5.3.35b 7.26.2023 A Lot Like Us Genesis 13, 14 & 19

Start:

Entice:

There are some bad stories in the Bible.

(I would like to express my thanks to Lance for assigning one of them to me to preach this week.)

By “bad stories” I mean;

Stories about bad things happening to good people.

Stories of bad things happening to bad people,

or bad people doing things to bad people.

In a fallen world our goodness--our righteousness is relative.

We are saved by grace, yet still bent toward bad.

In Abrahams story Lot is an intriguing character. Did taking Lot with him to Canaan constitute disobedience when He was bidden to leave behind his father’s home and his native culture? Or was Abraham just a victim of his own kindness and Lot’s stupidity? Lot is kind of a reminder to us that the righteousness of those around us does not keep us out of trouble.

Engage: Sodom, Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain we know about. Lot’s name is familiar. His behavior should give us pause. He spent quality time with Abraham. What rubbed off on him? We would like to think that he should have known better. Sin is sin. Sooner or later there are consequences. The stories of Lot’s life remind us that we are each at the heart of our own life’s story. Not our parents. Not our uncles. Not even our environment. How would you turn out if you had the various opportunities and temptations of Lot?

Expand: In the literary structure of Genesis Lot is a foil for Abraham.

He was there, for better or worse

and

neither covenant nor his uncle could prevent him from exercising

poor judgment

and

making bad decisions.

Abraham’s life reminds us that righteous people can lead good lives.

Lot’s life reminds us that righteous people can also lead bad lives.

Which would you choose?

Excite: He truly was a

Lot like us.

That does not mean that we must necessarily be

a lot like him.

Reading and telling these stories, should help avoid the disordering errors that seemed to wreck his life.

Explore:

We can learn a Lot from him about living above the corruption around us.

Expand: In Lot we see the negative characteristics that were source of his problems. First of all he was

1 Selfish.

Genesis 13:7–11 ESV

7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. 8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.

What do I mean by selfish?

Lot was

1.1 Grasping

Lot was a

1.2 Glutton

And after Abraham’s benevolence toward him

Lot was an

1.3 Ingrate.

Next Lot was

2 Foolish

Genesis 14:11–24 ESV

11 So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way. 13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people. 17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

As fools do, Lot took

2.1 Unnecessary Risks.

The “urban elites” made and broke alliances with others. By locating in a more heavily populated area Lot increased the risk to himself and Uncle Abraham.

Lot’s foolish decisions meant that he was a

2.2 Burden to others.

And once again after Abraham rescued Him and Melchizedek blessed him,

Lot was an

2.3 Ingrate.

Abraham tithed to Melchizedek and refused to enrich himself from the spoil. Lot just slinks home without thanking Abraham or Melchizedek for their grace to him.

The final story seems to indicate that Lot was kind of

3 Arrogant.

In Genesis 19 two angels come to Sodom for the purpose of destroying the city and rescuing Lot. After Lot takes them into his house, we read this particularly nasty story that finds Lot

3.1 Negotiating with Evil

Genesis 19:4–8 ESV

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” 6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.”

here, take my daughters?

3.2 Lingering in the danger zone.

Genesis 19:12–16 ESV

12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. 13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. 15 As 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.” 16 But 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.

3.3 Quibbling with angels.

Genesis 19:17–20 ESV

17 And 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.” 18 And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. 19 Behold, 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. 20 Behold, 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!”

And of course, After all is said and done helping Lot is a thankless task because he was an

3.4 Ingrate.

To review.

Lot was a

selfish,

foolish,

arrogant,

ingrate.

What a jerk.

And Yet…

And yet, Peter calls him a righteous man?!?

2 Peter 2:7–9 ESV

7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

Who knew better than Peter that the worst days of Lot’s life were not his whole life. A lot of us need to learn the lesson of Lot’s life.

he sinned

and yet he was called righteous.

Paul, was a murderer

and yet became an apostle.

Peter was a coward

and yet was restored.

it is not the lows that make us but our response to grace.

There are a lot of things that bring people to repentance. Being rescued by angels as God blows your city off the face of the earth? Yeah, that would get my attention.

God is for us even when we make very hard. God can deliver us from burning Sodom. Why not keep it from ever being necessary?

Like Lot

we are not saved by our goodness,

our kindness,

our intelligence,

our attitude

or by

deference to others.

We are all like Lot.

Plucked from the burning, saved by grace.