Bad company corrupts good character...

Every time I have heard Lot mentioned, I don't ever recall his name mentioned in a positive context. I'd read of Lot's men fighting against Abraham's men and the two separating to live apart.  I thought this was a result of Lot's selfish ways against the man who had adopted him as his own son and given him all the benefits of a very wealthy father, Abraham. I had read Lot chose to live in Sodom, one of the two wicked and sinful cities of ancient times that God destroyed.  We read of Lot's wife's disobedience that resulted in her turning into a pillar of salt. Then there was Lot who got drunk on wine and had an incestuous relationship with his daughters. Though it may not have been of his making, the decisions he made in his life led to unfortunate results.

Today, for the first time, I saw Lot in a very different light. As I was reading through the book of 2Peter, chapter 2, I came across the following passage. Verses 6-8 said, "Later, he [God] turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth.  He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people.  But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness he saw and heard day after day.  Yes, he was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day." A clear distinction of the ungodly and godly was made here, and Lot was named as the godly.

These scripture portions led me back to the book of Genesis to reread the portions about Lot, Abraham, their separation, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In chapter 13, we read the following,

• vs. 5.  Now Lot, who was travelling with Abraham, was also very wealthy with sheep, cattle, and many tents. [So Lot was wealthy enough that he didn't have to be jealous of Abraham's possessions.]

• vs. 6.  The land could not support both Abraham's and Lot's flocks of sheep and herds of cattle living so close together.  There were too many animals for the available pastureland. [So it was only right thing to do, to part company and search out new pastureland]

• vs. 7.  So an argument broke out between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot. [Gave renewed impetus to go their separate ways.]

We read that Abraham was the one who suggested the separation to Lot and gave him the pick of the Land. Abraham told Lot whatever he chose, Abraham would pick the opposite direction, so the two men and their households could go their separate ways. (Genesis 13:8-10).

Lot picked the lush fertile Jordan valley for his large flocks of sheep and herds of cattle and his large household. He moved his tents to a place near Sodom, among the cities of the plain, we read.  The people of this area were unusually wicked and sinned greatly against the LORD.  Does this decision make Lot a bad person?  If so, we would all be guilty for the many decisions that have been made in the best interests of our families.

Even in this wicked surrounding, Lot stood apart and kept a righteous life as we see in chapter 19 of the book of Genesis. In his care, his children were kept away from the city's influence. Though Lot was surrounded by a sinful society, we read about his daughters that the two were virgins who had kept themselves pure and untouched for their fiancés (vs. 8 & 14).

Chapter 19 reveals Lot's character as a person,

• who is respectful to others (vs. 1),
• of friendly and welcoming nature (vs. 2),
• a gracious and generous host (vs. 3),
• a man who put himself in harm's way for the benefit of others (vs. 6),
• a man willing to sacrifice his sacred possessions, his two beautiful daughters, for the safety of his guests (vs. 8).

We see that Lot was a good, honest, and caring person, yet time and time again made decisions that put himself and his family in less than a good situation. He moved away from Abraham because of his workers.  By choosing the lush valleys of the Jordan River, he placed his family close to the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. As a result, he lost all the possessions he had accumulated as he fled with his family.  He lost his wife for her disobedience to the angels' warning to not turn back and look at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Once out of harms way, there in the mountains with his two daughters, Lot let himself get drunk at the hands of his daughters.  Not knowing their intentions, his inebriated state led to incest. His story seemed to be a tragedy of epic proportions until I stumbled this morning upon that passage I quoted earlier from 2Peter. The moral here seemed to be... Godly people should not place themselves in a position of weakness that can be exploited by Satan. For bad company corrupts good character... (1 Corinthians 15:23)

Hillsongs - Beneath the waters

Why Jesus Christ?

I came to Him because I did not know which way to turn.  I have remained with Him because there is no other way I wish to turn. I came to Him longing for something I did not have.  I remain with Him because I have something I will not trade.  I came to Him as a stranger.  I remain with Him in the most intimate of friendships.  I came to Him unsure about the future.  I remain with Him certain about my destiny.  I came amid the thunderous cries of a culture that has three hundred and thirty million deities.  I remain with Him knowing that truth cannot be all-inclusive. Truth by definition excludes. -  Ravi Zacharias, a quote from his book titled Jesus Among Other Gods

Hillsong - Lead me to the cross