Unveiling Lot: The Twilight Years

We last saw Lot entering into Zoar. Through his intercession for Zoar, the city has been spared, but he has lost his wife and an unknown amount of family and friends in the destruction of Sodom and the cities of the plain. We pick up the story now after an unknown length of time has passed and enter into yet more controversy regarding his life.

Gen 19:30  And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 
Almost immediately an accusation is levelled at Lot for doubting God – “Both these cases argue a strange want of faith” (Clarke’s commentary on Genesis 19:30). These accusations follow the misunderstanding of Lot’s motive for going to Zoar. Previously we have looked at the geography and history of the Sodom with the clear understanding that fleeing to the mountains was a natural go-to, whereas travelling to Zoar would require Lot to remain in the danger zone far longer. That Lot would have a crisis of faith seems highly unlikely considering his earlier response to the angel’s message of impending judgement. A man urging people to flee a city at midnight when there is no apparent threat speaks of a man who believed God’s messengers to the letter. That Lot chooses now to flee to the mountains yet again testifies to the mountain escape being a common choice, not an outlier.

There is not enough detail given on Lot in Zoar to indicate the reason for his fear to stay there. One could imagine that the inhabitants regarded him with suspicion, or indeed, hostility, remembering the resentment that the men of Sodom held towards Lot for his vocal opposition to their evil over the years. The exact reason is unknown, but it certainly can be seen in line with the Bible’s verdict on Lot being a righteous man. Jesus would instruct his disciples to leave a city if they were not welcomed. To leave Zoar does not indicate a lack of faith on Lot’s behalf. If the Bible declares him righteous and without further evidence, would it not be better to read this story in a manner that gives Lot a positive light, or at the least, not pointing the finger at him?

Gen 19:31-32  And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 
Here we come to what is perhaps considered as being one of if not the most scandalous events in Lot’s life. I would argue, however, that the primary reason some see it as such is a result of cultural bias.
This is an important verse to examine, for many will accuse Lot’s daughters of gross immorality learnt from Sodom. In this they are incorrect. Let’s consider several points.

1. Lot’s two daughters leave the city with him and obey the directions of the angels. Unlike the children of Lot and their own mother, these two daughters obeyed and were saved from Sodom’s destruction.
2. Incest was not something that had been outlawed yet. It would not be till the Law that such rules would come into play. Consider that Sarah was Abraham’s half-sister. At this point in civilization, marriage to close relatives was not unheard of. To consider and judge the patriarchs by today’s standards is a gross mistake. Noah was found righteous in his generation, not ours. Lot was found righteous in his generation. Not ours.
3. The motivation is directly stated: to preserve Lot’s seed. The firstborn daughter’s motivation is save her father’s line. This motivation would indicate that Lot indeed had lost children in Sodom’s destruction, including at least one son. As a result, if the two daughters of Lot had decided to get married, the lineage of Lot would cease as they would be married into their husband’s family. This motivation could very well have been spurred on by the hope and promise of the coming Messiah. This motivation is far more noble than many will give credit. They get caught up in the cultural stigma and miss the personal sacrifice.

The remainder of the story can be found in Genesis 19:33-38. I have left it out to save space as it’s not critical to the final commentary on Lot’s life. There are a few notes to make.

1. The odds that both daughters would sleep once with a drunk man (who according to the text knew not what was happening) in consecutive nights and both end up pregnant is very unlikely.
2. If the motivation of the daughters was to keep the lineage of Lot alive in hope of being part of the lineage of the Messiah, then that hope would be materialized for both in Ruth the Moabitess and Naamah the Ammonitess being in the bloodline of Christ.
3. For those who think that incest is the reason for Ammon and Moab being forbidden from the congregation of the LORD or enemies or another such notion, the Scripture is clear as to why they are forbidden. (Deu 23:3-6) They repaid the kindness of the Israelites with evil.
4. Balaam, a prophet with contact and knowledge of Jehovah, is known to the Moabites. What knowledge of God and faith did Lot pass down to his children? That they should backslide is no wonder, look at the state of the Israelites after one generation passes.
5. God indicates to Israel that He has given land to the children of Lot for an inheritance. (Deu 2:9,19)

As the Biblical text continues on with the story of Abraham, we are left to wonder what happens with Lot. One can only imagine the devastation he suffered in losing most of his family in Sodom, followed by his wife in their escape and then fleeing the city that he saved in fear for his life. Perhaps in the twilight years he would find some consolation – whichever the case, the epitaph that Lot should be remembered by is that which God would give him many centuries later when the apostle Peter would call him ‘righteous’.

I pray this series has gone some way to vindicating Lot and making a strong argument for why he ought to be a man of faith that we look to in admiration. A man of faith who persisted despite all the evil he was surrounded with. And lest we forget: the days of the second coming of Christ will be as the days of Lot. May we be found as Lot was found in his day: righteous.