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. Righteousness is not a prize gained by flawless living. Like Jacob, Samson and David, other very flawed people who nonetheless obtained God’s commendation, Lot feared God. His faith, though diluted at times by worldly wisdom, distinguished him from the wickedness around him.

Evidence of Lot’s faith shines through his actions. He lived as a godly man amidst Sodom’s corruption. His daughters were virgins at the time of Sodom’s judgment, demonstrating his commitment to a godly household. He openly welcomed and protected the strangers who came to the city within his own house, even at the risk of his neighbours’ displeasure and of danger to himself and his household. And he received the angels’ warning of judgment upon the city, obeying their injunction to leave at once, even if slower than could have been desired.

The Lord delivers the righteous out of the furnace of judgment. Lot was saved out of Sodom, but as through fire. He lost everything he had. His wife looked back to Sodom despite the warning against it, and perished on her way out. His daughters escaped with him, only to bear children through incest with their father without his knowledge. His descendants, the children of Ammon and Moab, who were born of the wickedness of their mothers, were denied a place in the covenant because of their idolatry and moral decay.

Lot’s decisions affected his own future, but also heavily impacted the lives of his family. His wife’s heart was tethered to Sodom’s sinful glitter. Her disobedient backward look at the city despite the express prohibition revealed that she was one with Sodom in her heart. She disobeyed, not out of ignorance, but willful unbelief, and paid the ultimate price.

The Lord gave us a sobering warning, “Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32). He warns us not to cling to earthly treasures. What we treasure holds our hearts. If our hearts are set on things of this world, we risk losing all that we sought and fought for, leaving empty-handed at last.

The story also sets Sodom’s wickedness in stark relief against Lot’s godliness. As the men of the city groped for the door to commit sexual wickedness with Lot’s visitors, they were struck blind. Instead of repenting and giving up, they continued to search, sealing their doom. This stubborn defiance mirrors a hardened heart. As Proverbs 29:1: “Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.”

Lot’s story prompts us to ask: What can we do differently? First, let us value God’s presence and holiness over material gain. When given the choice of land, Lot could have deferred to Abraham as his elder brother. Even more importantly, Abraham was the one who had actually received the promise of inheriting the land. In that sense, the land belonged to Abraham and not Lot, and he should have refused the choice.

Secondly, if it is necessary to choose, let us put godliness and peace over wickedness and prosperity. There was more than just fertile plains and economic opportunities to consider in Lot’s choice. Sodom’s wickedness was proverbial, yet Lot’s desire for wealth dominated his spiritual longings. He was finally betrayed by the very people among whom he had spent his life. He was mocked by them as an upstart and threatened with the loss of honour and even of life.

How, then, should we live? First, we must recognize that God’s promises are sure and steadfast, and his word is always for our good. To please him, we must start with trusting His Word above our own reasoning.

Second, we must lay up treasures in heaven, rather than on earth. As the Lord said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Lot’s life warns us against the folly of holding on to the “peanuts” of this world. The fleeting pleasures of sin, the lure of material gain, and the approval of society are traps that lead to ruin. Instead, we are called to choose the path of faith, even when it’s costly.

Finally, we must consider the legacy of our faith. Are we leading others—especially our families—toward God or away from Him?

When we face hard choices, we need to find out why it is so difficult to choose rightly. Some areas of hardness may have to be examined, since these cause us to falter at such moments. For instance:

• Do we respond to God’s commands with swift obedience?
• Who are our friends or mentors?
• How did we choose our current location?
• What is our viewpoint towards raising our children?
• How do we regard money?
• How do we feel about the needy and about generosity?

Let us not squander the kingdom of God and his righteousness for mere worldly wealth. As we live in a fallen world, let us take warning from Lot and rely solely on His grace to make the right decisions. Unlike the monkey, let us not be greedy to grasp. Let us with open hands give the Lord liberty to decide our present and future in all things. open our Let us take hold of the eternal by clasping the hem of our Father’s robe in love and trust. In doing so, we will not only secure our own faith but also leave a legacy that honors God.