Dancing with the Devil

What starts with a fleeting thought, if not immediately resisted, progresses into action, which leads to sin, which results in death. By the way, don’t ever let anyone tell you that temptation is wrong. Temptation isn’t wrong, it’s normal. If you’re not ever tempted, you’re already dead! Each temptation of life brings you face to face with a moral choice. Either you give in or you stand your ground and say no. Each time you give in—even a little bit—you grow weaker, and each time you resist—even a little bit—you grow stronger.

God gives the best to those who leave the choice to him.!

God often reveals himself to us in a crisis situation. None of us would choose to go through a crisis in order to learn more about God. But we rarely have a choice. But we do have a choice about whether we will learn from a crisis and use it as an opportunity to grow closer to God. 

When you look at the life of Abraham, we come to one of those crisis moments. It happens just as he and Sarah return from their ill-fated trip to Egypt to escape the famine. While there, he had lied to save his life. The lie worked for awhile until God intervened. Then Abraham was forced to leave the country after having been publicly humiliated by the Pharaoh.

But he left a much richer man than he came. In spite of his sin, God had blessed him with great wealth in Egypt. And it is his great wealth that will now bring him great trouble.

I think it’s important to remember that if Abraham hadn’t gone to Egypt in the first place, he wouldn’t have this problem now. It’s his compromise and deceit that made him and Lot so rich that they could no longer live together.

The Bible tells us that the land could not support both of them. Evidently the Canaanites and the Perizzites controlled most of Palestine, which meant that Abraham and Lot had to live in the neglected areas. That would have been no problem when they were middle class herdsmen, but now that they have moved up the ladder, they both need some breathing room. 

The herdsmen didn’t start quarreling until the flocks got too big. When they were both middle-class herdsmen, everyone was happy.

What do you do when you can’t get along? Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply go your separate ways. Why spend all your time fussing and fighting?

In this case, the crucial question is, Who’s going to make the first move? It’s precisely at this point that we see Abraham’s greatness. Somebody’s got to step in and stop this nonsense but it won’t be Lot. He’s too worried about getting the best land for himself. Even though Abraham had the right to choose first, he gives up his right in order to settle the conflict.

So now Lot can choose any part of the Promised Land. North, South, East, West—it doesn’t matter. It’s like winning the coin toss at the Super Bowl. The choice is his.

At this point the writer of Genesis makes it painfully clear what was motivating his decision: “Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord” (v. 10). It seemed to Lot that the Jordan valley was like the Eden come to life before his very eyes. As he gazed, he saw lush fields for his cattle, plenty of room for vineyards, vast open areas for homesteading, and above all else, he saw that there was plenty of water. 

So Lot makes his choice based on the availability of water. As he and Abraham part company, Lot moves toward Sodom while Abraham moved toward Hebron. One man went east, the other west.

Who got the better of this deal? From outward appearances, it certainly looked like Lot won. After all, he got the best land and Abraham had to take what was left. But the Bible says that Lot “pitched his tents near Sodom.”

Ed Dobson points out three mistakes that Lot made:

1. He chose himself over others.

2. He chose his occupation over his family.

3. He chose the immediate over the future.

You can’t compromise with evil and come away clean. You can’t sleep in the sewer without getting dirty. You can’t dance with the devil without paying the devil’s price.

By choosing to live near Sodom, Lot was exposing himself and his family to gross moral evil. I’m sure if you asked him beforehand, he would have defended himself by saying that he never intended to make friends with the men of Sodom. He only lived there because that’s where the best land was. Either he was ignorant of the sin of Sodom or he just didn’t care. But if he didn’t know, he should have known because the men of Sodom reveled in their perversity.

Moral compromise often begins with a tiny step in the wrong direction. No one ever intends to fall into sin. But it happens so subtly that before we know it, our lives are entangled in a web of deceit and iniquity. James 1:14-15 graphically pictures the steps to spiritual death: “But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Mark the progression carefully:

i)Temptation

ii)Desire

iii)Sin

iv)Death

What is the significance of all this? Two points come quickly to mind. First, God has made an eternal promise to the Jews that they will live in the Promised Land. The Promised Land belongs to Israel and to no one else. God signed over the title deed 4,000 years ago, and no one can take it away.

Second, God honors those who yield their rights because they believe in God’s promises. If you’re looking for a big application, here it is. Because Abraham didn’t demand his own way, God gave him back everything he lost and then some.

Who “won"? Did Lot win? Well, I think it’s fair to point out that as this story ends, you might argue that Lot did in fact win. After all, he’s got the best land. But Abraham’s got the Lord.

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” Jesus asked. (Mark 8:36).

Lot won in the short run, but his victory didn’t last long. Abraham won in the long run. He got all the land anyway, and he also ended up with the Lord.

God gives the best to those who leave the choice to him.!