Imagine that you woke up tomorrow and somehow knew that the judgment of God was very, very near—that everything was different, and things were never going to be the same again. What kind of questions would you be asking yourself? How would you feel about how you had spent your time leading up to that moment? How would you feel about everything you had (or had not) accomplished over the course of your life?
The Bible records many examples of time suddenly running out. God reminds us repeatedly that He will intervene at certain times in world affairs—most powerfully at the end of the age. And no matter how aware we are of that coming intervention, it will still feel very sudden to us when we finally see God once again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked and judge those whose hearts remain too attached to the world.
Christ revealed that there will be some semblance of “normal” right up until nothing is normal anymore, and He drew parallels between the end of this age and two cataclysmic events of ages past:
And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:26–32).
God makes a distinction between those who serve Him and those who don’t. There’s no gray area—you’re either on one side or the other when God delivers His judgment. We see this made clear in Malachi 3:16–18:
Then those who respected the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice. A scroll was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the Lord and honored his name. “They will belong to me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “in the day when I prepare my own special property. I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not” (Malachi 3:16–18, New English Translation).
Let’s look at the examples of Abraham and Lot, and let’s note differences between their choices. The Bible makes it quite clear that although Abraham and Lot were both considered righteous (Genesis 15:6; 2 Peter 2:7–8), they made very different decisions—and those decisions brought very different results.
The First Step Toward Sodom
After God told Abram, “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1), he and his family, including his nephew Lot, “came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land” (Genesis 12:1–6). We see that they did not move into an empty land—there were already people there, and those people had very different ways and customs.
Abram and Lot both greatly prospered in this land—in terms of wealth and power, they may have been comparable to any of the kings in the area. They both had a great abundance of “flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land” (Genesis 13:5–7). Part of the reason why there wasn’t enough room for both Abram’s herds and Lot’s was that the Canaanites and Perizzites were already living there.
This meant Abram and Lot needed to part ways, so a choice had to be made: Who would go where? Abram showed his character by saying, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left” (Genesis 13:8–9).
With the choice left to him, Lot based his decision entirely on what he could see with his eyes—the most prosperous and fertile land he could find—and he “chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord” (Genesis 13:11–13).
A Lesson Unlearned
Sodom, Gomorrah, and their allies were in subjugation to four other kings, as they had been for several years. They decided it was time to rebel—but their rebellion was put down, and when they were defeated, their overlords “took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way” (Genesis 14:1–11).
But notice that Lot, too, got swept up in all this. “They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed” (v. 12). Hearing about this, Abram proved his loyalty yet again: “He armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them…. So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people” (vv. 14–16).
As you might imagine, the king of Sodom and his allies became excited about this turn of events. In fact, “the king of Sodom said to Abram, ‘Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself’” (v. 21). Now, Abram had his own decision to make. His only real goal had been to rescue Lot, and that mission was accomplished. He’d brought back all the goods for Sodom and Gomorrah to reclaim, and they were so grateful that they wanted him to take something. But Abram was convicted that this was a bad idea—as we have already seen, these were exceedingly wicked people. Abram knew this, and he did not want to take anything that would allow them to hold it over him: Hey, we gave you all that stuff—maybe you could do us a favor in return.
Most of us would not have judged Abram harshly if he had taken something for his trouble, but he completely separated himself from Sodom and Gomorrah in every way he could. “Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, … that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, “I have made Abram rich”—except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me’” (vv. 22–24).
Abram sought to have nothing to do with the lives those people lived, nor to establish any bond with or sense of allegiance to them. There is a clear distinction between Abram’s discernment and Lot’s lack thereof. Living close to Sodom had almost cost Lot everything, and his rescue had come through someone who was not close to Sodom—but Lot didn’t take the hint. Instead, he just crept closer and closer to Sodom, taking his family with him, to the point where he was eventually living within the very gates of the city.
When the World Becomes Home
“Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, ‘Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way’” (Genesis 19:1–2). We see that Lot still had a relationship with God, at least enough to recognize God’s messengers. However, we should also note that Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom, meaning that he was one of its elders or judges. So, not only did Lot move in—he became involved in Sodom’s politics. His life became intertwined with what was going on in that city.
When “he insisted strongly,” the angels “entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may know them carnally’” (vv. 3–5).
Clearly, rape and homosexuality were among the sins for which God was about to condemn this city. Some people—even many who call themselves Christian—say that the Bible doesn’t really condemn homosexuality, but numerous scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments prove that it does (e.g., Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26–28; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10). There can be no compromise on this point. It can be all too easy, especially for those who have grown up in this age of homosexuality’s widespread acceptance, to be sympathetic to it. To be sure, we must love the sinner, but sympathy toward the sin can make us part of the problem (Romans 1:28–32).
As the account continues, we see how deeply Lot had let himself become a part of the city—he even called the men of Sodom his brothers, begging, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!” Their response? “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them” (Genesis 19:6–9). Lot was shown that the system into which he had entrenched himself was willing to turn on him in an instant.
Then we see just how addicted to sin the people of Sodom truly were: “They pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door” (vv. 9–11). Their corruption ran so deep that even supernatural blindness wasn’t enough to deter them from the abominable path they were on.
Why Would We Linger?
When sin becomes this deeply ingrained in a society, God intervenes—and whatever once passed for normal, day-to-day activity is suddenly and irreversibly cut short. “Then the men said to Lot, ‘Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord’” (vv. 12–13).
But despite this urgent warning, Lot lacked urgency. “When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city’” (v. 15). Yet, still, “he lingered,” and ultimately “the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him. And they brought him out and set him outside the city” (v. 16). When the time came, Lot practically had to be dragged out of Sodom. Why?
Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly why Lot hesitated, which gives us room to imagine what might cause us to hesitate. Having to leave family members behind, knowing the catastrophe they would face, would be very difficult for most of us. We read that, the day before Sodom’s destruction, Lot “went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, ‘Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!’ But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking” (v. 14).
The Hebrew is somewhat ambiguous as to whether these “sons-in-law” were married to additional daughters of Lot or betrothed to the daughters we have already met in the account. There’s no clear indication of just how large Lot’s family was, but it’s reasonable to think that, when Abraham was negotiating with God, he may have ended at a number of righteous people close to the number of Lot’s family members. So, it’s possible that Lot and his wife left children—perhaps even grandchildren—behind as they fled.
It’s safe to say that too much of Lot’s heart was in Sodom, whatever his reasons. Maybe his heart was where his children and grandchildren were. Maybe his heart was where his position and livelihood were, or where his friends were, or even just where his familiar, comfortable life was. Where are our hearts? Do we have the faith in God to, if and when it is necessary, leave behind family, friends, positions, stability, and comfort?
Looking with Longing
The angels told Lot, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed” (v. 17).
But rather than trust in their directions, Lot decided that, if he couldn’t have Sodom, he would beg for the closest thing he could get: “Then Lot said to them, ‘Please, no, my lords!… I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live’” (vv. 18–20).
God then demonstrated His amazing patience and mercy, as His angel said to Lot, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there” (vv. 21–22).
As always, God was true to His word—He waited until “Lot entered Zoar” before He “rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah…. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (vv. 23–26). This can be a bit puzzling to English-language readers, as it can seem that Lot’s wife was punished just for glancing at what God was doing. But the Hebrew reveals that she wasn’t just peeking at a miraculous intervention. The New English Translation renders verse 26 this way: “But Lot’s wife looked back longingly and was turned into a pillar of salt.” It adds in a footnote, “The Hebrew verb means ‘to look intently; to gaze.’”
Her attitude was that of someone regretting the loss of her old world—who would have preserved it if she could. Yet nothing about Sodom and Gomorrah was worth preserving, which is why God destroyed them utterly. Lot and his family had become far too entangled in the worldly system upon which Sodom was built, which made God’s intervention far more traumatic for Lot’s wife than it should have been. How entangled in this world’s system are we?
Living Like Abraham
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah went very differently for Abraham than it did for Lot: “Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace” (Genesis 19:27–28).
Both Abraham and Lot were considered righteous. But while Lot’s decisions brought him close to the world and ultimately cost him almost everything—including a pure relationship with his own daughters, as we read in the rest of the chapter—Abraham lived a far more peaceful and prosperous life because he chose to stay “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
We all hope to be counted worthy to escape the Great Tribulation and be sheltered in the Place of Safety. But, when we leave this world behind, will our decisions up to that point give us the peace of Abraham, or will they give us the trauma of Lot?
What should we be doing—as a Church and individually—to be counted among those who are like Abraham? Christ explained the attitude we should have:
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 24:45–51).
Those who will be made rulers will have been faithfully doing the job Christ assigned to them in this life—not falling into the complacency of those who come to feel that this world is just going to go on forever. Christ made clear that we are to take care of our brothers and sisters in His Church and to do the Work of preaching the Gospel He taught, making disciples of the nations. If that is our focus, we will not have time for the pursuits that distracted Lot—falling in with the wealthy, powerful, and influential of this world (1 John 2:16).
The Apostle Peter reminds us that “scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:3–4). There are people who, with their words or with their actions, say, Christ is never going to return. This world is never going to change. It’s always going to be like this. What are we saying in how we live our lives?
Deep down, if we enjoy comfortable lives—as many of us do—we don’t really want those lives to be disrupted. It can be tempting, then, to look at the society around us and consider it “not that bad,” as it’s easy for us to get used to it. But we must fight against such thinking, because judgment is coming, and God will once again draw a distinction between the righteous and the wicked. He will change the entire world very suddenly—and when He does, the degree to which our lives are intertwined with the world will determine how difficult that change will be for us. Lot learned this the hard way.
One day, the world will turn upside down, and things we have long taken for granted will not be granted anymore. And although we know that day is coming, it will still take many by surprise. But because of God’s faithfulness to His people, our safety will not be determined by whether we have enough survivalist training, enough food stockpiled, or a secret bunker underground somewhere. The real danger we face will be whether we have let ourselves become a little too immersed in this world—whether we have been pulled away from our mission and purpose.
Our job in this lifetime is to be living God’s way and, with the resources we have, contributing to what He is doing on the earth—spreading the Gospel. We don’t want to ever neglect that Work, “for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42–44).
Let’s remember the lessons of Lot and his family, and let’s heed God’s warning: “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).