Wealth seems to carry with it a lot of good and bad. that is
exactly what happened with Lot and Abraham after they had each acquired great
wealth. They could not live together
peacefully. Quarrels erupted among their herds men. It was
ugly!
Abraham being the man that he was, always looking out for
the needs of others and loving harmony, called his Nephew Lot and they had a
good chat to resolve this situation that was tearing them apart.
Abraham as recalled in Genesis 13:8-9 said to Lot,“Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
Imagine that!!! Keep in mind that Abraham was Lot's uncle, so all rights to choose first. And he was an elder, he was the reason they moved in the first place, he must have also remembered that God had promised him that land. But check him!!! telling Lot to pick where ever he wants to go.
I sometimes picture myself in that situation. i would have possibly stamped my foot and said, " Hey, you Lot, look man, your herdsmen are very notorious. i can't have them messing around. do i need to remind you that you are here because of me. God gave me this land. it is mine. so , live here peacefully, or i will evict you and you look for some place else where. I am very disappointed in you !!! "
May be i wouldn't say that but i probably wouldn't be as
humble as Abraham was.
So u can imagine what Lot felt upon hearing his uncle say that. He must have thought in his heart, "Okay, here is my chance now!!!"
The next verses tell us what his response was.
Vs 10 and 11 tell us, " Lot looked around and saw
that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like
the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before
the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for
himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men
parted company......."
We are going to rewind a bit.... Lot looked around and saw
the WHOLE plain of the Jordan .......well watered, like the garden of
the LORD, like the land of Egypt (keeping in mind that they had been there
previously and must have been taken up by all the splendor of Egypt!)
Oooh my goodness... who doesn't want good things????
Upon seeing these things what did he do? Lot became covetous !! He chose himself the entire plain and went East. He was so eager to go East, choosing what was very pleasing to the eye. Aren't we all like Lot in many ways. Looking with our eyes? choosing the treasures this world offers?
But the other verses kind of shook me. After the two men parted ways, we see them starting afresh but they had different new beginnings.
Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived
among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.
Sodom????? Huh???
Take a look at verse 13. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
This must have been common knowledge through out the entire land that Sodom was evil. Lot couldn't have possibly been unaware of that fact.
What was he thinking? what business would he possibly have
had to be pitching his tent near Sodom, a city whose bad reputation was
laid bare for the whole world to see.
As i write all this, I am thinking, are we not a lot like Lot? choosing what looks appealing to the eye? compromising and making things look okay as long as they make us feel good??
These are some of my thoughts about Lot and more so that represent a lot of us.
He looked at the here and now ( the well watered plains......) don't we always do that? choosing what is comfortable, convenient for us at the moment?
He was very cunning (choosing entire plain!!!)... Greed has consumed our hearts. we want everything for us. If not everything, at least we want the best portion of all.
But what happened after Lot left?
I have no idea what Abraham felt after Lot went to possess
the land. can't tell. the Lord though had better plans. Abraham looked like he
had lost so much but he gained even more by his actions. He was blessed even
more.
The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
God gave Abraham so much more than he expected. Even the land that Lot had picked for himself!!!
The story doesn't end there. There were several consequences that accompanied Lot's choice, he later moved within the city, he was corrupted by the people of Sodom, their practices seemed normal to him( considering that he was willing to give his daughters to the guys who wanted to sleep with his male guests), He was captured by kings that waged war on Sodom (his family must have suffered), his wife died as they fled the destruction of Sodom, he was left to live in a cave, with nothing! his daughters had sexual intercourse with him because they were in a place with no dudes!!!
What a not so happy ending!!! NOT ALL THAT GLITTERS IS
GOLD