Lot's Choices.

4. Lot's Choices.

"Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other." - Genesis 13:11 As one studies the Biblical record we find that Lot continually made the wrong choice. Would one dare to accuse God of electing Lot to do the wrong things, to choose sin, and be disobedient? If you read the story as recorded in the entire 13th chapter, you find there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abraham and those of Lot. Abraham had the right attitude as revealed in Genesis 13:8-9 :

"And Abraham said unto Lot, let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. (8) Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left." (9)

Again, in Genesis 13:11, we find that, "Lot chose."  It was his decision.  One can hardly say that God made Lot make the wrong choice, or you would have God making a wrong decision.  No, Lot was not elected to do that.  Here you find the free will of Lot to make his own choice. Notice in Genesis 13:10 :

"And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar."

Lot's choice was made by sight, not by faith.  Notice, again, if you will in Genesis 13:12 :

"Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent towards Sodom." This was Lot's second wrong choice. The next wrong decision Lot made is recorded in Genesis 14:12 :

"And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed."

Here we find out that Lot has chosen to live in Sodom.  That surely was not God's will, but Lot made his own choice. Again Lot made his own choice, as he sat in the gate of Sodom, as recorded in Genesis 19:1 :

"And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground."

Now he is sitting in the gate of Sodom.  This may reveal that he held a position of some importance in this wicked city!  Yet it was not God's will that he do this.  But God permitted Lot to make his own choice.  Lot was then visited by two angels from God as we have recorded in Genesis 19:4 :

"But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter."

These were homosexuals.  The name of the city of Sodom is where we get our word "sodomy."

Now Genesis 13:5 :

"And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in unto thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them."

It is not talking about meeting them and shaking hands--rather it is speaking about knowing them intimately!  What a mess it was in Sodom!  In Genesis 13:7 we find Lot's unbelievable response.  Would one dare to accuse God of choosing Lot to do this?  Then, you would have God electing Lot to sin.  Notice the record in Genesis 13:7 :

"And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly."

There would not be anything wicked about shaking hands with them, but to know them as far as having a sexual relationship (homosexuality), of course, it was wicked!  Notice what Lot decided to do in Genesis 13:8 :

"Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing: for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof."

We cannot blame God for Lot's choice.  We must charge Lot with a bad decision made of his own free will.  Therefore, God is righteous in judging Lot.  If God's election over-ruled the free will of man, then Lot would be justified in accusing God of electing him to prostitute his daughters.  How ridiculous!  If God's election over-rides the free will of man, then Lot would not have made the decision that he made.

If one is going to use the words "election" and "choosing" as far as the positive sense, then the only thing left is the negative! If you have two cars and elect to drive one, the other is left. If you elect to drive the other, then the opposite is left. If you elect someone to serve you, then you find out that he has no choice but to serve you. Did God elect Lot to do this evil that he did? Absolutely not! God did not elect him and then control his mind to offer his two daughters to the perverted immorality of the homosexuals. Again the Scriptures reveal to us that Lot is a prime example of man's free will as he must stand responsible for his decisions.

We find that Lot lost everything because he made the wrong choices.  He was saved, yet so as by fire.  In fact, we would never know that Lot was ever saved if it were not for the New Testament writings of Peter in 2 Peter 2:6-7 :

"And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly; (6) And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked." (7) No one would ever have known Lot was saved as he continually made one wrong decision after another. Lot paid the price for his sinning and stood responsible for the choices he made. He lifted up his eyes toward Sodom, he had moved toward Sodom, he had dwelt in Sodom, and then sat in the gate at Sodom. Then Lot says in Genesis 13:14 :

"...for the Lord will destroy this city."

Yes, God would not destroy the city until Lot came out. But Lot lost his wife, his home, and his possessions. God gave Lot a free will to make his own decisions, which he did, but he had to stand responsible for them. In like manner, God tells us in Romans 14:10 :

"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."

Now in Romans 14:12 :

"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

How can we give account of ourselves to God if we are already elected and predestinated to do certain things?  Then why give an account to God, if we would automatically do them?  There would be nothing to account for.  We would be like robots who have been programmed, having no choice of our own.  Therefore, we would just be a machine on which God pushes a button and we automatically do it.  What do we have to give an account for?  It would be impossible to refuse God's will, even if we wanted to.  No, we have a free will so we shall all give account of ourselves unto God.  We are held responsible, as we have a free will in choosing to serve Christ or disobey Him with our lives.