Lot

We are heading back to Genesis with a look at the life of Lot. The story of Lot could be summed up by these verses from James.
Jas 1:14-15  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.   Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

2Pe 2:6-8  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 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;)

 I know there are some that do not believe that Lot was saved.  These verses seem to indicate that he was saved. Verse 7 calls Lot just and verse 8 calls him a righteous man, which is ample reason to study the relationship of God to His child Lot.

Gen 13:7-13  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.  And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.  Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.  And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.   Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.  Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.  But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. 

We see Lot making a decision, innocent as it seems, that will eventually land him in a lot of trouble.  He turned his tent toward the wicked city of Sodom.

Gen 14:11-13  And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.  And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.  And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

Notice where Lot is now, instead of just having his tent pitched toward Sodom, we find Lot living in Sodom.  Perhaps this incident was the Lord trying to get Lot's attention.  Unfortunately, Lot was content in his place.

Gen 19:1-3  And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.   And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

Lot was found by the two angels at the gate of the city of Sodom, he was definitely not in a place that pleased the Lord.

Gen 19:4-11  But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:  And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.  And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,   And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.   Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.  And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.  But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.   And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. 

These verses show us the utter perverseness of the men of the city of Sodom, and how Lot had been pulled into their sin.  If it had not been for the angels who knows what would have happened to Lot and his family.

Gen 19:12-14  And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:  For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.  And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

 Perhaps the saddest part of the story.  Lot went to his family to beg them to escape from the destruction that was coming, and he was laughed at.  His own family thought he was crazy.  When he made that decision to pitch his tent toward Sodom he had no idea what it would do to his family.

Gen 19:15-26  And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.   And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.   And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.  And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:  Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:   Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.  And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.  The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.  Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;  And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.  But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

The next morning Lot, his wife and two daughters were literally dragged away from Sodom.  He enjoyed his sin so much he did not want to leave it, but God in his mercy forced him to leave.  When Lot was told to flee to the mountain he did not want to go, so at Lot's request, the Lord allowed him to go to one of the cities nearby.  Because of his sin, Lot lost everything.  He was once a rich man; a man with a wife, sons, daughters, servants, a home and large flocks.  He lost his wife, his sons, his daughters, his home; all he had was the clothes on his back and his two daughters.

The Lord's punishment of Lot was severe.  There was mercy involved, He did spare the lives of Lot and his two daughters, and He did allow him to go to one of the nearby cities rather than having to flee to the mountains.   But this story overwhelming shows the justice of the Lord.

What about us?  Are there times when our child needs us to discipline with more justice than mercy?  Notice, the love and mercy are never gone in this story, but the justice is at the forefront.  Are there times when the consequences we use do not get our child's attention and something else would work better? 
As a parents are we leading our child in the way of the Lord?  Lot neglected the spiritual needs of his family because he was so wrapped up in doing his own thing.  We need to strive to avoid the tragedy that Lot faced when he was laughed at by his family when he warned them of the coming judgment.