At the end of Lot’s story in the Bible, we find him living in a cave with his two daughters. Poor, destitute, he has nothing to show for his life but ruin. His wife is dead. The city he had lived in destroyed. His riches…gone. Once respected but now reduced to cowering in fear, the only hope for anything good to come out of the mess his life had become were the two girls who called him Dad.
But then, they turn up pregnant. Unwed and without remorse, I can imagine that they tell him something like this… ‘Guess what Dad. Remember when we got you drunk? Yeah, well, Happy Father’s Day.”
Wow. There aren’t enough words to describe what Lot must have gone through the moment he realized that he was the father of his future grandsons. That moment he knew that the choices he had made in the past had surely brought about his future shame.
You’re probably thinking that his story has nothing to do with your life. You’re probably thanking God that something like that won’t happen to you. But Dad, listen up and listen close…Lot’s life may be closer to yours than you think because it didn’t just happen overnight. There are some lessons mixed in with the story of Lot’s life that all men should hear.
1 – Lot chose sin over righteousness
That’s right. Lot ‘pitched his tent toward Sodom.’ It wasn’t an accident that found him living in Sodom, he chose the lifestyle.
The Lesson – Men, you are defined by your choices. The music you listen to, what you watch, the places you go, the things you participate in…all of your choices will lead either to sin, or to righteousness. Choose wisely, you’re children are watching.
2 – Lot chose a wife who did not know God
His wife was a Sodomite. She did not share his same values, religious upbringing, or faith. Lot was ‘unequally yoked.’ (2 Corinthians 6:14)
The Lesson – Be careful who you allow in your children’s lives. Your friends and companions will have an effect on who your children will be. And men, if you are not married already, don’t ‘missionary date’. It’s not wise, or godly, to date women who don’t share your faith (1 Corinthians 15:33). Your choice will affect not only your faith but the faith of your children. If you are married, then men, be the examples of Christ that you should be. Win your wives over to God by living a righteous, God-honoring life.
3 – Lot chose community, and strangers, over family.
When facing a mob, Lot offered them the option of gang-raping his two daughter’s instead of his guests.
The Lesson – Men, your actions speak louder than words. Protect your family above all else. Be the guard against the wickedness of the world. Don’t sacrifice your children to the whims of the mob.
4 – Lot chose not to obey God’s command
When the angels told him it was time to go, Lot hesitated. He had to be dragged by the hand out of the city before he would leave.
The Lesson – Material things don’t matter. Being in the center of God’s will does. Men, if you worry more about the things you own than your walk with God, you will teach your children to do the same.
5 – Lot chose fear over faith
Instead of trusting God and going to the mountains as ordered, Lot begged to be sent to a nearby city. God gave him his desire, but even then, Lot’s fear drove him to the cave with his two daughters. His fear was the breeding ground for the disaster that was about to follow.
The Lesson – Men, your faith matters. The world can be a scary place, but when you trust God with every decision, every action, you teach your children that God is bigger than the bogeyman.
At the end of Lot’s story in the Bible, we find him living in a cave with his two daughters. Poor, destitute, he has nothing to show for his life but ruin.
Maybe, Dad, you can identify with Lot a little bit. Maybe some of the choices you’ve made aren’t the ones you should have made. But here’s the best part, the part that Lot didn’t know…God can redeem your past mistakes and turn them into something good.
You see, Lot’s story doesn’t end in that cave. The son of his older daughter was named Moab, who in turn became the father of the Moabites. Decades later a woman named Ruth, a Moabite, married a man named Boaz from Israel. They had a son named Obed, who was the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David…and from David came the very One who saved us all, Jesus.
So Dad, don’t let your past mistakes define you. Put your entire trust and faith in God. By living for Him you will teach your children what matters most in life. Don’t be THAT dad. Leave a legacy that your children can follow.
Scriptures used: Genesis 13-14 and Genesis 18-19
Read about Lot’s Wife HERE