Lot – the drifter
Series: Like you and me | Bible text: Genesis 13–14+19
It seems as if Lot had no ethical compass, just drifted along and took the path of least resistance. Accordingly, his life resembles a series of misfortunes. How can we make wise and sustainable choices in our lives? Despite everything, Lot goes down in history as a «righteous man». This has much to do with the prayer of his uncle Abraham.
Lot, Abraham’s nephew, had many things wrong with him. But there is no example too bad to learn something from – even if it is only what we should not do. Lot helps us through his life experiences on how to make good choices in life.
Egoistic decisions
Abraham and Lot were nomads who both raised their own company consisting of animals and men. Abraham at that time already had 318 battle-hardened men at his side (Genesis 14:14), plus wives, large herds of cattle and plenty of silver and gold (Genesis 13:2). «Lot, who went with Abram, also owned many sheep, cows and tents, so there was not enough pasture for all the animals. Their possessions were too large to live together» (13,5f NL). Because the shepherds of the two CEO’s were standing on each other’s feet, they argued with each other. «Abram discussed the matter with Lot. «This strife between you and me and between your shepherds and my shepherds must come to an end’he said. «After all, we are related to each other! It’s better if we separate. The whole country is in front of you. If you want to move to the left, I will move to the right. But if you go to the right, I will turn to the left.» » (13,8f NL).
On one side lay the Jordan Valley, well watered and fertile like the Garden of Eden or Egypt. On the other side was the barren mountainous land of the Negev. Lot did not need time to think, he chose the fertile plain of the Jordan Valley. The criterion for his decision was solely egoism and his own advantage. He could just as well have left the good land to his uncle according to the principle of age-honour. What is the basis of our decisions?
So Lot chose the Jordan Valley, the very area that is now the subject of fierce dispute. On 1 July, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to annex those territories in the West Bank that Donald Trump’s so-called Plan of the Century allocates to Israel. However, there is massive opposition to annexing the territory Israel has occupied since 1967 – including from Israeli security experts. Perhaps politicians should learn from Abram’s broad-mindedness.
As soon as Lot had moved eastwards with his troop, Abram received a handshake from God in the form of a promise of blessing for the land of Canaan in which he remained (13:14ff). The rest of the story impressively shows that it is better to be in the place where God blesses instead of the place from which we personally expect the greatest benefits.
Soon Lot and his people were taken prisoners of war. When Abram heard of this, he went out with his 318 battle-hardened men and freed his «nephew and all his possessions, all the women and all the other prisoners»(14:16 NL). Some time later, Lot was visited by two angels. He forced them to spend the night with him. Between a delicious dinner and brushing their teeth, a mob makes a racket at Lot’s front door. They demand the two guests so that they can satisfy themselves on them. Lot negotiates: « «My brothers’he asked, «do not commit such a crime! Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. I can bring them out to you. Do with them what you will» » (19,7f NL). Oriental hospitality weighs more heavily on Lot than concern for his own children. He would have sacrificed his daughters for his reputation. Fortunately, the two angels were able to prevent the sexual abuse. Subsequently, Lot’s family fled away from Sodom as the angels razed the city to the ground. «Then the LORD rained fire and brimstone from heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah.» (19.24 NL).
At this point, all that was left of all his possessions was Lot and his two daughters. Out of fear, he retreated with them to a cave up in the hill country. «One day the older daughter said to the younger one: «Here there is no man far and wide with whom we can sleep, and our father is old. Come, let’s get him drunk with wine and then sleep with him. This is how we will become children through our father» «(19:31f NL). No sooner said than done. Nine months later two sons were born, named Moab and Ben-Ammi. They became the progenitors of the Moabites and Ammonites. These two peoples would later make life difficult for the people of Israel.
It seems as if Lot had no ethical compass, just drifted along and took the path of least resistance. It seems he never wrestled with difficult questions like: What are the future consequences of my decision? or I wonder what God wants me to do. Instead, he lived for the moment.
Good decisions
A leader once said: «No one is driven by chance in a direction that honours God.» Lot is an example of how we should not live. At no stage of his life was he a blessing to those around him. No salt and light far and wide, except for his wife, who became the Saltpillar ;-) froze because she looked back against the instruction of the angels (19,26).
How can we make good decisions in our lives so that we are not always concerned with our reputation and pleasure, but with the good of other people? Because that is precisely the meaning of life. Monika Deitenbeck-Goseberg: «We are on this earth so that it becomes easier for others to live, to love, to suffer, to believe through our existence. That is the purpose of our lives.»
- One of the world’s most important management thinkers is Clayton Christensen, a Harvard professor, leads his life with vows – an old term for a promise that cannot be broken. One can also call this an «absolute commitment». In his younger years, Christensen observed many managers who sacrificed the first part of their lives exclusively to their careers in order to be able to devote themselves entirely to their families in the second half of their lives – by now financially independent. The only trouble was that these families were often either broken up or had long since left. So Christensen took a vow and promised God not to work on weekends and to be home for dinner on weekdays. Which meant he sometimes left for work at three in the morning. Why not decide on a case-by-case basis?
- In 1519, the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortés reached the coast of Mexico. Without further ado, he declared Mexico a Spanish colony and himself its governor. He then had his ships sunk and deprived himself and his troops of the opportunity to return. Why did Cortés give up his freedom of choice?
- People ask me again and again whether I cycle to work in all weathers and at all times of the year. Yes, this is part of my vow and I don’t have to decide from case to case.
- I remember one of my youth leaders from the past. He told us that he wanted to live according to Job 31:1. «I have made a covenant with my eyes that I will not look at a virgin with a covetous gaze»(NL). Why not decide on a case-by-case basis?
- Based on a recent experience, I integrated my inner commitment to address people who I feel have something against me.
- Since my apprenticeship days, one of my vows has been to invest a monthly tithe from my wages in the cause of God.
It is good to have a clear compass of values in the big issues of life like money, sex and power. If you have to make new decisions from situation to situation, you lose willpower. Decision Fatigue («decision fatigue») is the scientific term for it. A brain tired of many decisions will opt for the most convenient option – and that is not infrequently the worst. Once we have made a commitment, we do not have to weigh up the pros and cons each time. The decision is already made and costs us little energy.
But then there are the decisions that are not covered by this. There I agree with the American President Harry Truman (1884–1972). When a staff member presented him with a decision, his standard question was: «How much time do I have? One week, two days, one hour or five minutes?His motto: «Never decide earlier than necessary. Use any available space for clarification. But when the time comes, strike and decide. Using the given time does not mean being passive and waiting for the famous letter from heaven. It is a living space full of inner work, factual clarification and dialogue with God.
When we decide quickly, emotions play too big a role. Either it hits a «good» nerve and we are immediately on fire. In this state we decide things that we may regret later. Or the request goes «against the grain» and we decide against it, even though a courageous decision would be right and God wants to «enlarge our territory» through it.
Lot was neither salt nor light for those around him. Completely surprisingly, he nevertheless goes down in history as a «just man». The reason: He left Sodom and let himself be saved (2 Peter 2:7f). In contrast, Jesus needs Lot’s wife as a warning example. She clung to the old life and could not part with her previous home and possessions. That is why it perished with Sodom. Jesus makes the story red-hot: «And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. The people went about their daily business – eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building – until the morning when Lot left Sodom.»(Luke 17:28f NL). According to Jesus, today’s world functions Sodom-style: eat, drink, buy, sell, plant, build. Those who let themselves drift through life by chance exhaust themselves in trivialities and obstinacy. The fire that fell on Sodom equates Jesus with his coming again. And then there is only one question in the room: Did you make the right decision and leave Sodom behind? How can it be that Lot messed up so much and yet is saved in the end? The secret was Abraham’s prayer: «But God had heard Abraham’s request: He had destroyed the cities where Lot had lived, but had brought Lot himself to safety.» (Genesis 19:29 NL). This is an encouragement for all people who pray for the salvation and redemption of their loved ones. Your prayer has an effect, even if the opposite seems to be the case.
Possible questions for the small groups
Read the Bible text: Luke 17:20–37
- Are you currently in a decision-making phase? How do you make your decisions?
- What vows do you live your life by? Explain your inner compass of values!
- What do you think of the Truman Principle? What are the possible advantages of it?
- Jesus compares life in Sodom with the situation in the end times. To what extent does Lot serve as a model for us?
- What feelings does the thought of Jesus coming back trigger in you?
