Topical Bible: The Mercy of God: Lot

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Topical Encyclopedia

Lot, the nephew of Abraham, is a significant figure in the biblical narrative, particularly in the context of God's mercy. His account is primarily found in the Book of Genesis, where he is depicted as a man who, despite his flaws and poor choices, experiences the profound mercy of God.

Background and Context

Lot first appears in Genesis 11:27-31, where he is introduced as the son of Haran, Abraham's brother. After the death of his father, Lot accompanies Abraham and his family as they journey from Ur of the Chaldeans to Canaan. Lot's association with Abraham is crucial, as it sets the stage for the divine interventions he later experiences.

Lot's Choice and Consequences

In Genesis 13, a conflict arises between the herdsmen of Lot and those of Abraham due to the abundance of their possessions. To resolve the strife, Abraham offers Lot the choice of land. Lot chooses the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley, settling near the city of Sodom, a decision that places him in a morally corrupt environment. "So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And they parted company" (Genesis 13:11).

The Mercy of God in Rescuing Lot

Despite Lot's decision to live near Sodom, a city notorious for its wickedness, God's mercy is evident in his life. In Genesis 14, Lot is taken captive during a regional conflict involving the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham, demonstrating loyalty and courage, rescues Lot and his possessions. This act of deliverance underscores God's protective care over Lot, mediated through Abraham.

Divine Intervention in Sodom

The most striking demonstration of God's mercy towards Lot occurs in Genesis 19. God decides to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to their grievous sin. However, because of Abraham's intercession, God sends two angels to rescue Lot and his family. The angels warn Lot of the impending destruction and urge him to flee. "When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, because of the LORD’s compassion for them" (Genesis 19:16).

Lot's deliverance from Sodom is a powerful testament to God's mercy, as it is not based on Lot's righteousness but on God's compassion and Abraham's intercession. The angels' insistence and physical intervention highlight the urgency and necessity of divine grace in Lot's salvation.

Lot's Legacy and God's Continued Mercy

After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's life continues to reflect the complexities of human frailty and divine mercy. His subsequent actions, including the troubling episode with his daughters (Genesis 19:30-38), reveal the ongoing challenges of living righteously in a fallen world. Yet, God's mercy remains evident, as Lot's descendants, the Moabites and Ammonites, play significant roles in the biblical narrative.

In the New Testament, Lot is mentioned in 2 Peter 2:7-8, where he is described as a "righteous man" who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless. This acknowledgment of Lot's righteousness, despite his imperfections, further illustrates the depth of God's mercy and the transformative power of divine grace in the lives of believers.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 19:16,19
And while he lingered, the men laid hold on his hand, and on the hand of his wife, and on the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful to him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of ...
... I saw the lot was fallen to them in pleasant places, and they had a goodly ... be forgiven
me; yea, I was now so taken with the love and mercy of God, that I ...
/.../bunyan/grace abounding to the chief of sinners/grace abounding to the chief.htm

Whether in Every Work of God There are Mercy and Justice?
... I answer that, Mercy and truth are necessarily found in all God's works, if mercy
be taken ... a misery; but only defect in a rational nature whose lot is to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether in every work of.htm

Continue in Unity and Love.
... And do ye also pray for me, who have need of your love, along with the mercy of
God, that I may be worthy of the lot for which I am destined, and that I may ...
/.../the epistle of ignatius to the trallians/chapter xii continue in unity and.htm

Conviction of Sin.
... a necessity upon thee; one of the two must be thy lot: either thou must accept of
God's grace, and ... it better that thou submit to the grace and mercy of God ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/x conviction of sin.htm

The Replacement of the Fallen Angels by Elect Men (28-30); the ...
... nor did it hand the whole company over to a deserved punishment, as is the human
lot. ... both, that is to say, from the will of man and from the mercy of God. ...
/.../augustine/handbook on faith hope and love/chapter ix the replacement of.htm

Daily Blessings for God's People
... It has been your lot, like that of Mephibosheth, to sit ... to be a wrestling between
our sin and God's love, but ... The load of mercy which was used yesterday won't ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/daily blessings for gods people.htm

Surely Goodness and Mercy Shall Follow Me all the Days of My Life ...
... so far as it affects us, everything that falls to our lot, all that ... been removed
that we shall fully realize how the goodness and mercy of God have always ...
/.../callan/the shepherd of my soul/xi surely goodness and mercy.htm

The Reward of Obedience.
... There is a mercy that lies in the endeavour to share with others the ... poor, the hungry,
the weeping, the hated, may lament their lot as if God had forgotten ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/hope of the gospel/the reward of obedience.htm

The Fact of the Redeemer's Return was Foreshadowed in the Ritual ...
... "One lot for the Lord," then, is what God obtained in ... was killed and its blood brought
within the veil and sprinkled both upon and before the mercy-seat. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/5 the fact of the.htm

Psalm CXXX.
... indeed have to suffer tribulation here, if it should be his lot to suffer ... Though
therefore he was weighed down with his sins, the mercy of God is present to ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxxx.htm