Trust is such a large part of the story of the Sacrifice of Isaac, in Isaac’s trust of Abraham and Abraham’s trust in God.
The Hebrew word choice the Torah reading וַיֵּרָא Vayera (“he appeared,” Gen. 18:1–22:24) uses to explain Lot’s daughter’s conspiracy is very interesting. The phrase used is only used one other time in the Torah, in reference to the Levirate marriage. Lot’s daughters weren’t concerned that they could never, ever, find a man on the entire earth to create a child. They were concerned that Lot himself has no living sons to carry on his own name. Lot was a widower at this point so they decided to take upon themselves the duty to ensure that Lot had a son or sons to carry on his name on the earth.
The Torah, however, is not quite as kind-hearted when recalling Lot’s participation in his daughter’s scheme. The wording in the Hebrew implies that Lot may have been oblivious regarding the “laying down” part, but he was fully aware of what when they “got up.”
When Abraham met the King of Sodom, Abraham knew of Sodom’s reputation of wickedness, evil and iniquity. Sodom was rotten from the bottom up. This is why Abraham refused to accept any money or covenant with him. Which makes it more odd that Lot, who certainly knew of Sodom’s evil reputation, chose to return to Sodom after his liberation.
Abraham, on the other hand, chose to keep his distance from Sodom. Abraham’s home in Hebron was about 8 miles away from Sodom and he was never willing to move closer. Abraham wanted nothing to do with the King of Sodom.
Lot, by moving himself towards Sodom and then into Sodom, shows us that Lot was willing to play with fire in a way that Abraham was not willing to risk.
There’s nothing good to say about Lot’s story arch, to be honest. The Torah doesn’t treat him well.
Lot’s story arc is recorded here for several reasons. There’s nothing really great about his story, but it’s recorded for a reason.
1st lesson from Lot: Hospitality
When Abraham hosted the three men who came to his home, Abraham’s first instinct was to take care of their needs, because they chose to pass by his home. As far as Abraham was concerned, these holy visitors made a conscious decision to come to Abraham’s home for assistance and Abraham offered it. Lot had a similar hospitable mindset when he met the strangers who came to Sodom. Since Lot extended shelter to the men, he had an obligation to follow through with his offer of shelter and security. He took upon himself the responsibility to take care of them and keep them safe. Both Abraham and Lot were obliged to extend their time, effort and resources to be hospitable to their guests.
After two of the guests left Abraham’s home, one of them remains to speak directly to Abraham about their purpose and plans regarding Sodom and the cities of the plain.
God says that He loves Abraham because He knows that Abraham will be diligent to teach his children His ways. Lot was not that kind of man. Lot did not teach his children to love God.
The reason that God sent His angels only to Sodom and not to Gomorrah or any of the other cities slated for destruction is because Sodom was the only town that had any righteous inhabitants. The other cities were completely devoid of righteous witness.
2nd lesson from Lot: Blindspots
Lot chose multiple times to live in the most wicked town in Canaan. He even rose up the ranks of the town to the point that he was a judge in the gates. Lot witnessed the evil but he didn’t perceive how much the evil of Sodom was influencing his family.
If Lot’s mission in Sodom was to bring it away from wickedness to righteousness, like a missionary to a heathen town, his mission was an abject failure to the point that it ruined his own family and his own life. The Torah tells us that Lot often spent his time at the city gates, which implies he was one of the influencers or judges of the city. And as a judge of city, I’m sure he tried to influence Sodom’s legal system and culture for the better, but Lot’s mission was a complete failure. Lot was unable to see the forest through the trees. He was too close to evil, to see how much it was influenced him altering his world around him.
Just as the men of Sodom were struck by physical blindness, Lot was struck by spiritual blindness. He was unsuccessful in teaching his own family, even his daughters and sons in law right from wrong. Lot’s family had no respect for Lot or his world view.
Abraham, on the other hand, was very successful not only in living a righteous life himself, but he was also successful in passing on his teachings to the next generation. Lot, for whatever reason, was drawn towards evil. Lot’s family were a family of idolators and Abraham had made a complete break from idolatry, but the rest of his family did not. We will see that later with Laban and Rachel, but we also see that with Lot. Idolatry is evil in God’s eyes and Sodom, was a city filled with idolatry.
‘Remember Lot’s wife’
Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) tells us in Luke 17:20–37 what Lot’s life was like in Sodom and tells us that his wife’s life was a warning.
She wanted to save her own life by running back to Sodom. That is where her heart was. Her heart was attracted to evil. Her desire for her life in Sodom was so strong, that she had no desire to live any other life. That is why God turned her into a pillar of salt.
“She rescued a righteous man, when the impious were perishing, as he fled from the fire descending on the Five Cities. As testimony of their evil a smoking waste still remains, and plants bearing fruit that does not ripen, and a stele of salt standing as a monument to an unbelieving soul.”
Wisdom 10:6–7 New English Translation of the Septuagint
Lot didn’t actually make a true break from his family’s culture. He didn’t severing his connections to his past. Lot’s past hung around him and plagued him his whole life.
Abraham had a few distinctive blindspots of his own. Even the most humble and righteous person is not perfect.
Abraham’s lack of faith
One of Abraham’s blindspots was his lack of faith regarding his own personal safety, particularly where it regarded Sarah’s safety. He willing engaged in white lies regarding Sarah’s identity as his half-sister. He lied to both Pharaoh, king of Egypt and Abimelech, king of the Philistines about his relationship with Sarah.
Pharaoh had to figure out on his own why his household was suffering a plague, while God came to Abimelech in a dream and directly told him why his family was suffering. Abraham trusted God with his own son, but not with his own life. He didn’t fully comprehend that his survival mattered to God for God to fulfill all of His promises.
Abraham’s wife
Sarah herself was another one of Abraham’s blindspots. He took Hagar as a co-wife at Sarah’s insistence. He also demoted her and returned Hagar to Sarah at Sarah’s insistence. He also sent Ishmael away at Sarah’s insistence.
Did Ishmael feel loved when Abraham sent him away at Sarah’s insistence? Abraham loved Ishmael very much but Abraham loved Sarah much more. Ishmael only exists because Abraham listened to Sarah and Abraham sends him away because he is told to listen to Sarah.
It would have been Abraham’s righteous inclination, as well as the common law of the day for Ishmael to inherit two-thirds of Abraham’s house and for Isaac to inherit one-third but since Ishmael would end up as the patriarch of the family, Yitzkhak (Isaac) would be subject to his older brother, and this is not what God (or Sarah) wanted.
That is why Ishmael had to be sent away even though Abraham loved him very much. We see the same weakness later with Yitzkhak regarding Esau and Jacob.
God called Abraham — not Lot — from Ur of the Chaldeans. God saw something special in Abraham that He didn’t see in anyone else. God said He loved Abraham because Abraham would teach his children God’s ways. If we want God to love us, we need to live like our Father Abraham, despite our weaknesses and blindspots.
Unfortunately, Lot was a righteous in his own right but he was unsuccessful in teaching God’s ways to his wife and family. Lot’s end was not the end of the righteous, as Abraham’s was. The next generation may lose their way for a time, but it’s still our duty to make sure to transmit God’s ways to our children, regardless of our own weaknesses. They may walk away from it as Esau did, but that doesn’t absolve us of our duty to do our best to give them that foundation.
Summary: Tammy