As time went on, they grew so much that their herdsmen were fighting among themselves, so Abraham came to Lot and asked him to separate from him because there wasn't enough room for all the people that were with them and their herds to co-exist without people continuously fighting.

So Abraham, gave Lot the choice to whichever land he would dwell in, and there he would raise his family and herds in peace. So Lot looked at the choices:

8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” 10 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. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 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. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. Gen 13: 8- 13

So right away we see the nature of Lot. He wasn't sent on this journey by God, he just tagged along, and when Abraham gave him this choice he should have declined the offer and given Abraham the first pick.

He didn't do that, when he looked out at the two choices, one was better than the other, one looked like the Garden of Eden and the other one looked just plain as could be, and he wanted the better choice.

Why ? Because of selfish gain and nothing more.

Is the best looking choice always the best choice ?

Some would think so, that's why the world is filled up with so much vanity and greed. People want what is pleasant to the eyes, or what tickles their fancy at the time or whatever the flavor of the day is.

Lot was no exception, but we will find out that sometimes, things don't always work out the way that we plan them. Sometimes the choices we make aren't always the best choices even though they look like they are at the time.

So the two go their separate ways and time passes on. Eventually Lot is involved with the political affairs of the city of Sodom because when the angels come to Sodom he is sitting at the gate of the city. In those days, if you were at the gates of the city, you held a political office and made laws for that city. So Lot was totally involved with the affairs of that city.

So time goes on and God has finally had enough with the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah and He sends two angels to destroy them:
Now th e two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.” 3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

So these two angels show up at the city gates, and right away Lot sees that there is something different about them. So he invites them to stay with him and his family. They prepare them a good meal, have a foot washing and give them something to drink.

But they refused his request.

Why do you think they refused his request and wanted to stay in the middle of the city square ?

Very simple reason, they wanted to get down to business and destroy the place. Angels just do what God tells them to do and nothing more or less. If He says go and destroy a city, that's all they have on their minds. So you can bet, that when Lot insisted that they come to his house, God intervened and allowed them to spend the night at Lots house.

Lot knew that the town he chose to live in was immoral, and since he was involved in the affairs of this town, we can only assume that after a while, lots family was slowly assimilated into the spirit of that city. So Lot was probably still righteous in his heart toward God, but his family wasn't anymore as we will see later on.

So, Lot knowing the nature of that city, knowing how the men of that city were, tried to get these two men off the streets as soon as possible.

But what happened next ?

4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight ? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”

This scene sounds exactly like one of those zombie movies called Dawn of the Living Dead don't it ?

These guys of every age, from every part of the city, see fresh blood walk into town and now they all want a part of it.

What do you think the depravity level is in this town ?

Sadly, it is no worse than San Francisco is now, and how a lot of cities in this country are getting. Welcome to the 21st century.

So you have all these sexual zombies pounding on Lots door to get at these two strangers that are in his house.

So what does Lot do ?

6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

Lot tells them, I brought these guys here, because I knew you would try to do this, so I have another plan that might work better, take my two virgin daughters, who have never been with a man, and do to them whatever you want to do.

What a nice guy. A father is supposed to protect his wife and kids, keep them safe from danger, love them so much that he would sacrifice himself for them, but instead he throws away their emotions and self worth like a pile of trash stacked in some corner. I'll bet they felt special that day. But that didn't work, thank God, they still wanted the men.

That is the nature of a sin, it starts as something small and grows into a huge mess. Lets look at the progression through this scripture:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. I John 2:15-17

The scripture says that there are three sins that contribute to a person's demise.

That is clear, because some of his daughters had married the men of that land who probably didn't hold to the standards of Gods laws. But some will do whatever they can to amass fortune and financial comforts, even if it is costly later on…The Lust of the Flesh.

When he separated from Abraham, I am positive he did not know that he would end up a political figure in one of the most sinful cities of all time, and be an historical example of what we should not be like.

So we go on with the story:

9 And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

So Lot is involved with the community, sitting at the city gates, thinking that he is well liked and respected and then the bomb drops. He is standing in the way of the mob trying to get to the two men inside, attempting to reason with them.

What does he get for all those years of service ?

They accuse him of being self-righteous, judging them for their actions and they don't like it, so now, he is a target too, and he is going to get whatever they came to dish out greater than what they have planned for the other two men, he has to be saved by the two angels too.

The angels pull Lot into the house, and strike the crowd at the door with blindness, and that ends the episode right ?

Wrong. Even though they were struck with blindness and couldn't see anything, they were so driven by that sin, that they grew weary trying to find the door. They ran out of gas looking for the opening. If the door would have been open even slightly they would have still tried to get at Lot and the angels.

Isn't that amazing ?

So reading on:

12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city-take them out of this place! 13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.

Unbelief is such a powerful tool of Satan. Here we have Lot, pleading for his daughters and in-laws lives, to get them out of Dodge before it hits the fan, and they just laugh at him. He was a joke to them, he had no credibility or respect whatsoever.

You would think that his daughters, who grew up under his tent, would know if he was serious or not, but they all just laughed. They were lost and knew nothing about the God that Lot said he served. His daughters became assimilated into the environment that they grew up in. Do not fool yourselves, if you hang around drug addicts you will probably over time become a drug addict.

If you hang around drunks, then you will over time, most likely become a drunk. If you hang out with sexually promiscuous people, you will over time, most likely become just like them. If you have all three of these problems, then you are really screwed up and you need to get yourself together before you can't come back.

So here they are full of unbelief, so we go on with the story:

15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” 16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

So it is “D-Day” and the angels are telling lot to hurry up and get out before they are destroyed with the city.

So what is Lot doing ?

He is doing nothing, just like a lot of people do, who know they have to change the way they are doing things, or their lives will end up in ruin.

Was he acting as if something dreadful was on the way ?

No, he was taking his sweet time, probably going through all the memories that he had accumulated from his many years of living in this sinful town. It's like us going through a photo album, while the sheriff is trying to lock the door behind you because of a foreclosure or eviction.

So the angels have had enough of that, and grab them by the hand, then personally throw them out of the city, so they can get to where they need to go in order to survive. They can't do anything to Sodom until Lot is safely away from the strike zone.

So what happens next ?

17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he[ ] said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! 19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”

They tell him where to flee to and he pleads with them to go to another place closer because he's afraid that he will be overcome by something bad and die out there. So he chooses a little town and God allows him to go there.

21 And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

So lot and his family are running all night, up until the next morning when the sun is coming up when he finally enters Zoar and it comes quickly.

23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

God fulfilled what He said He would do, but does it end there ?

No.

26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

They were told to leave and not look back because they would die if they did, I guess his wife didn't believe that, although she ran with Lot all night, her heart never left Sodom, she ended up paying the ultimate price for unbelief and faithlessness.

Here is what Jesus said about turning back:

61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The plow is anything that has become your taskmaster, anything that you are afraid to let go of, anything that keeps you separated from God and serving Him.

If you know God is calling you, but you are thinking of how much you will miss the things that you are doing now, that you think are making you free, then you are not worthy to follow Him.

You don't have what it takes.
You won't even try because you are paralyzed.

You are afraid to fail
You are afraid of what people will say.
You are afraid your so called friends won't hang around you anymore
You're afraid to tell your family.

All those things that happened to Lot, do you think that they happened because He was so together ?

27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

He was rescued because there was someone standing in the gap for him. That person was Abraham who was faithful to God. There are probably people who are faithful to God praying for you constantly.

When will be a good time to listen ?