Lot's Look

Genesis 13:10 (ESV) And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

When Abram and Lot separate, Abram puts the choice in Lot's hands as where to go. Then Lot mentally compares the desirable land to Egypt and Eden. To understand this passage you have to understand how Egypt and Israel function very differently environmentally.

Deuteronomy 11:10–12 (NLT) For the land you are about to enter and take over is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you planted your seed and made irrigation ditches with your foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 Rather, the land you will soon take over is a land of hills and valleys with plenty of rain—12 a land that the Lord your God cares for. He watches over it through each season of the year!

Do you see what that’s saying? Egypt and Eden had two things in common, plentiful rivers for sustaining life. Remember, this is the ancient world. You need water and there's no plumbing or water department. 

The land of Israel however relies on rain. Rain comes only from the hand of God. Of course we understand how to predict the rain, but we still (5000 years later) cannot make the rain. That's something that happens by Divine ordinance. 

So here's what Lot was really looking at: What can I control?

The land of Egypt represents human control. The Nile, plenty of river basin for bountiful harvest.

The land of Promise represents depending on God’s control. This is the land God takes care of. A land where if there’s a drought - you're going to have to pray and trust God. 

LOT choses the land he can control, the land where there’s security and safety based on his own ingenuity. This is one of the allures of money - “When I get to this amount I’ll be free.”

You won’t. 

You know how I know?

Because it didn't happen for Lot. Look at the sequence of events in his life from this one look:

Genesis 13:13 Lot settled near Sodom.

Genesis 14:12 Lot... was dwelling in Sodom…

Genesis 19:1 Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. (which means he was an official of the city)

Genesis 19:14 says his daughters were engaged to men from Sodom.

When God sends angels into Sodom, he’s going to destroy the city Lot was so snared by the wealth and power of that place that even on the day of the cities destruction he was still there. It reads:

Genesis 19:16 (NASB) But Lot hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city.

The fire is about to fall on the city, there’s no time left, and LOT has to be dragged out!

And amazing thing happens when we look at what will give us power and control, those very things end up controlling us. 

Genesis is teaching us, those who live rightly depend fully on God. Right now something may be causing you to think God is holding out on you and it's time to take matters into your own hand. Right now something is promising you power and autonomy. You weren't made for it. It will enslave you. Bob Dylan said, "You're gonna serve somebody." 

Why not serve and trust the One who made you.