God did not leave Lot

 God did not Leave Lot

God’s mercy often shines the brightest in His judgments. Sodom is not an exception.

It is true, Sodom was to be destroyed by fire. Abraham had bargained with God so that if there would even be 10 righteous people within that entire city, then the whole city would be spared.

But there were not even 10 righteous people found.

God could have simply destroyed the whole city, but Lot the– nephew of Abraham – was still in there. 

Now Lot had some good qualities. He showed great generosity and self-sacrifice by inviting those strangers to his home in Genesis 19 and defending them against the Sodomite gang.

He also believed and the people in Sodom at least saw something of Lot’s faith since they felt like they were constantly being judged by him. He was not popular because of it.

Yet, at the same time, Lot had quite a weak character. He did not take his faith seriously enough for people to know he wasn’t joking when he said God would judge the city.

He offered his two daughters to be raped to the Sodomites so that the strangers in his home would be safe. He also lingered when he was warned to go out of the city himself.

Besides, he was the one who consciously made the decision to live in Sodom purely for possessions. 

God could have simply left him there and there would be good reason for it.

And when the angels finally brought him outside the city we see this being recorded:


[Gen 19:17-22 NKJV] 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed." 18 Then Lot said to them, "Please, no, my lords! 19 "Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 "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." 21 And he said to him, "See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 "Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.


Even now Lot did not fully trust God as he was scared of the evils of nature. Instead he asked mercy for the small city Zoar so he could taste the evils of that city that was to be destroyed.

And yet, amazing patience! The request is not denied and an entire city is spared for Lot’s weakness. 

But after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed Lot seems to have again doubted God’s mercy or he may have had second thoughts since we see that he went to dwell in the mountains anyway.

Thus is the list of the weaknesses of Lot.

And yet he was saved from the city. Why then? Two reasons are mentioned.

First of all, God remembered Abraham. Abraham was the friend of God and He cared about him and his family. Earlier Abraham had bargained for the city, probably with Lot in mind.


[Gen 19:29 NKJV] 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.


But God also simply had compassion on Lot himself:


[Gen 19:16 NKJV] 16 And while he (Lot) lingered, 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.


He was merciful to him. Or as in other translations, He had compassion on Lot.

Amazing grace! God did not despise the life of Lot even with his great weaknesses. 

Remembering Abraham and having compassion on Lot, He decided to spare him even while he was still lingering.

This is the character of God. He actually cares about the cares of His people like He did with Abraham. And He actually has compassion on those who have weak faith, like with Lot.

These two things and the fact Abraham was godly while Lot had not wholly lost his faith gave God the space to save him from that wicked city. And he even listened to Lot’s prayers.

That is His way of thinking. It is the psychology of God.


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