Joel M Bradshaw

15As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” 

18And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. 19Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. 20Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” 21He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.–Genesis 19

This is a chapter of the Bible full of rotten moments and most of them sexual in nature. This morning I just want to contrast Lot with Abraham. First let’s read from last chapter.

Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” (Genesis 18:27-28)

Abraham took it upon himself to intercede for Sodom. He got the angels to agree all the way to the number 10. If 10 righteous people could be found then the city would be spared. This was a condemnation on the city, though. 10 righteous could not be found!

Lot on the other hand argues with the angels for his own comfort. He would be receiving God’s grace and spared the destruction, but wanted most to arrange for the destination he desired. His point should have been that he was spared, not that he got to choose first class or coach.

Abraham desired to intercede for the cities. Lot desired to live in the cities. Each of us who follows Jesus has a past that has been put to death. We cannot long for the old self, the former self. I oversee Celebrate Recovery at my church. We never celebrate the sin or long for those good ole’ days. For every single person recognizes that they weren’t good days at all, but what led them to their broken, rock bottom seasons. We celebrate the recovery. We honor our Higher Power, Jesus Christ.

Lot wasted time arguing for his comfort when he should have been focused on grateful obedience. Abraham interceded for others when he could have just let history unfold. We do what we do because we want what we want.–JMB