16_A righteous man in the wrong place. 2Pet 2:6-10 “Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority.” Some North African tribes have an ingenious method of catching monkeys. They place peanuts in a container with a narrow opening, after tying it to a tree. When a monkey approaches, lured by the scent of the peanuts, it reaches in for a handful. But now its hand is too large to pull out of the jar. The monkey will not let go. It keeps trying in vain to take its precious handful of nuts out, until it is captured by the trapper. The monkey’s foolishness led it to trade its freedom and life for a handful of peanuts! Sadly, people often make the same foolish choice. Genesis 19 and 2 Peter 2:6–10 reveal the story of a man who pursued fleeting earthly gains and, in doing so, lost far more precious things. Lot’s life cautions us to examine the nature of our heart’s treasure, which determines our choices. Lot, the nephew of Abraham, started his journey with Abraham, the man of promise. He left Ur and followed Abraham into Canaan, trusting in God’s call. When conflict arose between their herdsmen, Abraham generously allowed Lot to choose his land first. Lot lifted his eyes and chose the fertile plains near Sodom, a city notorious for its wickedness. This pivotal decision shaped his future. Over time, he didn’t just camp near Sodom; he moved inside its walls. Yet he remained a righteous man, as Peter says. He feared God and did not give in to the depravity of his neighbours. It seems astonishing that Lot would be called a righteous man, after he made such a disastrous choice. Even as the angels of God urged him to flee, he lingered. Finally, the angels had to pull him out of the city. Neither did his godliness impact his family, unlike Noah’s godly fear. Noah saved his household through the dreadful flood. But Lot’s wife perished as a child of disobedience. His daughters escaped the burning of the city with him. Yet their cynical ungodliness reveals that they were not people of faith. The suitors for his daughters openly mocked him. Why then this label? The answer lies in the difference between God’s perception of righteousness vs our own. God declares those people to be righteous who live by faith. His way is that of faith in his faithfulness.