot's choice!
a) Remember this when you are choosing where to live. Give some thought to what
will be helpful to your spirituality. Ask yourself if the gospel message is
faithfully taught within easy reach of where you are. Beware of Lot's choice!
b) Remember this when you are choosing your work. It is not enough merely that
the wages are good, or that there is a good chance of promotion. Ask yourself
whether that work will hinder or help your spirituality.
c) Remember this when you plan to marry. Is your choice of partner a believer?
Will your partner draw you nearer to Christ or nearer to the unbelieving world?
There needs to be something more than affection and friendship, something more
than the possibility of a comfortable home. `Think', as one old writer has
said, `think and think again, before you commit yourself'. Beware of Lot's
choice!
You may think that none of these things really matter if you are a justified
believer, one of Christ's people. But let me warn you - your soul will never
prosper if you make bad choices at the beginning of your life. True believers
will certainly never perish spiritually, but their spiritual life will not
thrive if they are always hesitating when they should be decisive.
4. What were the results of Lot's hesitancy?
Some may want to say, `After all Lot was saved. He was justified - he got to
heaven and I want no more than that'. I want to show you one or two things in
Lot's history which ought to be thought about, and then perhaps you will see
why it is quite wrong to talk as some do.
a) Lot did no good to the people of Sodom. He lived there for many years. No
doubt he had many opportunities to speak about the things of God and to try and
turn the people from their sin. But he seems to have had no effect at all. Not
one righteous person could be found in Sodom, outside the walls of Lot's home.
b) Lot helped none of his relatives towards heaven. We know that he had a wife
and two daughters. But it is clear none of them feared God. And when he went to
warn his prospective sons-in-law they laughed at him - his
sons-in-law thought he was joking
(Genesis 19:14). Lot shows us what the unbeliever thinks of a hesitant believer!
Lot's wife left the city with him, but she did not go far. She did not have
thin faith to believe what God had said, or see the need for such a speedy
flight. She ignored the clear command not to look back and was turned into a
pillar of salt (Genesis 19:17). His daughters escaped with him, but ended up
causing Lot to commit a wicked sin (Genesis 19:33-36). It is sad to realise
that Lot was not the means of keeping even one person from hell.
I am not suggesting that believers who do not linger will be the means of
bringing great blessing to the world. Not do I suggest that believers who do
not linger will, as a matter of course, be the means of the conversion of their
families. But I do say that it is impossible not to see a connection between
Lot's bad choice and his hesitancy, and a connection between his hesitancy and
his spiritual uselessness to others.
c) We know very little about Lot after his flight from Sodom. His pleading to
go to Zoar and his subsequent departure, and his conduct in the cave, all tell
the same story of weakness in grace and the low state of soul into which he had
sunk. We are told of the last days of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and David -
but not one word do we find about the sad end of Lot. If we had not been told
in the New Testament that he was just and righteous we might well have wondered
if he was a true believer at all! We can only think that his example is
intended by the Spirit of God to be a warning to all professing Christians. If
we are willing to make an outward show, of our Christianity let us not hesitate
to make an equal spiritual effort in our souls.
I do not want to give you a gloomy view of what it is to be a Christian. My
only object is to give you friendly warnings. For we live in days when a
hesitant, Lot-like religion is common. It is possible to do many religious
things but which require little or no sacrifice; they involve no cross. But to
walk closely with God, to be really spiritually minded - to be prayerful,
unselfish, quiet, easily pleased, loving, patient and meek-these are still rare
things! So I warn you not to attempt what cannot be done, namely, to serve
Christ and worldly interests at the same time.
Do you want to know what our times demand? The shaking of nations, the
uprooting of old values, the stir and restlessness in people's minds - what do
they say? They cry out, `Christian, do not hesitate!'
Do you want to be found ready to meet Christ when he returns? Your witness
bright, your spiritual life active, your Christian courage strong - what does
this involve? It involves a refusal to hesitate!
Do you wish to feel a great comfort from your religion? Feel the witness of the
Spirit with your spirit, to know certainly that you have believed, not to be a
gloomy Christian - how can this be? Do not hesitate about spiritual things!
Do you wish to be useful to your family and to others around you? To draw men
and women away from sin, to make your beliefs attractive, to cause your family
to say, `We will go with you' - then do not hesitate in your commitment to
Christ!
And let us remember the souls of others as well as our own. If we see Christian
brothers or sisters hesitating, let us encourage them. Let us remind one
another of the words of God:
Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you
may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness
(Hebrews 3:13).
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