Abraham and Lot Contrasted
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
As we enter into Genesis nineteen we are struck with many contrasts between it and Genesis eighteen. The eighteenth speaks of Abraham and the nineteenth speaks of Lot. Abraham represents the spiritual Christian, and Lot the carnal Christian. There is a difference as vast as noonday and eventide between these two characters. Both were worshipers of Jehovah, but the one was living in the light of Jehovah's smiles and favor and the other was courting the favor of men and of Sodom.
1. The spiritual builds with gold, silver, and precious stones; the carnal builds with wood, hay, and stubble. The Spirit tells us not alone of two foundations, the rock and the sand, but He also tells us of two ways of building on the Rock, Christ Jesus. The unbeliever builds upon the sand. The believer builds upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, and yet he may build that which will no more than afford a big bonfire in the day when his works are to be tried.
2. The spiritual lives for the things not seen; the carnal lives for the things which are seen. Here is a vast distinction in motives and ideals. One centers in this world which passes away, the other centers in the city which is Heavenly and which shall never pass. The one loves the things which are seen, the temporal things of time; the other loves the things which are not seen, the things of eternity. The one lays up treasures upon earth, the other lays up treasures in Heaven.
Abraham and Lot certainly expressed this contrast. Abraham lived as a tent dweller, looking for a City whose Builder and Maker is God; Lot lived as a city dweller, devoting his time and energy to carnal activities and centering his hopes on earthly things.
3. The spiritual lives as a developed man, full grown in grace; the carnal as a babe, desiring milk and not meat. The distinction in this picture of the carnal and the spiritual is set forth in the Book of Corinthians in strong terms.
Here it is: "I * * could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk * *. Ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"
Beloved, as we study Abraham and Lot in contrast, let us seek in all sincerity to discover whether we are the one or the other, and let us definitely determine to follow that which is spiritual from this very hour.
I. A CONTRAST IN THE TIME OF DAY (Genesis 18:1 with 19:1)
1. The Lord appeared unto Abraham in the heat of the day. Reading this casually, there may come no discernment of the significance of the time of the day when the Lord came to Abraham. However, as we ponder the words, "Heat of the day" many visions of truth come to our minds.
(1) The heat of the day is the time of light. We know that we are children of the day, and children of the light. We are not of the night nor of the darkness. God hath called us out of darkness into His glorious light. We are taught to walk as children of the light.
(2) The heat of the day is significant of warmth. The believer should always walk with a heart warm with love. Warmth speaks of affection and of comradeship. It suggests that there is nothing between. Cold speaks of the lack of love and throbbing life. Cold is chill, informal, lifeless Christianity. The blood is warm we speak of blood heat. This means life vitalized, effectual, and full of strength.
2. The Lord appeared unto Lot at even. What do these words suggest to us?
(1) There is a lack of vision as the shades of eventide come on. We cannot see clearly. Spiritual vision is growing dim. The mind is darkened so that we cannot grasp the things of God. We cannot see afar off. We are looking at the things which lie in our immediate pathway.
(2) The sun is sinking at even. Hope seems to be taking wing. Darkness is approaching apace. Night shades are about to enclose us. So the carnal Christian passes into a cloud. He can see nothing with clear spiritual insight. He is beclouded in his spiritual vision. Sometimes he even doubts that he is saved. He has no clear conception of truth. He looks as through a glass dimly. He knows nothing of assurance and perfect peace.
Poor Lot it was certainly even time with him. Lot was about to pass out of Sodom shorn of all worldly possessions and bereft of all his hopes. He was about to see part of his family consumed in the flames of Sodom and his wife turned into a pillar of salt. God save us from such an eventide.
II. A CONTRAST IN LOCATION (Genesis 18:1 with Genesis 19:1)
1. Abraham sat in his tent door. Once again we pause, wondering if the fact that Abraham sat in a tent has a message for our heart? It has. The tent suggests that the believer is a transient and not a resident in these mundane scenes. Tent dwelling is the lot of every true believer. Spiritual Christians reckon themselves to be no more than strangers and pilgrims journeying through a desert land.
So far as Abraham was concerned, he was a tent dweller by choice. He lived looking for a City whose Builder and Maker is God. He actually accounted himself a stranger. Should we do less? Is not our citizenship in Heaven?
2. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: Is this not a striking contrast? Abraham in the tent door, Lot in the gate of Sodom. Abraham a sojourner, Lot a resident. Abraham unentangled with the affairs of Satan's dominion, Lot engulfed in headship where Satan reigned.
We know that Lot seated in the gate of Sodom expressed the real inner conceptions of Lot's life ideals. He had looked toward Sodom in the months past; he had looked with a longing of which his seat in Sodom was his expectant realization.
III. A CONTRAST IN PERSONALITIES (Genesis 18:2 with Genesis 19:1)
1. There were three Men who came unto Abraham. The Three were composed of the Lord, and two Angels. Abraham had ever been the friend of God. He had often talked with the Lord, and the Lord had often talked with him. There was a hallowed and sacred comradeship existing between Abraham and the Lord. Thus, when the Three appeared, Abraham ran forth to meet Them. He said unto Them, as he bowed himself to the ground, "Wash your feet, * * rest, * * comfort ye your hearts." They said, "So do."
2. There were two men who came to Lot. The One who tarried behind was none other than the Lord. When the two men arrived Lot rose up to meet them; Abraham had run to meet them. Lot said: "Turn in, * * wash your feet, * * rise up early," etc. The two angels said, "Nay; but we will abide in the street all night."
Say what you will but there is a marked contrast all the way along. Lot did show good manners and courtesy, but he lacked Abraham's enthusiasm. The Heavenly Visitors at once accepted Abraham's invitation; but they refused Lot's.
(1) The Lord did not go to Lot He only sent an ambassage. Is it not always true? Carnality may not break sonship, it does break fellowship. People who live in the meshes of Sodom never have communion with the Lord.
There was an utter lack of spiritual contact between Lot and his Lord, Lot vexed his righteous soul with the filthy conversation of the wicked, yet he did not saturate his righteous soul with the presence of Jehovah.
(2) The two angels seemed loath to accept Lot's hospitality. When they did enter in it was only as forerunners of judgment. Mark also that as soon as Lot housed God's messengers and made them a feast that the men of Sodom immediately broke with Lot and came in a rage against him.
We cannot walk with God and the world both; we cannot have two masters. If we love the one we will hate the other; if we follow with the one we will leave the other.
IV. A CONTRAST IN FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS (Genesis 18:19 with Genesis 19:12; Genesis 19:14)
1. Abraham had a household who followed with him. God said of Abraham, "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord." How many households are there like this? Many? Yes. However, the many are all too few. In homes supposedly Christian in their headship the children are allowed to run riot after the world. The family after has long since passed into obscurity. Parental fidelity is broken down both toward God and toward the family.
2. Lot seemed as one who mocked to his sons-in-law. Lot's two virgin daughters did go with him when he fled from Sodom. His wife started, but turned back. His sons-in-law and married daughters stayed behind to be caught in the destruction.
There must have been a reason for the "mocking" of the two sons-in-law. Evidently Lot, or Lot's wife, or both of them, had never made any deep impression upon the two youths of Sodom. We feel sure that their testimony had not been given for God; or, if given, it did not weigh up to their lives.
We need to back our talk with our walk, our words with our way. Consistent Christian living is even more vital than consistent Christian thinking. God wrote: "Take heed to thyself and to the doctrine."
V. A CONTRAST IN FUTURE HERITAGES (Genesis 18:18 with 19:13)
1. Abraham looked upon the future with large hope. To him the Lord had given promise that his seed would possess the gates. From him were to come many nations. He and his seed were to inherit a wonderful land, the pick of all of the lands of the earth.
The spiritual Christian looks forward with joy to his eternal heritage. He has laid up treasures where moth and rust do not corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal. Everything ahead is rosy and filled with colors of glory.
2. Lot looked forward with dark forebodings. It is sickening to see Lot pleading with the angels for the privilege of escaping to one of the little cities that lay not too far from Sodom. It is sickening to see him going out empty-handed as he fled from Sodom's destruction. Let Christians fear lest they build their treasures upon this earth. If they live for Sodom, they must expect to feel the fires of Sodom's undoing.
"Saved, so as by fire" is one of the startling words of the Bible. These words cannot be applied to the unsaved, simply because they are lost altogether. They do apply to believers who have eternal life, but have nothing laid up in Heaven.
Alas, alas, how many there will be in the judgment who will find their works all burned. That which is sown to the flesh, will, of the flesh, reap corruption. If we fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and walk as men walk minding earthly things we can certainly not expect to find a harvest of spiritualities in Heaven.
God has forewarned us to add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, etc., for so shall an abundant entrance be. administered unto you into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. If we want a full reward we must follow our Lord's conditions of reward. Lot was saved, but saved so as by fire.
VI. A CONTRAST IN PRAYING FOR SODOM AND FLEEING FROM SODOM (Genesis 18:24 with 19:17, 20, 22)
1. Abraham prayed for Sodom. In fact, Abraham prayed for Lot. This was the burden of Abraham's prayer, "Wilt Thou destroy the righteous with the wicked?"
The time has come that saints everywhere should begin to plead earnestly for their loved ones who are mixed up in the world. How can we hold our peace when we know that coming judgments are reaching out toward our dear ones?
2. Lot fled from Sodom.
(1) Lot hesitating. At first Lot was loath to leave because of his family and his goods. He felt that he could not go away with his daughters and their husbands left in the city of destruction.
(2) Lot urged by the angels. While Lot lingered the two angels laid hold upon him and his wife and two of his daughters and said, "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, * * escape to the mountains, lest thou be consumed." Lot pled, "Not so, my Lord." But the angels still urged, "Haste thee, escape thither."
(3) Lot finally, obedient to the angels, went his way and entered into Zoar. Then, it was, that the Lord rained down fire upon Sodom.
(4) Lot was sent out in answer to prayer. We read, "God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out." Here is a marvelous example of the power of prayer, for the angels said, "I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither."
3. Lot's wife turned back. It was a terrible thing for her to do. Against the direct command of the angels she looked behind her. You excuse her, perhaps, on the ground of her love for her children who stayed behind. Perhaps you urge that she looked back because all that was dear to her socially, and financially, and every way was in Sodom. We grant it. However, God did not excuse her folly, for she was immediately slain and turned to a pillar of salt.
VII. SODOM'S DESTRUCTION (Genesis 19:24-25)
1. God made an end of Sodom's wickedness. God rained down fire and brimstone. Young people need not imagine that the God they know and serve would not rain down such dire destruction, for this very age in which we are now living is fast hastening toward a similar judgment. God waits long, but when wickedness reaches its utmost limit to which grace can allow it to go, God, in mercy, must destroy the wicked.
The reason that the average age limit of man's lifetime was cut down after the flood, was so that wickedness could not grow to the lengths of pre-Noachic times.
2. God will soon arise to judge this very world of our day for its sins. Soon, how soon, will the angel of the Lord cry, "Thrust in thy sickle, and reap * * the harvest of the earth is ripe."
The first universal judgment was at the time of the flood, when the world system that then was, was destroyed by water. The second universal judgment will be during the Great Tribulation, when a third, at least of the world of men will fall under the wrath of God. The third and final judgment will be when the Great White Throne is placed, from whose face the heaven and the earth will flee away. Then will come the period of which Peter wrote in the Spirit, "The elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."
AN ILLUSTRATION
BIRD TIED BY A STRING
Lot was tied to the earth by his carnalities.
"' A bird that is tied by a string seems to have more liberty than a bird in a cage; it flatters up and down, and yet it is held fast.' When a man thinks that he has escaped from the bondage of sin in general, and yet evidently remains under the power of some favored lust, he is woefully mistaken in his judgment as to his spiritual freedom. He may boast that he is out of the cage, but assuredly the string is on his leg. He who has his fetters knocked off, all but one chain, is a prisoner still. 'Let not any iniquity have dominion over me' is a good and wise prayer; for one pampered sin will slay the soul as surely as one dose of poison will kill the body. There is no need for a traveler to be bitten by a score of deadly vipers, the tooth of one cobra is quite sufficient to ensure his destruction. One sin, like one match, can kindle the fires of hell within the soul.
The practical application of this truth should be made by the professor who is a slave to drink, or to covetousness, or to passion. How can you be free if any one of these chains still holds you fast? We have met with professors who are haughty, and despise others; how can these be the Lord's free men while pride surrounds them? In will and intent we must break every bond of sin, and we must perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, or we cannot hope that the Son has made us free. O Thou who art the tree Spirit, break every bond of sin, I beseech Thee." Spurgeon.