The sacred history of those who have gone before was recorded for future generations, with the intent that we should study very closely the lessons contained in their experiences, so that we in our day can choose wisely, and thus avoid the blunders and errors of the past. In the instance of Lot and his entire family, there are indeed very important lessons to be deduced and applied so that our own families might be spared the unfortunate end of his. It is here worthy of note that it is quite possible that not a single member of Lot’s family would be saved, except himself, and the Lord bids us investigate the reasons why.
In His discourse upon the issues of the last days, Christ cautions us to remember Lot’s wife, and we may well ask why does He bid us remember the one that is lost, and not the one who was saved. The reason is because Christ observed some of the very same characteristics and behavioral patterns of Lot’s wife in many of His people, and so, to forestall an unnecessary repeat of the same mistakes that were then made, He cautions us to remember Lot’s wife.
The failures of Lot’s family did not occur in a vacuum, or in a moment, but was rather the final pieces of a puzzle that began many years earlier, when there arose a disturbance between Lot’s herdsmen, and those of Abraham’s. As the rhetoric escalated into arguments and feuds, Abraham then took a proactive step in the pursuit of peace, by inviting lot to a reconciliatory meeting, at which He offered the first and best choice of the land to his younger nephew. But instead of relinquishing that privilege to the more senior Abraham, Lot selfishly chose the most fertile part of the land that was closest to the cities, and there he made his abode. Let’s read:
Genesis 19:5 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
10 And 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.
11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
Those who allow strictly economic factors to drive their decision making processes, and who esteem the financial and material benefits of life of more value than their
spiritual well-being, run the risk of putting themselves and their families in harm’s way, and worst yet, expose themselves to adverse situations and influences which could endanger their eternal destiny.
The decision to move into the crowded, bustling cities, where corruption and ungodliness bear sway, but where there are many economic opportunities, is a mode of thought we should be wary of, for such a move can precipitate catastrophic loss, both in the temporal and spiritual realms.
From this point forward it was a cascading effect that took hold of Lot’s family, for before he realized what was taking place, his wife and daughters had become deeply acclimatized to the luxuries, indulgences, and creature comforts of the twin cities. There, surrounded by all the temporal wealth and secular philosophies that abounded in their hometown, Lot’s wife and his daughters fell a prey to the materialism and worldly-mindedness that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had become famous for.
They soon found themselves not being able to live without manicures and pedicures, and a whole list of other “Cures” and creature comforts that were not considered necessary in the country setting where Abraham and Sarah had remained in, for there in the countryside, surrounded by wooded hills, bright flowers, and running brooks, no one needed a pedicure to ride a camel. And because of the nature of the environment in which Sarah lived, what seemed to Lot’s wife and family as absolutely necessary and indispensable in the city where they then resided, seemed as inconsequential and trifling in the country setting.
When our families are surrounded by nature and the created works of God, we generally tend to think more about God, and to be more natural and simple in our tastes, choices, and habits. And the same principle holds true for those of us who choose to live in the bustling, crowded cities, where crime and vice and mass murders are the order of the day. There, surrounded by man-made objects, inventions, and philosophies, we tend to gravitate more towards earthly things, and many become so accustomed to city life, that even the very thought of country living causes us to retreat.
Hence the reason why the Bible teaches us to cultivate a spirit of contentment wherever we may live, for even though most of us now reside in the cities, yet it is still possible to avoid the materialism and worldly-minded indulgences, which eat up valuable time and resources, whilst the work of God and the salvation of men scarcely get our attention Let’s read:
1st Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
As Christians we must be very careful of the subtle influences exerted over us whilst dwelling in the cities, where the things of this world are given precedence of spiritual things, and where the pride of life and the lusts and indulgences of vanities, cause us to be imperceptibly assimilated into the world, and before long we begin to think, behave, dress, and speak like those whose names are written in the earth. This specific snare, that is scheduled to become predominant in the last days of earth’s history, we are warned against. Let’s read:
1st John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Thus it was that the eternal ruin of Lot’s family began with that one fatal choice, to choose city dwelling over country living, because of the material advantages and business opportunities afforded there in Sodom and Gomorrah. However, it is a fact that with plenty money comes plenty vices, for both are often found to be walking hand in hand, and thus it was that the vilest passions had inflamed both young and old, to the point where traditional marriage had all but become obsolete, and almost every person had gone south, as far as sexual orientations go. Let’s read:
Genesis 19:1 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;
2 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.
3 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.
4 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:
5 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.
These mighty ministers of God’s judgment came to the city appearing as ordinary wayfarers, in their Levi jeans and Nike sneakers, but no one knew that they were angels sent on a mission of destruction. Thus after the altercation at Lot’s door, they revealed to Lot who they really were, and sent him to warn his daughters and their husbands of the impending doom. Lot obeyed the urgent command of the angels, but his mission proved to be a total failure, for his daughters and their husbands had laughed him to scorn.
Up to this point, Lot had had no problem with the angels’ message, for he himself was utterly disgusted with the prevailing iniquity of the twin cities. The Bible tells us that his righteous soul was vexed day and night, because of the sins being practiced there, but he never left when he had ample opportunity to. Now, we are not left in doubt as to what his soul was “Vexed” about, for the sacred record delineates the specific sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, so that we who are living in the 21st century may not be blinded to the developments that are now taking center stage in our communities. Let’s read:
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
2nd Peter 2: 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy
conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
Thus it was, when the angels told Lot of the impending destruction that night, he understood exactly what sins the angels were referring to, which had brought upon the twin cities the judgments of God, and he immediately went into high gear, planning an escape route that would allow him to avoid the coming catastrophe, whilst at the same time trying to retain as much of his material wealth and possessions as possible.
Thus he and Mrs. Lot began to prepare feverishly for their escape. That night they could not sleep but stayed up late into the wee hours of the morning, making last minute plans. He would go to Home Depot early, at 7:00 o’clock in the morning to get a tool kit and a “For sale” sign for their house, which they planned to sell at a hurried open house showing the following day. Then he would run over to Pep Boys quickly, to get two cans of “Fix-a-flat” for their journey, and he would fill up two of his luxury cars with gas so that they would not have to stop along the way.
Mrs. Lot on the other hand had her work cut out for her, for she would run to the nearest bank in the morning to pull out as much cash as she could possibly get, then she would briefly stop by the pawn shop to get rid of most of her jewelry. The kids meanwhile would be packing their belongings into only two of their four vehicles, because since they were only fourteen and fifteen years of age, and had not gotten their drivers licenses as yet, they would be too young to drive, and they would hate to get a traffic ticket on their way out of Sodom.
And pack and pack they did all night, trying to squeeze as much of their belongings into the trunk space available. They tried to take everything, from toothpaste, to cans of Campbell’s soup, from their make-up kit, to the many dresses and high heels they hardly ever wore. Then finally, with just a few square inches remaining, they squeezed in two packs of Oreos, as snacks for their long journey. Finally, after a night of frantic packing and planning, they fell into a deep slumber, hoping to get
some much needed rest before daybreak.
But in the morning, the angels had a startling message for Lot and his family, they were not going to take any of those things they had packed, for they were going to make their escape on foot, and those Oreos, which had been included at the last minute, would also have to be left behind, for they were not a part of the health message. This instruction from the angels stunned Lot and his wife, for they began to feel that they were being treated unfairly, and they could not understand what was the big rush.
From this point forward Lot’s wife began to murmur in her thoughts, because she felt that a loving God should have given them sufficient notice so that at least they could sell their belongings, or even put them in storage. Thus it was that when the angels saw that Lot and his family were lingering and deliberating, they grabbed them by the hand, and started to run with them, for they were not to be involved in the coming conflagration.
This action by the angels shows us how very difficult it is to separate ourselves from the creature comforts of life, and we are never to be deceived into thinking that it will happen overnight. The sudden adjustment to country living will prove to be too much for many Christians, and like Lot’s wife many will turn back, to gaze on the life of ease and luxury which they once enjoyed, hence the reason why Jesus warns us to “Remember Lot’s wife”.
It is here worthy of note that Abraham did not have to worry as did Lot, for he was already living in the country, and because of his literal location, would be spared the coming judgments. It is also to be observed that Lot could not make the sudden change to country living, hence the reason why he requested of the angels that he be permitted to go to a smaller city, where at least the transition could take place. Let’s read:
Genesis 19:19 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:
20 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.
21 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.
22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
Here we see that he had to leave the larger cities for the smaller ones, in preparation for country living, a pattern that is eerily reminiscent of instructions we have long been given in the scriptures. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is nothing new under the sun, and from this we deduce the principle that God teaches by repetition, meaning that certain vital instructions to His chose people are often repeated over and over again. Let’s read:
Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
This is not the only instance in which the very same instruction is repeated, for as stated before, God usually teaches us His will by repetition, so that we may “Remember Lot’s wife”. Let’s read:
The Signal for Fleeing.
It is no time now for God’s people to be fixing their affections or laying up their treasure in the world. The time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation, in the decree enforcing the papal Sabbath, will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains. And now, instead of seeking expensive dwellings here, we should be preparing to move to a better country, even a heavenly. Instead of spending our means in self-gratification, we should be studying to economize.—Testimonies for the Church 5:464, 465 (1885).
In our day, the very same sins that triggered the final destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, are once again on the rise, and they have gone a step further by becoming the law of the land in many states and countries. The inhabitants of Sodom practiced heinous vices by going after strange flesh, but they never presumed to make it law. But we are now taking iniquity to the next level by giving it our stamp of approval, and teaching it to our kids, who will become confused on “Fathers day”.
The Lord is not instructing anyone to make any ill-advised move to the country without first seeking His guidance and direction, but what He is saying is that we should at least begin to enquire of plan “B”, just in case any such move should become necessary at short notice. Prayer, and the humility to submit ourselves to be guided by God’s providence will place us in a position to listen when He speaks, and thus the errors of Lot and his wife may be successfully avoided.
The question then for us to answer is, are we prepared to make a sudden transition from city life, with all of its present creature comforts, to a place in the country, so as to avoid the moral pollution, and the consequent judgments that will inevitably accrue? Would we like Lot and his wife hesitate greatly at the command of God, and will we begin to murmur against the angel, if we are instructed to uproot from our current comfort zone?
If for any reason, our family members refuse to leave with us, as did the daughters and sons in law of Lot, will we make that move anyway, or will we like Lot’s wife become fretful with God because of the loss of close family and relatives? The disposition to place family ahead of the plain instructions of God constitutes a form of idolatry, and the true Christian will not allow anything or anyone to come between him and his God, for any reason. This order of priority as far as relationships go is clearly stated by Christ, and we will find that as we draw nearer to the close of earth’s history, that it will become a living reality in many instances. Let’s read:
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
The answers to these probing issues lie with us, and thus it behooves us to study the sacred history of those who have gone before, but howsoever we choose or decide, let us always pay heed to those solemn words of Christ saying, “Remember Lot’s wife”. God bless!