Lot is a very interesting character. His father Haran, Abraham's brother, had died before Abraham left his home country. Lot was taken in by Abraham and traveled with him a good portion of the journey through Canaan, then to Egypt, then back to Canaan.
Along this journey Lot seemingly became as wealthy as Abraham. So wealthy, in fact, that Lot and Abraham had to divide up to accommodate their growing wealth.
There is no information in the story that shows us what Lot did to accumulate his wealth. And if the information isn't there, we don't need it.
But let's play with the possibilities a little bit to see if we can extract a little understanding of Lot's personality.
Here are a few ways Lot could have gained his wealth:
1. Maybe he had wealth from his father and brought it with him when they left Haran.
Genesis 12:5 Avram took his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, as well as the people they had acquired in Haran; then they set out for the land of Kena‘an and entered the land of Kena‘an.
2. Maybe he was the beneficiary of Abraham's dealing with Pharaoh.
Genesis 12:14 When Avram entered Egypt, the Egyptians did notice that the woman was very beautiful. Pharaoh’s princes saw her and commended her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. He treated Avram well for her sake, giving him sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.
3. Maybe Abraham just gave Lot a portion of everything as though he was his own child.
4. Or maybe Lot worked for it all.
Option #4 doesn't seem (to me at least) to be top on the list since we see later on that Lot had lost all of his wealth (or at least converted it from livestock to something else) since he was living in the city.
My assumption therefore is that Lot accumulated his wealth by proxy.
This isn't conclusive at all but let's just leave it as a possibility.
All we really know right now is that Lot had many people working for him and he had lots of livestock. In fact, there was so much livestock that there wasn't enough land to accommodate both Lot and Abraham.
Genesis 13:5 Lot, who was traveling with Avram, also had flocks, herds and tents. But the land could not support their living together, because their possessions were too great for them to remain together.
Abraham told Lot that to preserve relationship, they should part ways. Lot was given the choice and he said, "I’ll take the well-watered area."
Genesis 13:10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Yarden was well watered everywhere, before Adonai destroyed S’dom and ‘Amora, like the garden of Adonai, like the land of Egypt in the direction of Tzo‘ar. So Lot chose all the plain of the Yarden for himself
Here we see Lot choose the path of least resistance. He wouldn't need to do much in order for his livestock to be taken care of which again leads me to believe he'd prefer an easier way out than to have to work for it..
It was an instant blessing and he took it.
As mentioned before, it seems Lot has lost a good portion (if not all) of his wealth since he was living in a city, and there is no place for the amount of livestock that required he and Abraham to depart from one another. What happened to it?
Did he convert it all and was now living off of that money?
Did he squander it?
Was he and his family living the good life (which may be why his wife couldn't let it all go)?
It seems he left Sodom with very little in his possession so at minimum, they had to leave all of that behind.
Is Lot a Prodigal Son, of sorts?
When the men came to warn Lot about the impending doom, he offered his virgin daughters to the mob to try and appease them.
He was willing to prostitute his own daughters.
This is not the hallmark of someone that has mastered parenting.
It seems that Lot didn't really have much honor and respect in his life.
1. The community members thought of him lowly
Genesis 19:9 “Stand back!” they replied. “This guy came to live here, and now he’s decided to play judge. For that we’ll deal worse with you than with them!”
2. He was not honored by his sons-in-law
His sons-in-law ignored him when he told them to leave Sodom. Perhaps he was seen as a joke to his family.
In fact, he was not even sure he wanted to leave himself so why would they want to give up everything and follow after him.
Genesis 19:16 But he dallied, so the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand and the hands of his two daughters — Adonai was being merciful to him — and led them, leaving them outside the city.
I should mention here that it's possible his sons-in-law may not be "all in" since we see his daughters are still virgins. This could be the betrothal time and decide giving up everything for these young ladies just isn't worth it. Regardless, they ignore him.
4. He was not honored by his wife
His wife wanted her old life more than her husband, and she famously became a pillar of salt the instant she looked back.
5. He was totally not honored by his daughters
Moab and Ammon, nuff said.
Was this due to bad decisions earlier?
Was this due to his reputation?
Why would he be concerned about going into the hills?
Genesis 19:19 Here, your servant has already found favor in your sight, and you have shown me even greater mercy by saving my life. But I can’t escape to the hills, because I’m afraid the disaster will overtake me, and I will die.
Maybe his departure from Abraham has him fearful of a reunion up in those hills?
So instead of being grateful for deliverance, he still sought his own selfishness
Genesis 19:20 Look, there’s a town nearby to flee to, and it’s a small one. Please let me escape there — isn’t it just a small one? — and that way I will stay alive.”
He wanted to go back to Tzo’ar.
Which is the place he initially was lured by when separating from Abraham:
Genesis 13:10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Yarden was well watered everywhere, before Adonai destroyed S’dom and ‘Amora, like the garden of Adonai, like the land of Egypt in the direction of Tzo‘ar.
He was delivered from death but remained in fear and retreated into a cave.
His wife dead.
His wealth gone.
His home destroyed.
His reputation ruined.
His daughters without husbands.
His family line set to be terminated.
It seems things have broken completely for him. So why didn't he seek refuge with his uncle Abraham?
If Lot were indeed a Prodigal Son of Abraham's, why not humble yourself and go back to Canaan?
Would Abraham have welcomed him with a feast?
There is no evidence Lot ever saw Abraham again.
Was there some underlying issue between them?
Could he not forgive?
Or feel he could not be forgiven?
We see that Abraham looked out and saw the smoke over Sodom and Gomorrah:
Genesis 19:27 Avraham got up early in the morning, went to the place where he had stood before Adonai, 28 and looked out toward S’dom and ‘Amora, scanning the entire plain. There before him the smoke was rising from the land like smoke from a furnace! 29 But when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Avraham and sent Lot out, away from the destruction, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.
After all of the negotiations between Abraham and Abba, he now sees the area was in fact destroyed. There only needed to be five righteous and it would have been spared.
Lot's household had six people: Lot, his wife, his two daughters and their husbands. Perhaps Abraham was counting on Lot to have kept a righteous household -- but he didn't. There only needed to be five.
Imagine the feeling that had to come over Abraham as hae watched what was essentially his son, be destroyed. Abraham may have lived forever never knowing if Lot was still alive.
And instead of heading to the man that was the closest thing he had to a father, he took off into the hills to live in a cave.
Is this pride and selfishness on Lot's part?
Now, to make matters worse, his own daughters then violate him in order to satisfy their own selfishness.
Moab and Ammon come into the earth and we see that Lot's descendants become a bit of trouble for Abraham's descendants. His lineage becomes destructive at times and peaceable at times.
They are unstable.
In spite of all of this, however, Abba did give them an inheritance:
Deut 2:9 Adonai said to me, ‘Don’t be hostile toward Mo’av or fight with them, because I will not give you any of their land to possess, since I have already given ‘Ar to the descendants of Lot as their territory.’”
Deut 2:19 When you approach the descendants of ‘Amon, don’t bother them or fight with them, for I will not give you any of the territory of the people of ‘Amon to possess, since I have given it to the descendants of Lot as their territory.’”
Contrast Lot’s life of selfishness vs Abraham’s life of servanthood.
Abraham’s lineage is a blessing to all nations, not a curse.
No, I don't believe so. I think his selfishness took center stage in his decisions and it ruined his life.
Even Peter classifies Lot as being righteous:
2 Peter 2:4 For God did not spare the angels who sinned; on the contrary, he put them in gloomy dungeons lower than Sh’ol to be held for judgment. 5 And he did not spare the ancient world; on the contrary, he preserved Noach, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, and brought the Flood upon a world of ungodly people. 6 And he condemned the cities of S’dom and ‘Amora, reducing them to ashes and ruin, as a warning to those in the future who would live ungodly lives; 7 but he rescued Lot, a righteous man who was distressed by the debauchery of those unprincipled people; 8 for the wicked deeds which that righteous man saw and heard, as he lived among them, tormented his righteous heart day after day. 9 So the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and how to hold the wicked until the Day of Judgment while continuing to punish them, 10 especially those who follow their old natures in lust for filth and who despise authority.
He was righteous but selfish.
Saved but living under the curse of that selfishness.
But one man interceded on Lot's behalf and it changed all of human history. If his uncle Abraham didn’t pray for him, he may not have been saved.
Which means the Messiah never would have come through Ruth -- the Moabitess.
You can be saved and still possess a myriad of curses in your own life.
You may have earthly wealth -- but it can (should) be lost if it gets in the way of your salvation.
You may not be a good father/mother -- but Abba can teach you how to salvage it.
You may be mocked in the community -- but you can stand up for righteousness anyway.
You may not be honored by your children -- but you can change that by repenting to them.
You may be content in holding on to what is in the process of being destroyed -- but it is best to let it all go.
You may not be honored by your spouse -- but you can become the person they need for you to be.
You may fear for your life (or lifestyle) -- but you'd be best off to sacrifice it all.
Humble yourself, return to Abraham and Abraham’s God, and walk in the blessing.
Or head for the hills, do it yourself, then allow curses to grow through you.
Today you can choose whom you will serve.
But it all depends on whether you choose to be a servant of Yahweh or a slave to the world.