Lot's Profile
Some people simply drift through life. Their choices, when they can muster
the will to choose, tend to follow the course of least resistance. Lot, Abram's nephew, was such a person.
While still young, Lot lost his father. Although this must have been hard on
him, he was not left without strong role models in his grandfather Terah and his
uncle Abram, who raised him. Still, Lot did not develop their sense of purpose.
Throughout his life he was so caught up in the present moment that he seemed
incapable of seeing the consequences of his actions. It is hard to imagine what
his life would have been like without Abram's careful attention and God's
intervention.
By the time Lot drifted out of the picture, his life had taken an ugly turn.
He had so blended into the sinful culture of his day that he did not want to
leave it. Then his daughters committed incest with him. His drifting finally
took him in a very specific direction - destruction.
Lot, however, is called "righteous@
in the New Testament (2nd Peter 2:7,8). Ruth, a descendant of Moab,
was an ancestor of Jesus, even though Moab was born as a result of Lot's incestuous relationship with one of his daughters. Lot's story gives hope to us that God forgives and often brings about positive
circumstances from evil.
What is the direction of your life? Are you headed toward God or away from
him? If you= re a drifter, the choice
for God may seem difficult, but it is the one choice that puts all other choices
in a different light.
Lot's Strengths and
Accomplishments
1. He was a successful businessman
2. Peter calls him a righteous man (2nd Peter 2:7,8)
Lot's Weaknesses and Mistakes
1. When faced with decisions, he tended to put off deciding, then chose the
easiest course of action
2. When given a choice, his first reaction was to think of himself
Lesson from Lot's Life
1. God wants us to do more than drift through life; he wants us to be an
influence for him
Lot's Vital Statistics
1. Where: Lived first in Ur of the Chaldeans, then moved to Canaan with
Abram. Eventually he moved to the wicked city of Sodom
2. Occupation: Wealthy sheep and cattle rancher, also a city official
3. Relatives: Father: Haran. Adopted by Abram when his father died. The name
of his wife, who turned into a pillar of salt, is not mentioned
Key Verse
Lot's story is told in Genesis
11-14; 19. He is also mentioned Deuteronomy 2:9; Luke 17:28-32; 2nd
Peter 2:7,8.