Title: LOT—A MAN OF SHADOWS

Focus: The story of Lot is instructive for the way we live as people of faith. For under the shadow of God Almighty, we observe Lot in the shadow of Abram, getting himself in trouble.

 

INTRODUCTION

            “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” (Ps. 91) Many Christians take this verse from Psalm 91 as their life’s motto. This verse is like background music. It highlights and accentuates our individual stories of faith and life. Most sons and daughters of Abram will readily accept this background music to live out their lives of faith.

I’m not so sure, however, if Lot would have taken this verse to heart. Abram? Yes! Lot? No, not Lot! When I consider the story of Lot, I do not hear this music of trust in God. What I hear more distinctly in the background music of Lot’s story is the tune of Frank Sinatra’s song: “I do it my way.”  

 

I am glad to find some “pictures” of Lot in the family album of Gods’ ongoing rescue story. The Bible is full of wondrous stories that inspire and instruct us in the way of salvation, and in the way that we should go as believers in Christ Jesus. There are some stories, however, that we fail to ponder carefully, mostly because we miss their significance or think them unsuitable for either kids or sophisticated adults. Let’s face it: that picture of Lot with his daughters in a cave is not a nice picture; neither is that picture of Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt. And surely, that picture of Lot making his home in the midst of the Sodomites calls for a lot of explaining as well. There’s a lot about Lot that’s well—a bit embarrassing. And that’s why many are inclined to hush and hide Lot’s pictures or stories. That, however, is a huge mistake.

 

It is true: under the shadow of God Almighty, we observe Lot in the shadow of Abram, getting himself in trouble time and time again. Yet, the story of Lot is instructive for the way we live as people of faith today.

 

A MAN OF SHADOWS

As we explore Lot’s stories and draw up a profile of Lot’s character, we will notice that Lot is a man of shadows.

            For one thing, Lot lives under the shadow of God Almighty. So do you and I. Our stories, like Lot’s life story, are all lived out under God’s sovereign design. God is our Maker; God is our Guide; God is our All. All of life, all of our stories, all of our circumstances--fall under the guiding hand of God. Whether we realize it or not, we all live under the shadow of God. Lot is a man of shadows.

 

            For example: Lot lives his life in the context of God’s promise to Abram and all his descendants. Lot is a nephew of Abram; Lot lives under the umbrella of Abram’s protection and direction. When God gives Abram marching orders to pilgrimage by faith in the land of the Canaanites, Lot goes with Abram. When Abram acts upon God’s promises and claims the land of Canaan by faith, building an altar here and there, Lot is aware of the significance of Abram’s deeds and God’s promises. Lot, then, lives his life under the shadow of God who reveals himself so intimately to Abram, the father of all believers.

            Also, when we read of this war between these big-wheel-kings of the earth such as, for example, Amraphel, Arioch, Kedorlaomer and Tidal, or these other kings such as Bera and Birsha and Shanab and Shemeber, we must not forget that these rulers govern by God’s authority and God’s design. They may think of themselves as “gods” to be obeyed by all their citizens, but don’t forget, these rulers rule under the umbrella of God’s shadow. They rule, but God overrules; they propose and plot, but God disposes and determines their lot.  So, when we learn that God blesses Abram’s rescue effort, saving Lot and his family from exile and a life of slavery, we recognize that God watches over Lot. Lot lives under the shadow of God. How blessed this man called Lot!

 

            Lot is a man of shadows. As we just saw, Lot lives under the shadow of God. But Lot also lives in the shadow of Abram. When Abram went to live in Egypt for a while, because of a famine in the land of Canaan, Lot went with him. And when Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, Lot “went with him” (13:1). And in 13:5 we read “Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.” Clearly, Lot lived, and worked and prospered in the shadow of Abram. And you know what? Whenever we see Lot in the shadow of Abram, Lot looks pretty good. But when he comes out of the shadow of Abram and makes his own choices and decisions, Lot gets himself into a lot of trouble. In the shadows, Lot looks good. Exposed and left on his own, Lot lets us down.

 

            This is why I say that it is important to take note of Lot’s stories. Why? Because Lot’s disappointing choices and behavior make Abram’s choices and actions so praiseworthy. Lot makes Abram look good. Lot’s actions make us realize that the way of faith as shown by Abram is the better way of living as a pilgrim in this world.

In other words, when we read and listen to the stories of Lot, we must always keep one eye focused on Abram’s actions and one ear tuned into Abram’s words. Lot makes Abram look so good and praiseworthy in his faith and trust in God. Consider these examples:

 

DO NOT DO AS LOT

·        Abram claims God’s

promise; Lot does not: When God tells Abram and his household to go to the land of the Canaanites, God promises Abram the land as Abram’s possession. The land of Canaan would be the land of Abram and his descendants. When Abram arrived in the land, he roamed around and what did he do? Abram built altars unto the Lord. These altars—located in the north and middle of Canaan—are like stakes, whereby Abram clings to the land and acknowledges by offerings on the altars that the land is God’s gift to Abram. The altars are signs of Abram’s trust in God’s promise.

 

            When Abram and Lot return from Egypt and find their way back to the promised land, the Bible tells us that Abram returns to the “place where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.” (vs. 4) But Lot does not. Again, when Lot traveled to Sodom to seek his fortune, Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron where, says the Bible, “he built an altar to the Lord.” Abram clings to the promise of God by setting up another altar in the southern part of Canaan, thus claiming the whole land by faith-even though Abram does not own one square inch of the land yet. Lot does not. He sets up house in Sodom, in the midst of the Canaanites. Learn from Lot and do not do as Lot.

 

            Here’s another example of Lot making Abram look so good:

·        Abram rests in God’s

promise of a prosperous and glorious future tied to the land of Canaan. Lot does not: We learn that it is time for Lot to leave the shadow of Abram, because both Abram and Lot are prospering in the promised land; their herds and flocks are expanding but the water resources are not: it’s time for each to go their separate ways before fights break out between the servants of Abram and Lot. For the sake of peace in the family, Lot  must leave the shadow of Abram and stand on his own two legs as a man of God.

           

Abram, as the promise bearer offers Lot the entire land of Canaan. Lot may have first choice: From the North to the South, from Abram’s left hand or from Abram’s right hand, the land is Lot’s to choose from. Lot may choose his destiny and share and claim the promised land as his inheritance. But Lot does not.

 

            Looking north or looking south, Lot sees nothing but mountains and arid places. But as he looks away from the promised land, the text says that Lot “saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east” (vs. 10,11).

 

            Abram rested in the promise of God and stuck with the land of Canaan. Lot is not willing to wait. Lot is tired of country living. “Give me the luxury of the city! Give me Sodom! Give me the opportunities to make a living off the Sodomites!” In Sodom, in the valley of the Jordan, Lot seeks and secures his destiny. Glamour and luxury, pleasure and comfort, culture and sophistication—things his wife and daughters also desire—lure Lot to cast his lot with Sodom and the Canaanites. Lot makes Abram look so good. Learn from Lot and do not do as Lot.

 

LOT AND GOD AND YOU AND ME

            It is very tempting to write off Lot as a dubious person. In the shadows Lot looks good. But when the spotlight is on Lot, we see his flaws and sins and weaknesses. And I am glad that the Bible is not afraid to show us these glaring faults of Lot, for thus we may recognize ourselves in Lot.

 

            Lot is a very complex person. The apostle Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit says that Lot is “a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)...” (II Peter 2:7 and 8).  In Genesis we observe Lot from the outside, but here in this New Testament letter by the apostle Peter the Lord gives us a peek inside the soul of Lot. And it turns out that Lot does have a heart for God. Lot knows what’s right. Lot knows what brings delight to God. Lot wants to do what is right. But Lot is weak and his weakness brings torment to his soul.

 

            Why is Lot tormented and weak in faith? It’s because he wants the food that God offers him: blessings and promises and shalom or prosperity—wholeness and well-being for him and his family. But Lot also wants the food offered to him by the Canaanites. Lot wants to eat from two menus: the menu of the Lord in heaven and the menu of the world. And that’s why Lot is a man of shadows who fails so easily when he is called to stand up in the limelight of history and life itself.

 

            Lot is the patron saint of those of us who want a bit of devotion to Christ mixed with devotion to the world. “Give me Jesus! Yes. But let it be a Jesus who does not ask me to make sacrifices, to die to sin and self and the world. Let it be a Jesus who blesses me in my pursuit of the kingdom of the world, instead of the kingdom of heaven.  Like 2% skimmed milk, give me a Jesus low in fat of commitment—a Jesus who lets me accommodate my daily affairs with the affairs of the world.”

 

Oh, yes, Lot is a believer; he shares in the promise of God; Lot is a righteous man. But he is not a model for us to follow in the life of faith. Lot is the patron saint of believers who are willing to stomach the lures of the world at the expense of the food of God’s promise of eternal life. Lot is a righteous man, but he is willing to squeeze God’s righteous demands by tolerating and living near the rot of Sodom. Lot wants it all. And in his pursuit of Canaan’s glory, he fails to find joy in the Lord; he can’t find rest under the shadow of the Almighty. He is restless—living with a tormented soul.

 

            Let me say it again: I am glad to glean a profile of Lot’s character in the Bible. Abraham is the father of all believers; Lot is the patron saint of half-baked, weak and uncommitted Christians who want the riches of faith dished on a platter of contemporary culture and eat their cake right now. And when I am honest, I see plenty of that in myself.

 

            Thank God, then, for his mercy brightly shining in the stories of Lot! For when the enemies of Lot carry him away from Sodom into slavery and exile, God does not forsake Lot. God equips Abram with strength and courage and faith. And Abram rescues Lot and his entire family, along with the citizens of Sodom. Salvation belongs to the Lord! And to Abram! And to Lot—and us as well!

 

            No, this does not mean that you and I, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, should live like Lot and try to have it both ways! For it is not God’s intention for his people (who have been justified by faith through the work of Christ) to have their souls tormented. Even in the midst of poverty, hardship and yes even in the midst of a dying culture, we may have joy in the Lord, we may delight in God’s ways, and we can live as men and women of faith, as sons and daughters of Abram—not Lot.

 

            Here’s what I hear the Lord tell us today through the stories of Lot:

·        Cling to God’s promise of

salvation in Jesus Christ. Do not take for granted the gift of eternal life on a restored or renewed earth. Remember that the promised land of Canaan is only a shadow of the new heavens and earth. Jesus is the one who fulfills God’s promise to Abraham and all his descendants. God calls us today to put our trust in Jesus and in his promised return to make all things new. Do not sell out on it. Do not be like Lot. Cling to that promise!

 

·        Be a stand-up man or

woman for Jesus. Don’t be afraid to show your true colors of faith! Speak the name of Jesus wherever you live, work, or play. Lot was a righteous man, but he did not speak up in public, nor in his home. Noah, too, was a righteous man. But he preached the message of faith: he warned the people in his community; he counseled his family members, and thus believing Noah and his family were saved. Though saved by God through Abram, righteous, tormented Lot lost his wife; and he lost his daughters in their wayward ways.

 

Let me say it again: stand up for Jesus today. In a culture that is becoming increasing hostile to the Christian faith, and in a world where neo-paganism is flourishing, it is vital that you and I stand up as people of faith. We shall live by faith, under the shadow of God, taking as our mentor and model NOT Lot, but Christ, the Son of God!

 

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen