Genesis 13:10-13

2007.Feb.04 17:34

Lot’s Choice

Read Genesis 13:10-13 | Full Chapter

And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.
(Genesis 13:10-13, NKJV)

For me Lotis one of the most intriguing characters in the Old Testament. I suppose that’s because he, and his family, strike me as regular folk. Lot does some stupid stuff. He doesn’t do anything particularly great. He is successful, but up until this point, that seems to be mostly because he’s been following around his blessed uncle Abram. Abram exhibits leadership at various time in his life, such as in addressing the quarreling between his and Lot’s herdsmen, which is the immediate precursor to Lot’s decision in this passage. Lot never really does. Two nations descend from him, the Moabites and the Ammonites (Genesis 19:37-28), but especially since everybody around Abram seems to have nations descending from them, this does not qualify as an impressive, um, feat, to me. So, basically, Lot strikes me as a uncharacteristically normal guy. Poor schmuck.

Alright, returning to the story at hand. We had a little tiff between Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen, and Abram recognizes it’s time for he and his nephew to split up. He offers Lot first choice of direction. Lot makes the ‘normal guy’ decision. The plain of the Jordan is fertile and has some nice cities. Never mind that these cities will soon have the fine distinction of getting blasted to smithereens by Jehovah for their persistence in sin, Lot probably reasons that he can live in a city, with lots of people to sell his his sheep to (or whatever he did for economic gain, if that idea even applies). Indeed, the immediate things look to be going very well for Lot.

But…

Here I’m going to guess (as an aside, I suppose I guess a lot in these entries). There’s no record that I can think of that has Lot seeking Jehovah or worshiping him in the ways that Abram does. Rather Lot has let Abram and Sarai be the ones with some relationship with God. He’s satisfied himself with growing his flock. Now, that guess may be wrong, but it’s clear that Lot does not let the sinful environment in which he will have to insert himself affect his decision. It is rather the ‘practical’ everyday influences–like money and ease-of-living–that inform his decision–and here is the key–at the expense of spiritual or moral considerations. And I have the feeling that decision sets Lot up for a series of bad decisions and failures. That’s certainly not all his life consists of, but I just wish he would have thought a little more about this decision.

Yeah, that’s what I want to say. Couldn’t have Lot thought through this a bit more. Especially as a father and husband.