One very illustrative story in the Bible is the story of Lot, a nephew of Abraham. Lot chose to follow Abraham in his answer to God’s call to leave the land of his nativity and be established in the new territory. Not much is said about Lot’s age, but we know he was younger than Abraham. He must have seen something unique and interesting in Abraham's life that compelled him to follow his uncle to an “unknown destination.” Indeed, what a great privilege it was for Lot to be on the right track. He had chosen to walk with the man who was to be the father of faith. He had chosen to follow the friend of God, a pioneer of the race of God’s people, Israel. His discernment was keen to tap into the plan of Christ, and onward he went, following his uncle.
As the Lord had so graciously promised Abraham in his initial call in Genesis 12:1,2 (KJV), “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth.” he partook of the earnest blessings that the Lord afforded Abraham. However, the physical expansion that the Lord afforded them and the increase that they had led to disagreements between their servants. Genesis 13:7 (KJV), “And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.” Abram and Lot were still on talking terms, but the strife between their servants due to the cattle led them to separate. In settling for the material blessings, “… Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.”
Lot was no longer looking at the promises of the Lord that made him follow his dear uncle. As Ezekiel 28:5 (KJV) says, “…by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches’. He stopped walking by faith and made the decisions only by sight. Following that route, he pitched his tent toward Sodom, who were wicked and sinners before the Lord (Genesis 13:12,13). The unfortunate thing about Lot’s action was that in the next verses (Genesis 13:14-18), God gave unto Abraham everything that he could see from every side, and that included Sodom, which was why when Lot was taken captive with the people of Sodom in the very next chapter (Genesis 14), it was Abraham that God used to go rescue him. Lot wasn’t there to witness Abraham building a second altar before the Lord in Mamre.
Beyond the physical blessings, God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision in Genesis 17:10 (KJV): “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.” That covenant also resulted in the change of names. God is not a respecter of persons; thus, as he changed Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah, perhaps Lot might have been a partaker of that new name that the Lord would have afforded the family. Maybe it was because Abraham had no children then, whereas Lot needed to care for his daughters. Perhaps the wages he had to pay justified leaving the spiritual heritage for greener pastures. Nevertheless, whatever the justifiable reason, Lot missed out on many things God had in store for him.
After moving to Sodom, not much was said about his cattle, servants, or anything he owned. The sin of Sodom had increased to the heavens, prompting God to investigate and bring judgment upon the city. Strikingly, God bypassed the “righteous man” in the city and instead revealed his plans to Abraham. 2 Peter 2:7,8 (KJV) tells us, “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)”. Despite being a righteous man with a stake in Sodom, Lot lacked the spiritual power and stature to intercede for the city. As a result, when God wanted to render judgment, he turned to his friend Abraham, not Lot. What a pitiable situation.
Amos 3:7 (KJV) says, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants, the prophets.” Had Lot tarried with Abraham, walking in God’s covenant and learning how to build altars and intercession, he might have developed the intimacy with God necessary to act as a spiritual leader in Sodom. The green land they saw with their myopic vision was eventually destroyed, consumed, and turned into a wasteland. Lot lost everything: his possessions, his wife (who turned into a pillar of salt), and even his moral legacy. His daughters, influenced by Sodom’s depravity, committed incest with him, leading to the birth of the Moabites and Ammonites—nations that became adversaries of Israel.
The tragic situation is that we see that Lot still had the moral principles that were inculcated from Abraham. He was hospitable to the angels when they came, was positioned at the city's gate, and was known by the people in the town. Even Peter called him a righteous and just man who was vexed by the sins of Sodom. However, he could not do anything despite those good works and titles. After Abraham’s prayer to God to find only ten righteous people, Lot could not influence ten people like Abraham did. Lot had lost the ability to reproduce the divine nature and bear fruit in that “green environment” called Sodom. Abraham’s refusal to accept anything from the king of Sodom highlighted his spiritual strength, while Lot’s embrace of Sodom revealed his weakness. When judgment came, Lot escaped with his life but lost everything else.
Have we, like Lot, left the jurisdiction that God has called us in to satisfy so petty, physical needs, or maybe due to some flimsy reasons that, although they might be justifiable, are not in God’s perfect plan? We might miss out on the opportunity for a name change, a covenant of consecration, and the power with God. This lack would render us weak in the face of apparent challenges by sin and keep us shut when those around us act contrary to our convictions. Like Lot, we might be muzzled without the ability to either say anything or do anything; we’ll remain perpetually vexed and, if God has mercy, might escape with our lives and lose everything eventually. Be careful, lest you become a vexed righteous person without the ability to enforce God’s righteousness because of hasty decisions in skipping God’s will and walking outside the ordination of God’s commandments for your life.
ACTION POINT
Check your life if you are still in God’s will for your life. If yes, ensure you stay in it but if no, ensure you repent and ask the Holy Spirit to help you remain in God’s will in 2025.
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