I want to share a story from the Bible about a man whose life started to prosper as a result of his connection to his relative who received a promise of blessing from God. But this man’s life ended in a disaster due to a wrong decision. I am referring to the story of Lot.
If we are to measure the wealth of both Abraham and Lot based on Genesis 13, they could be considered today as “multi-millionaires.” Someone said that the problem of money in general has two kinds: the problem of too little money and the problem of too much money. Both Abraham and Lot had this situation called in the business world as “the problem of too much money.” 13:6b states, “…for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.”
And then quarreling arose between their people. In chapter 12 we read when God called Abraham and promised him to be blessed and to be a blessing and he departed from his native land, his nephew Lot joined him. In other words, the blessing of Lot was due to his connection to his uncle Abraham who received the promise from God. But as we read Lot’s story, after acquiring so much wealth and quarreling arose between his people and his uncle’s, he made a serious mistake that ruined his life. He chose a place based on his short-term observation without considering the moral impact upon his life and family to live near a people described by the Bible as “wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord” (13:13). We have here an example of the power or influence of evil community to destroy one’s life.
A community is evil when it destroys your faith in God. A community is evil when instead of harnessing your potentials and developing the best you, your talents are hampered and your morality and faith in God are ignored and compromised at the expense of material accumulation. Avoid such community even though it offers an opportunity for great financial advancement. Look for a community where your best potential is developed without endangering your spirituality.
Then we read here in chapter 14 how all the possessions of Lot was seized by all the four kings who waged war against Sodom and Gomorrah for Lot was living in Sodom (14:12). In that time of utter ruin or bankruptcy, his uncle, Abraham, which his association with him determines in the first place his material wealth came to the rescue and delivered him from captivity, from a life of failure, utter ruin, and bankruptcy. After deliverance, Lot instead of changing his residence, stayed still in Sodom not until the Lord sent judgment upon that wicked land.
Genesis 19 tells us the ending of Lot’s story. His wife disregarded the direct order of the angels “not to look back” and as a result of that direct disobedience, she became a pillar of salt. Then after that disastrous experience, Lot out of fear decided to stay in the mountains’ cave. Lot, from a residence of blessing with Abraham decided for himself to stay in a wealthy land without concern for the morality of the people living in that land ended in a life of fear, living inside a cave with his daughters in the mountains. And read the mindset of his daughters that led them to commit “incest.” The elder daughter said, “…there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. Let’s get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father.” At first reading, it seems that the goal is noble – preservation of family line. But the mindset is evil – committing incest, due to their association with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and their narrow-mindedness generalized and justified their act that such was the custom all over the earth. The life of Lot is a story of a man who had a very good beginning but a very sad ending.
No one wants to end his life like Lot. Today, we encounter numerous people dreaming to be wealthy. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 issues a warning against people who want to get rich. These people are described as “lovers of money” and “eager for money.” The apostle Paul identified five dangers: 1. falling into temptation, 2. falling into a trap, 3. falling into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction, 4. wandering from the faith, and 5. piercing themselves with many griefs.
If there are lessons we can learn from the story of Lot, I think these three stand out. One, bankruptcy is a consequence of a wrong decision, Genesis 14:1-12. Two, God uses His blessed man (Abraham) to deliver those whose life fell in bankruptcy (people like Lot), Genesis 14:13-16. And three, the blessed man of God honors Him for being used to deliver those in bankruptcy, Genesis 14:17-24.
The New International Webster Dictionary defines bankruptcy in two ways: 1. The state of being insolvent; failure or inability to pay just debts. 2. Any complete ruin or failure. I am using the second definition of the word bankruptcy – “any complete ruin or failure.” Taking that definition, it tells us that bankruptcy though primarily a financial term can also be applied in other aspects of human life such as mental, emotional, moral, and spiritual.
I believe that wealth comes from God as a result of hard work and obedience to His laws, Deuteronomy 28. This is the general rule. But in a society where the laws of God are violated, we see the exception to the rule as normal such as the violators of the laws of God prospering and the obedient suffering. And this posts a challenge to the followers of God most especially when confronted by a situation choosing between material advantage and keeping one’s faith. Ideally, this should not be the case. Most people do not want to separate the two. They want both. However, in case we are confronted with such a situation, it is wise to consider the long-term effect of one’s decision. It is wise to ask ourselves, where is this decision of mine leading me to?
Only By Grace 