“and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked” (2 Peter 2:7).
The focus of our next sub-study in 2 Peter chapter two involves Abraham’s nephew, Lot. We’ve already noted Lot’s prominent role in the account of Sodom and Gomorrah, for he was one of only three people to escape God’s judgment upon those areas. So how did Lot manage to survive that catastrophic destruction?
Well, it certainly wasn’t because Lot was eager to leave. In fact, God’s angelic representatives practically had to drag Lot and his family out of town because they hesitated to depart from the city. Instead, Genesis 19:29 explains the reason behind Lot’s narrow escape from Sodom: “When God destroyed the cities of the valley where Lot lived, he remembered his promise to Abraham and saved Lot from the terrible destruction” (CEV).
This tells us that Lot’s survival was linked (at least partially) to his uncle Abraham’s intercession for him. Thus, we should never underestimate the impact of our prayers on behalf of others. As we’re reminded in the Biblical book of James, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16 NIV).
The following verse then goes on to summarize Lot’s journey after he left the city.
“Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave” (Genesis 19:30 NIV).
So even though Lot (and the remaining members of his family) escaped to an obscure little village named Zoar, they apparently didn’t stay very long. Our text from Genesis 19:30 offers an explanation for their hasty departure: “Lot left Zoar because he was afraid to stay there” (GW). To better understand Lot’s fearfulness, let’s consider his arrival in Zoar from the perspective of those who lived there.
For instance, how do you think the citizens of Zoar felt when they discovered Lot was the only person (aside from his daughters) to survive the cataclysmic disaster that just destroyed their neighboring towns? Imagine if you were a superstitious resident of Zoar, or someone who lived in fear of provoking the “gods.” Would you welcome Lot as a new resident, or would you be more inclined to say, “You are followed by a curse. Take your misfortune elsewhere and leave.”
If Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar, then it probably means that his new neighbors were not very hospitable. That would explain why Lot and his daughters had to leave town in favor of living in a cave. This event thus serves to illustrate an important Scriptural truth: “…everything that was written in the past was written to teach us…” (Romans 15:4 NIV).
To make the most of that lesson, our next study will focus on the events that led to Lot’s change of address before we transition to the sordid events that followed.