Not much is said of Lot, prior to the Lord’s judgment upon Sodom and the cities of the plain, nor is much said about him afterward. We know that he was Abraham’s nephew, the son of Abraham’s eldest brother, Haran (Genesis 11:27). We also know that Abram/Abraham was the youngest of Terah’s three sons, because Terah was 70 years old when Haran was born, but 130 years old when Abram/Abraham was born (Genesis 11:32; cp. 12:4). If we consider the ages of the patriarchs in Genesis 11, when they had their firstborn, we would find that, except for Shem and Terah, the ages of the patriarchs, when their first son was born, were between 29 and 35 years old.[1] If we consider this as evidence for the birth of Lot, then he was probably older than Abram/Abraham!
There is a fifty-five-year difference between the births of Haran and Abram/Abraham. Therefore, if Haran sired Lot when he was between the ages of 29-35, Lot, Abraham’s nephew, could be 20 to 26 years older than his uncle! Whatever all this means, it does add context to Lot’s quarrel with Abram/Abraham in Genesis 13, and the fact that Lot was given first choice of the land, when he and Abram/Abraham separated.
It seems that, when the Lord judged Sodom and the other cities, Lot became afraid that Zoar would also be destroyed, so he took his two daughters and left the city to dwell in a cave in the mountains (Genesis 19:30). When an enemy attacked the cities of a particular land, they often fled to the mountains for safety (Matthew 24:14-16; Revelation 6:15-17). Zoar was given to Lot by the Lord for a refuge, but Lot feared to dwell there after he had seen what occurred to Sodom and the other cities of the plain. Remember, Zoar would have also been destroyed, except for Lot’s request, so Lot knew the people there were wicked. Nevertheless, although it was what he knew, he chose to work in the world for the sake of good, vis-à-vis to make the wicked world a better place to live in. He was comfortable doing that, but nothing in this world can be redeemed. Good folks may be able to make the world less wicked, where they are, but the world remains wicked, even where the righteous dwell.
Interestingly, it is Lot’s daughters, who decide what character Lot’s descendants will have. No doubt many others in Zoar had fled to the mountains, as well, so the context of: “there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us” (Genesis 19:31) must have something to do with a “not a **righteous** man in the earth,” instead of believing the whole world had become a holocaust. Therefore, knowing that their father was righteous, according to the Lord, for he was saved out of judgment, Lot’s two daughters decided to get their father drunk, go in unto him and bear his children. So, the elder bear Moab and the younger Ammon,[2] later uniting to become the Moabites, who successfully tempted Israel in the event of Baal-Peor (Numbers 25).
Incest with one’s father was repudiated throughout the Near East, even before the Law of Moses. Therefore, it was necessary for Lot’s daughters to get their father drunk, before they would be successful in their plan. I believe the takeaway here is the depth of wrongdoing one tends to go to, when one is educated in this world’s system without countering it with faith in the Lord. Lot had the example of Abrahm to consider, but he believed he could make the world a better place, if he worked within the system. Therefore, Lot’s daughters had their father’s example to follow. If they were to do well in the world, they needed to begin with righteous seed, but they made their decisions in the manner in which the world does—without including God.
According to 2Peter 2:6-9, Lot was a righteous man, so what went wrong? While it isn’t wrong to desire the good things of this world (Genesis 13:10), it is wrong to choose such things in order to separate oneself from the righteous (Genesis 13:11). Rather, be reconciled with the righteous and let the Lord bless you, which is something Lot never did. He never reconciled with Abraham. Instead, he united himself with the world, in hope to make a difference there. Nevertheless, although he was a righteous man, Lot’s fruits proved, he was also carnal (1Corinthians 3:3; cp Genesis 13:12), because he worked his righteousness in an effort to govern the unrighteous (cp. Genesis 19:1, 9).[3]
Change occurs due to repentance, not effective government. Rule by law is effective only in keeping wickedness from becoming so wicked that it must be judged by God, vis-à-vis Sodom and the cities of the plain. Even Lot’s righteous efforts in the gates (Genesis 19:9) couldn’t prevent that. Moreover, Lot longed to continue to do, as he had been doing, even when it became apparent that the Lord’s will was to judge the wicked (Genesis 19:16). Is it any wonder at all that his descendants would behave themselves after the ways of the world (Genesis 19:30-38)?[4]
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[1] See my earlier study: From Shem to Abram.
[2] According to Dr. Constable the words: “from the father” when translated into Hebrew sound like “Moab” and Ammon means “son of my kin.” See The Expository Notes of Dr. Constable for Genesis 19:30-38.
[3] IMO, this example seems to modern Christianity that they must not use politics to accomplish Christian goals. God gave us the Gospel to “change the world.” He did not give us authority to use the power of the world to “change the world.” The latter is carnal.
[4] See: The Expository Notes of Dr. Constable for Genesis 19:30-38.
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