Abraham and Lot

Jonathan is an example of the power of a personal faith and of a selfless love for David, the anointed of the Lord. These virtues showed themselves wonderfully, even in an environment in which Jonathan was connected through Saul to a religious attitude outwardly correct but lacking all inner power. But from the day David was rejected, Jonathan would have had to go a step further: he would have had to leave behind the entire religious system that consisted only of an outward confession, in order to join the true king. Here, the weakness of his otherwise so sensitive heart becomes apparent. When his heart was put to the test, he lacked moral determination. The decision he made by remaining with his father, Saul, had bitter consequences.

Lot falls far behind Jonathan in character, for his faith possessed hardly any strength of its own. Even his beginning was not good: he did go with Abraham, but that meant nothing more than that he lived on Abraham’s faith, not his own. Abraham’s spiritual energy carried him along. Scripture calls him “righteous Lot” (2 Peter 2:7), indicating that he is a believer. But nothing more. Personal righteousness in conduct alone is not enough. It takes the power of faith, a heart that is oriented exclusively toward God, and a consistent separation from the world—otherwise the world will overwhelm us.

What most clearly characterizes Lot and leads to his downfall is that he chose according to his own taste. Without spiritual energy, he faced the things of the world; he “raised his eyes”—and decided. Without hesitation, he made his wrong choice. Later, however, when it was a matter of separating from these things, he hesitated. How tragic this hesitation was!

Abraham did not choose—he renounced. And he renounced all the more willingly because, during his stay in Egypt, he had learned painfully what it means to follow his own understanding in order to avoid a trial. The result was that, in this episode of his life, he lost fellowship with God, even if his motives may well have been—humanly speaking—understandable.

Lot, on the other hand, “raised his eyes” and decided on what seemed beautiful and attractive. He could have said: Are these things not prepared by God’s good providence like a garden of Eden? So, where is the problem? A servant of the Lord once gave the apt answer: “The problem was that Satan had projected Sodom into the middle of the garden of the Lord.” And so Lot was inevitably drawn there. In these things he sought the fulfillment of his desires. Among the consequences of his unfaithfulness were ultimately the most severe trials and sufferings.

We have seen that Abraham renounced. He did it for God’s sake—but God lets nothing be given to Him. So He said to him: “Raise your eyes!” If it is God who calls on us to raise our eyes, and not our own hearts, then we can do it without hesitation. Abraham now looked at the expanse and the details of the inheritance that God wanted to give him. In spirit, he walked through this good land, which up to that point he had possessed only in the hope of the divine promise. Yet that was completely sufficient for his faith.

The result of this spiritual joy was that he worshiped the LORD, who had promised him everything, and gave him the certainty that these promises would also be fulfilled. The altar in Hebron bears witness to Abraham’s faith. The altar was located at the place where Abraham lived and enjoyed fellowship with God.

One could say that Abraham had been accustomed to renouncing ever since his calling by God. But the further he progressed on his path, the more he learned to renounce more and more—up to and including his entire hope for the future, which he saw in the person of his beloved son Isaac.

The result of Lot’s choice was devastating for him:

• As far as his heart was concerned, he had no choice but to “torment his righteous soul”—he experienced neither peace nor fellowship, neither strength nor joy.

• As far as his mind was concerned, God’s thoughts about the world remained hidden from him, and likewise God’s judgment on it.

• As far as his faith was concerned, he feared the danger precisely where his rescue lay, and he completely lacked trust in faith.

• As far as his testimony was concerned, he lost it completely: he was described by the world as a self-appointed judge and, for his sons-in-law, he was only an object of mockery.

• As far as his course of life was concerned, it ended in a complete collapse.

How different it was in Abraham’s case! Near God on the mountain, he enjoyed the future things, was full of peace in his worship, was an intercessor, a friend of God, initiated into His revelations and secrets—both with regard to the inheritance (ch. 13) and with regard to the judgment on the world (ch. 18). Finally, God showed him what significance Isaac, the heir, had, for through him Abraham ultimately possessed his eternal portion.

Abraham was also a conqueror: he freed his nephew and refused any compromise with the world and its gifts after leaving the “world” (Genesis 14:21–24).

And finally, in him the whole virtue of faith is seen—faith that is obedient and holds to God’s Word; that lives in complete dependence on God and makes us strangers in this world. Faith hopes, endures, renounces, and fights victoriously. Faith justifies, acknowledges death, and lays hold of resurrection. Faith does all this because it holds to Christ and the invisible things. And so we see it with Abraham.

By faith he lived as a stranger in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:9–10