Earlier in the Genesis record, the account mentions two men, Enoch and Noah, who were righteous (Genesis 7:1) and walked with God (Genesis 5:22; 6:9). After the Flood, the Book of Genesis mentions two men that were righteous, Abraham and Lot (Genesis 15:6; cp. 2Peter 2:7-8)[1] Yet, of the two, the scriptures claim only that Abraham was the friend of God (2Chronicles 20:7; James 2:23), meaning that, of the two, only Abraham walked with God (Amos 3:3). Thus, we are able to understand from the word of God that it is possible for a man to be righteous, and, yet, not be one who walks with God. At first, one may think this is impossible. How can a man be righteous, but not walk with God, vis-à-vis not be a friend of God?
I believe the point, the scripture makes between Abraham and Lot, is that Lot sought to do the right thing, but he did so his own way; he wanted to be righteous, and he wanted to serve the God who called Abraham, but he did so on his own terms. Lot went with Abraham in an effort to serve the Lord, yet the scriptures testify he failed. Abraham succeeded and walked with God by being a pilgrim in the land. However, Lot failed, because he sought to serve the Lord by assimilating himself into the ways and goals of the world, while not doing after their works. In other words, he sought to change the world, perhaps even save the world, that the Lord intended to judge.
The point is, God called Abraham out of the world, in which he lived, and promised to make him a great nation by giving his descendants the land then occupied by a nation he would judge. If God intended to judge these nations for their wickedness, how could Lot change, what God intended to do, by living among the wicked, seeking to change them through his works of righteousness? The fact is, the power that evil men embrace will never serve the goals of the Lord. The Lord proved this by sending, not Lot but, Jesus, the Son of God, into the world to save the world (the people, not the system), and the world (the people) used its power (the system) to destroy their own Savior. The world or system that men have put in place could never serve the will of God. It cannot be saved. It must be replaced, which God intended to do with Abraham What can one do with such a power or authority that crucified Christ? How are the righteous able to assimilate themselves into such a world and change it, or save it from its own hell-bent ways of destruction, simply by forcing a righteous worldview upon a wicked lifestyle, vis-à-vis becoming a political mover and shaker to change a wicked world?
It cannot be done! Jesus was a public figure, walking with God, indeed, sent by God to save the world (John 3:17). Did he seek to do this, as Lot did, by working within the system to change or save it? Did he politicize his office as Messiah? No! of course not. This isn’t what Jesus did. Rather, he promised another Kingdom, but not one that could be found on a map. Instead, Jesus promised to bring in the Kingdom of God, the city of God that Abraham hoped for (Hebrews 11:10). It would be a Kingdom that wouldn’t be left to other men (Daniel 2:44), because it wouldn’t be a physical kingdom that men could build or destroy. God’s Kingdom is within the hearts of men (Luke 17:21). It is the city of God that Abraham looked for (Hebrews 11:10) and the city, which Lot couldn’t find in Sodom.
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[1] Genesis implies Lot was righteous in that Abraham asked God if he would destroy the righteous with the wicked (Genesis 18:23, 25). Thus, if we compare this scripture with Genesis 19:16, we understand that the Lord was merciful to Lot and his family and compelled them to leave Sodom. Moreover, the Lord said he couldn’t destroy Sodom until Lot and his family were safe (Genesis 19:21-22).
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