MEMORY VERSE: 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. Genesis 19:30
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 115-117
BIBLE READING: Genesis 13:9-12
The
story of how Lot separated from his uncle and adopted father, Abram, is
a popular one. After series of quarrels between the herdsmen of Lot and
those of Abram, Abram decided that it was best they both divide the
land between themselves. He called Lot and said “Is not the whole
land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt
take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to
the right hand, then I will go to the left” (Genesis 13:9). Abram,
being a senior brother to Lot’s deceased father, gave Lot the
opportunity to pick first. One would have expected Lot to turn down the
offer to choose first since Abram was like a father to him. Instead he
lifted up his eyes to see which portion of the land was most "green". He
saw that the plains of Jordan was “well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt” and
moved in with his family. At the onset, his decision to move into Sodom
and Gomorrah seemed like a masterstroke. In the land he prospered
greatly and amassed great wealth. One day, God’s wrath came down on
Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot lost all he had. Things were so bad, for him,
that he could not afford a house so he began to live inside a cave with
his two daughters. Genesis 19:30 says, “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.”
There
are several lessons to learn from this story. Firstly, not all green
pastures are actually green. The colour ‘green’ is the colour of life,
renewal, nature, and energy, and is associated with meanings of growth,
harmony, freshness, safety, fertility, and environment. So when the
Psalmist says “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures” (Psalm
23:2a), you have an idea of what he was trying to say. The land of
Sodom and Gomorrah had green pastures but it was not 'so green' for Lot.
Secondly, not all green pastures are green pastures; some are abattoirs
in disguise. Lot went into Sodom and Gomorrah with a large family but
left with only two of his children; even his wife did not make it out.
Thirdly, not all green pastures are peaceful. Fourthly, the fact that a
pasture is green does not mean God is there. The plain of Jordan looked
like the garden of the Lord but it was not the garden of the Lord.
Sixthly, the fact that a pasture is green today does not mean it will be
green tomorrow, as such pray before making any decision. The pastures
were green when Lot moved into Sodom, several years later it became a
sulphur site. As we mentioned yesterday, in Lot’s scale of preference
‘greener pasture’ came before the presence of God. Friend, in your scale
of preference which comes first? Is it money? Is it wealth? Is it
influence? Is it the presence of God? Is it the will of God? Lot
preferred a green pasture to the presence of God? Dear sister, do you
prefer a well-to-do man to a God-fearing man? A man who is well-to-do
but not God-fearing has no future because he is at the mercy of the
enemy. That job may offer more money but is that God’s will for you?
Marriage to that brother or sister may help you meet your financial
needs or give you influence and connection, but is God in it? Your
journey to that foreign country may offer you a lot in terms of
financial returns but is God in it?
NOTE: A green pasture where the presence of God is missing is a death trap.
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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world
